I'm graduating today!!! Yipeee!!!

Goodbye VFS!!! Hello World!!!

Actually, hindi ako makatulog kagabi, ganun ako ka-excited. Parang Grade 4 student na me field trip sa Wax Musuem the following day, lols.

Nways, I thought it was a year full of hardwork and drama and I felt I deserve something nice as a present to myself. Hahaha, ginawa talagang excuse ang graduation. I purchased my tickets for the concerts that Im dying to see. Kebs na kahit broke, hindi na lang ako kakain ng dalawang lingo. lols. Ganyan ako ka determined mapanood lang ang iniidolo. Well, kahit sinong badet naman siguro gagawin din ang ginawa ko, hehehe. Once in a lifetime itey para sa akin. Kaw na, madalang silang pumunta sa lugar mo no. Magiinarte pa ba ako, sila na nga lumalapit, lols.

Waaaaahhhhh!!!

Im excited to graduate today but Im more excited to see Janet and Madonna!!! hahahahaha :P

It was two weeks ago when I got a message from Gigi that Ness will be moving here in British Columbia for work. I was so excited. I cant wait to see my bestest friend. We were friends since grade 5. Even though she won't be based here in Vancouver, [she will be based in Kelowna, around 4 hours of drive from here], Im still happy that she's here now and after a few more months her fiance Oliver will follow. I almost thought that we wont be able to meet up before she moves to Kelowna because I was busy for the shoot and her schedule is tight too but today was the day that two old friends were reunited in a foreign land eating Lapaz Batchoy, hehehe. Its always refreshing seeing old friends. It feels like home. Para lang ulit kaming nasa espana, hehehe.

It was a slow day. Around 4pm, John texted me asking what I'm doing. Told him nothing and asked if he wants to do anything. He replied that he just want to go out because he's been at his place the whole day. Told him I'm up for anything, whatever he decides. We ended up agreeing on staying on my place planning to have a TREMORS Marathon because I bought the Tremors Action pack [all 4 movies] when we went to HMV the last time. Told him I'll cook dinner and he replied that he'll be here in an hour or two.

I wanted to cook something special because I've been cooking for him my chicken stir-fry and bihon most of the time. But I dont have any food in my fridge to cook, so I went to a mini grocery store and grab something and when I was about to pay, the machine flashed two dreaded words... Insufficient Funds, hehehe. I'm so broke. I went home without anything, hehehe. Thats why I ended up preparing Tocilog, hehehe.

Then, the unexpected happen, he arrived with a gift. A small box of cheesecake. He knows I love cheesecakes and he even brought my favorite cheesecake, Chocoswirl, from the place where we always go for cheesecake, Trees. I was kilig, hahahahaha, in a kris aquino way of speaking. I was making fun of him asking if he is officially courting me now. He just laughed it off and told me that its just a sign of thanks because Ive always been cooking for him everytime he hangs out in my place.

We enjoyed the tocilog, the cheesecake, some ice cream, and Tremors. It was fun and memorable, we watched Tremors till 2am. He stayed over after.

Now, Who can blame me for falling in love with this guy? haayyyyyyy :)

They always say that politics is everywhere. It certainly is.

We just finished production for our first round of mid-term dramas and we haven't started doing post job yet, but we are crewing already for the next round. For the "film" round [the first one was done digital], I'm doing the Assistant Director post for "The Battle Within" written and will be directed by another good friend of mine, Lisa. This will be interesting for this again is a new job and I'm totally a virgin to this job description. I'm actually excited esp. that I'm also responsible for casting, meaning to say all actors will pass through me, hehehe. And i'll have there contact info's, hehehe. Karir itow!

After a few days, we crewed again for post role. I'll be editing the other groups material and Titling for another. Its just a whirlwind of crewing and politicking the past few days which actually irks me a lot. The past few days was actually a downer for me esp with the school system on how they do things esp. with crewing. Its so hard to explain at times. But to sum it up, one of my first friends in class, Jason, who I truly admire and believe in just dropped out this month because He is just tired of the bullsh*t system of the school. I wish I can do the same, only If I can but I have to think about a lot of things. So, I guess, I'm sticking around and finish the course. I sooo cant wait to finish my course and find a job.

5 more months...

The first 3 scripts were chosen. Directors announced. Crewing was done.

I'll be working as the ART DIRECTOR for BOXES written and will be directed by my good friend, Shane. I'm so excited though productions will officially start after the christmas break. Its a pretty big task esp. that my director has a specific vision and look for our film but I'm up for the challenge. Bring it on.

My responsibilities include set design and props, hair, make-up and costumes... my job is soooo gay, hehehe.

