I know it’s been a while and I felt like it has been ages since I last wrote my last entry under TCSBE3. As with a lot of people at this stage in their college years: it’s been tight, it’s been  hectic, we are all busy, and when we mean “busy”, we mean it!

A defense for a thesis proposal, an interactive game CD, a 30-second 3d demo reel, a fully animated Flash cartoon, a website, among others. That’s how busy a lot of us have been in this past quarter of the year.  What’s worse, we won’t be getting the long summer break we all deserve to have as the school screwed us with a suspension announced too late and the rest of us who were doing fine then now had to wait a trimester longer before we ultimately face the harsh realities of life.

Screw the system, screw all of you…

Nah, kidding…hehehehe.

But still, despite the stress and sleepless nights we had to endure, I’m very optimistic with what is to come for the coming school year a several weeks away from now. Just a few moments to go before the last drop of sand falls down in the hourglass to finally get this heck of a junior year a proper and much-awaited close.

This is not the schedule I chose to take because someone made the deed for me without me knowing. Although convenient, it would’ve been nice if I do it on my own accord.

Thankful yes but a line has just been crossed.

The movie “Lords of Dogtown” gives us an inside look to the early days of the phenomenon that is skateboarding as well as the people who were a part of it. The film is not exactly the typical based-on-a-true-story type where the main characters are all portrayed as good-hearted people who think everything is possible for them. It is a coming-of-age story containing real characters with real depth and emotion.

Despite being a period movie, it doesn’t make itself look like one so it’s easier for younger viewers to appreciate the film as it is. However, “Lords of Dogtown” makes use of different filming styles, most especially with scenes that involves skateboarding and surfing. Some scenes were shot as if they were taken from an old 1970’s home video camera while there those that are taken from a camera’s point of view from a rolling skateboard, something that is commonly seen on televised skating competitions such as the X-Games.
Such a way of using two vastly different styles of shooting such scenes seems to mesh perfectly as it sort of balanced out the story.
The color effects give out a cooling mood when watching the movie. Despite being set at a sunny happy California location, the cinematography shows it as bluish and moody. These traits are found to be very complimentary with the kind of storytelling the movie is presenting to the audience: dark yet refreshing, light yet effective.

Music is a central part of the film as they give a representation of the different moods and mindsets of the characters in the movie. The movie don’t seem to rely much on music played during the 1970’s but their choice of alternative/pop-rock songs seems well-fit to the over-all premise of the movie. Many of the songs featured have this certain feel-good vibe, being played whenever the movie is showing the lighter moments of the characters, shown to be at the peak of their youth, where their friendship is at their strongest, and careless innocence remaining intact.

Even as the film came to a close, it left with a positive feel good song continuing to play at the closing seconds of the final scene. Never was there a “sunken feeling” even if not all of the characters were given happy endings, there is always the implication with the way the movie ended that life continues on with these characters as off-screen, they continue to face challenges and triumphs in their lives.

The people behind Lords of Dogtown succeeded on doing a new contemporary take on doing a 1970’s period movie. Never does it feel in its entirety as such nor does it try to be one. The movie succeeded on making a story that took place more than 30 years ago fresh and accessible for many to enjoy watching.

I detest being placed on the hot seat. I was never comfortable answering such personal questions so it’s always better for me just let them go unanswered.

It’s not that I want to lie nor deny but really, it’s really something that I don’t wanna talk much less talking about in public. Don’t try to say that it’s the freakin’ 21st Century already and that today’s generation are liberated and are free to talk about things that weren’t much of a central conversation back when our grandparents were teenagers.

As in any case, I just want to stray away from it because I’m not too keen on being open about it. Don’t say I’m such a killjoy, I only prefer to be it that way.

Not talking about it does not make me less of a man, nor talking such does not make me any more either. If you wanna talk what you wanna talk about then fine, I’ll just sit right there blending in the background.

Cheers! 🙂

Can I just say how happy and speechless I am now knowing that I was able to grab a chance to work for a radio station which have been considered as a living piece of history the industry? Even if it’s been more than a week now since I got “hired”, I still feel the shivering excitement knowing that I will be having my practicum in the legendary 99.5 RT.

Although I’m not exactly working for the station itself, I made myself part of the production team on one of their shows, RT’s flagship chart show the RT30 (short for the RT Top 30). The team is composed of the Inka, the show’s host, her producer, Jose, and her minions of interns (including me).

I don’t exactly know the names of all my other co-interns but I managed to hang on to a couple of names: Clarisa, and Carla (a fellow Benildean). They introduced me to the kind of works they’re engaged in to bring about a good show to present every Friday.

With the nature that my job requires, I have to listen to Top 40 radio  every so often to keep myself updated on everything that’s about music. Doing research about the artists and the songs that are charting on the countdown as well as trying to come up with a script for a 3-hour show that otehr than being informative, must also be set in the language of the station’s target market, the youth (which makes up a majority of RT’s listenership).

