Taste Bud Torture

Ah, a Saturday. I went on my usual foray to Greenhills and came back with a couple of DVDs of movies I missed in the theaters. Otherwise, it was slim pickings. The place was crowded with tiangges (streetstores) and traffic was horrible. No new anime or games this time. Anyway, I went to Comic Quest as usual. I had missed an After Eden book signing by our friend, Arnold Arre, at National Bookstore Megamall... the event was from 3 to 5 pm, and I was only able to leave the house at 5:30. Anyway, maybe they'll be able to join us on lakwatsa another time.
Anyway, Mike, Jason, Emrys and me went off to Makati after closing. We picked up Emrys's girlfriend, Rio, and went to classy Rockwell. I have to admit I never really go to Rockwell, so I was pretty much amazed at the bookstore Formerly Known As Page One. The selection of books was even better than Powerbooks, and I saw a lot of stuff which could be prospective gifts this Christmas. It may warrant a quick trip during the week. After what seemed like an eternity to me (and even longer for Jason and Emrys since they were starving), Mike finished his book hunt. Among the books was a copy of Harry Potter and the Philoshopher's Stone. "It's the British version of the Sorcerer's Stone." said Mike. Me, being the heathen that I am, said, "So... what's the difference? Does it read with a Brit accent?" Heh.
We had a late dinner (or early breakfast?) at Dencio's Rockwell, which I regret. I ordered boneless fried sizzling bangus (milkfish) and some bagoong rice (which is seafood-based). Suffice to say, I didn't enjoy my meal. First of all, the bangus WASN'T sizzling when it got to me. It wasn't too crispy. The bagoong rice was also hard as if they used yesterday's rice to make it. Another factor was that the mix was wrong; since both the viand and the rice was seafood, it tasted bad.
It reminded me of that episode in the anime Cooking Master Boy, where one of the heroes had a cook-off with an evil female cook. The main ingredient was crab. While the hero cooked heavenly crab cakes, the evil cook-lady made a crab soup and omelet. As fate would have it, the villain's food was tasted first. Good enough... then the hero's crab cakes were tasted by the judges. To the surprise of everyone, the judges declared that the hero's crab cakes tasted HORRIBLE. Soon though, the astute main character, Liu Mao Hsing (the titular Cooking Master Boy) found out the secret. Apparently, the crab soup of the evil cook was very thick and strong-flavored. After having that, the judges' taste buds were deadened to crab taste... so when they tasted the crab cakes of the hero, it became tasteless, and all they could feel was slimy, slippery goo in their mouths (otherwise, they tasted great though). And so it was that the good guys were sabotaged and lost that round (Don't worry; they win eventually though).
I guess that was part of what happened. I feel though that the Rockwell branch of Dencio's is perhaps the worst. The service was pretty blah and the food below par. BAH.
Good thing we were able to chill out later at my house, where I treated Jason and Mike to a viewing of some of the best parts of the Lord of the Rings 'making of' DVDs... really amazing stuff. It kept them awake even though it was about three in the morning.
Argh. Sunday. Then work again. Oh well. At least I had my Saturday.

A Job Well Done, Part Two

This week has been pretty exhausting, but it ended quite well at least for my day job. The company won several pitches, one of which I was directly involved in. Furthermore, me and my team finally ended the long process of creating and producing a TV commercial. We presented the finished, edited and complete final version of the ad to client this afternoon, and they gave a happy nod of approval. The commercial, which is for a female hygiene product, will be shown on Philippine television this coming Sunday.
The whole company, or at least most of the people I know at the office, celebrated at the bar/restaurant Con Fusion near our building in Makati. I don't usually like drinking parties, but I went anyway since my teammates insisted. I had a couple of beers, a lot of laughs, several samples of savoury finger foods, and then I was off. I met the regular Friday gang of Mike, Dean, Nikki, Jason and Carl at Salsa Rossa. We later moved to Country Waffles and had a couple of enjoyable games of Cranium. Fun game!
Ahh. I look forward to a weekend that's all mine. No shoots, no overtime, no jobs. Just all fun and personal time. Haaa... I am alive again.

