The rom-com virtuoso has seen enough sparks to know the eyes never lie.
Director Theodore "Ted" Boborol has mastered the art of making people believe in love through the meet-cutes and happily-ever-afters he orchestrates onscreen. But, "Sparks Camp" is different. Here, there’s no script telling two people when to fall for each other.
And as a new batch of campers arrive for a shot at finding their spark, Direk Ted lets us in on how the show has evolved, what goes into choosing its participants, and why Season 4 might just keep us surprised until the very end.
The road to bigger sparks
Now on its fourth season, "Sparks Camp" has grown from what Direk Ted thought would be a little YouTube show into a platform that gives queer people the space to be seen, tell their stories, and, if they’re lucky, find someone who sees something special in them, too.
“Sobrang hindi ko ma-imagine na umabot kami ng Season 4,” he admitted. Seeing how far it has come, Direk Ted is grateful, especially to the queer community and its allies who have continued to support the show.
Season 4 also comes with a major upgrade as it moves from YouTube to a paid streaming platform iWant. "May budget kami this time compared nu’ng first season na sobrang small budget lang ‘yung show," he said, adding that the team listened to what viewers and the community have to say, using their feedback to tweak the upcoming season.
Before there can be sparks, of course, there have to be campers—and this season, Direk Ted and his team picked those with stories worth following, "We were looking for individual stories, individual queer stories that are very interesting and very unique."
Another important piece of the puzzle was figuring out what happens when these campers are put together, "We looked for the group dynamics as well, potential dynamics sa mangyayari if pinagsama-sama namin itong mga campers na may interesting stories. Because after all, it's still a dating show."
More colors, more stories to tell
Of course, getting campers to share their stories also means creating an environment where they feel safe enough to be vulnerable in front of the cameras. For Direk Ted, that starts with being just as genuine with them. He also understands that directing “Sparks Camp” comes with a bigger responsibility because “this is not just a dating show, this is a queer dating show.”
He admits campers are concerned about the possibility of getting a “villain edit,” but he assures them that isn’t the kind of storytelling they’re after. Instead, he wants the campers to be presented as “three-dimensional” people whose actions and emotions viewers can better understand. With queer programs still few and far between in the country, he knows representation matters, and which is why he considers "Sparks Camp" a significant achievement.
And while he's happy that “Sparks Camp” has helped create that space, Direk Ted hopes it’s just one of many more queer shows to come. "Of course, rainbow community, kaya nga siya rainbow, kasi maraming colors. Hindi lang siya gay men, may mga lesbians din, may mga trans community din. And within those communities, mayroon pang mga sub-communities," he reflected.
The eyes don’t lie
As a rom-com master who has also spent four seasons watching people catch feelings right in front of him, can Direk Ted already tell who’s going to spark with whom?
He actually makes pre-camp predictions about who might end up together, but even his guesses can turn out wrong. And this is despite having access to the campers’ in-depth questionnaires about their lives, past loves, preferences, and what they’re looking for before they enter camp.
Sure, all that information gives him idea of who might hit it off, and he proudly points out that he got one prediction right last season. But once everyone enters camp, anything can happen. As he puts it, “At the end of the day, depende pa rin talaga sa mga interaction nila sa camp.”
Well, forget compatibility tests and decoding every tiny interaction. According to Direk Ted, if you want to know whether someone is starting to catch feelings, there’s one major giveaway you should be watching for—the eyes. “At the end of the day, nasa mata. The eyes don’t lie,” he declared. That might sound like an obvious answer, but after witnessing real-life attraction unfold on the show, he swears there’s truth to it. “Sa mata nakikita mo ’yung spark minsan. Kadalasan.”
Asked his most unforgettable 'sparks' in the past seasons, Direk Ted mentioned Season 1’s Justin Macapallag and Alex De Ungria, who found their way back to each other inside camp. The spark has burned brighter for Justin and Alex as they remain together to this day, which Direk Ted calls “a testament to the show’s success.”
Ready for more sparks?
Direk Ted doesn’t want to give too much away just yet. But he promises that "Sparks Camp 4" comes with plenty of twists and turns. “Hindi mo mape-predict based on the first episode kung anong mangyayari sa ending,” he teased, crediting much of the season’s unpredictability to campers who “really wear their hearts on their sleeve” and aren’t afraid to pursue the connections they want.
Now, it’s time to see where all that openness will take them. Tommy Alejandrino, Ian Lubrica, Taku Morita, Jury Fajardo, Michael Padiernos, Joaquin Espiritu, Gio Lopez, EJ Magistrado, Beej Mordeno, and Howie Johnson for "Sparks Camp" Season 4, each with their own story to tell and, hopefully, a connection worth exploring.
Enter the colorful world of "Sparks Camp” Season 4 this September 16 on iWant.
Viewers can soon get early access to each episode through iWant's subscription plans, starting at P35 per month in the Philippines, and USD 4.99 per month in the United States* (*promo price until October 31, 2026) and for the rest of the world.
Enjoy all the feels you want, only on iWant, the Home of Filipino feels. Download the app and subscribe via Google Play or the Apple App Store.
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