The Right Spot

November 6, 2013
Initial Writing of The Right Spot Blog

Different strokes for different folks!  For this uploader, happiness comes with a thousand views. Yes, you are right that my satisfaction as a video maker is a bit shallow. It could be true that any YouTube uploader aspires to make it big and to have a viral video.  Of course, I want to be one as well.  But  I was raised to be contented with what I have.  I grew up not having my way all the time.  When I have done all the possible legitimate ways to achieve a goal,  I let Heaven decide whether I get it or not. 

So when making a video,  I do the best I could and ask Heaven for viewers to watch the video.  Don't be mistaken that I just utter repetitive incantations which will enable my video to charm viewers.  Nope, I do not utilize any "hocus pocus" tricks here.  I market the video by extensively using the various social media networks available and by looking for possible venues to expose the video.

This marketing activity though does not (and will not) include creating a campaign with a budget.  I created something which can be viewed for FREE. Unlike the movies, the paying public indirectly subsidize the advertising campaign.    You can call me stingy but I will never be desperate for exposure. Remember, video making should be a fun hobby for me. If I intended video making to become a business then the equation will be entirely different.  If a potential viewer chooses not to watch my video then I respect that decision.  If  the reason is that viewers cannot find my video, then I have to be more creative in finding more ways, channels and sites that will expose my video.

Aside from paying viewers or providing budget for a campaign to entice viewers to watch my video, I also DO NOT have a habit of finding people to add as Google+ and/or Facebook FB friends to possibly SHARE the video.  However, my small number of FB friends knew my intention for the use of social media and ,that is, to market my videos.  If you are a friend and/or in my circles, then you are always welcome to post and share your stuff.   I firmly and always believe in persuasion, initiative and volunteerism.    Best things in life are free.

Though the negative emotion brought about by the earthquake dwindles, I still have to feel the usual joyful "Christmas" spirit. With the exception of Freddie Aguilar's Anak video featuring Maegan and Jeriko Aguilar in which views jumped from the hundreds (400+) to a thousand plus (1,450) as of today 7th of November 2013 in just 15 days due to an issue which should have remained personal but is haunting the musical icon (an event which illustrates some people's preoccupation to meddle into other people's affairs and to dwell on unnecessary issues and intrigues),  there was no other event which has brought positive effect on my video making activity.   

My recently uploaded videos are far from my "happiness benchmark". With better video quality and disputable inferior musical content, the recent uploaded videos are only getting so-so number of views. Some would say, the video length could be the culprit. That could be right if   my channel is not a concert channel.  It is ridiculous to expect and view a three to five minute concert video. They could just opt to watch another channel like "Singles and Covers" which features song-length videos.

Instead of wasting my time mulling over the mediocre view counts and waiting for positivism to come, I am searching for a commercial material which could inspire me to proceed with this hobby of mine.  In other words, I am MOVING ON.  Part of moving on is retaining the lessons from the past.  I was suppose to write my last two or three throwbacks to complete the narration of being The Accidental Video Maker. However, I decided to write about the important lessons which I have learned from my latest videos. 

Completing a series of SALUDO HERO Foundation Silver Anniversary Concert videos proved to be cathartic from the negative emotions which was brought about by the destructive shaker in the Central Philippine region  weeks ago.  Though a potentially strong storm is nearing the Philippines as of this writing, I am hopeful that the destructive impact would be minimal due to the disaster preparedness activities being done by the would-be affected people and their local government units.  

Different emotions arise when I look at the thumbnails of the videos.  For the SALUDO concert videos, I feel positive even with the "usual" problems in life.  If I could just show the faces of the children above in the SALUDO concert (complete artists version) video to somebody experiencing difficulty in life today,  probably the person could "wait" for Hope and Help to come.  Some of these children could have lost their soldier-father in the line of fire and ,in effect, have lost the opportunity to share precious bonding moments with their dads. But you see, life goes on.  Even if these kids are just living behind the legacy of their fathers, they face the uncertain future with HOPE.  How many of us can say that our problems right now are more difficult and heavier than what these kids have experienced?  It is not appropriate for me to say "Be Brave" but I would rather pose a question - Can we be more hopeful? 

There are two more SALUDO concert videos which strengthened my resolve to overcome the negative emotions brought by recent events.  I have already shared my thoughts about the icon violinist John Lesaca video.  The following videos struck me in different ways. One is a victorious comeback and the other is a comedic relief ("aliw" as I exactly refer to in the native lingo).