Retro Cartoon: The Spiral Zone

Anyone here remember that old action cartoon Spiral Zone? It was set in an earth that was under attack by a guy named Overlord(not to be mistaken for the villain in Blackstar). Overlord was a former scientist who created the Spiral Zone; it was a kind of virus or field which caused people to become mindless zombie slaves. It was so named because the pattern of the Zone's swath across the world was, well, spiral. With his Zone Generators, Overlord was able to conquer many parts of the world, even making New York as his main headquarters.

Of course, there were good guys around to resist the villain; the UN put together a small but elite squad of troopers called the Zone Riders. The riders are highly trained and are the free world's best and last hope: Commander Dirk Courage, Katerina Anastacia, Hiro Taka, Max Jones and Tank. The Zone Riders could go where the rest of the UN military couldn't go since they were the only ones with anti-Zone suits (which kept them from becoming zombies). This of course left the Zone Riders quite outnumbered when facing Overlord's armies of Zoner slave-soldiers. Leading the Zoners were Overlord's Black Widows- his personal lieutenants who were given treatment so they retained their wills and consciousness even inside the Zone (however, they also got the deformed, fleshless look Overlord has). These baddies went by code names given by Overlord himself based on their backgrounds/natures: Duchess Dire, Reaper, Bandit, Razorback, Raw Meat and Crook. We actually see the last two Widows get recruited within the series; Meat was a wild, evil Cajun trapper, while Crook was a treacherous French ambassador or something.
The series distinguished itself as well with really odd vehicles; the Zone Riders rode one-wheeled armed and armoured motorcycles, while the Black Widows rode Sledgehammer Tanks that looked like a cross between a war chariot and a Lazyboy. Overlord himself of course rode a unique vehicle which looked like something from a tractor pull. Wild stuff.
Spiral Zone was full of action, drama and lots of explosions and lazer beams. Like GI Joe, it never showed deaths, but was oddly quite intense given the gravity of the threat (and how many of the heroes' relatives are prisoners within the Zone). It was a pretty cool and exciting cartoon. I'd give a lot to have these episodes in some DVD or tape. Relive the good Saturday fare once in a while. Ah. They don't make them like they used to.

A Pinoy Komiks Resurgence

Local Pinoy comics: Down for the count? Nope!

In the mid to late nineties, Alamat Comics made some heads turn with the release of locally-made comic books. I am pleased to say that I was part of this 'revolution', releasing my own title, Angel Ace, during that time. Within the past two years though, Alamat has seemingly gone into hibernation, with most members going dormant. I count myself lucky to be able to continue working with people who are very active in creative work in the comics medium, including Carl Vergara (One Night in Purgatory), Jason Banico (Dynatica Comics, Baylans), Dean and Nikki Alfar (The Lost, Kestrelstudios), Mike Simbulan (Isaw At Iba Pa), Arnold Arre and Cynthia Bauzon (Tala Studios, After Eden). Together, we've been able to continue thinking, creating and doing stuff that will hopefully continue to share the stories we have in our heads to as many people as we can reach.
However, it is heartening to know that there are many others also active in the Philippine local comic scene. Fans of western comic book styles may bristle though, at the fact that many of them are influenced or based on the now-popular Japanese manga style. There's of course Culture Crash, the highly popular mangazine which boasts high quality art and colored issues. There's CHIPs, a local manga with a distinct cutesy style and sensibility which recently released their first issue. In Comic Quest, we've seen the work of Armand Canlas, a mecha-combat/scifi manga by the name of Armor Troopers.
With so many young artists working hard to express themselves, it gives me the inspiration to continue where I left off and release another issue. Not this year, of course... but soon. I still have a lot of stories to tell, myself.

