Movie Score(s) A Day

I don't know how this entry would be totally related to my blog, but I have to take some time out tonight to write about one of my favorite elements in production: the score. Music is art as well, right? :-)

I can't remember the exact moment when I decided to actually look up composers and find out what kind of work they'd done, but I was always taken aback by music that helped stories be told. My favorite scores have to include Gladiator (Hans Zimmer is definitely in my top 5), The Dark Knight (which I watched just earlier tonight and remembered how good it was), Star Wars Episode II (John Williams' love theme for Padme and Anakin hehehe), The Holiday (which interestingly is a movie about a composer!), The Island (which sounds like Gladiator's!! But I can't complain. The scene where the clones finally escaped was made beautiful and moving not only because of trademark Michael Bay sunset shots, but because of an amazing score at its backdrop), Transformers (Steve Jablonsky and only the first one -- they completely drowned it out in the second one with the awful Linkin Park instrumental), Atonement, and Pride and Prejudice (these last two by Dario Marianelli, whose scores I also love but only when he works with director Joe Wright).

My sister referred a tumblr website to me a couple of days ago -- a site called Movie Score(s) A Day. I browsed through, and recommend it to anyone who loves scores as well! Or to anyone who is just curious. :-) I just added it to my Daily Reads list --->.

In this website, I was able to catch up with my number one favorite composer: Clint Mansell. I first came across his work when I watched The Fountain. It was one of the first times I googled who wrote the music upon getting home from the movie. Since then, there have been many nights of my staying home and youtube-ing his scores instead of listening to my regular iTunes list. I've even watched his movies just to listen to his work (which was the case when I watched Smokin' Aces -- I was so confused at its ending, but at the same time, I also thought it was some awesome revelation because the background music was so bad ass). If I'm not mistaken, his most popular composition is the score for Requiem for a Dream, and I admit, I've heard it in a lot of trailers too.

Movie Score(s) A Day had a sample of his latest work, the score to Moon, a movie I'm not familiar with, but will definitely look for soon. I would have to recommend the listen for the ambience the music creates is definitely of another world. Here are some samples of his other scores as well. Enjoy!

Welcome to Lunar Industries by Clint Mansell

Moon (2009)

Together We Will Live Forever by Clint Mansell

The Fountain (2006)

Dead Reckoning by Clint Mansell

Smokin' Aces (2006)

Lux Aeterna by Clint Mansell

Requiem for A Dream (2000)

For more information, you can refer to Clint Mansell's IMDB page. And don't forget: http://moviescore.tumblr.com. :-)

2010 Calendar

Some pictures of the 2010 Desk Calendar I gave my mom, brother, lola, titos and titas this Christmas. I finished it right on time!

Personally, my favorite design has to be for the month of March. I really can't draw, so I just doodle what I think looks presentable enough! Hahaha! :-)

Happy Christmas!!

Some of my favorite things about Christmas are that:

there is an excuse to put pandas

and moose! in malls,

everything seems to turn into presents,

and it's the only time of year I'll ever get to go into

a candy cane village!

I also love how

serenades help relax from the mall rush,

personal twists are added to home decor to feel the Christmas cheer,

and magic moments come from these photo opportunities

with Christmas villages in giant proportions

and small sizes alike.

And lastly, I love that moment when the mall rush fades,

and I find a minute or two

to capture my own snapshot of the season.

Happy Christmas everyone! :-) It has always been one of my ambitions to help everyone feel the Christmas spirit by contributing to mall decorations for the season. In my opinion, these are the better of the decor I've seen this year. The Rockwell Christmas trees have always been a personal favorite! Seeing the red and green and lights always make me feel the sparkle of the season. I hope to one day be able to help others feel the same way. :-)

Inspiration at the End of a Working Day

Today, I was inspired by

patterns that I want to try out myself,

sculptures that combine function and beauty,

art disguised as furniture,

and craft ideas that I saw online once,

and bump into in real life...

And I'm inspired even when I find out it's a hoax!

Hahaha! This really surprised me! I felt so fooled! Hahaha!

But most of all, I was inspired to do a good job

by a new toy I was given a few weeks back...

I now feel like a real make-up artist! Thank you Marco!

I can't wait to pursue more of it in 2010,

especially now that I'm looking more and more like a pro! :-)

Painting Video on Walls

This is just so amazing that I had to re-post and share with the 7 people that read this blog hahaha! I'm so amazed by this: Painting Videos on Walls! An art duo named Sweat Shoppe has taken it upon themselves to advance the video medium even further by PAINTING IT ON WALLS. Oh my god. Maybe I'm so amazed because I really do not understand how on earth they did this, but in case you might, here's the video explaining how:

Amazing! All photos and story from Flavorwire.

It's Christmas time!

I worked on one winter-themed project this season, but can't really show anything from it yet... I can't wait until it comes out! For now, here's a little glimpse of the shoot waiting to be published! Don't you wish it were chilly here in Manila as well?

It Feels Like Love Tonight

About a month ago, one of my friends from production asked me to style for a music video he was going to direct. Wincy, the friend-director, had made a lot of music videos when I was still studying, and since I started in production, had worked in another job. This was his first music video in a long time, and my first time working with him.

I'm always nervous working for the first time with a director, but Wincy made it a comfortable environment by saying he wanted us all to have fun and be creative in our own ways! He even handled the props and sets himself. As much as he gave me a lot of ideas about the characters in his story (he really characterized them and thought of their personalities and what kind of outfits they would wear very specifically!), he also asked me a lot about what I thought would be exciting to create on screen. A really fun collaboration, I have to say! It was stressful also -- I spent almost a whole week prepping for everything. But at the same time, like he wanted - fun!

Here are some of the costumes from the shoot:

The video is about a couple meeting and getting together, a simple enough love story.

The girl, played by Dawn Balagot, is a comic-loving free spirit, dressing in brightly-colored

clothing, while the boy, played by Gio Gahol, is shy and keeps to himself,

one that dresses in grandpa-inspired sweaters and neutral-colored prints.

They flirt with each other by passing messages,

and sharing smiles and stolen glaces.

He dreams of her joining his taxidermy hobbies, and dressing as old school as he does.

She dreams of him as Batman, coming to her Catwoman rescue.

(I do not have a picture of Gio as Batman!! Well, I have one, but it's SO blurry! Ugh.

Anyway, you'll see it in the video!)

What an amazing set by Wincy Ong. :-)

Somewhere in his concept, Wincy also fit the idea of "Post It People." I totally forgot how

this made sense to me in preprod... but it fits!

And in the end, as you might have guessed, they both feel the love. :-)

So finally, here's the video! By the way, the band the video is for is Sugarfree. :-)