I will always remember the songs by Mr. Gary V and his contemporaries (whom I admire and would love to record as well) since my age is only one or two years older than theirs.  In the 1990s, however, I heard a couple of good songs from this musical artist but cannot completely remember them.  Suddenly, the guy vanished.  Until the SALUDO concert, I did not know that Mr. Chad Borja had thyroid cancer.   When he narrated his experience (coincidentally he is also from Cebu which is part of the Central Philippine region),  I got interested with his struggle and his triumph over his illness.  Well, my channel's airtime is always priority to people and events that can inspire viewers.

Finally, this musical artist not only made me smile but I burst into laughter a couple of times when I was editing and uploading the video.  The guy is so "animated" and he is a video maker's delight with the facial expressions and body movements which he makes.  Mr. Kleggy Abaya is a true embodiment of his musical genre "Jolly Pop".  Some people would dislike his request for the audience to stand up for his song "Discolamon".  Well, he got away with it due to a seeming naughty credibility? The segment of Banda ni Kleggy (Kleggy's Band) was FUN.  That is quite enough reason to feature him in Konsyerto Pinoy channel.

The SALUDO concert videos which I have enumerated not only provided me insights but also with a fundamental video making lesson which is CHOOSING THE MOST APPROPRIATE RECORDING LOCATION.  Technically, this should be the lesson but reality would make it BEING IN THE RIGHT SPOT. From my experience, I would only know that I was in the right spot during video editing. You only get to completely see and hear the recorded video by then. Since there are  a lot of uncontrolled factors during recording, you don't get to be in the most appropriate location even the place was your choice.

Unlike studio recording, public recording (in malls, parks, etc.) does not allow you to control audience behavior, stage lighting, audio set-up and the weather.  Good thing is that there are competent sound and light technicians and engineers who ensure that the sound and light conditions are OK. To prevent the resulting video from having an unpleasant audio (such as sound blasts and feedback), it is safe to record ,at the least, a distance equivalent to the basketball court ring up to the free throw line area away from the audio system's speakers. Avoid recording directly in front of the loudspeakers and maintain an angle from the speaker. For the lighting component, the various recording devices provide automatic and manual functions .  Of course, the video maker must be aware of the limits of his recording device.

In effect, audience behavior poses to be the major stumbling block to a good video aside from the weather.

November 8, 2013
Tropical Cyclone/Super Typhoon Yolanda(Haiyan) Battered The Philippines

/*********************************     Remarks (not an official part of the Blog)  ********************************

The Accidental Video Maker had sent feedback that the Konsyerto Pinoy Features: SALUDO Banda NI KLEGGY video cannot be inserted in the blog.  No writing activity was done on The Right Spot blog. YouTube/Blogger via Google which received the feedback had rectified the reported bug from this date and onward.

During this time, tropical cyclone or super typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan) made several landfalls in the Central Philippine region.  This is possible since the Philippines is an archipelago meaning a chain or group of islands. The islands or areas where the eye of the storm made the landfall are (in chronological order):

1.  Guiuan of Eastern Samar province (southernmost tip of Samar island)
2.  Dulag-Tolosa of Leyte province  (Leyte island)
3.  Daanbantayan of Cebu province (northern tip of Cebu main island)
4.  Bantayan  of Cebu province (Bantayan island)
5.  Concepcion of Iloilo province (Panay island) and
6.  Busuanga of Palawan province (Busuanga island)

Source:  Official Philippine Weather Bureau DOST-PAGASA Facebook


********************************************************************************************************************/

November 13, 2013 onward
Completing The Right Spot Blog

Weather was the last word in the incomplete version of  The Right Spot blog written prior to super typhoon Yolanda.  Though the Philippines is also in the right spot for natural calamities such as tropical cyclones, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc. ,  Filipinos do not always make a big deal out of these disasters.   They rebuild and creatively search for things to amuse and entertain them after the hard task of rebuilding.  This time, however, the country's resiliency will be quite difficult to realize with the magnitude of devastation. The national psyche is still in a grieving mode though personal initiatives and relief efforts signal the start of the rebuild mode.

I pray hard and do hope that the rebuild mode will go on full blast to expedite national recovery.  Though the other Philippine regions were spared from the storm's wrath, the whole country is quite affected in several ways.  Feelings of sympathy, guilt, and frustration abound in the country right now.  Aside from empathy, I feel a certain amount of guilt as a video maker when I anticipate the condition to be looking up and search for  a video opportunity.  I pray for a speedy national recovery to allow myself and other people who share sentiments of sobriety and propriety in light of this catastrophe to resume our tasks and activities without worry and guilt.