A Job Well Done

Yesterday, I attended the offline edit of the commercial we filmed last week. An offline, for those not in the advertising biz, is the term for the initial editing of a commercial. That means, the takes are just chosen and put together. There is no special effects, transitions or color grading at this stage. So what you see of the ad is pretty bare, basic and a bit rough. Me, my art director Itsy and our account person Mona went over to the production house. While we were waiting, we experienced more of the customary hospitality, in the form of a Sukhothai-esque Thai lunch. Pandan Chicken, bagoong rice with tasty sweet-sour-savory flavor, beef tenderloin and clam chowder was for the taking. But my favorite at that moment was without a doubt the flawlessly made Leche Flan. You could really taste that they didn't scrimp on the eggs on this dessert. I had two pieces and wanted more, actually.
When we finally saw the edit, I was initially disturbed by how jarring the takes were. Fortunately, we saw a good edit, and we were pleased. After us, it was client's turn. It took about two hours for them to get to the premises, but luckily, they approved our recommended edit right away. No problems. Great! Now the rough edit of the offline can go on the the online, which means more polished editing, scoring of the music and application of visual effects and color grading.
We ended the session with a merienda/early dinner of pasta with marinara or puttanesca sauce, garlic bread and roast chicken. I downed ice cold glasses of Coke to celebrate the end of another stage of the job. Barring any delays, the commercial would be airing within the month. That left a good taste in my mouth. Or was it the chicken? Whatever.

Innuendo

I was on the bus going to work today when I say a movie billboard of another one of those sleazy sex movies that seem to be the rage today in skanky theaters. The title was Masarap na Pugad, or in english, "Delicious Nest". It doesn't take a genius to figure out that it's not talking about birds. At least, not the flying kind... Ah, the artistry of Filipino movies...

A Prisoner of the Flesh

Well, thanks to a weird stomach bug that had me in the fetal position this morning as well as my sore back muscles, I stayed home. I spent most of the day just lying in bed, watching TechTV and playing some Suikoden III. I just wandered aimlessly around the land, killing monsters to level up my heroes and occupying time by playing some funny minigames in the heroes' castle. One of the funny diversions involves staging a play in a theater. You can cast any of your 108 playable characters in various roles, and it's pretty hilarious to see how some of them act (or non-act). After playing the RPG, I rested some more.
A nice thing about staying home on a weekday is being able to watch TV programs you usually miss. I was able to watch an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer where a demon casts a spell that makes everyone burst into song every so often. The entire show was like a musical, and I think they all sang with their real voices. HILARIOUS.
After that, I slipped in Disc 4 of the LOTR Extended DVD Set and watched documentaries about the film that focused more on the cast, filming the epic fantasy adventure and then some. It's pretty funny to see and hear some of the interviews and how the actors and crew got to bond during the filming. I actually haven't watched the whole extended edit movie yet... I'll do that soon.
Despite having all this time for myself, staying indoors the whole day, having the airconditioning on for hours and hours and not being able to go out kinda sucked. Thankfully I think I can get back to work tomorrow.

Tired and Worn

I came home tired and having some muscle pains in my left side. Walking around with a limp and the muscle pain is more tiring and exhaustive than normal, so I just hobbled to the sanctum. No Suikoden III tonight... don't have the energy. I WAS able to pop in Disc 3 of the LOTR Extended Version set and watch the rest of the documentaries. Fascinating stuff all around, but I have to say the best parts were the WETA Workshop portions, which showed us director Peter Jackson's answer to ILM... the detail and work that went into the making of LOTR is mind-boggling; literally no shortcuts, they made a world! From armor to creatures to costumes and weapons... damn. This movie reeks quality. There are tons more drawings, designs and stills to look at, but I'll finish that in time. Very tired. Need to get some rest since tomorrow's another work day. Ah, the grind. I hope I have the strength.

