Small wonder

I believe in professionalism, but playing is not like a job. You have to be grateful to have the opportunity to play. —Wynton Marsalis

Being on set always excites me for various reasons, primarily because being a food stylist in the Philippines is a relatively lucrative field where you get to meet all kinds of people, from the unseasoned, wild-eyed neophyte to the tried-and-tested veterans who add color and excitement to the silver screen. To be honest, working with the latter will always be a pleasure.

Professionalism is a dying art rarely found in new talents, but I dare to make an exception for a little-known wonder named Ryzza Mae Dizon, a little girl who traipsed into the limelight through the Little Miss Philippines Pageant, which she won in 2012. What a year can do to a talented little girl who has succeeded in more ways than one.

While shooting an ad for Mister Donut, one can imagine the many different ways an advertising shoot could go wrong: the endorsers may have no idea what their lines are, they can constantly make mistakes by entering a scene too early or too late, or the costumes or lighting may be off. Whatever the case may be, the director and crew are almost always on edge trying to figure out ways not to make shooting a disaster any more than it should be. I was thrilled to discover that this was not to be the scenario when it came to working with this child wonder. I was amazed at her accuracy and speed in memorizing and the ease with which she delivered her lines. All of eight years old, with enough energy to fill two stadiums, she remained focused on at the task at hand and very little to nothing distracted her. Having worked with various individuals through the years, you could imagine all kinds of distractions that could extend the shoot, but this was not to be the case. Instead everything went as planned and even if she was matched with an established talent such as Micheal V, she was neither intimidated nor overwhelmed. Just like the little trooper that she is, Ryzza Mae delivered her lines flawlessly and with such comedic timing, the staff and crew really couldn’t ask for anything more.

Working with a young talent like Ryzza Mae is a refreshing experience that has allowed me to appreciate the hard work and professionalism that a child is capable of. I’ve learned that no matter what age you begin and whatever beautiful talent the Lord has given you, given the right character and appreciation for your blessings, you can be successful and a blessing to so many people as well.