August was super busy. I looked forward to September. Turned out that September was busier. I looked forward to October. Well... turned out that October was the BUSIEST! Aside from our high school reunion (see previous blog post), I had to juggle 10,000 other things for work. Geez, work really does get in the way of partying doesn't it? (Joke. Boss, if you're reading... I just want to say I LOVE MY JOB, let's look for more projects, please? We can never be too busy. I'm not being sarcastic ha. I'm serious. Please give me more assignments. More duties. And I hope I'm not overdoing this.)
Anyhooo... One of the "major major" (uso ang catchphrase na ito ngayon) projects I was involved with happened last October. I want to tell you a little something about it, 'cos this is one of those projects that I really enjoyed! Of course, I enjoy working for every project I'm assigned to. I LOVE MY JOB. Boss, let's look for more projects, please? We can never be too busy. Wait, I think I said that already.
Shall we go back to the topic? What's it again? Oh, right.
Last October, was Kawasaki Motors Philippines' Dealers Convention entitled, "HEAVY METAL" The Rock and Rollin' Dealers Convention 2010! The theme was ROCK AND ROLL (duh).
Invite (front)
Like I said, I had so much fun conceptualizing this event. Like everyone else, I am a big music lover. I listen to all kinds of genres. I do have my preferences, but I know there is one genre that never ever gets old... and that's ROCK AND ROLL. It's such a classic culture of music, attitude, fashion, with a character that stands out from all other genres. Plus it meshes so naturally with Kawasaki's "dark and dangerous" brand image that the event became a no-brainer. There's something about motorbikes and rock and roll, they just fit so well together, don't they?
Invite (back, program schedule
Oct. 22nd was 1 whole day of Elvis, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, ACDC, Metallica, and Deep Purple, to name just a few. Everyone had their rocker outfits on, donning leather jackets, bandannas, boots, black tights, tattoos (yes, some were fake, but still awesome). The spirit of rock and roll was very much alive! We received so much positive feedback from the guests (Kawasaki dealers). In fact, they enjoyed the event so much they're asking for a part 2! That's very nice to hear. =)
All in all, it was a success! I leave you with my souvenir photo for the night, with our art director, Ichan, and our client, Mitch. I admit I got a little carried away.
________________________________________________________________________________ The TVC below was done in August but I was not able to post it then as it did not air yet until September. And, like I said, I had the busy, busier, and busiest months of 2010!
Yes, I know I'm getting ahead of myself, it's only November and 2010 is yet to end. I was just hoping I could lie low a little until the end of the year. If that's possible anyway.
That's all for now folks. I want to post a little more of what I've been doing for the past few months but I may have to find a better time to do that. In the meantime, I leave you with this thought I came across over the interwebs:
"Resist the temptation to get a job. Instead, play. Find something you enjoy doing. Do it. Over and over again. You will become good at it for two reasons: you like it, and you do it often. Soon, that will have value in itself."
Many of us consider our high school years the best years in our lives. High school was when we met some of the most important people in our lives, our batchmates, which include our best friends then, and if we are lucky enough, still our best friends now. I will never forget high school.
It has been 10 years since I've graduated high school (If you didn't know, I studied high school in De La Salle Zobel here in Alabang, Philippines) and this is the year of our 10th year high school reunion. Knowing my batch, how competitive we are, how we think we're the BEST in everything (we really are! hehe), and how we wanted everyone to know that (ang yabang namin no!), I knew this would be a big event. I heard my batchmates Ben, Joei, and Russ were organizing the event, and I wanted to help so I volunteered my "talent" (HUWAW) as my contribution. I thought that considering the nature of my job, there's probably something I can do to help generate buzz about the reunion and make it a little more fun / interesting. I told them I'd help with creatives: teasers, invites, collaterals, the AVP, basically anything that needed a creative touch.
Needless to say, this project was very close to my heart.
I would like to share some of the creatives we've done. I also just want to share that I even got a little emotional when I was conceptualizing some of these materials. Complete with teary eyes (especially the AVP, nevermind that I was finishing it until 4am the day of the reunion). Hahaha it's funny 'cos it's true.
Teasers (our concept was 90s):
And then, there was the reunion countdown, 10 Days to go before the reunion: 10 Reasons to go to your high school reunion (with the help of Russ, who did the wonderful layout). Here are some of the reasons.
Official invite:
So, after all the preparations... and everyone's excitement, the day finally came. October 23rd 2010 at the Alabang Country Club, 7:30 pm.
I did one last material which was shown at the reunion: our AVP... Okay, actually there was no time to finish an actual AVP. So what I did was a powerpoint slideshow of old and recent pictures of everyone in our batch, plus a simple edit of our old cheering video. I couldn't really upload the slideshow (how?) so I'll embed the old video instead:
Too bad I can't show you the entire slide show. Doon talaga ako naging emotional eh. Sa totoo lang, napaka-senti nung slide show na ginawa ko! Hehehe. But yes, it was very simple (it's the thought that counts!). At least I got what I wanted when I showed it to my batchmates, which was a whole lot of reminiscing and goose bumps galore! Grabe it's surreal to see yourself that young on video. I don't think anyone ever thought that many years later we'd be gathered as a batch just to watch our high school selves (and our batch kicked ASS in cheering competitions, if I do say so myself). I didn't really know what feelings I should expect with planning, executing, and attending my high school reunion so all the emotions were new to me. New but very nice. Definitely a once in a lifetime feeling.
So that's it! Really, my blog entry does not give justice to all the fun we had during the event. Our reunion will go down in history, as the best Zobel 2000 gathering TO DATE! As some of our batchmates said, the reunion just beat our PROM. Imagine that. Hehehe, ang OA, enough with the cockiness. Okay, but seriously, we had a flashbackin' and a spankin' good time! Are you convinced? No? Look how many people attended the reunion... and it was still early when this picture was taken!