Sunday Funday

It's Sunday yet I'm at the office, working on a pitch. It's not as bad as I thought since I was able to get enough sleep somehow. Hopefully we won't stay too late. Can't end the weekend without a last-minute Suikoden III game or some similar digital crack session. If I can, I'll try to pass by some shops and check out any DVDs or games worth a look. Yesterday, I managed to bring home some goodies: A copy of the new PC game Age of Mythology, the sequel to the best-selling RTS Age of Empires, and a Neo Geo library disc for the Xbox.
I was able to install AOM successfully; basically it is Empires with mythological creatures as units, and the gameplay is very similar to the previous game. The 3D graphics remind me a lot of Battle Realms though. The story mode, which seems to concern the adventures of an Atlantean hero, looks very interesting. It will take some getting used to the new elements, but it looks great.
As for the Neo Geo Xbox compilation, it's a mixed bag; several games won't play, but there are enough that do that satisfy me. It's great to see these old arcade games on the TV. The Neo Geo had cool games but was just too expensive.
Well, that's that. I'll try to post another entry later tonight.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Last night, me, Mike and Jason headed off to Hogwarts, er, Greenhills Theatre Mall, to watch the second Harry Potter movie. We've been planning this since two weeks ago, and our strategy was foolproof and meticulous. Our tickets were bought, seats reserved and food prepared for the two and a half hour show. Well, it turns out that we were worried for nothing since the theater wasn't at all crowded; we had great seats and the movie started on the money. Now, how did we like the Secrets of the Chamber?
First of all, I entered the film without any knowledge of the book. I had been able to read Sorcerer's Stone, which kind of spoiled the suspense. This time, I didn't know what would happen, which was pretty cool.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is all about the titular character's second year of weird classes and death-defying adventures in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Unfortunately, his return to school is filled with foreboding with the dire warnings of a mysterious House Elf named Dobby. This CG-creature warns Harry not to return to Hogwarts since terrible things would happen. Of course, if Harry did that there wouldn't be a movie so...
Once Mr. Potter makes his way back with a lot of help from his best friend, Ron Weasley, and his family. But his return is marked with mixed characters and events that echo the warnings of the House Elf; A vainglorious new teacher of Defense of the Dark Arts named Gilderoy Lockhart (Kenneth Branagh), the appearance of Lucius Malfoy (Jason Isaacs), the sinister father of Harry's rival, Draco, mysterious whispering voices, writings on blood on the walls and finally, students getting petrified by an unseen force. All this seems to be linked to a rumored 'Chamber of Secrets', an almost legendary spot in Hogwarts that is said to contain evil from the founder of House Slytherin. Evil has returned to Hogwarts...
Thanks to the bulk of story background and foundation being rooted in the previous movie, Chamber has the advantage of being able to get right into the action without too much baggage... and there's quite a lot of it too. There are lots of dangers that Harry and Ron have to face, including getting smashed by a moving tree, surviving a ride on a flying car, getting chased by hordes of giant spiders and tussling with their rivals from the evil Slytherine house. The Quidditch match gets upped in the wow factor thanks to the deadly appearance of a rogue bludger (an attacking flying ball) and the addition of Draco Malfoy as Slytherin's seeker and Harry's opposite number. I already loved the Quidditch sequence in the first movie... I enjoyed Chamber's game immensely.
Overall, thanks to more action, Chamber tops Sorcerer's Stone (whose high point was a chess game... hmmm...). However, it still mirrors the earlier movie in some stuff where it could have been better trimmed.
The cast seems to be really comfortable in their roles, particularly the leads Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson. Alan Rickman's Severus Snape doesn't get as much screen time as he had in Sorcerer's Stone. He still perplexes me as to whether you should like him or hate him, but he's unmistakeably cool here. Maggie Smith and Robby Coltrane are doing the paces, while I think Kenneth Branagh is funny but not as effective as he could have been. Tom Felton as Draco gets more screen time, but I don't find him as dangerous as he could be... though he does smirk and act smarmy quite well. The best addition is Jason Isaac's Lucius Malfoy, who's about as villainous and imperious as you could expect Draco's father to be.
As for the plot, despite some leaps in logic, the overall story is better paced, and has darker and spookier atmosphere. Pretty good, though in the end the exposition kinda disappointed me. Maybe I was just expecting too much from a children's book...
There are lots of gripes though; again, with a somewhat plodding and awkward finale and an overlong, too mawkish 'happy-happy-joy-joy' ending. Also, Lucius is already sinister with Isaac's performance... why did they have to have the 'Dracula hypnotic stare' lighting effect? Also, don't Slytherin have lives aside from being evil and griping? You'd think that in their common room they can be evil as well as young boys as well. And why does Harry seem to hit and swing things more than cast spells? Hmm.
In the end, I found Chamber of Secrets quite entertaining, but again, while I like it, I probably won't be able to sit through it again. Once is enough.