As demonstrated by recent conditions, weather can kill an outdoor public event and the corresponding video recording.  In general and with the non-extreme cases, weather sets the tone of an outdoor video recording. Weather condition affects recording activities and even recording duration which determines the video length. However, a video maker can still adapt to tolerable weather conditions.  This leaves audience behavior as the major obstacle to a good output in public video recording.

Some people are not aware of  "Art Appreciation or Viewer Ethics".  Here's Mr. Prude again. When watching a concert, show or performance, one need not make a parallel concert or get other people's attention.  As a viewer, one must watch, listen and focus his/her attention on the performer. Although we have the freedom to express ourselves like talk to our seatmate and use our cellphone, we need not converse loudly in the middle of a performance and use our mobile phone within the concert area during show time.

As a viewer, it is appropriate to express our admiration of and love for the performer.  Clapping and cheering are tolerable actions in public/mall performances.  What is not acceptable is watching an artist and scrutinizing all his/her imperfections (from physical looks, attire up to performance).  A critic would write about his observations and not talk about these flaws during the performance. Some people think that they are watching a movie in a theater where they can talk with their seatmate and scrutinize the screen actors/actresses from head to toe.  What is shameful is when a concert goer attempts to ridicule the performer by talking loudly about the looks, body features and even sexual preferences.  From my experience, this happened in respectable malls and not only in outdoor community and provincial shows.

When a video maker records a show, conversation, noise and sounds within a certain range are captured by the recording device.  I refer to these as audio nuisances.  A laptop video editor which has audio editing functions can eliminate these nuisances at certain times.  However, there are inaudible and long (more than half a second) nuisances which cannot be edited by a regular video editor. Thus, the portion with the audio nuisance has to be excluded from the resulting video output.

Aside from verbal activities, another audience behavior which significantly affects the resulting video is audience movement.  When people see someone taking a photo or recording a video, they do not walk directly towards the camera and avoid being shot at by posturing down.  An exceptional number ,however, would block the recorder's path and would even talk loudly while securing a seat after coming in quite late during a concert.  Another case is when a fellow video recorder gets into your frame.  As a courtesy, a recorder must be mindful of his immediate surroundings and not block the view of another recorder.  Simply put, the performer is the star of the show and the reason for creating a video.

When audience behavior does not significantly alter the resulting video output from the raw footage, then one can say that he/she chose the right spot.  As a video maker, the right spot would be in an area near the stage or approximately within the first five rows.  From my limited knowledge of recording devices, the zoom feature uses more battery power and shortens recording time.  Thus, it follows that one is able to record longer at a distance near the performer.

There is also less shaky movements when recording near the performer rather than at a distance.  To prove this point, I have recorded the SALUDO concert videos at different locations.  The Banda ni Kleggy was shot near the stage while the Chad Borja and John Lesaca segments were far from the center stage.  Also, the SALUDO Concert Full Artist version was recorded at different distances.  Part 1 and part 2 were shot far from the stage while part 3 was recorded two and three rows away from the stage.

Again, this blog only provides suggestions in choosing the more appropriate recording location.  Personally, when I feel comfortable in my location,  I know I am in The Right Spot.

Hobby In Peril: Domino Effect of an Unsolicited Opinion and Unclear Blog Intentions

Last November 18, 2013, I went to Manila City Hall for replacement of the Senior Citizen Affairs booklet of my mother. Going back home, I stopped over Robinsons Place Manila to buy dinner and looked at the mall's events schedule.  Since my concert channel was preparing for a rebound from the gloom brought about by recent events,  I was glad to see that the mall had two remarkable and respected female vocalists in back to back performances during the 19th and 20th of November 2013.

With no alternative event posted early Monday afternoon from my creative playground Glorietta except the Ayala Triangle Gardens Light show which I covered last year, my video recording schedule was set for Robinsons Place Manila on the 19th Tuesday and tonight Wednesday. 

I proceeded to Robinsons Place Manila late Tuesday afternoon and went through the usual video op authorization process.  To clarify this, different strokes for different folks.  I am not trying to initiate some sort of ethics in making videos in general and much more to convince others to follow what I do. In fact, a very friendly elderly couple who watch shows at Robinsons Place Manila was amused that I need to secure permission for video recording.  Even with this reaction, I would still standby with my procedure even if a video-op loss could occur when I receive a negative reply.  As I have explained before, the negative reply may come from either the artist/handlers, the mall or both for whatever reason(s).

