TRESE: From the shadows to the spotlight

By Ericka Marie Banting and Alysha Mae Gelvosa

Tanya Yuson, executive producer and screenwriter for Trese, spoke with Trese enthusiasts in an event dubbed “Trese sa Iloilo: A talk with Trese’s Executive Producer and Screenwriter” organized by the College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education in partnership with the Department of Communication of the University of San Agustin last July 3, 2021.

Trese managed to stay in Netflix’s top ten most watched movie in 19 different countries as of June 13, according to FlixPatrol. Naturally, the Philippines had the most viewers.

Yuson said they hoped that the show will continue in another season.

“We need to keep the viewing number up to convince Netflix to do season 2. We totally appreciate all the support everyone’s been giving us,” she said.

Trese, being one of the first of the Filipino animation series to be spotlighted in the international scene, has gained praises from Netflix users all over the world

“Trese is worth the watch because of its extensive worldbuilding, strong relationships, and a story that pushes large mythological themes and more intimate ones as well,” Kate Sanchez, Editor in chief and Co-founder of “But Why Tho?” wrote in her review.

 

COUNTERING CHALLENGES

The onslaught of the pandemic crippled different sectors of the country including the entertainment industry.

Yuson shared how the pandemic affected the production of Trese and how they dealt with the roadblocks.

“In terms of challenges actually, a lot of us were separated by distance and time zones,” she said.

She stressed how hectic the production process was.

The pre-production team were in Los Angeles, Yuson and the writers were in Manila, and the executives from Netflix were in Tokyo.

The actual production which was done in Korea and the post-production between Los Angeles and Manila.

Yuson said technology played a major role in the production processes of Trese.

“We used technology to overcome that [challenges], so luckily, working from home was fine and we made it work. It wasn’t without its challenges, but that’s kind of how we got to where we are now.”

Despite the challenges, Yuson said the production of an animation film was one of the few silver linings in a pandemic.

“Yung kagandahan ng animation is that hindi sya parang live action production na people are face-to-face and are in the same vicinity so you can pretty much still continue your schedules separately.”

 

WHAT NOW?

The worldwide recognition that Trese created for Filipino culture and talent has helped fill in the country’s lack of representation in Hollywood.

But this is only the beginning.

“We hope to be the stepping-stone to showcase more Filipino talent and stories to the rest of the world,” Yuson said.

She also encouraged creators to keep trying.

“Trese, at one point, we weren’t sure if it was going to happen or not but we just kept working at it and making sure we had all the tools and the know-how and the experience to see it through well.”