“Akalain n’yo, fourth season na ng “Sparks Camp”?
This was what esteemed film and television director Theodore Boborol blurted out in one of his recent vlogs on YouTube, where he took viewers behind the scenes of the preparations for “Sparks Camp” Season 4 months before the show’s much-awaited return.
With the latest season finally taking flight on iWant last September 16, the director found himself looking back at his very first behind-the-scenes vlog for the inaugural season of the country's queer dating reality show a few years ago. Back then, he openly admitted feeling nervous and unsure of himself, wondering if he could really pull off helming the groundbreaking show. Fast-forward to today, he still finds it unbelievable that “Sparks Camp” has already made it to its fourth season!
Direk Ted revealed that he shot this vlog on the very same day when the shortlisted hopefuls underwent their panel interview following the submission of their audition videos. He imparted how excited he was to finally meet the aspiring campers, especially since they were the ones who made it through the audition committee’s meticulous selection process.
According to him, the panel interview played a very crucial role in determining who would ultimately make it to the official batch of “Sparks Camp” campers. And since he released the vlog on the show’s premiere date, he made sure to include the finalists’ candid responses to the questions about their red flag and green flags.
Pre-first taping day preparations
Direk Ted then brought viewers along for the official Day 0 of “Sparks Camp Season 4,” giving us a glimpse of the season’s location, which was a beach resort in Bataan. He and some members of the production team arrived ahead of everyone else to familiarize themselves with the venue, study the set, map out the camera placements, among other tasks that they had to do; while the rest of the staff and the campers were scheduled to arrive the following day.
“Grabe, ang tagal nabuo ng casting ng season na ‘to. Sobra. Sobra talaga. Dahil nga iWant na tayo, so medyo mabusisi sila, ‘yong management, para sa final list of campers. But sobrang excited ako kung anong maibigay nila sa production na ‘to,” he related.
As part of their pre-season tradition, Direk Ted and several members of the team also shared their fearless forecasts on which campers they believed might develop mutual sparks or possibly end up together by the end of the season. Apart from him, chief story editor Gian Isidro, senior story editor Brezh Francisco, and story editor Ces Angquilo imparted their predictions, while host Mela Habijan—a.k.a. “Mother Sparker”—expressed her wish for the latest batch of campers.
“Ako, direk, isa lang naman ang hihilingin ko,” Mela said. “Sana outside of the camp, huwag naman kayo manglandi ng iba kasi doon natatapos ‘yong spark, 'di ba? Kaya hindi nagtatagal kasi nanglalandi kayo ng iba, nagpapalandi rin kayo sa iba. Cultivate the spark, protect it as much as you can. Don’t entertain people who are not part of the camp, most especially [those] who are not your ‘spark’. Okay?”
But before the cameras could officially roll, the production encountered an unexpected challenge. The following day’s technical rehearsal was delayed because of the heavy downpour, compelling them to wait until the rain ended for them to continue with their plans. Meanwhile, the campers had already arrived and were assigned to separate rooms to avoid seeing one another until the filming of the first episode had officially begun.
During the orientation, Direk Ted asked each of the campers about their game plan going into “Sparks Camp Season 4”—including what they would do to catch someone’s attention and the physical qualities they might look for in a potential spark.
The season 4 campers’ game plans, potential ka-spark types
Gio thought of starting with his love language, which is acts of service, and just see where things would go from there. As for his physical type, he doesn’t have any major preferences, although he’d probably go for someone around his height or shorter since he would want to “spoon” or cuddle whoever his ka-spark would be.
Howie, meanwhile, intended to simply be himself, carry himself with confidence, and try to entice the boys. While he tends to appreciate guys who are in good shape, he’s open to different body types because it’s really the personality that is the biggest factor for him.
EJ shared that he would take a more observant approach, as he planned to first check out his fellow campers, see who catches his eye, and then make his move. Beautiful eyes are a major plus for him, while it’s an added bonus if he’s also into working out.
Taku, on the other hand, had no strategy at all—and he’s perfectly happy with that. He just wants to go with the flow, see what everyone else does, and simply join in. When it comes to his type, beautiful eyes and a nice smile are what immediately catches his attention.
Like Taku, Tommy would also enter the camp with no carefully mapped-out plan, as he’d rather let things happen naturally and see how he responds to the situation. Physically, he tends to be drawn to someone with a cute face who looks fit and healthy.
Michael thought of just going with the flow as well and let his genuineness speak for itself. He’s also drawn to people who are around his height and physically active.
On the other hand, Beej wanted to make sure he gets noticed immediately, so he would definitely exude his charm in hopes of meeting a camper he genuinely likes. His type is somewhat fluid, although beautiful eyes and a nice smile, along with a clean-cut appearance, can catch his attention. However, like Howie, personality matters most to him.
Joaquin knows how important first impressions can be, so his strategy was to show his warm and outgoing side from the get-go by greeting everyone, breaking the ice right away, and getting to know the other campers. As for his type, he’s attracted to guys who obviously take care of themselves, though not necessarily gym buffs or guys with abs, but simply those who look after their well-being.
Jury said that he would just be himself, as he believes that staying true to who he is will make it easier for him to attract someone. And when it comes to physical features, beautiful eyes are enough to catch his attention.
Last, but definitely not least, is Ian Lubrica, who's also known by their drag artist name, “Empy Radora. They enthusiastically related that their game plan is to flirt away, show off their beauty, and go after the person they like in hopes of winning his heart. And when it comes to their type, they know exactly what they want: someone chinito, fair-skinned, and taller than them.
And it looks like the campers wasted no time putting their game plans into action in the pilot episode of “Sparks Camp Season 4,” which is now streaming on iWant!
The first eight campers—Tommy, Ian, Taku, Michael, EJ, Joaquin, Beej, and Jury—were introduced one by one as they entered the villa. We also witnessed them having fun and getting competitive as they played their first-ever game, “Agawan Buko,” which EJ dominated, as well as having their first interactions and conversations with each other. Their funny, silly, and even embarrassing dating secrets were got exposed as well in this season’s first-ever “Moment of Truth.”
While they had yet to fully get to know one another—and were still waiting for the arrival of the final two campers, Gio and Howie—they were already asked to take on their first “Sparks Giving.” In this segment, each of them had to give one “spark” chip to the specific camper who initially ignited the spark they were looking for without divulging their name but secretly dropping the chip to that camper’s basket.
Sparks will fly in the newest season of "Sparks Camp," streaming exclusively on iWant every Wednesday, for its early access episodes through its subscription plans starting at P35 per month in the Philippines, USD 12.99 per month in the United States, and USD 4.99 for the rest of the world.
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