   

It was a very refreshing experience not just because I got to meet Brillante but for the first time I get to see a Filipino director who is appreciated by an international audience.  Just the audience clapping after the movie is surreal for me, the audience was so appreciative. Kudos to Brillante and the whole team, actors and staff.  After the whole experience, I’m so inspired to make Filipino films. All I have in mind right now is to finish film school and go home and start making films... FILIPINO films.

New place. New beginning.

Start of a new chapter.

; )

Wow, tomorrow will be the start of Term 2. I'm actually not sure about our classes yet but one thing is for sure, I'll be editing our documentary film, I’ve got two months if I'm not mistaken to finish my edit, with each week having different deadline like first assembly, rough cuts, picture and sound lock, etc. Not bad for a 10-min docufilm. I'm excited, I've always wanted to be an editor, its has always been my passion to edit, its my second choice if i wont be a director. I find fulfillment in cutting the story, in making it come to life as I’ve visualized in the the very beginning.

This term is also the start of our short script writing and we are asked to submit story proposals at the start of the class and guess what? I'm still story proposal-less, lols. I have several ideas in mind now but nothings concrete yet to be my “proposals”. I'm torn because there are so many limitations that the school gave like only 5 speaking characters, no car scenes, no guns, etc. and after not being on this kind of process in a long time, I stopped creating ideas for over a year when I moved here in Canada, stupid me and i think my brain now hates me, I'm having a hard time making my ideas creative and still doable. I'm also having a hard time because I'm in a different society, different culture. I wanna make filipino films, I wanna make stories that are universal but still is rooted to who I am but actually, me wanting to make filipino films can work to my advantage because after checking the previous films that were made they are all foreign-language in nature and someone told me they favor those kinds of films to be made for diversity. By the way, I’ll share you the process, how everything will work. On our short script class, you have to prepare 3 story proposals that you want to make as a film maker, just proposals, 3-4 sentences will do but you have to be sure that you are prepared because there will be a small group discussions like a “breaking down the idea” meeting so in that way, you’ll know which story proposal you choose to pitch in the class in the coming weeks. Yes, you will only pitch one story proposal in the class with the instructors. There will be 28 pitches on that day, whenever that maybe, and only 6 will be chosen to be made, 3 will be done in film and the other on video. But don't be assured that if your story get chosen, you’ll be directing it, its not the case, directors are chosen through class standing, so its a whole new battlefield. Tough competition. Of course, I want to direct, no doubt about it esp if i have my proposals already, hehehe but if not I'm ok with what position I may end up with, after all i’m in film school, I’m here to learn and I'm sure it will be a good learning esp doing whatever position i might end up with.

So here  am, still making up my mind for my story proposals. There’s nothing grand or new with my ideas in mind. My ideas are just simple stories that are close to my heart, something that I know of. In some ways, I just wanna be safe,  so that, hopefully, If i get chosen... I can give justice to the story because its something that I know of, its something I’ve been through. I'm not thinking of something heavy, I just want it light-hearted pero my kurot sa puso, NAKS!!! I just hope I can make up my mind before proposal day.

Tomorrow will be the start of our “real” shoot for our 10-min documentary film project about stuttering. We’ve been planning for this project for 3 weeks already. We’ve done several exercises the past weekends to familiarize ourselves with the equipments and our responsibilities in our respective doc group position. We are DP1, the first doc group of our class; I’m assigned in the lighting and editing of our documentary. We are a 5-member group composed of the director [Bruce], producer [youssef], cinematographer [Shane], sounds [Lisa] and lighting and editing [me]. This will be fun.

Right after our production meeting this morning, we are all talking about the idea that “this is really it”, we are not doing an exercise anymore. It kinda scary and exciting at the same time. I’m just zoning myself to be the best that I can be esp. with my job as the “lighter” hehehe, I’m kinda pressured because this is a first for me doing the lights and it’s so technical. I actually have better appreciation for people who does lighting jobs because it’s really very demanding task, you need to have the skill, talent and the technical knowledge to really have a very good lighting design. But come to think of it, I don’t need to be pressured because most of my group members are also doing their respective jobs for the first time, It will just be a matter of really doing your job efficiently and backing it up by doing your homework. I need to be an asset to the group and not a drawback.

We are also viewing our 3-minute mini documentaries on Wednesday. I’m so excited for this will be the first time that I’ll get to see my work on the big screen, hehehe. Even though it will be less than 3 minute, I’m sure it will be one hell of an experience and more than anything I’m looking forward to the reactions of the audience, my classmates, hehehe because as they say in film school, you make films for your audience, this will be the first time that I can see a direct reaction from an audience after viewing my work. In some way, the viewing will be my litmus paper if I can capture an audience even just for less than 3 minutes. I’m not expecting for a good reaction from my classmates for they are so diverse, I’m pretty much open to whatever might happen after the viewing, good or bad reviews I’m willing to take it after all its all part of the process.

It’s been over a month now since I started this course, and now it’s really sinking that this is the real deal.