Some would say that I am already assuming that there is a reason to deny.  Whether there is one or not, simply put is that almost always a fan asks the artist for a photo op even the photo is for personal use.  As a video maker and directly in YouTube Partnership program, I record videos for public viewing and with the program privileges.   For me, these are compelling reasons aside from earning the artist's TRUST and RESPECT.  I wrote about TRUST and RESPECT in my previous blog post "PostScript to Inner Strength ..." and the intention was not to diminish the role of the artist's business managers but to show that I need not go into documents and legal arrangements just to record the works of people in the entertainment industry.  It will be ridiculous for me to hire a talent/business manager for my video making activities.  As of now, I badly need an industry relations consultant/manager.

Yes, I admit that my blogs and recent video upload could have alienated the talents/artists, handlers, talent/business managers and even the malls.  The intention of my blog was to describe and narrate my video making activities and methods.  I just describe and explain my methods and reasons for doing things.  Leave it or take it. Believe it or not. There was never any intention to downgrade the role of any industry player.

I owe my viewers the best performers and ,at the least, good videos. I owe the artists for sharing their talents and make them feel comfortable and safe during video recording.  I just wish I had an advance audio software that can clearly amplify audio nuisances during an artists performance so that a more accurate video editing can be done. But for now, this wish list can take a back seat since  I can sense that the fate of my musical video recording is in peril.

For the Fiesta Filipiniana event with Ms. Dulce and the FORTEnors,  the recording went on smoothly. Observing sobriety during this time, I informed the mall organizer that the inspirational version of the song "Ako ang Nagwagi" (translated "I was the one who triumphed") will be uploaded in my third channel Singles and Covers.  This song was performed by Ms. Dulce with the intent of ending the show on a positive note.

For me, all of us being directly or indirectly Yolanda victims are the ones addressed by the song. The choice to upload this song was to bring a message of Hope if not of pyrrhic victory from the recent calamities and not for any other purpose. Again, I will admit that this is a defensive blog post.  The reason is that no human being can really tell the intention of my heart except God. No convincing on my part can change a hardened heart but I can tell heaven that I also did my job to prevent others to think maliciously or with false impressions.

Earlier tonight, I returned to Robinsons Place Manila after going to Ospital ng Maynila to secure a prescription from my mother's doctor.  Since Midtown Atrium was jam packed, I was not able to spot the mall representative.  Thinking that the handlers of Asia's Songbird would allow me to record and upload the album launch since I did not receive any restrictions via email or phone from the representative, I recorded the first two songs.  When I spotted the mall officer, she signaled that my request has been denied by the recording company.  Thus, I stopped recording from then on.  For Robinsons Place Manila, the recording company and to the admired artist, the couple of recorded videos will never be uploaded.  I came from Heaven "Hulog din ako ng Langit" (for us believers, we all came from Heaven but for those who are not we just came from our mother's womb) and I pray and hope to return to such place.

With all the difficulties I am experiencing right now, I cannot help but think that this is due to an unsolicited opinion which I wrote last May of 2013 in reaction to an entertainment issue - inclusion of physical features in a joke.  I would not falsely apologize by writing I am sorry if my comment has caused discomfort to the addressee.  I would not be pathetically brave by writing I still stand for every word which I have written. Only this, I wrote the comment without any hatred or anger towards the addressee.  My blog will never be able to explain this further.  I could only personally disclose that to the addressee if by any miracle that would happen.  As for my hobby, I always hear from my mother that I ought to use my talent and share it. That  I would do as long as there is still an opportunity.
  

  

PostScript to Inner Strength, Resiliency and Time for Action : Non-Recorded Videos

When I was a kid, I was always reminded by my mother to always ask the owner of a toy or a thing permission to borrow and use the desired item.  I would not even touch the material if I have not received the owner's approval.  So, it is "second nature to me"  when I ask permission from the event organizers to upload and record a show.  What is more important is I take "not even to heart but to SOUL" what the organizers' reply was.  If it was a denial then I do not record the show.  If there was no reply, I do not record as well.  There is no purpose of asking permission if one is set to do his own way anyway,

I am not a prude and will not try to be one.  However, I hope in my remaining lifetime that I will never put dirt on my hands just to get something I want. As far as video recording attitude, I got INSIGHT from a much admired Philippine Entertainment Icon Ms. Vilma Santos-Recto who is also the Governor of the Province of Batangas.  I could not recall that she had a business manager but from an article or footage which I could not even remember was that TRUST and RESPECT were key in her longevity in the business.                         