Zobel 2000: 10 years later
Yun lang po. Batchmates, see you all on our 15th year! =)
Many thanks to the organizers (Ben, Joei, Russ), to all the batchmates who pitched in the planning and funding, and all those who attended the reunion. My love for batch 2000 is forever! Animo Zobel 2000! Animo La Salle!
Oo na, oo na, oo na... simula na ang "Ber months". It was the 1st of September last Wednesday, and everyone was tweeting "BER Month na!!!" as if it's a new scientific discovery. Nainis tuloy si internet sensation, Ramon Bautista kaya napa-tweet siya ng (in all caps), "OO NA - BER MONTHS NA!".
I, for one, am ecstatic that August is over, that it's September, and that we have but a few months left until December. I realize some may not be as excited as I am. I guess the coming "end of the year" is what gets to them, but c'mon letting that get to you is really stupid. Here's what I think... DUH, THE YEAR IS GOING TO END WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT. Right? So, why fight it? Wise men say... "If you can't beat 'em, join em... and party while you're at it."
Come this period of the year, I always find myself doing a lot of thinking, reviewing the past few months, reflecting on my past decisions, as some others probably also do. I guess it's the "deadline" feeling that makes us act this way during this period of the year. Now, as I said, I love the "ber months", meaning I actually enjoy the muni-muni period it entails. I didn't use to be this way - I used to dread how quick time flies and getting older. But now, for some reason, it's easier for me to embrace it - time passing quickly, growing older, getting closer to the "deadline". As to my achievements or who I've become, nothing has really changed a lot. I'm still pretty much the same person I was a few years ago, just a little older, with a few additional lines on my face. I guess something has changed, but it's something inside of me. I guess that's why I can't pinpoint exactly what it is.
In the meantime, happy ber months everybody! This has been a great year so far and I can't wait to see how it all pans out for all of us! Cheers!
I'm sure you've heard about Inception, the Avatar/Toy Story/500 Days of Summer of this month. Nah, this post is not about that movie... I'm sure some of you (like me) may be sick of talking about it. In fact, I don't want to be a wet blanket, but I'm one of the very few who didn't really love Inception. I guess I'm just a simple girl, I get lost with anything way too complex, but I digress... I should go back to what this post is really all about.
Although I wasn't really a fan of the movie, it definitely got me interested in one thing: dreams. It inspired so many conversations between me and my friends that I felt I had to blog about it.
Well, dreams mean many things, but I want to talk about the dreams we have when we're asleep. The product of our subconscious thinking, when something affects us but does so under the surface, in a not so obvious way. Could be an experience, a desire, a fear of ours, but whatever it is, one thing's for sure -- it sneaks up on us when we are asleep. The most common dream that I have is the "naked dream", one where I go about ordinary events, interact with the same people in my waking life, COMPLETELY NAKED. Don't get me wrong, the dream is not really sexual, more so it makes me feel very self-conscious. The weird thing about these naked dreams of mine is that never in my dreams did I pick up clothes to cover my body. Can anybody else relate to what I'm saying? No one? Geez. I shared this with some of my friends, confident in my thinking that since it's common to me, it must be common to everybody. Well, I was wrong. It was actually kind of embarrassing when I found out no one of my friends shared the naked dream. Asked them what they think it meant, and we had a lively conversation of it meaning I'm KSP. If you don't know what that means, sorry I won't tell you. =P
Another recurring dream of mine is of me being kidnapped or being held hostage by a group of people, strangers most of the time. These are more like recurring nightmares, actually, and I never understood why I had these dreams. I shared this with my friends too... and of course no one else had them. Asked them what they think it means, and they say it means I'm KSP. Pfft. Are these guys trying to tell me something? Weirdos.
Those two are my most common dreams, but I haven't had those dreams in a long time. If by any chance, you reading this now had ever had these dreams I've had, I googled a dream dictionary and here's what it says:
1. Naked - "Becoming mortified at the realization that you are naked in public reflects your vulnerability or feelings of shamefulness. You may be hiding something and are afraid that others can see right through you. Metaphorically, clothes are a means of concealment... (sic)".
2. Hostage - "To dream that you are a hostage, indicates that you are feeling victimized or powerless. You feel limited in your choices or physically immobilized (sic)... Alternatively, to dream that you are a hostage suggests that a part of yourself is not fully expressed."
Huh. Seems that there's a pattern here. It's been a long time since I've had these dreams and I remember I used to have them a lot when I was still a student, trying to discover myself, who I wanted to be, and what I'm good at. Interesting.
Now, there are the ambiguous dreams, like the ones I just shared, the ones where your subconscious seems to be playing a guessing game with you, not being too obvious... and then there are the not-so-ambiguous, the obvious, in-your-face dreams that just means what it means. I have those dreams too. Actually, my dreams now are really very obvious, I don't really need a dream dictionary to decipher what it means. Here are a few: 1. Just recently, I had a dream that I was online and browsing facebook. (Yes, I am a facebook junkie. Shoot me.) Then I discovered something about a friend of mine, something shocking that actually hurt my feelings. I don't really remember the details anymore, but I think it just means what it means... I'm terrified of learning something that could possibly hurt me on facebook. The "facebook friend" I dreamt about is someone who has a significant impact in my life, and I constantly communicate with this friend through facebook. So, yeah, this dream was really just about my fear of discovering something shocking about this person, through facebook. Corny huh?
