At the beginning of the summer, I went over to a girlfriend's place to check out her latest haul from Winners. It was really a one-piece haul - she busted out a cotton yet fabulous black full-length jumpsuit, with an outrageously deep neckline.
As she starred in a one-gal fashion show, we laughed about whether the cotton material made it appropriate for a brunch date or if the daring neckline made it more of a #KingWestBasic sort of thing.
I joked:
"I'll make a film, it'll get into TIFF, and you can wear this to the premiere." ha.
I was frantically writing a script, casting actors, and sourcing for set design within the month - and tickets are now on sale to world premiere of my first short film, Jezebel on November 9. 2018!
It was a wild eleven weeks with the Unsung Voices: Youth Video Production Workshop presented by Reel Asian International Film Festival. Here's a peek at some of the learning and laughing that I had along the way:
As she starred in a one-gal fashion show, we laughed about whether the cotton material made it appropriate for a brunch date or if the daring neckline made it more of a #KingWestBasic sort of thing.
I joked:
"I'll make a film, it'll get into TIFF, and you can wear this to the premiere." ha.
I was frantically writing a script, casting actors, and sourcing for set design within the month - and tickets are now on sale to world premiere of my first short film, Jezebel on November 9. 2018!
It was a wild eleven weeks with the Unsung Voices: Youth Video Production Workshop presented by Reel Asian International Film Festival. Here's a peek at some of the learning and laughing that I had along the way:
I had completed the Skype interview with Tony and Joseph, our instructor and program coordinator, while in the back of a cab in Regina, Saskatchewan, on the way to present at the Canadian Association for Social Work Education conference (a tale for another blog post). I was barely squeezing the interview into my already hectic and unpredictable schedule, and although I was on the brink of aging out of the program (where has my youth gone?), I got picked to spend my summer with this ragtag group of new filmmakers.
Here's Tony our test filming day, teaching us about C-stands and the importance of placing sandbags on the tallest leg. | Meet Tony on the left. Tony is an absolute hoot of an instructor. On our first day, he dove right into teaching the material - giving me intense anxiety and making me doubt what exactly did I think I was doing taking up space in this film program. No, I did not know what Celtx was (nor did I know how to spell it) No, I did not know what a CTO did versus a CTB No, I did not have any locations locked down, because again - No - I didn't even have a script yet YES, my heart was racing from fear and I was wondering if I had somehow missed all the readings for the first day of class. (I hadn't; there were none). It wasn't until we were 20 minutes into the first workshop that Tony realized we hadn't gone around the small table to introduce ourselves! My nerves settled as I listened to the stories of my new classmates. With formal training in business, political science, advertising, and theatre, we were a mish-mash of skills and ideas - and no one else seemed to know what Celtx was either. Phew! And although it was not said outright, I could feel a particular energy at the table - a longing to tell stories by us, and for us. China, Singapore, Philippines, Afghanistan, Korea - distinct and vibrant countries of origin, but a shared thread of invisibility across Canadian media. |
Crew Life
Part of the intensity of the program is that we get hands-on experience by taking on crew roles for each other's films. Having never shot anything before, I cheerily signed up to be the Director of Photography for Mariam Habib's film, Dard-e-Bedarman. It was our first two days on set in early July, and I spent the weekend standing on various items to hit those angles and get the shot. Later on in the week, I spent a few days on sound learning the do's and don'ts of working sound booms and lavs for Joshua Lang's Time, Space, and Lee and Jessica Lee's LOVEKILL.
Major learning from these sets: working sound near bodies of water is a major headache. Jet ski riders are loud jerks.
A few 12-hour days on set later, I had developed sore muscles and joints, but an immense appreciation for the art of film making. It was a thrill to see our scripts come alive in front of our eyes. I missed a few days of shooting for more academic things (this time at the Filipino American National Historical Society conference in Chicago - another blog post), but for the days that I did share with my cohort, I witnessed deep care, great intention and much creative energy poured into telling these genuine stories.
Beyond the five of us wired program participants, we had a wonderful group of actors sharing their talents with us, enthusiastic production assistants running around with gaffer tape, and a dedicated group of industry professional mentors making sure we were holding the boom in the right direction.
Part of the intensity of the program is that we get hands-on experience by taking on crew roles for each other's films. Having never shot anything before, I cheerily signed up to be the Director of Photography for Mariam Habib's film, Dard-e-Bedarman. It was our first two days on set in early July, and I spent the weekend standing on various items to hit those angles and get the shot. Later on in the week, I spent a few days on sound learning the do's and don'ts of working sound booms and lavs for Joshua Lang's Time, Space, and Lee and Jessica Lee's LOVEKILL.
Major learning from these sets: working sound near bodies of water is a major headache. Jet ski riders are loud jerks.