When a relative of mine proposed that I adopt a "model release" form which enumerates that the talent/model conforms to my specified use of a recorded material, I just ignored it.  He was teaching me to protect myself. If I had taken such course, I would have not completed any concert video.  He might be right that it would be risky for me to record a mentally and emotionally unstable artist/subject who would initially agree for a video-op and later would deny granting such permission.  But the video which I will be creating is not about me and so, the protection must be for the artist/subject.

Going back to seeking permission for a video opportunity, I wanted to share two important events which I recently went through.  Prior to super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), I saw a free admission fund-raising concert Facebook post of a mall for the earthquake victims of Bohol (epicenter of the recent Philippine quake).  It was an advocacy which I wanted to be in.  However, a major Philippine TV network was sponsoring it so I decided to send an inquiry message to the mall.  I asked the mall whether the TV network will exclusively cover the two-day fund raising concert and ,as a YouTube uploader, can I record and upload portions of the concert or not.

I did not receive any reply until two or three days after the concert.  The reply was very assuming - "If you have footage then you could upload it".  Politely I answered back "Sorry, I did not go to the concert. Yolanda decided that for me unless I had received an earlier reply from you....".  I was a bit insulted for the mall to assume that I would record the show EVEN if I was there.  Well, I cannot expect the mall to be personal since stolen shots and unauthorized videos had been snapped and recorded in general.

The other event happened in my "Creative Playground" Glorietta yesterday 16th November 2013.  There was an album launch of a popular singer who came from a family of lovely and very good vocal artists.  I planned to record the show and upload it one or two weeks after the super typhoon tragedy settle down. Again, I went through the ticket procurement and video-op request process.  Initially, I talked to a guy from the artist's recording company and he asked the artist's handler.  The reply was that I cannot upload and record the show because the mall is strict regarding such recordings.  

Poor guy! I wish he knew that I was in my creative playground.  So, I looked for the mall representative to clarify the issue.  According to the representative, the denial was from the artist's handler since I noticed that there were lots of recording device holders.  I always respect the right of an artist to feel safe and comfortable with the people he/she is working with and the people documenting his/her work.  For this artist and her handlers, I just hope that my request was not denied due to any previous video which  I recorded. As I have always maintained, my channel(s) will always be above personal issue and intrigue.  I still hope to record her someday despite she loves "blue", I think, and I love "green" --- just kidding.  Seriously, my YouTube channel(s) would want to feature her. 

I also mentioned to the mall representative that I might be giving them a problem since I was monopolizing the YouTube search category page "glorietta mall makati 2013".   A lot of my videos are there and before glorietta, this "video search page category monopoly" also happened in Paco Park Presents and another mall which I referred to as "Entertainment Center Stage". To my beloved park and these malls, I do apologize for the inconvenience if you are not able to reject my video making activities outright.  I just hope that ,when another artist that I am interested in will perform at these malls and I send these malls a video-op request permission, I will receive a reply on time whether I can record or not.

Finally, when the friendly security personnel asked me why I was not recording the show, I just answered "if I did, YouTube would be mad at me".   I need not answer in this manner but I want YouTube to know that I will never intentionally put them in any compromising situation.  As I have always said - "For the love of YouTube".

From Hearts 2011 video

Inner Strength, Resiliency and Time for Action

Every time there is a calamity, I am always reminded that I am a Filipino. It is not something to be proud of but it is unavoidable. When these events happen, I get affected for several days or even a month.  There is a feeling of gloom and frustration.  Moreover, most of these events occur immediately before the Christmas season and this makes the situation more difficult.

Right now, I am near the point of accepting the fact that our stomachs , as a Filipino nation, are connected.  I heard it from a friend decades ago and I dismissed the belief with a grin.  I just realize lately that when something negative happens outside the Philippine area of responsibility (as the weather people put it), I could snap out of it in a couple of hours or even minutes. When these disaster happen in my own fence, the sad emotion lingers on. Probably, it is the umbilical cord that connected us to the wombs of our mothers. A huge cord with plenty of babies attached to it and one-by-one being disconnected from the cord as timeline progresses to signify their births, is how I imagine the formation of nations.  

Last weekend after writing my Sense (Keep the Videos Coming) and Sensibility) blog, I got to watch the local free Television news and ,in over a couple of years, Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho a Philippine Television prime time features show.  The show featured the effects of the recent earthquake on the national heritage of the country.  I could empathize with the guys from the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts for their feeling of loss and seeming negation of a lifetime's work and dedication in the preservation of the country's Heritage Churches.  