2. I also had this dream about me putting on some ugly makeup on my face. It was more like blue face paint really but I treated it like some sort of foundation and smeared my face with the blue powder. Each time I did it, I looked in the mirror and saw how ugly it looked, but I kept on doing it. This one is a bit ambiguous too, but the meaning is quite a no-brainer. Just means I have to be myself and stop covering up the "real me". See? Very simple.
3. Also just recently, I found a crack on my work laptop (in waking life). That very night i dreamt of this crack getting bigger, and like paper, my laptop tore apart. What does this mean? It means I'm terrified of breaking this computer. It's old and it's not really mine, it belongs to the office. Ding ding ding! Mystery solved.
These are just some of the dreams I remember but I've had a variety of weird and not-so-weird dreams. How about you? What is your most common dream? Naked dream anyone?
Oh, what a crazy month it has been. Crazy, crazy, crazy. As proof, I present to you my blog post. Soooo many things to blog about. Soooo many historical events have transpired just this past month. Allow me to elaborate. Brace yourself, it's about to get messy. And celebratory. And confusing. About as confusing as the first paragraph of this blog post. The one you just read. Yes, this one.
Crazy no. 1
"Every four years, for thirty-one days, the world comes together to stand apart." - Morgan Freeman voiceover in a VISA TVC
If you are not familiar with Mr. Freeman's statement above, or if you do not have a clue what he is referring to, then let me to ask you this: How's life as a caveman?
I kid, I kid. I know not all of us follow the World Cup, only the most popular sporting event in the world (yes, even more popular than the Olympics and the Superbowl). About half of World Cup fans are not even World Cup fans, but hormonal fangirls obsessed with hunky male football players (it's true though, a lot of football players are really goodlooking... have you seen the Spanish National Football Team? Or, if not... just take a gander at their goalkeeper, Iker Casillas. Great keeper and a great looking fellow. Damn some people are just really blessed).
The 2010 World Cup kicked off last June 11th at South Africa, the first African nation to host a World Cup. At first I was watching with no pressure, scouting for a team to root for. But on the early morning (2:30am) of June the 14th, my jaw dropped as I watched an amazing young German team, with unknown players (except for a few), beat the crap out of the Australian Socceroos, 4-nil. I was even rooting for the Socceroos at first (I always root for the underdogs) but man, by the end of the 1st half we had a clear winner. The excitement and surprise that this young team was able to bring to a "boring" game called football made me really miss the sport for the first time in years (I used to play as keeper in our high school's football team, but it was just for a short time). Honestly, I never really missed football, not until I watched the Germans massacre the Socceroos. That's when I became a Die National Mannschaft fan. I was hooked.
The Germans went on to dominate the 2010 World Cup, and were quickly gaining fans as they beat favorites England (4-1) and Argentina (4-0). Although they lost one game to Serbia (and I honestly think that was a fluke), they sent many star players home. Australia's Cahill, England's Rooney, Lampard, Gerrard, with their coach Capello, plus Argentina's Messi, Tevez, Higuain, with their coach Maradona all have a lot of reflecting to do until Brazil 2014.
After beating World Cup favorites England and Argentina, Germany faced Spain in the semi-finals. It was a highly anticipated match, because as the days went by, these two teams were being considered the best teams in the tournament. Spain won that match 1-nil. Seemed that the German counter attack was not mature enough to dominate Spain's ball possession play. I have to say, the Spaniards had a great strategy, and this match was more of a mind game than anything else. It was obvious that the Germans were holding something back, maybe it was fear or maybe the "counter attack" strategy was just not good enough to win against the Spaniards, who knows? One thing was obvious though, they got played. It was a different German team, not the one who dominated their previous matches.
Oh, the pain. I had become attached to Die National Mannschaft. After celebrating their brilliant play in their previous matches, I was heartbroken. When Carles Puyol of Spain, scored that bullet header goal, it literally felt like a bullet. Right through the heart!
The Spaniards were sent to the finals against Netherlands, and the Germans went on to play for the 3rd place match against Uruguay, their final game. It was clear what the German and Uruguayan teams had to do - play to their heart's extent; third is still third. Both teams picked up the pieces of their broken hearts, and played what I think was the best game in the tournament. The score itself tells you, Ger 3 - 2 Uru. It was a rollercoaster of emotions as the Germans took the lead in the 1st half, the Uruguayans fought back and took the lead at the beginning of the 2nd half, and the Germans finished the game with two more goals towards the final whistle (one goal at the 83rd minute!). Even the last minute of the game almost gave me a heart attack, as a free kick was awarded to Diego Forlan (The man who single-handedly brought Uruguay to the semi-finals, and this year's Golden Ball awardee), giving Uruguay the chance to extend the game into extra time with a possible equalizer. But alas, and luck for the Germans drove the Jabulani ball to hit the top goal post, and the game was over. Germany took 3rd place, which was not bad. Not bad a at all.
I've been analyzing why I was so attracted to the German team. No, it wasn't because I had a crush on one of the players (my crush is the COACH! Joachim Lowe... sigh!). Honestly, the Germans could not hold a candle against the Spaniards in the crush-worthy department (Casillas, Ramos, Villa, Xavi, Torres, damn those sexy Spaniards). The simplest reason why I like them so much is because they exceeded expectations, with their young, unknown players, who turned out to be very talented and always gave us an exciting game to watch (my favorites are Oezil, Mueller, Schweinsteiger and Klose: although he's not that young anymore). I kind of drew a connection between this team and myself, being young literally, and in the industry, always trying to impress my superiors (who are considerably older than I am), sometimes being put down by older and more seasoned industry players, blah blah blah. It's corny, but it's true.
They say this was the Spaniards' world cup, and I have to say, well played. Along with the sudden shot to fame of the German psychic octopus, Paul, this would have to be the most dramatic world cup I have ever followed. So, congratulations and Viva Espana! As for Gernany, they will be back stronger and better than ever... and I will still be cheering for them for sure.
