Vimeo shorts

A selection curated by Fubiz (and me) over the past month. Enjoy.


Beyond Black Mesa - a short fan film based on the game Half-Life.


Shapeshifter - 3D animation of nature and machine


Modern Times - A sleek future


The Thomas Beale Cipher - unravel the mystery

Ang Negosyante ng Venesya

Most of you already know that I'm appearing as Nerissa in Teatro Baguntao's production of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, translated into Filipino by Rolando Tinio. We have had eight shows so far, but since I have alternates, I've only appeared in two (both for Ateneo HS freshmen). Next Saturday we have a gala, possibly my second-to-the-last show. The venue is tiny, but if you are sure to come, let me know so I that can reserve a ticket or two. Tickets are at P150. My last performance will either be a benefit show or an outreach show out of town, so it's Saturday or never.


Joining the production in November has been nothing short of a riot. Although I know that my writing gets read and people view my paintings, I never get to see my audience. Live performance has instant feedback and gives a different kind of high. Being the oldest member of the entire production, I find working with teenagers stressful yet fun. It must be karma for teasing my brother for hanging out with kids. I do get a kick out of blending in. It feels great to feel this young.

From the stash of unwatched films: Like Minds

I'm not quite sure why, but I never got to see Like Minds (a.k.a. Murderous Intent, 2006) even if L had given me a copy years ago. Or maybe I had seen it, but it has been completely erased from my mind. Because I have a memory of comparing notes with L. No, I couldn't have. Is someone playing with my mind?

The subtle suspenseful kind. This is a well-made high school thriller written by Gregory J. Read, with excellent performances from Eddie Redmayne and Toni Collette. Tom Sturridge could have done a better job. Regardless, I am thoroughly disturbed.

Trivia from Wikipedia:
Sturridge became Robert Pattinson's best friend and was supposed to take on the Hayden Christensen role in Jumper. Redmayne attended Eton, won a Tony award for his performance as Mark Rothko's assistant in Red, and modeled for Burberry.

Yes, please

Spread the good vibes. Team Manila.

Old Canon, meet new Canon

I cannot deny that I am a Canon point-and-shoot camera person. And there is no need to since I am proud of it. Presenting my newest toy, the Canon S95. It is my third Canon camera since 2006 and I don't plan on switching brands anytime soon.

The IXUS800, taken with the S95

Goodbye, IXUS800. You served me well for almost three years. I will never forget you, my dear, as the circumstances of your coming into my life were magical and you saw me through my last six months in Europe. But now it is time for us to part.

The s95, shot with the IXUS 800

The S95's sensor and low light capabilities are impossible to refuse because I want to take photos of our play (and you know how dark the theater can be). My brother is envious--a very good sign. With HDR, fisheye and miniature effects, taking photos will be even more fun. I cannot wait to take photos of the show tomorrow and on Saturday!

History of Gaming

I'm not into consoles, but games inspire me.

ACET results: an annual tradition

My brother has a yearly habit: taking photos of the ACET results as posted outside the Blue Eagle Gym and uploading them. This time, because of my castmates at Teatro Baguntao's Ang Negosyante ng Venesya, I have reason to re-post.

Congrats to Jai, Jayjay, Jerome, Joe-Nel, Josh, Justin and JV! All of them opened the show with me last Monday, which is an interesting coincidence (aside from that fact that all their names start with J). Apologies to anyone I might have missed.

[Update] Good job, Junjun, Nica and Gian! Didn't know your full names earlier. I feel like a proud sister.

View the ACET results for SY 2011-2012 here. It's in semi-alphabetical order, so scroll up and down if you don't see the names on the edges. Blue Eagle the King!

Sonya's Garden

Are you, Facebook user from the third world, keeping the poor poor? Yes, says The Guardian. Discuss.

How the Facebook generation keeps people poor

"The 19 million Facebook users in the Philippines, for instance, about 19% of the population, are generally comparing themselves to other Facebook users around the globe rather than the 50% of Filipinos living on less than $2 a day."

Maybe not the best quote, but point taken. Now what?

One cloudy day in Tagaytay

Behind the scenes: MAPS

Adopted

Another post on cats. We didn't choose them; they chose us. Lucky felines.

Vinyl on Vinyl

Waiting for Tara McPherson. Manila Design Week, August 2010.

One night in SG

Notes on Kaos

The Vegas-by-way-of-Broadway show Kaos at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World Manila is an interesting production that is high on camp, able to out-Disney the shows at Disneyland. The story is simple enough for non-English speakers to follow: lonely prince follows the girl of his dreams to her kingdom as an evil advisor threatens to bring chaos into the equation. But the Kaos of the title is the white lion which is somehow woven into the story. (There are notes in English, Chinese and Korean in case you still get lost, but really, is there anything to explain?)

The singing is quite good. I found the selection of songs quite puzzling, but the pace is just right. My mom is not sold on the acting of Gian Magdangal as the prince. Lacking in passion, she said. The love interest is played by Martha Joy, who is a revelation (because I have never heard of her before). Joel Trinidad, the advisor, has mastered wicked laughter but comes off more as a narrator than a villain. That works just as well. I could barely make out the lines of Jemuel Victorino as the king. A costumed Manila Symphony Orchestra provides the musical accompaniment. The costumes are dazzling, though a little too sparkly and neon for my taste. The large LED screens work wonderfully with the sets.

The stunts, illusions and the rare animals alone are worth the price of admission, assuming you have not seen a traveling circus lately. The performers have very specialized skills and come from different parts of the world. I hope they all have insurance.

Verdict: if you want entertainment for an hour and a half, definitely go for it. The 1500-seater Newport Performing Arts Theater is not deep, so don't be afraid of the cheap seats. Then again, the ticket price isn't exactly inexpensive (starting at P988). I hope that in the future, the theater will host other kinds of productions, not just spectacles like Kaos.