A few 12-hour days on set later, I had developed sore muscles and joints, but an immense appreciation for the art of film making. It was a thrill to see our scripts come alive in front of our eyes. I missed a few days of shooting for more academic things (this time at the Filipino American National Historical Society conference in Chicago - another blog post), but for the days that I did share with my cohort, I witnessed deep care, great intention and much creative energy poured into telling these genuine stories.
Beyond the five of us wired program participants, we had a wonderful group of actors sharing their talents with us, enthusiastic production assistants running around with gaffer tape, and a dedicated group of industry professional mentors making sure we were holding the boom in the right direction.
Working on my film
The film is far from technical perfection. In a mere 11 weeks, we wrote, shot, and cut this 8 minute project. It is not perfect, and it's hard for me to be okay with that. I have always been a high-achieving perfectionist, so it is difficult for me to take a step back and simply appreciate that I spent my summer telling a tale in a medium with which I had no prior experience. But, even if some of the lighting is wobbly and the audio is a little rough - the film is a little gem to me. It is a snippet of the hilarity of my mom's joy and love, and it is an honour to share that with an audience.
I am happy to say that the film is:
Let's take a walk through the stages of this whole process:
The film is far from technical perfection. In a mere 11 weeks, we wrote, shot, and cut this 8 minute project. It is not perfect, and it's hard for me to be okay with that. I have always been a high-achieving perfectionist, so it is difficult for me to take a step back and simply appreciate that I spent my summer telling a tale in a medium with which I had no prior experience. But, even if some of the lighting is wobbly and the audio is a little rough - the film is a little gem to me. It is a snippet of the hilarity of my mom's joy and love, and it is an honour to share that with an audience.
I am happy to say that the film is:
- a distinctly Filipina-Canadian story
- a coming-of-age tale of a 20-something gal living in the city
- a film in which no one actually says "Filipina/o/x/Philippines"
- a creation made possible by generosity and collaboration of Filipinx-Canadian creatives in Toronto
- my first ever short film
Let's take a walk through the stages of this whole process:
Stage 1: Pre-Production
aka "Nobody told me I was supposed to have a script on day one!"
Seriously. I remember Tony and our program coordinator, Joseph, asking if I had ideas when I was interviewed for the program.
Sure! Tons of ideas! Tons of ideas in my head!
Do you know how hard it is to narrow my thoughts down to a particular theme, to a particular tale, to a particular snippet of that tale? I'm a big picture, systems-level kinda gal. Spoiler alert: It's really difficult for me.
I knew that I wanted to tell a story about diaspora, peminism, pinay desire, relationships to moms, being the daughter of an immigrant community, etc. Through back and forth messages with a few dear friends, they reminded me of some of the stories I had told them of misunderstandings between my mom and I on a recent trip to the Philippines in 2017. I found myself smiling thinking of those moments and landed on a silly tale with a little bit of fantasy and lots of fun.
aka "Nobody told me I was supposed to have a script on day one!"
Seriously. I remember Tony and our program coordinator, Joseph, asking if I had ideas when I was interviewed for the program.
Sure! Tons of ideas! Tons of ideas in my head!
Do you know how hard it is to narrow my thoughts down to a particular theme, to a particular tale, to a particular snippet of that tale? I'm a big picture, systems-level kinda gal. Spoiler alert: It's really difficult for me.
I knew that I wanted to tell a story about diaspora, peminism, pinay desire, relationships to moms, being the daughter of an immigrant community, etc. Through back and forth messages with a few dear friends, they reminded me of some of the stories I had told them of misunderstandings between my mom and I on a recent trip to the Philippines in 2017. I found myself smiling thinking of those moments and landed on a silly tale with a little bit of fantasy and lots of fun.
Stage 2: Production
aka "How's sound? Dammit, where's the skin tape?"
I was the last of the cohort to film - which meant I had three short films worth of training under my belt but it also meant I was working with a tired crew, anxiously anticipating the end of the two weeks of long filming days. We were graced with the good energy of the multi-talented Belinda Corpuz and Arlene Paculan, bringing the characters of Mal and Tracy to life, and two youth Production Assistants with eager interests in film.
I loved directing. I loved putting together the production design in collaboration with Filipinx diaspora artist friends from near and far. I loved looking around at an all Pinay cast and having a Pinay production assistant and a craft of pancit from Mang Bernard's in classic Parkdale. I wore my BRUHA hat every single day on set, and loved every minute of the moving making magic.
There is a hunger for these stories to come together. I feel extremely fortunate that so many folks were generous with their time and talent in helping me create my vision.
aka "How's sound? Dammit, where's the skin tape?"
I was the last of the cohort to film - which meant I had three short films worth of training under my belt but it also meant I was working with a tired crew, anxiously anticipating the end of the two weeks of long filming days. We were graced with the good energy of the multi-talented Belinda Corpuz and Arlene Paculan, bringing the characters of Mal and Tracy to life, and two youth Production Assistants with eager interests in film.
I loved directing. I loved putting together the production design in collaboration with Filipinx diaspora artist friends from near and far. I loved looking around at an all Pinay cast and having a Pinay production assistant and a craft of pancit from Mang Bernard's in classic Parkdale. I wore my BRUHA hat every single day on set, and loved every minute of the moving making magic.