Crazy no. 2
July 1st was my 28th birthday. I had a joint birthday party with my friends Martha (June 29th) and Jam (July 2nd). It was our birthday weekend, and it was the Germany vs. Argentina game. So we had a World Cup themed Birthday Party. Crazy, crazy, crazy.
Exhibit A
Exhibit B
Exhibit C
Oh, how I love birthdays. I especially loved this one because I got to spend it with friends I have not seen in a long time. Can't wait for next year!
Crazy no. 3
This month I have four projects. Two photoshoots (one done last weekend, one to be held this weekend), and two TVC shoots (both done). Work has been work, but fulfilling, and I have got some fine additions (if I do say so myself) to my portfolio. That's crazy enough for me.
Crazy no. 4
Parting note: I know I said I'm going to blog about season enders for this and the next few blog posts, but I will get to that later on. I just felt this was a more interesting entry to post. 'Til next time, my lovelies! Peace!
Hellooooo to the underworld of the cyberworld, the unfailing and always trustworthy blogosphere! Yes, when Facebook, Twitter, and friends fail to amuse, we always have our good old blogs to help us promote ourselves. Thank God!
I've wanted to blog about this topic since about 3 weeks ago, but for some reason couldn't get around to doing it. (I say "for some reason" because I literally could not think of any reason, except for "I was lazy". Don't believe everything you read/hear... I'm not really that busy. Sure, there are deadlines, client's demands, and bosses' expectations. But I say, if you've got time to play Hotel City, you have time to blog, baby!)
Oooookay, back to the topic. As some of you might already know, another season just ended, thus another one beginning, thus thus some of our favorite TV shows going on breaks until the next season, thus thus thus SEASON FINALES. Yeeerps! For the next few entries, I will blog about season finale episodes of my current favorite shows. Now, I must warn you... Each post will contain a truckload of spoilers, so if you watch the following: GLEE, HOUSE, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, and COMMUNITY... and have not been up to date, please watch and update yourself first (if you don't like reading spoilers) before reading! When you're done, shed a few tears for the awesomeness you've just seen, go back to my blog, read, and THANK ME FOR REMINDING YOU. Okay? You're welcome. ;)
About the post title, I have a reason for that... and you will soon figure it out. No, I'm not going to talk about the defunct 80's show. Just read on, baby...
GLEE SEASON 1
The magic of Glee comes from its core idea, the heart of the show: MUSIC. Music is truly the universal language, and sometimes can draw out emotions that mere words cannot express. I think Glee is a brilliant yet simple idea, and I applaud it.
As the first season of the celebrated FOX series ends, it all comes down to this - the regional finals! It begins with Coach Sue Sylvester (coach of the Mckinley High cheering squad, the Cheerios) informing Mr. Will Schuester (Glee Club director) that she will be one of the celebrity judges of which his beloved Glee Club (New Directions) would have to impress in the regional competition (remember that in the beginning of the show, Principal Figgins permitted that the Glee Club be formed only under one condition, that they win the regional finals or they get disbanded). It seemed that the fate of the Glee Club is now in Coach Sylvester's hands... and judging from the way Coach has been making life a living hell for Mr. Schuester and his Glee kids all season, surely New Directions does not stand a chance winning regionals with her in the judges table. Alas, it seemed that Glee Club would be over! Well, at least that's what the scriptwriters wanted us to think.
First of all, and I am not embarrassed to say this... I cried like a baby through the entire episode! Hey I actually know a few grown men who were not able to hold back the tears while watching this episode... so no making fun! The first batch of tears started falling when everyone started crying in the Glee kids' "first regional set list party", feeling so desperate and lost by the turn of events. Everyone of them, even those who didn't want to admit it, had held a special place in their heart for the Glee Club. It's heartbreaking to watch a group of hopeful kids give up something that they had grown to love. Sort of like taking candy from a a baby, then you see the baby cry. (right?)
Mr. Schuester eventually decides that New Directions will be doing a medley of songs by the band Journey for their regional finals performance. New Directions sang their hearts out with a medley of "Faithfully", "Any Way You Want It / Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'" and "Don't Stop Believing". Each one of them sang as if they were singing their last song ever. Their energy was contagious as the crowd jumped up, danced, and cheered them on.
Major competition and the previous year's national champs, Vocal Adrenaline, then performed an outstanding rendition of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". The scene was edited into Quinn Fabray's (New Directions member, pregnant ex-cheerio and Finn's ex-girlfriend) defining moment as she gives birth to a baby girl. I have read a lot of negative comments about this scene, but I personally like it. It was a fresh idea that I think did not compromise the emotions that the writers wanted the viewers to feel. Also, it took the focus away from Vocal Adrenaline, the "antagonist" of the show.
As expected, Vocal Adrenaline won the regionals. Cheers echoed throughout the auditorium as Vocal Adrenaline claimed their victory. Mr. Schuester and his New Directions, on the other hand, fought back their tears as they realize they did not even place in the competition. I personally think New Directions could not have won that competition, because 1) Vocal Adrenaline was definitely better, performance wise; and 2) More tension from Vocal Adrenaline had to continue through the next season, as the conflict between the two groups grew (Rachel's failed relationships with Jesse St. James, Vocal Adrenaline's lead, and Shelby Corchoran, her estranged biological mother and Vocal Adrenaline's director).
Coach Sylvester's role as "the pseudo-villain" was definitely highlighted in this episode, as the audience was given a peek of how the judging process really went down. I must admit, this part I found quite predictable. It was obvious that Coach Sylvester had a vital role in the regional finals when she was weaved into the panel of celebrity judges. It was like the episode was begging for a twist in the end. Naturally, It was revealed that Coach Sylvester actually voted for New Directions to win the competition, but was outvoted by her co-judges. Finally, she went to Principal Figgins and demanded that the Glee Club be given another year.