Purple Fizz

I'm at home, letting Disc 3 of the LOTR Extended DVD Set run. I am watching the first feature, which is all about JRR Tolkien and the monumental task of adapting the epic to a movie. I bought a couple of cans of Welch Sparkling Grape Sodaand decided to open one now. Listen to me go 'aaah...' as I see the carbonated grape juice. Purple Fizz. Weird. I had wanted to take home a bottle of Pepsi Blue, but failed to find any in the stores we passed. I wonder if that would have Blue Fizz?

A Bleak Weekend...

Sigh. Haven't been able to post much this week since I've been busy on a pitch at the office. Furthermore, the TV shoot that got rained out last week is pushing through tomorrow, Saturday. Plus we're gonna be working on the pitch on Sunday. AAAAARRRGHHHH! There goes my weekend. I'll try to have a break on Monday after all this hell is over. Graggle-snaggle...

Dennis Rodman to star in Dead or Alive game!

"Dennis Rodman's gonna be here?! Swoon..."

Yes, we've all thought that the Worm looks cartoony and unreal... now we know that it is so! The controversial basketball star and Jean-Claude Van Damme's co-star in the classic action movie Double Team (Eew) is set to do the english voiceovers for the character Zack in the much-anticipated sports fantasy videogame, Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball. Zack is the only male character in the game and owner of the island where the sexy, bikini-clad DOA girls will be spending time in. The casting is dead-on perfect, at least for the simple fact that Dennis Rodman IS Zack, at least in appearance (the character was apparently modelled after the sports star). Players will be able to switch between Rodman's dialogue and the original Japanese actor (Bin Shimada) during the game's CG cinematics at the start and end of the game. It's still a bit before this Xbox exclusive game becomes available (the date's been set sometime in January 2003), and every little snippet I get makes me want this game even more. AAAAaaahhhh... I hate waiting...

Top 10 scenes that were NOT included in the Extended Version DVDs of LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring

10. Frodo smoking a joint before meeting Gandalf

9. The baking of Bilbo's birthday cake

8. The SECOND cave troll.

7. Boromir putting on a band-aid on his cut finger

6. Orc and Goblin sex (Eeeeww...)

5. An Arwen shower scene

4. Elrond jumping up and down in a tantrum after Isildur leaves with the ring

3. A flashback scene showing Saruman and Gandalf in college. With afros.

2. Gandalf buying a new staff at the Rivendell convenience store.

1. A Legolas shower scene.

The Fellowship of the Ring Extended DVD Set Review: Disc One

Ah. Bliss. Before I get into the contents of the first disc, let me first describe the whole package. The Fellowship XDVD set comes in a really nice box packaging that mimics the look of a thick old, leather-bound book. The fold-out interior package contains the 4 discs, and comes with a 12-page booklet with the contents guide of the dvds (which is organized like a family tree as if illustrated by Bilbo Baggins himself). It just reeks coolness, which I can't say too often enough. Heh.
Anyway, I was able to get into the first disc so here goes. Disc One of the set contains the first half of the new extended version of Fellowship; all the new and extended scenes have been edited into the movie, with new scores so the watch is seamless. Early on as you watch the movie, if you've seen the original theatrical release, you will see how different the new edit is. Generally it is more leisurely as the film begins, and a lot more detailed. The new scenes are fabulous, and I am really astounded and thankful that this version exists just for the chance to see these scenes. They really are juicy and meaningful, and not just extraneous bits.

