WORK AS PLAY

I had a meeting with one of my clients for a corporate AVP the other day. This was one of the few times that I'm actually excited to meet up for a creative brief. Usually, even though I'm the director, I am always at the end of the creative line because it's usually the agency that has the last say and the creative control. Except for this one, I actually get to choose my scriptwriter and technically come up with a concept.

This group was also the same people who got me to do a mining documentary in Zamboanga last January. This is a fun agency because they really try to push ideas out of the box from their creative group to really come up with interesting AVP's. Take for example the mining AVP, instead of your regular run-of-the-mill-with-lots-of-talking-heads, they decided to concentrate on the mining process per se. The treatment was mala National Geographic's, and they gave me four days to shoot the whole lot which was actually a luxury for other productions.

It was great that I got to really immerse myself with the local mining community, got to get first hand experience on how it is to live in their environment and get to talk with the locals which incidentally were mostly members of a local mountain tribe. Our nights were spent up in the mountains, with the tribesmen indulging us with their local dance set around a bonfire. It was a great experience to behold and the set-up was just cinematic. We had a grand time filming them.

This time, we're going to capture a whole new environment. And I'm very excited. The environment does not exist anymore but we're going to try to recreate it to capture the grand era that was long forgotten. We're doing a docu-drama of the Carillon bells in UP. And since its heydays were during the early 60's, we’ve decided to dedicate a segment reliving the nostalgia of those days. What was it like to be a student during the early 60's, in U.P.? How did the bells (sadly not working any more) affect the lives of the students who daily got to hear its haunting sounds?

The docu-drama will be done to promote awareness for the National Artist Nakpil designed bell tower. And hopefully it will gain enough support for institutions to actually restore the bells, which is not just a landmark but also a sense of national pride to us all.

It's one of the few projects that I'm really excited to do because with these types, I'm not just a media whore but I'm actually doing something with a cause, things that really do matter. Hehe… I've just finished meeting my scriptwriter and we had a fun time brainstorming. I've even collated a number of pictures of Manila during the 60's from the net to come up with my visual treatment.

THE WAY THEY WERE...






This is no work. This is fun!

CLARK WAS A SURPRISE

I spent my weekend in a mall… to be more specific, in Clark Pampangga. I've gotten myself into more things that I can handle again. I was the over-all head for a big event to celebrate the 200th store opening of a fast food chain. Not that I've no background in events, I've done a few but only for bars around Makati before. And usually just to promote a small group. So this was something that I did't really had the slightest idea how difficult an event I was getting into.

We arrived early Saturday morning to survey once again our location. We booked in the afternoon in Fontana and went back to the mall to prepare the Sunday's event. After 3 hours of sleep. I had to push myself out of the bed to try starting the day right. First of my tasks was to facilitate a motorcade that will go around the municipalities of Angeles and Mabalacat. Armed with the local hagads and around 10 cars, I had to see to it that the approved route was followed. That was easy, but the challenge came in the afternoon which was in a form of a Mini-fair. I had to coordinate and closely monitor 6 booths. I had to get an overview of the traffic of the mall, plus handle the main event, which was a chorale competition from 6 participating schools. On top of that I had to head more than 200 people involved in this event.Wheew!!!

A friend, who was into events, said before that I'll be getting myself into trouble if I insist myself into taking it. He said that I'm being short-changed. He said that I'm actually doing the work of three people. But I did it anyway and the event was ( I don't want to make yabang but) actually a success. The turn out was apparently one of the biggest in Clark. I was pretty proud about it. There were glitches but the sheer volume of the people who participated more that made up for our shortcomings. I again proved to myself that when you really put your heart into it, no job is small or big enough to stop you in pursuing your goals.

Having said that – I don't think I'll involve myself again with these type of projects… certainly not my cup of tea. My boss was very happy with the turn out. She said that the client is already planning for a follow up. I just smiled at her.

WEAVING MEMORIES

Had a great time in Baguio last weekend. It was, for a number of years my Vacation Place of Choice. As far as I can remember, we always go to Baguio ever since we were young come Sembreak, Christmas and Summer. I have lots of fond memories there. I have pictures from the grand Hyatt building when it was still up, the immaculate Mine's view park when urban decay wasn't still ostensible, the chilly morning air from the pseudo-busy streets of Session, and oh... the fried ice cream. I miss them a lot. Those are the memories of childhood that give me the goosebumps whenever they come back to mind. A good old sense of nostalgia to better spell it actually.

My mom asked me if I can attend an office seminar for her company. And since I'm also partly-part of her company, I just really had to give in to her request. Plus it was also her birthday weekend, and it'll be a great way to spend it with the family together with Aeon, the first apo, the present muse of the clan.

The seminar was actually a good experience for me. The modules where all about proper management of business and taking use of a team's full potential. It wasn't your regular seminar, there were lots of activities actually. The three days were subdivided into a number of physical. mental and emotional tasks and modules. There was even an Amazing Race Type, in our last day, we got to be a chambermaid in the Manor, dance with the igorots, do boat rowing in Burnham, rapel on a 150 foot drop, get to slide down the flying trapeeze, check out a cemetary at a fullmoon. A lot actually. I wasn't actually quite sure what I was getting into and how will these help my marketing skills but during the process of analyzing the activities, it actually hit us how these extreme activities parallel our busy ives at work. It was also great that I got to spend time and bond with other people out of my circle. It was great to be grounded and meet other types.

I had another day free to spend with the family. Got to really enjoy John Hay again this time. The last time I was here was roughly a year ago with another friend. Baguio's a total different world for me. For the last few years I always usually go to Bora for fun with friends. Baguio is a place where I feel more at home though, maybe because I grew up going here with family. My idea of a Baguio Morning is the brunch in the Comissary, or Sunday mass at the cool pink parish, or strolling at the palengke to buy fresh produce to be cooked by mom come lunch time.

There's this sense of tradition, sense of family. I know that I can always go back here 5 years, ten years, or even twenty years from now and even though the look of the place may change, the sense of belonging will still be there.


My niece Aeon


A trip to Baguio will not be complete without riding the love boat...


My Sister gamely poses for the camera.



Baguio Trinkets for the shabby chic.


A side trip to Luisita for late lunch.

I had the grandest weekend. And I'm pretty sure there will be others to enjoy...

(Photos were taken using the Canon 350D. A great new toy... hehe. Check out my other photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/bohemian_child/)