That basically concludes Season 1 of Glee. It was a good finale, although honestly quite predictable. What I liked about it is the way it had let emotions burst out from each character, but still managed to be believable. Glee is a high school drama anyway, and high school is definitely an emotional time for almost all of us. I am definitely looking forward to season 2 to see how the story unfolds.
A few notes:
a. Definitely one of my favorite moments in this episode was when Finn Hudson, the male lead singer, overwhelmed with his feelings for the female lead, Rachel Berry, quickly approached his lady love seconds before they begin their opening performance at regionals. It was an unexpected, touching moment when after Rachel told him to "break a leg", he answers with an honest "I love you."
b. Mr. Schuester's love affair with Ms. Emma Pillsbury (Mckinley High's neurotic guidance counselor) was given an ellipsis, after Emma, who was outraged with the results of the regionals, stormed Principal Figgins' office to allegedly "fight for the Glee kids". Will approached Emma and questioned her motives for fighting so dedicatedly for the Glee kids. It was obvious that Emma had some baggage about their failed romance, but wanted so desperately to move on (prior to this scene, Emma told Will that she started dating her dentist since they broke up). Finally, Will kissed her and said, "I love you... and you love me.... and dentist or no, this thing isn't over between us". (that's two!)
c. Not to be outdone, there was Quinn and Puck (the resident hunky "bad guy"), when after Quinn gave birth to their baby, she asks him if he ever loved her. Puck's answer? You guessed it... "Yes... Especially now." (numero tres... notice a pattern here?) This ended with Quinn giving the baby up for adoption. The adoptive mother? Vocal Adrenaline's director, Shelby Corchoran.
So... that's this show, and I give this a 4/5. Tune in to the next episode of Love Boat, same place, same channel. I plan to revisit a certain overtly cynical doctor. Cheers!
Yes, I know how that idiom really goes... "Truth is STRANGER than fiction". I just didn't want to use the word "strange" because the word "fascinating" is much more appropriate for this blog post and you'll see why.
I've literally just finished watching a documentary entitled "Anvil! The Story of Anvil". I've been so moved by this story, that I immediately went to my blog so that I could tell you about it while everything is still fresh in my mind.
"I started out with Robb when I was 14, 15 years old, and we said, 'We're going to do it until we're old men.' We really meant that! We had that 15 minutes of fame, and then it's gone so that's the way I kind of look at it. I was lucky enough to have that moment, and basically that was enough of a moment that prolonged and gave me a career that's 30 years long. It was a great achievement. Fantastic achievement. Nothing to ever look down at or not to be proud of, and that's the way I really look at it."
- Steve "Lips" Kudlow, Vocalist / Lead Guitarist for Anvil
Let me admit first that I am not actually a big fan of rock music, especially heavy metal. It's just not my preference. Nevertheless, this film goes beyond the music as it explores the admirable character of two men who never gave up their dream despite the harsh realities of life.
"Anvil! The Story Of Anvil" is a documentary about the journey of two Canadian boys who met when they were 14 years old, started a rock band, made it relatively good in the 1980s, then because of bad marketing and talent management did not make it big in the music business. However, what's truly fascinating about these two people, Steve "Lips" Kudlow (vocalist/lead guitarist) and Robb Reiner (drummer), is that they stuck with each other and never gave up their dream, that 30 years later they still consider themselves as the band "Anvil" and still make music together. They have their day jobs, of course... Lips works as a truck driver for a catering service, and Robb works in construction. Both get paid minimum wage.
This is the story of their continuous struggle as they take big risks in the music business, being in their 50s and still rocking like a couple of 20 year olds, booking a European tour and getting nothing out of it, funding their 13th album and getting them directly to their small fan base in hopes of reaching an actual record company bigwig.
Artists are one of the most idealistic groups of people ever. I don't think there is anything wrong with idealism, in fact, if I may say so, it is probably one of my most obvious character traits. Well I think that the idealism of an artist is based on that burning desire to do what you love and nothing else. No one can ever tell for sure if an artist will make it big and build a long-term career doing what he loves, but he does it anyway. Art, unlike other fields, is very subjective and financial success in that realm sadly depends very much on your appeal to the public. I applaud the people who can look beyond that reality and still push forward and stick to their ideals, whether they make it big or not. It would be hard to live in a world where you do not love what you are doing, but the reality is that in some cases, you may have to risk starving yourself doing this.
Personally, there is nothing that I admire more than determination. Determination is a step forward from hope. It is that attitude of taking action, instead of just wishing for a dream to come true. These guys from Anvil have it.
Anyway, it seems that the topic has shifted from the film to my own sentiments in life. So, I'm going to quit while I'm ahead.
About this film, I'm not going to tell you the whole story because I don't want to spoil it. I just want to say that I recommend this film as another cheap long weekend thrill. Instead of spoilers, you can watch the trailer below.
Sorry if this is a little off-topic but I just wanted to put this out there. I am not a registered voter, which sucks I know. (Long story) But if given the chance to vote, there is only one candidate that I truly believe in.
I believe in his platform. I believe in his credentials to be the leader of our country. I believe in his positive character. I believe that when he becomes President, he will try very hard to unite the rich and the poor. Unlike other candidates whose only strategy it seems is to pit the rich and the poor against each other.
I believe in Gibo Teodoro.
"If there is one word that is to be generated by government, it is confidence."
Well, hello everybody! Hi Mom! Yes, Mom, I know you're reading this. Are you here now, are you here now? Blink twice if you are.