The extra sequences range from short new edits to actual previously-unseen footage, such as Isildur's flight and death, lots of hobbit life sights, the passing of elves and extended scenes for Aragorn. I have to say it's a treat to see a scene play out and then realizing that you're seeing something new. A bit like opening a birthday gift or biting into a Bavarian donut after just having mouthfuls of dry bread for a while... hmmm... you get the picture.

As for special features, the only other features on the disc are the audio commentaries, of which there are four: Director/writers/producers (which includes Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh), The Production and Post Production teams, and the Cast (of which most of the major characters except for Viggo Mortensen are present).
I listened to the cast commentary, and I found it quite entertaining; the banter of the four hobbits is particularly nice to listen to, with lots of humorous bits and pieces to pick up. Listening to them, you can really feel that they bonded during the months of filming. It's pretty funny to hear them talking about stuff like quirky people on the set, little bits about the other actors, various bloopers, Elijah Wood's eyes (ARE they digitally-altered?) and the various tricks used by the production to create the wonders we see onscreen.
My only gripe is that the cast wasn't recorded all at the same time; it would have been awesome to hear them all reacting to one anothers' comments. That aside though, the various comments they relate to you are interesting and in-depth. Great stuff.

I haven't listened to all the commentaries yet; I plan to over the course of the next few weeks. But this early I have to say that this dvd set is a must-buy for fans of the LOTR films. Damn great stuff. And I've only barely scratched the surface of the mammoth amount of content in the package.
A great buffer as The Two Towers is still months away... Aaaaarrrrhhh....

A Funny Coincidence

I was watching some parts of the LOTR Extended Version a while ago. I haven't yet committed to watching the whole thing, but I am really impressed by how it works from the beginning. I've watched the theatrical cut so many times, it's like seeing it all for the first time with the new scenes. I feel it all works so well, but at about three and a half hours, it may be a bit too long for some people. Good thing most of the people I travel with aren't that kind of people.
Anyway, from watching a movie with Sir Ian McKellen on DVD, I turned on to HBO and suddenly found myself watching the old Alec Baldwin comic book starrer, The Shadow (1994). And guess who's playing the befuddled professor Reinhardt Lane? Ian McKellen! Heh. I would NEVER have thought then that he'd eventually play pivotal roles in some of my favorite new movies (X-Men, LOTR). Pretty cool, actually.
Anyway, on The Shadow, it wasn't a big hit when it came out, and has sort of a TV movie feel. The action is pretty subdued but I think that John Lone's Shiwan Khan is a marvelous villain with a lot of great dialogue and scenes (and the stuff with the telekinesis I feel was just ahead of its time then). Lamont Cranston is a cool hero, and Baldwin nails him. I wonder how great an updated Shadow movie would do today? Whatever...

The Object of my Quest

The end came suddenly, and unexpectedly. I was wandering aimlessly around Glorietta, with my mind set on something else. I scoured the two shops selling videogames, but went away disappointed. As I decided to call it quites, I passed by Spectra AV Center at Park Square. I actually already passed it by, but for some reason I backtracked and entered the store. I gave a cursory glance at the rows and rows of VCDs. My gaze went from them to the racks of DVDs. Hmmm. Well now.
I made my way to the counter, where they kept a lot of good stuff. I knew they also had original US anime DVDs, but I really wasn't interested in them. I looked at the woman behind the counter and gave a half-hearted question.
"Miss, Do you have the Extended Version DVD Set of Lord of the Rings?" I said.
The woman replied, "Yes."
Te-na-neeeeen! (Expression of surprise sound effect)
I bought it on the spot. Well, actually I had to do a quick pass (actually more of a fevered brisk walk) to the nearest ATM. I HAD it. Didn't expect it today, but it was mine all the same.
Anyway, I am once again pleased immensely. I'll try to give an expansive review (perhaps on my forum at my site instead of here though) as soon as I am able.
Darn... How am I going to fit this in with my writing and art requirements, Suikoden III and all the ofther stuff on my plate??? Ah, exquisite torment. Gotta love that. Heh.