Have I mentioned that majority of the production team, including Inka and our producer, are from DLSP schools? (Animo La Salle!)

Although no job is easy. We are in strict compliance with what the station is trying to maintain. Being a station that gets to play potential breakout hits in pop music ahead of the other stations (like Astro Nut’s “As Strong as the Sun”, Owl City’s “Fireflies”, Calvin Harris’ “I’m Not Alone”, to name a few), we are sworn not to reveal to anyone else outside the station the identity of the majority of songs they’re playing. Same goes with having insider knowledge with current chart positions of songs in the RT30 days before the show itself airs.

By this point, I have to really dedicate myself on this line of work. Although the MMA-OJT program calls me to produce an output in time, I’m hoping the higher ups would count the scripts that I’ll be making with the rest of the interns since it is a collective effort coming from all of us.

And I’m hoping I could manage to pick-up what I’ve learned right away.

(Writer’s note: This piece was written way back couple of months ago with the intention of having it published at a later time. A follow-up entry will be put up ASAP)

I’m currently on my ninth term. Since I’m going to push stay to one more trimester, I might graduate on the first term of 2011-2012. 😀

Just this afternoon, I saw while browsing on Facebook, a picture posted by Jeco featuring me, him and the rest of our friends dated exactly a year ago: February 14, 2009.

I tried to recall what all of us were doing on that photo and now I remember what it was all about. A year ago, Jeco gathered all he deemed as worthy for this project he had in school. That was a Saturday, and I was just about done with my 3-hour immersion at Baseco Compound for the week. I got a text from him while I was at Mini-Stop Intramuros reminding me of what was to come. Another text followed when I was in Central Terminal/Arroceros Forest Park, and another when I was already on Monumento.

I was already on the way to our meeting place when I got the call that they’re already on the way so I got off in front of Malabon Citisquare. It a while but before I knew it, Jeco and the guys: Mark, MR, Yoko, Diane and Chamy. I believe there were more whom Jeco invited but weren’t able to come.

We went to Jeco’s place (or what used to be no later than a month after) in Caloocan. I’ve only been there twice, once back when we were high school juniors and the second time was last year.

As the night was still relatively young, we were having a fun time doing Jeco’s litle research. The reason for the gathering was for us to act like critics to his “thumbnails” (commercial advertisements to be exact) and give out comments and suggestions on how he could make them better. And it was all caught on tape, so at least there’s proof that he had his works criticized.

Afterward, we had our friendly bonding time. We chattered about life, school, chismis and Graphiquetee. I had nothing to share much so I just listened hehehe (My life’s boring anyway). I believe this was the first time I got to know on a personal level some of the people there that night: Mark and MR.  I didn’t know them that much when we were in SJA a few years ago but fastforward today, we all have this friendly vibe, being close friends and all.

Seriously, back then I barely knew everyone in my class except maybe for a good third of them (if they’re in the same section as I am ever year). I was also on a disadvantage because almost everyone in the class of 2007 knew each other, most dating back during their years as pre-schoolers in SJA and on nearby schools. Even if I was in St James Academy for a good five years, my only strong connection there was Louie, who, until that fateful day (July 1, 2002), I only get to see every year during Christmas Day when we have our family reunion in Malabon.

Now I feel that it no longer matters if I didn’t knew them since childhood because forging friendships and relationships can happen anytime in your life. And that’s what I did: I managed to establish friendships with people I thought I will never get to talked without saying something that could stutter me. (Actually, I can’t describe what I wanna point out so this is just as close as it could get).

And thus, I bid you a Happy Valentine’s Day, Kung Hei Fat Choi and a merry SAD to all of us.

*Photo courtesy of Jeco Bonzon

😀

*Image taken from Facebook.com

Back before I came to CSB as a freshman, I made an initial set of goals for me to accomplish before graduating. Among them: Become a part of the school paper, become an orientor for froshes, join the varsity, apply as a student DJ for Campus Aircheck and a lot of fantasies which eventually didn’t come into fruition: I got rejected on the paper, I didn’t make it to the deadline in time,  I was not qualified for the varsity, Campus Radio became Barangay LS, etc.

Then came this really nice opportunity to explore the possibility of applying for the school’s Frosh Orientation Program this summer.  For the past years, I failed to get my butt kick into doing this thing because of factors I cannot control (other than being informed about it a little too late last year). I saw a poster uploaded on facebook which fortunately got picked up by my news feed earlier this morning.

As I’m writing this article, I’m patiently waiting for the guys from the Student Involvement Office (or was it used to be “Office of Student Affairs”, I don’t know..) to furnish me a copy of the application form.

Even if this is the only thing I managed to accomplished out of all the things that I initially want to achieve, I will be happy. I don’t have much time left in the school, with only 3 more trimesters left under my belt (I’m on my 9^th term). I want to leave my beloved college knowing I managed to achieve something such as this.