Okay, I don't know what that^ was about. I obviously do not have that much to blog about, but I just thought that it's been a long time and I miss my blog so here I am rambling about random stuff again. Huh? I know, right? Huh?
(But mom, if you really are reading this... WHAAAAT'S UP???)
Tonight is the simple end to a well-spent long weekend. But somehow, like all long weekends, it just feels as if I didn't get enough rest. It's weird 'cos I actually had more days off than everyone else, as I got a little sick last Thursday and Friday (I was down with a weird fluctuating fever, a burning throat, and an epic headache). I was bedridden for two whole days and only recovered on Saturday.
I'm fine though. The only plan I had for this weekend was to stay home and watch a bunch of videos I downloaded while I was sick and asleep (yes, it's possible!)... and everything went according to plan. Mwahahaha! I'm actually not done watching them all, I got a little trigger happy downloading everything that seemed interesting and ended up with too many. What you say? Next weekend is another long weekend? Mwahahaha!
So, I decided I'll give you a few thoughts about one movie I managed to finish watching. Here it is...
I am definitely a fan of Walt Disney films. Magical, simple storylines, but still with a bit of comic wit (side note: I once heard that in his day, Walt Disney was known as a famous prankster, using his films as outlets for his "pranks". Remember the "Hidden Mickey" in every Disney cartoon, as revealed by the disney channel?). I applaud the Disney Corporation for being able to keep the same formula for many years, even with the beloved Mr. Walt Disney passing away. Of course it works now because, not only do they keep the tradition, but they add a little "spice" with new ideas and "upgrades" that follow modern times.
I especially liked "The Princess and The Frog" as it is a slightly altered realist version of that old fairy tale, "The Frog Prince". I think Disney films has moved towards that direction, since "Enchanted" and "Bedtime Stories" (or even earlier, If I'm mistaken), having that kid fantasy formula but with a realistic flavor. It's the right balance of realism and idealism mixed with kid-friendly characters and pretty colors. I think this avoids the next generation feeling duped by their parents when they grow up and realize that "life is not really a fairytale", but still being able to get the message across in a positive way. I mean, look at the teenagers now, there are so many EMOS! I think it's because they've been pampered with so many sugar-coated fairy tales, and now that they are faced with real world problems, everyone's gotten so depressed and negative! As adults (naks!), I think it is now our responsibility to encourage hope and positive attitude, but still reminding the kids to keep their feet on the ground.
Anyway, what I love about the film is that the lead character, "Tiana", is a charming African American girl living in New Orleans. Now that's 21st century! Actually, come to think of it... Disney has had a variety of lead characters of different races. There were the Caucasians (Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, etc.), Asian (Mulan), Middle Eastern (Jasmine), American Indian (Pocahontas), Gypsy? (Esmeralda), Hawaiian? (Lilo). Hmmm... I don't think there ever has been a Latina lead character. someone like "Juana" or "Corazon". Definitely no Filipina yet. What say you for a Filipina disney character? That sounds nice, right? "Chona the kusinera", or because everyone's been talking about them lately, "Rh0sE the jejemon princess". Pinay na pinay!
So that's this long weekend. Get ready for next week when I probably will blog about struggling rock bands and gay men.
Last night, we held an event for one of our clients. The image you see above is our invite for the event. It was my first time to be the writer for an activity like this. I'm really more used to traditional advertising (TVCs, Radio Commercials, Print).
So I wrote the script and some other things. That was fine. One thing I never expected though was the HUGE PRESSURE that I'd get come crunch time. In the planning stages, no one really told me what I actually had to do when event day comes, probably because they knew I'd get nervous and almost black out.
The thing is... when you are the writer, the script is yours. Everyone will be following whatever you say, because you made it and by the time you're done with it you've already mastered how everything will go. Having said that, when event day comes... Who's to brief everyone with their lines and the entire program flow? Who's to talk to the host and explain everything to him? Yup, that was ME.
One well-known fact about me: I shake uncontrollably when I get stage fright. Okay, technically I didn't really go on stage, but a huge weight was dropped on my shoulder so that counts. Needless to say, before everything started, I was a nervous shaking wreck! It's very noticeable and funny to look at, that all my friends laugh at me whenever it happens. No worries, I just laugh along... it's hard not to.
So, before the program kicked off, what I did was... went straight to the bar, took about 5 shots of different alcoholic drinks! What's funny is that the host, Mr. Rovilson Fernandez of the Amazing Race Asia fame, (who I LOVE... but more on that later) seemed a little nervous too, so we took the shots together. The shots helped a lot. It calmed me and gave me a devil-may-care attitude. "F*** this, let's just get this over with!". I kept thinking that, as they say, sometimes the best things happen when something goes off the rail.
To cut to the chase, all went superb... It definitely helped that I had a host as quick-witted and charming as Rovilson, because when he felt he needed to (especially when something did not go as it was originally planned), he did a great great adlib (he's a writer too, and that helped A LOT)! I stayed backstage the whole time, feeding him the lines, writing on the cue cards... (btw, even my handwriting was shaky) so I didn't really see what was happening on stage and how the crowd reacted to the program. But everything went so well (based on my co-workers' observations), and the guests seemed to be really enjoying themselves.
When the program ended, and by the time our entertainer was doing their closing number, PARA AKONG NABUNUTAN NG TINIK. I was relieved! So I got out and went to the bar again and DRANK LIKE THERE'S NO TOMORROW. Iba-iba... Halo-halo! I got home drunk as a skunk and embarrassed myself in front of a lot of people. I won't go into details anymore. Partly because it was so unlikely of me, and also because I don't even remember what happened.
