When August ends

August started with a calm, AND THEN PICKED UP AN UNBELIEVABLE FAST PACE as I got busy with work, and more work. It ended with a calm (a lazy Tuesday) and a familiar note.

Monday was the first day of shooting for Chyna and Anna Lou’s thesis film “Hacked.” It’s possibly my last production design this year, and it’s not even that big of a PD. I just won’t have time to PD anymore because of thesis, not because I don’t like it. I’m still hoping to totally repaint and redecorate a whole room (with a generous budget, hahaha) someday. :D

Like most productions, last Monday was fun and filled with awesome people, talented actors, and reliable friends. Some people like Sarah and Jopy dropped by, while Rob helped us by filling in as Production Assistant.

This was one of the hardest shoots to PD, however, not because of complicated props or designs but because Chyna’s room is such a devil of a monster to conquer. I SWEAR. It left me speechless when we visited a week before the shoot to check the location and even the whole cleaning process on the day itself to make it seem inhabitable was like begging a miracle from Jesus. But it happened. It looked like a room eventually. For the win.

Chyna's...cove turned room

Chyna's...cove turned room

You'd think we did a miracle if you saw the original state of this room, haha

You'd think we did a miracle if you saw the original state of this room, haha


All work and no play is boring. With a couple of (green) jokes and impromptu modeling, Mamu and I played around. We also took pics of Ash’s outfits because she’s effortlessly gorgeous that way.
I envy Mamu's blue blazer. I need one too.

I envy Mamu's blue blazer. I need one too.


Styling by Mamu, with an effortless model: Ash

Styling by Mamu, with an effortless model: Ash


Now August had ended and September has begun. The 1st is mostly an idle day (for me), spent watching Down in the Valley (starring Edward Norton and Evan Rachel Wood, who’s just gorgeous). I can’t say it’s a favorite film and I have to admit I watched it because of Norton. The Painted Veil is quite possibly still my current most-liked of his films for now.

I left school early today to go shopping. For what, I didn’t know, though I had two things in mind: either (1) gray booties or (2) books. I ended up buying the latter because I didn’t find any nice gray booties. I was looking for something that had thick heels. Heeled oxfords would have been a good option, but I’m also particular about the heels so I ended up buying nothing, haha. The impulse to buy came from having been paid last Monday, plus it’s the start of a new month so why not begin with something new too? And, I confess, I felt like it’s about time to read books again because I’ve been hanging out with friends like Jopy who’s having fun reading a whole list (conveniently also kinda like for his thesis). Though reading books won’t help with mine, it doesn’t matter. It’s rainy season again and I love reading books in cool weather.

I ended up buying April & Oliver by Tess Callahan and My Mistress’s Sparrow is Dead because although I am cynical when it comes to love in Real Life, I am a die-hard romantic at heart. But that never cured me from thinking anyone sincerely liking me (in a romantic sense) is a ridiculous and unlikely idea. :P

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I want to work on thesis temporarily-for-forever

I am surviving with half a brain. Or, half a working brain. The traffic last night (due to the rain) was terrible; I got home late and I slept at 3am, and I have a 9pm meeting later and I’m not understanding any of my lectures. In Javascript class earlier, I couldn’t understand what we needed to do and how to code the thing, and our prof said there was a loophole BUT I JUST DON’T GET IT.

Despite this, I want to be the one to code my thesis. My prof in Javascript class suggested I ask for a CompSci person or someone like that to code the whole PHP/mySQL/etc. database for me but I was too shy to tell him I wanted to do it myself because I wanted to learn! Curious bee! And one of the things that’s driving me to also learn how to develop it is because I’ve been reading this book entitled The Art of Interactive Design: A Euphonious and Illuminating Guide to Building Successful Software and Chris Crawford (the author) specifically mentioned programming ability as “one of the qualifications for an interactivity designer.” And right now, I’m just aiming for that. I’m going to take graduate studies on Interactive Design in Europe and have grand, exciting (and hopefully, including romantic) adventures while I’m at it.

Yes, this is how I’m coping with depression. =) At least I’m looking forward to so many things again, instead of getting held back by so many frustrations and unpleasant feelings and people.

"Language is like looking at a map of somewhere. Love is living there and surviving on the land." - Love Begins in Winter

"Language is like looking at a map of somewhere. Love is living there and surviving on the land." - Love Begins in Winter

AND BOOKS. I’ve finished the first story from Simon Van Booy’s Love Begins in Winter. I originally wanted to buy The Secret Lives of People In Love but I couldn’t find it, so I might try to look for it elsewhere some other day. It’s amazing that although I should be busy with a mountain of academic and freelance work, I manage to read short stories in between. This is better than a full-length novel because I wouldn’t be able to work otherwise.

I have so, so, so, so much work piled up. My CS Flash project, a bunch of freelance work, LFC, Chyna and Bananalou’s thesis, MY THESIS (!!! waaah! presentation and video and paper!), PHILO AND THEO (which I don’t mind learning or reading about but orals right now = will contribute to paving the way to a near-death experience) — I’m determined to start saying NO to people from now on. :(

Chyna and Bananalou’s thesis might be the last film I’m going to PD for this year, mainly because I really have not much time for production design because of everything I have to do/finish. As a general rule, I try to stay away from styling and costume design because it gives me more stress than I can handle. Although reading Jeffrey Kurland’s interview (costume designer for the movie Inception) proves how much respect and admiration this man, like other amazing costume designers (goes with any design team in production groups, I suppose), deserve.

Costume design reflects greatly on the movement of the plot, most significantly through character development. Character development is at the forefront of costume design. The characters move the story along and with the director and the actor the costume designer helps to set the film’s emotional tone in a visual way. In a more physical sense the costumes’ style and color help to keep the story on track, keeping a check on time and place.

Really, if that doesn’t make sense, I don’t know what else will. Now I want to watch Inception the second time just for the costumes (Ken Watanabe/Saito’s costume at that scene he first appears in is to die for) but I doubt it will still be out in theaters the moment I have time to watch a movie again.

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