It started last saturday morning when i woke up in our Baguio home's comfy couch (haha. yes, i love sleeping here) and i saw my bestfriend, ever engrossed with his laptop. He kept playing 'Good Life by One Republic' and I didn't really paid attention. I was too hungry for that. So, while preparing breakfast, he made me watch this video and then, BOOM! We suddenly ended up filming ourselves and reheating the poor 220mL hot choco (which was eventually reduced to half after being reheated for several times) just so we can take a good film of a 'smokin' hot drink'.
and so, the shoot for the Good Life started.
Well actually, i was just the Production Assistant AKA PA-for-a-day for this project. I really had no idea what i was doing nor did i even give it a thought that I'd include myself in it. i look hideous in videos (see: dead and bloated blow fish right there). But, it was after all a new thing for me and it's my best friend's moment of eerie-ness so, who am I to say no?
The 2-Day P.A. LESSONS:
1. When you have an idea, write it and act on it! This is actually very true because most of the best ideas come from sudden burst of thoughts or plain impulsiveness. You may think it's actually weird/stupid/impossible/lame/freakish at first but, if you put a little more thought into it, it's actually the best idea ever. You can share it to people and they will most likely laugh at you BUT, if they see you doing it and really putting yourself into it, they'll probably see your point. But, in this weekend's case, we're just too impulsive to let the idea go so, even if i blurted out countless 'Are you really serious about this? I mean, REAAAAALLY serious?'... i was actually just too excited, and i didn't want any 'sorry-to-burst-your-bubble' moments. i can kill.
Things is, moments like this are too great to be let go. Ideas could change the whole world. Besides, no matter how uncanny you think your idea is, always remember that a few years ago, people we're too amazed with the idea that a little box could communicate with the world and they thought it was impossible- and now, we call them celfones.
2. Grab every opportunity to learn something new- even if it's waaaaaay beyond your box. I've always been a fan of making short clips for birthday celebrations OR end-of-the-review/training/workshop thingies by using Windows Movie Maker just because it's just too easy to use. Though there are, after all, a lot of limitations with this software, i kind of just sucked it up because it's the only thing i'm familiar with. But, after this weekend, I finally gathered enough guts to try the Power Director software- it's AHHHHMAZING. It's a little more complicated that WMM but, it can let me do a lot more.
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| Mart&Me at the Bar, Kahuna Beach Resort |
And, i've always been the trying-hard-photographer. Like, I'd try to take a shot of things and do the 3/4s thingy that photographers try to do and i'd always end up showing my best friend something he'd react to with a deliecious 'uh, anu yan?'. What's really amazing with some phtographers I know is that they have this talent of turning rocks into ROOOOCCCCKKKKKS and sand in SAAAANNNNDDDDD. Know what i mean? Well, i think I'm a creative person but, i'm still trying to learn this photo-creativity stuff. (list of things to learn growing longer and longer everyday) So, when Martin told me he needed my help to do this video, i immediately said yes. I left no time for him to think if I'm really gonna be of help for him. HAHA (mahirap na q:) And with that, i really took it as an opportunity to learn about the right angles, views and all that saturation stuff.
Actually, i still didn't learn that much (because i was busy looking for a hunky surfer while we were shooting at the shores of KAHUNA Beach Resort located at San Juan, La Union) but, the activity really helped me understand some concepts and got me more interested with filming and photography.
3. No matter how sh*tty your situation right now is, it won't matter at the end. Actually, the suckier the situation is right now, the more you'll learn to appreciate the end product of all your efforts. Take it from us. The sun was actually so hot, we felt like we're being baked alive while filming around San Juan. The sand felt like burning coal against our skin. We drove around town, looking for nice places to film and the wind blowing against us felt warm. We had to re-shoot/re-film/re-take and end up discarding a lot of films. I was countlessly told to re-shoot because I didn't know what views/angles/whatever i had to consider or take because I'm a moron at this AND, i was probably taking Martin's patience at the edge.
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| So, how do i get this thing started again? |
4. Love the people. Just gotta love them. For the past 2 nights and 2 days i spent with a whole bunch of old and new faces (and spending it at hotels and beach resorts located just a few meters away from Martin's home... really weird) I've come to realize that in this world, hating is just too easy to do and yet, it takes a lot of toll in your soul. It's easy at the start, but leaves you dead in the long run. Loving people, on the other hand, is a little harder to do. For some people, it just happens and for some, it feels like looking for a needle in a haystack. But, knowing how to love people eventually feels easier to do. It makes you feel lighter and alive. Some people may talk about insecurities and all that cliquishness that girls usually do but, real confidence DOESN'T talk about insecurities AT ALL. Cool people just talk about goodness of other people, and then it reciprocates without effort.
Love people and people will love you. If they don't, they're bound to be useless.
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| Breakfast at Costa Villa Beach Resort, San Juan, La Union |
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| the CAST: Behind: Karla, Allan, Front: Me, Mart and Tian |
5. FOCUS on your VISION. As a young entrepreneur, we have been told that it's actually a little normal to be discouraged at times because we're too emotional. We involve a lot of feelings in everything we do. It's one reason why although we're too tempted to work with out closest friends, we tend to mix our relationships with out business and then POOP! everything becomes soggy cereal with milk.
Knowing such instances, we have to set rules. We have to learn ourselves more- to determine which can motivate us more to do it whatever it takes, as well as what could discourage us.
After all, to know the antidote, we have to determine the poison.
I know i haven't really been through as much crap as others have (i'm actually lucky and i'm thankful about it. VERY thankful indeed.) but i can say that I've also had my fair shares of hell-holes, as well. But the greatest mistake a person will ever do is to take this hell-hole and use it as an excuse to not do something. That hell-hole is the exact reason why you should do it.
There's no excuse big enough to keep you from you vision... that is, if your vision is worth all that.
It's just amazing that every time I go to trips like this, i end up knowing so much more that what i intended to discover. I came here for fun and yet, I learned something I could really use for my life. I was the P.A./student of photography/filming/life/entrepreneurship. I could only put so many slashes and yet i couldn't probably put enough.
After 2 days of filming for the video, i was really able to dissect the song and until now, it's still playing in my head. So much for LSS. But still, during my weekend, i met a lot of amazing people, saw a lot of amazing views, experienced a lot of moments I'm not sure I'll ever experience again- i saw a little piece of the Good Life that people dream of having. I grew up the in farms of my province, and I'm not the kind of person who would be going gaga over shopping, partying, jewels and gadgets. But the feeling of being on top of the world, and knowing there's so much more you can have without stepping on anyone was one of the best feelings one could ever have. I felt something i'd die for to have my loved ones experience the very same feeling i had. And this is probably the reason I'm striving for more no matter how hard.
Because I've realized that some people will never have dreams as big as mine, which is probably the reason it's that easy for them to leave and give up. The thing is, a lot of people have left me because they had reasons; my dream is too big to listen to their excuses. And even if they leave, I will be more than willing to start over again.
I am not a charity-builder kind of person. I actually run away from filthy street urchins and adults (because i'm SERIOUSLY scared). Sure, I pity them but not the kind of pity that I'd be giving coins to give them a chance to survive the day. If i'd be given a chance to help these people, it would be by inspiring them that people can have something out of nothing; and that if other people were able to do it, they can do it too. I want it to be just like that.
Well anyway, i would loooooooove to present to you the video we worked hard for. Better search up the lyrics... we've successfully passed the LSS-experience to countless people...like 5 people. haha i really hope you like it. <3
Director/Producer/VideoEditor/MASTERMIND: Martin Casiano
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