About Rovilson, yeah I said it... I love him! He's an amazing host, and actually helped me a lot too by giving me tips on how things can go smoother. Although I didn't tell him, I could tell that he sensed I was new to this sort of thing. I didn't tell him that that was my first time, because I didn't want to make him more nervous than how he already was. Also, I didn't want to look like an idiot. So now, I'm campaigning for him to be an endorser for any client we have that would take him. I'm serious. I love the guy!
One of the fruits of our labor for the 1st quarter of 2010. Kawasaki "Buhay Ang Hanapbuhay" TVC30s Director: Raymond Red Producer: Cookie Littaua Agency: Well Advertising
And... another thing I wanted to share.
We did not make the next one below, but I wish we did. This is what I call "goose-bump worthy". It's exactly the kind of thing that inspires me to do good at my job.
The year 2000 was, and still is an unforgettable year for many of us.
It was the turn of a new century.
It was the beginning of "the future". It was the rise of the pop stars: Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake (who I just saw perform with Timbaland and will marry sometime soon, in my dreams), Nick Carter, and the Hanson kids.
It was the popularity of rave parties: loud techno music, glow sticks with strings, weird outfits, and even weirder dance moves.
It was the year I graduated high school. It was 10 years ago.
Yes, the year 2000 was definitely unforgettable, especially for Britney Spears, JT, Nick Carter, the Hanson kids, and of course, me and my high school batchmates.
It was the year I felt I was officially entering "adulthood", and I felt thankful that everyone will stop treating me like a kid. I got into college feeling pretty cool about myself, having that "oh yeah, I'm an 'adult' now!" attitude. I specifically chose a college that does not require uniforms because I strongly felt that school uniforms are for kids, not for this grown-up woman. The new found independence felt thrilling, and I couldn't wait to see what the future had in store for me.
Now, I look back to the girl I was, version 2000... and I can't believe it's only been 10 years. I wish I could say that I feel that those 10 years just zipped by, but honestly, I couldn't. Instead of feeling "wow, that was 10 years ago, where did the time go?!", I kind of feel like, "That was ONLY 10 years ago? Why do I feel like I'm 40?"
Here are some historical events from the past 10 years of my life. Like I said, I find it quite hard to believe that all these (and other things I don't want to mention) happened but it did: 1. Graduated high school. 2. Got into college. 3. Started smoking. 4. Transferred schools. 5. Quit college. 6. Said goodbye to mother who migrated to SF, California. 7. Took charge of family business. 8. Closed down family business. 9. Got my first office job. 10. Quit my first office job. 11. Got my second office job. 12. Became top 2 agent in my second office job. 13. Got sick of my second office job. 14. Wanted to quit my second office job, but couldn't. 15. Got myself fired from my second office job. 16. Was unemployed. 17. Applied in several offices, unsuccessfully. 18. Got my 3rd office job, but 1st job in account management in the advertising industry. 19. Realized that being an account manager isn't really for me. 20. Tried to quit smoking (presently still trying). 21. Tried my hand in copywriting. 22. Quit being an account manager. 23. Transferred to creatives as a copywriter. 24. Wrote this blog post.
Now that I've typed all that, and as I scan this list of my "main events", I wonder... could I have done more? Become more? Saved more? Or, done differently?
Of course, I could have. There are a lot of things that I could have done to add to my list above... and I have also committed a lot of mistakes that directly contributed to who I am now.
My life motto always has been "Never regret anything". I'm not sure if that's the right virtuous attitude, but it has worked for me. Many of the shit we go through are painful and life-altering, and we'd probably have a better life if we had not gone through that shit. The thing is, though... I've always believed in two things: 1) That to live life with regrets is to live a sad, unsatisfying life; and 2) Everything happens for a reason.
Now I've been thinking of the movie, "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion". Remember that? It was their 10-year high school reunion too. We'll be having our reunion this December, I think. Do I have to invent something comparable to post-its now? I have 8 months to do that.
I guess this post really has no point, but thank you for reading.
Disclaimer: Specifics may have been changed, not affecting the outcome of this story. This is to protect the author from losing her job.
Know what I hate?
(a little side note: I've always "disliked" using the word HATE, but this is an exception)
I absolutely HATE generic, template commercials. I just HATE them with every ounce of passion I could muster. One example? Beauty products! All the same old same old shampoo and skincare ads with the same... MESTIZA LOOKING GIRL WHO IN THE NEAR FUTURE WILL GET A CONTRACT WITH ABS-CBN OR GMA... LONG SHINY HAIR WITH NOT A STRAND OF HAIR OUT OF PLACE... SILKY, CREAMY, FLAWLESS, AND YOUNGER-LOOKING SKIN IN 24 HOURS... CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS... Ayayay! Everyone's just doing and saying the same thing! I know I sound like a self-righteous, angsty, goth teenager with no friends, but this is really how I feel! Must we conform to the same old ad template every single time??? Look, I'm not saying I'm not guilty of creating such template ads... as they say, there's a reason why the "formulas" are so popular. What I'm only saying is, I don't like creating such ads! It's sickening!
But, wait... there's more!
Guess who's pitching for a beauty product account and is now writing a beauty product commercial? (Clue: we have the same hair color and length! She also has a pesky mole right smack on the bridge of her nose, which many tell her is her lucky charm.)
Well, I know this writer very well. She will make it different! She will not conform! Down with the templates! (unless the client wants a template ad, and in that case... it's not the writer's fault, my dear friends.)
Here's a lesson I've learned these past few days: don't blame the writer!
"There's nothing you can do that can't be done... Nothing you can sing that can't be sung..."
Forgive me, for tonight I feel enveloped in an awesome luurrrve mood all of a sudden. This doesn't happen too often so, you know... just let me be. One night only.