My precious... My precious...

Given that my much-awaited Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball for the Xbox is delayed until early next year, my obsessive desire at the moment is the Lord of the the Rings Extended DVD Set. This monster of a video contains 30 minutes of new footage/extended scenes (making it necessary for the film to be split between two DVDs), 4 different commentaries (director and writers, production crews, special effects and the cast) and well over 6 hours worth of added material (features, documentaries and other goodies). It's a LOTR completist's wet dream, and I have been salivating over it ever since I saw the teaser for it in the Theatrical Cut DVD.
Sadly though, it's not yet clear when the local video shops will have it in stock. I may have to be forced to rely on friends or relatives overseas to get it for me... But rest assured, it will be mine. It WILL be mine... Ha ha ha...

A Working Weekend

Yesterday, instead of having my free time and being able to rest and recharge, I had to work and attend the shoot of a new commercial. I guess I HAD to be there, seeing as I was the writer of the ad. Anyway, I got up early and was picked up by the production house's service. The shoot was on location at a college campus. When I arrived, I was reminded of how much goes into a TV shoot. The production crew was there in force, with cameras, lights, generators, cables and equipment aplenty. Several tents were set up to accommodate the Agency (me and my officemates), the lead cast and the extras. The good thing about TV shoots is that there is ALWAYS a ton of food around for the asking. Traditionally, production houses always provide more than enough to keep us happy, which is cool and makes me feel like a VIP.
Of course, I can't lounge around forever, so it was that when the talents were prepped and the camera angles set, the work began. Actually, all I had to do was make sure they got good takes... in other words, just watch. Which was not hard considering that the lead talent we had was a GORGEOUS 17-year old woman who I could just stare at for hours on end. Darn.
Unfortunately, while she had the look, it took work and lots of takes to get adequate takes during the more 'acting' heavy sequences. Still, all would have gone well if it weren't for the one thing that wasn't possible to control; The Weather.
First of all, since it was a 'ber' month, daylight hours are shorter than the usual; by three o' clock, daylight was already waning, making artificial lights to simulate a sunny day necessary. Even worse though, clouds began gathering and heralding a coming drizzle.
By five, rain has begun falling. You'd never have thought it would rain that day seeing as how the sky was all blue and cloudless in the morning. Soon, a light drizzle developed into heavier droplets. I worriedly observed how pools of water began gathering over the various cables and electrical devices of the production crew. Luckily, the men didn't seem worried. However, it soon became clear that the rain would not be stopping anytime soon. Despite this, the director still felt the need to wait, and perhaps even shoot some sequences even though it was now totally dark and still raining hard.
We eventually decided to pack up. We got onto the service vehicle which would take us to where we needed to go, whether it be home or somewhere else. Despite being tired beyond belief, I opted to go to the mall and meet friends for some dinner. Thankfully, the day wasn't all lost, so me, Mike, Carl and Jason still managed to have a good dinner at Lola's Cafe and Restaurant at Timog where the guys finally were able to taste the highly-recommended (by me) Black Pepper Spaghetti.
When I finally got home after, I didn't even have the energy to play even just a minute of Suikoden III. Sigh. It's good that shoots and other special events don't happen this often. Saturdays are sacred.

Totally Anime

I just managed to catch the last few minutes of an episode of Totally Spies on the Disney Channel. It's about a trio of high school girls who also double as secret agents. Anyway, after only watching it for a short time, I could easily see the anime influence in the way the girls move and act, particularly SD expressions. I also noticed that it's pretty close to the other Disney anime/manga-influenced WITCH.