Why You Do What You Do

"But if you're going to do what you want to do, you have to be prepared for the difficulty because you're going to be doing something that people aren't gonna be expecting you to do. You're going to be hitting challenges; you're going to be hitting resistance, even within yourself. So unless you're prepared to destroy yourself and come up from the ashes again, then go live somebody else's life." -- Carlos Celdran

From featuring artists, to cosplayers, to designers, entrepreneurs, and street performers like Carlos Celdran, the episodes of the web show "Why You Do What You do" are for anyone that has ever had a silent hope inside them to follow a dream a little bigger than they let others know. Very much like the people behind the series, my friends Julo, Marco and Nicky are all pursuing their different passions, and come together as one to make these shorts.

I think this is my favorite episode. I just love what Carlos Celdran said in the end... Anything I've ever been involved in that I loved made me feel that way -- destroyed, in pieces, in ashes -- until the moment I discovered it was actually worthwhile! :-)

WYD, produced by Julo de Guzman of Commune Manila http://www.communemnl.com/. More passion people over at http://www.wydmnl.com/! And visit http://celdrantours.blogspot.com/ for the Walking Man of Manila. :-)

Hangover

Underneath it all, above all things, first and foremost, and at the end of the day, I think we are all fans. We're fans of the music, of the videos that accompany them, of the people that pour their hearts and souls into making them. We're fans of the movies, fans of the shows, fans of the ways our idols have made, lit and written them. Fans of one another. Fans of what the other is able to think of and conjure in his or her mind.

Another thing I love (and will always!) about production: how everyone believes that what their doing matters, how everything pulls through, how everyone (well, the better half of whom I've met in it) loves what they do. Even if it's for a fleeting four minutes of just one song from a band whose had many other videos, it's still made with precision and with careful thought. After all, we are fans of the song, fans of the band, and fans of the craft.

Congratulations on the successful music video launch to Sugarfree and King!! :-)

Hangover by Sugarfree, directed by King Palisoc, assisted by Odin Fernandez. Shot by Pong Ignacio, production design by Marco Ortiga, art direction by Gino Nacianceno. Production managed by Mara Andres, and styling and make up by Christina Dy and me!

Addendum

In one of my recent entries, I credited this next sculpture as the work of Michael Cacnio, but I've been terribly mistaken! Though the work is indeed very similar to the sculptures I grouped it with, it was in fact made by Ferdinand Cacnio, the former Cacnio's brother.

From a person who participates in some form of creative work, I realize it must have been terrible to have found work not duly credited to one's name, so from the bottom of my heart, I apologize to both the Messrs. Cacnio.

For more of Ferdinand Cacnio's work, visit http://cacnio.multiply.com/.

ManilArt

As promised, some pictures of ManilArt last weekend:

As we were going around, Marco asked me what kind of art I liked. I suppose I like work that is beautiful, and nice to look at. Some things that are colorful, like the flowers in one of the pictures above, and the watercolor drawing of the girl reading... Something pretty, something that makes me smile. :-)

I'd like an art piece that has a "twist" to it, like this painting of a little girl, and the connect-the-dots lines that match her age.

Sometimes (but quite rarely, actually), I like paintings that look real -- but only if we have a somewhat distorted view of the subject. Like if it were painted underwater (or in this case, reflected on water), or if we see the person in the painting only through folded plastic wrapping.

I like paintings that look like they were simple to make, yet in reality, very tricky to get right.

I like small details that make me want to look closer...

I like things that move (yes, this moves!).

I like it when parts come together to make a whole.

I like not knowing how something like this could come to be!

Thanks for taking me to this, Marco!! :-)

All pictures taken at ManilArt held in the SMX Convention Center last July 30 - August 1, 2010. My apologies for being unable to note who all the artists are; I took too many pictures to keep tabs!

Sculptures

So thrilled to have "discovered" Michael Cacnio's work at an art fair last weekend! More pictures of ManilArt sometime this week. :-)

Sculptures by Michael Cacnio, http://www.michaelcacnio.com/.

People I'll Miss

I only started to take pictures in one of my last shoots, when I realized it would be my last with these people!! These are the people I've probably worked with the most, and whose company makes a long, grueling shoot feel like playing with my friends. These, and many more people whom I wasn't able to take a picture of (like Marco! Hahaha!), or whom I wasn't able to see recently, are the reasons I'll really miss shoots, and probably why I've stayed in production for as long as I have.

HANGOVER TEASER from King Palisoc on Vimeo.

The video teaser which just came out a few minutes ago. :-)

Tomorrow, I start a somewhat new life; I'll start regular work hours at Fully Booked, the chain of bookstores here in Manila that I currently create window displays for. Visual merchandising has always been a field I've wanted to be a part of, and though there's really nothing like the passion one feels when part of a production, it's really about time for me move on to something new, professionally.

Wish me luck! :-)

Hangover by Sugarfree, directed by King Palisoc.

The Beginning

As much as it may be a trying task to complete long projects, and avoid getting disheartened and lazy, it is even worse when I'm about to begin them. When it's hard to see how I'll finish this all, I become afraid to even try to start! For now, I sit comfortably behind my laptop, hesitating to approach the materials right in front of me.

This next two weeks will be very very hectic; I'll be balancing two big projects, one of which is probably the biggest set up I've ever been a part of. An apt ending to this chapter in my life.

Explored

I've been feeling a bit down this past couple of days. I've made a decision about changing something in my life, and though I'm a bit sad about it, all the signs so far have pointed to the fact that I'm making the right choice, that I'm going the right way. :-)

Fun, girly photography by Jacqueline Lou http://www.flickr.com/photos/aznsophisticat/ (via Oh Joy! http://www.ohjoy.blogs.com)

A Page Turned, A World Discovered

I've been sooo swamped with preparing and sketching for my next projects

that I almost forgot to update about my latest display!!!

Just a friendly reminder that when we read books, when we explore different stories,

we're taken into different worlds that we would otherwise never get to be a part of...

Sometimes, we get to imagine we're a damsel in distress in a medieval adventure,

or that we're conquering a different city, making a name for ourselves

in a different world all together.

Other times, we're stranded, left on an island,

or lost in the forest of thoughts in this crazy new story we're sucked in to,

floating way way awayyy from reality!

But it's always a great adventure, thinking someone else's thoughts,

placing yourself in someone else's swash-buckling shoes,

riding a different kind of wave, drowning in someone else's sea.

Wherever you go, whatever story you read,

it's always going to be an out-of-this-world time! :-)

Thank you to everyone who helped!! :-D

Paper Heaven!!

I think I just died and went to paper heaven!!!

Images of a Takeo Paper Showroom in Tokyo, Japan from Upon a Fold http://uponafold.com.au/blog.

Yes, those drawers on the wall are filled with different colors of paper!!