There is a hunger for these stories to come together. I feel extremely fortunate that so many folks were generous with their time and talent in helping me create my vision.
Pinays in Canada making films! [L-R] Arlene Paculan ("Tracy"), Karla Danan (Writer/Director), Belinda Corpuz ("Mal"), Abby Bangod (Production Assistant) | Arlene & Belinda kept busy during lunch break on set, bringing their own crew and filming an episode for Arlene's show, Striving Artist on Filipino TV (check out Belinda's interview!} |
Stage 3: Post-Production
aka "I hate everything. Let's throw the whole thing out."
Before this year, I really hesitated to call my self an artist. But once I took a seat in the editing room and watched all my clips, I finally knew what it meant to be at the centre of the Venn diagram of Being an Artist, simultaneously exuding absolute narcissism and crippling self-doubt.
I was worried I didn't have enough coverage (I didn't, thank goodness for Belinda agreeing to a pick-up day of shooting & ADR); I spent hours sorting through free music libraries (there's a lot of "uplifting corporate" music out there); and I was horrified to find we had shot entire scenes where the camera batteries's flashing charging light was in full view (huge ups for filming in 4K and punching in during post)!
Stage 4: Post-Post-Production
aka "I'm moving to Calgary."
I had only eleven weeks from the first day of the workshop to the date that I was meant to lock picture.
This is not a lot of time. This is especially not a lot of time when you are simultaneously trying to pack up your life to move across the country. While I did get my film to the point of picture lock, the amazing mentors in the program continued to work on my sound, colour, and final special effects after I'd left the city.
[BONUS] Stage 5: SCREENING
aka "Hey audience, please laugh even if you don't think it's funny."
Bust out your jumpsuits, cotton favourites, and most daring necklines - and come see how it all turned out.
You'll even get to listen to me say things on a stage during the FAQ with my fellow filmmakers.
aka "I hate everything. Let's throw the whole thing out."
Before this year, I really hesitated to call my self an artist. But once I took a seat in the editing room and watched all my clips, I finally knew what it meant to be at the centre of the Venn diagram of Being an Artist, simultaneously exuding absolute narcissism and crippling self-doubt.
I was worried I didn't have enough coverage (I didn't, thank goodness for Belinda agreeing to a pick-up day of shooting & ADR); I spent hours sorting through free music libraries (there's a lot of "uplifting corporate" music out there); and I was horrified to find we had shot entire scenes where the camera batteries's flashing charging light was in full view (huge ups for filming in 4K and punching in during post)!
Stage 4: Post-Post-Production
aka "I'm moving to Calgary."
I had only eleven weeks from the first day of the workshop to the date that I was meant to lock picture.
This is not a lot of time. This is especially not a lot of time when you are simultaneously trying to pack up your life to move across the country. While I did get my film to the point of picture lock, the amazing mentors in the program continued to work on my sound, colour, and final special effects after I'd left the city.
[BONUS] Stage 5: SCREENING
aka "Hey audience, please laugh even if you don't think it's funny."
Bust out your jumpsuits, cotton favourites, and most daring necklines - and come see how it all turned out.
You'll even get to listen to me say things on a stage during the FAQ with my fellow filmmakers.
Nab a ticket here for the premiere at the
TIFF Bell Lightbox on November 9, 2018!
Maraming Salamat
I'm hoping to write more about the process of writing and directing this film in the future. Media production and creative content always felt like an unrealistic dream for me. There is great risk to pursuing the arts and there is great pressure from immigrant families to pursue traditionally stable jobs, especially in the context of my upbringing in Calgary where there is so little funding for arts and culture. It still amazes me that free arts programming even exists!
So, thank you - maraming salamat - to all of those who make the Unsung Voices program possible and for picking me to be one of the fortunate students this year; and to all the individuals and creatives who contributed art, labour, talent, time, ideas or more to the creation of this project. It is truly a community production of my dreams.
My passion for storytelling has only grown and I can't wait to tell more distinctly Pilipinx-Canadian stories.
But for now, enjoy these behind-the-scenes shots with our talent!
I'm hoping to write more about the process of writing and directing this film in the future. Media production and creative content always felt like an unrealistic dream for me. There is great risk to pursuing the arts and there is great pressure from immigrant families to pursue traditionally stable jobs, especially in the context of my upbringing in Calgary where there is so little funding for arts and culture. It still amazes me that free arts programming even exists!
So, thank you - maraming salamat - to all of those who make the Unsung Voices program possible and for picking me to be one of the fortunate students this year; and to all the individuals and creatives who contributed art, labour, talent, time, ideas or more to the creation of this project. It is truly a community production of my dreams.
My passion for storytelling has only grown and I can't wait to tell more distinctly Pilipinx-Canadian stories.
But for now, enjoy these behind-the-scenes shots with our talent!