First, I want to share this Puma TVC I found on the interwebs. Such a simple yet sweet balance of soft and tough.
Maybe some of you are now wondering (if anyone actually reads the nonsense in my blog), so let me set the record straight... I'm not in love. I can almost hear you screaming "yihee!", whoever you are ms./mr. lurker (again, I'm just assuming people find my stuff remotely interesting). There is no new boy. Not even a crush. If there was anyone, even just someone with potential, I won't deny it. So, stop it already. (Am I talking to myself again? Yes, unfortunately. See what I did there?)
I don't know, I just feel love-inspired. The general kind of love. You know, love of others? Loving thy neighbor? Forgiveness? People on the street, giving and receiving. People doing good deeds. Friends who'd drop everything for another friend. That kind. That's love... and that's inspiring.
It's weird that I had to classify the kind of love I'm talking about. I'm not really sure there are different kinds of love. I mean, isn't it the same thing? I'm not talking about the feeling, alright, 'cos that's different. Oh God, here I go again with the nonsense.
I just had a revelation. Twitter can be as evil as facebook.
Yeah, a strong statement I know. About facebook, I'm sure many of you have been victimized by the horrible yet juicy and addictive gossip central time-sucker that is facebook. Don't get me wrong, I'm guilty as charged, 'cos no matter how much I BELIEVE that facebook is an evil corporation ran by the devil himself, I just can't rid myself of the damned thing. I'm being screwed and still hooked... and the devil is happy. And with the entire facebook population getting hooked? Facebook population is not just the size of a country, it's a continent, for Christ's sake. The devil cries tears of joy for the continent of souls he owns now, and I'm one of them.
Twitter, on the other hand... I always thought twitter was my quiet sanctuary. Things I would never EVER post on facebook, I post on twitter. Whenever I need an escape from all the evil facebook noise, I go to the bird and I tweet my heart out. This is fine if you have a private twitter profile (like mine), but not if you don't remember everyone who's been following your every tweet.
See, I'm a little more liberated on twitter. Blame the bird... that thing makes me feel different about myself. I've been spilling my guts without even thinking who sees my tweets. Let's just leave it at that 'cos blogspot is the only friendly territory I have now and I don't want to ruin it by saying too much again.
Twitter is facebook's less-evil-but-evil-nonetheless twin sister. If facebook is the self-confessed gossip monger, then twitter is the one who swears will keep her mouth shut, then reveals all your secrets to the next person. Painful I know, but the truth is, twitter looks sweeter (I meant to rhyme), but it does have a hidden dark side.
I'm feeling a bit disoriented nowadays. Blame it on lover's season, I guess. Anyhoo, let me sum up all recent events concerning me these past few weeks:
Do not watch "Wolfman" starring Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins. It was like watching a 90's B-Movie with A-list actors who suddenly lost their integrity and did the film for the money and nothing else. Half the time, I was laughing to myself (hint: it's not a comedy), the remaining half was torture. Awful predictable story and really really awful production value.
Been staying up too late for the past few weeks, which is very unusual for me. I do not like staying up late. I'm a girl who NEEDS her 8 hours of sleep.
Got a giant pimple a few days before Valentine's. Nice. (I think I really need to stop staying up too late)
Got to sing my videoke frustration song, "Alone" by Heart. Did that in front of our clients.
The things you have to do for work... singing a song with extremely high notes, definitely not one of them. Especially when you're known for singing male songs because of your low "husky" man-voice.
Trying to plan a beach trip to Zambales for next weekend. I'm desperate for some quiet time away from the city. So desperate, in fact, that I'm willing to take a bus going there, and this will be my first long bus trip. Good luck with that.
In the middle of an extremely busy February - March: 4 campaigns, plus an event, for 3 different accounts all targeting a mid-March launch.
Since it is Valentine's and I don't want to seem bitter... then okay, I'll go with the flow. So let me leave you with this final thought:
"Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without, and know we cannot live within."
"People respond to something that happened in the moment, much more than they will respond to the most brilliant thing that was thought of ahead of time and prepared. There's something in us, and they're going to find it someday. It's like a tiny piece of zinc in our cerebral cortex. They're going to find out what it is. But when we see something that unfolds naturally and is real, people love it... something going off the rail, something going wrong, something happening that wasn't supposed to happen. Do not fear those moments. That's where the gold is."
- Conan O'Brien (again)
When faced with a task, especially a writing task, I know I've had instances when I swear I've racked my brains, painfully over-thinking and trying to come up with good ideas, then ending up with garbage. Like every other normal human being, I do get some criticism with the work that I do; sometimes a lot of criticism. I also did realize that the ideas that seem to get criticized the most are those that I've agonized over, those I made sure had no loopholes. In other words, I get mediocre results when I analyze things way too much.
Although I think I'm fairly open minded and can take criticisms constructively, I have to admit there are times I wish my skin was a lot thicker. See, I find sometimes that it's hard to psych yourself up to "try again" and not be discouraged when you get a "eureka!" moment that turns out to be a dud.
But there are also times that I do manage to get back up and spin the wheel again, this time a little more carefree. And after some lively, oftentimes off-track discussion with my colleagues or my brilliant (I'm not sucking up here, he really is something else) boss, we always come up with something goosebump-worthy and ingenious, something that is just simply and universally true. Surprisingly, these epiphanies always happen after that point when we've thrown in the towel and decide to take a break by goofing off for the rest of the conversation. The mood flow goes: serious, serious, serious, TIRED! break, break, break, laugh, laugh, laugh... DING! EUREKA!
It's just magical, is what it is. I've heard/read somewhere that the best ideas are often accidental.
I think this is also the answer as to why planned gimmicks almost never push through and spur of the moment things always do.