When the show host Ms. Jessica Soho interviewed our dear Boholanons (from the province of Bohol Philippines where the quake's epicenter was located), I saw their admirable core including their love for family and religiosity.  Instead of being saddened by their plight, those featured displayed inner strength and resiliency.  I got to admire them and was inspired.  In fact, the weekend news had announced that tourist spots in Bohol would reopen this week.  So, I decided to snap out of my video making inactivity and browsed  through several malls Facebook FB pages. 

As usual, Glorietta provided me an option.  There was this Silver Anniversary Concert SALUDO which was held yesterday October 22, 2013.  I was hesitant to go because most of the performers were already featured by my Konsyerto Pinoy channel.  What made me reluctantly go was the celebrant-organization itself.  The concert was for the HERO Foundation that helps the children of soldiers killed and totally incapacitated IN ACTION.  I may not be able to help the quake victims from here but I can help these children whose parents we owe in preserving the peace in our land.

So, I proceeded to Glorietta yesterday and was unsure of what will I record and upload.  After routinely seeking authorization to record and upload the show from the organizers, I recorded the performances. (Again, you might ask me why I have to continuously mention that I am seeking permission to record and upload from the organizers. Why not just go into a nice spot and start recording?  Well, these events even if they are open to the public and  free admission, might have already been subject to exclusive television and/or public coverage.)

With the exception of the first performer "The Acoustic Princess" Princess Velasco, I was able to completely record the performances. However during the initial period of the concert, I was already having second thoughts which portion(s) of the program to upload.  I was not ready to create another Integrity Concert video which is an hour-long. The concert spirit is not entirely present at the moment.  So I decided to upload the performances into groups and/or as my "gut-feel" dictates.

Even if I read the FB page regarding this concert, I did not fully remember the performing artists.  As soon as the Icon "Philippine Violin Legend" John Lesaca was announced  on stage, I got a bit excited.  I expected jazz instrumentals will be played. To my surprise, the icon violinist played  a Christmas Songs medley.  The repertoire did not intrigue me but made me think whether it was appropriate for an upload considering the mood of the nation.

Well, I have to bravely answer that the Christmas medley was the most appropriate song of the night!  The concert was for our Heroes children.  In spite of what happened, these kids must not be robbed of the little Christmas happiness they ought to have.  Even my sensibility was challenged by this performance.  Good grief, a mature icon violin legend pretending that there is a happy Christmas with what just happened! After reflecting for half a minute while recording the medley,  I said to myself the guy was very appropriate in playing the medley.  For one, children are endowed with gifts by "Ninongs and Ninangs" (Godfathers and Godmothers) during the Christmas season.  This period of the year, in Philippine tradition, is a stage where the Christmas bug is already remarkably felt.  

Although Christmas should not encourage the spirit of materialism, it was more the previous decades' Pre-Holiday and Christmas seasons I wanted today's children to experience.  The HERO scholars or children might not get to see this video and my following uploads. But, I wanted to remind the viewers that he/she could be a Godparent to these kids by viewing and following the donation instruction halfway the video.

During the 20th century, Pinoys were already planning and buying special gifts for their loved ones during the "ember" months.  Children during this period were already planning their holiday season activities.  As a result, though some experts would refute the idea, the Philippine economy is a Christmas-Driven and Inspired Economy.  In certain points of Philippine History, we should have been thankful that the season came because if not for Christmas, the Philippine Economy would have collapsed.  Anyway, just to stress the point, the Christmas medley decided the initial relevant upload thing.

To the readers of this blog, if you have extra browsing time, kindly visit the HERO Foundation Philippines website http://herofoundation.com.ph/.  To Philippine residents, you can help our soldiers' children via Short Message Service SMS.  You can text to donate and the minimum amount is cheaper than a Lotto ticket. Though there is still gloom in the air, the task to rebuild lives has already started.  

Sense (Keep the Videos Coming) and Sensibility

We plan, organize, execute and review or ,simply put, manage our activities.  Though we want to be efficient, we would settle to be effective at the minimum in our tasks.    When we are serious in and value our work, we apply proper management skills and maintain certain standards as far as output and results. As a Youtube uploader who has two channels, I have been made aware of and was oriented to "Keep the Videos Coming". 

To maintain a channel and keep the channel subscribers, an uploader must provide new videos on  a regular basis.This means that the channel must be active and ,as a result, the uploader needs to plan, organize and schedule video uploads.  The uploader needs to identify the sources of his/her video contents, plan a viable upload sequence based on video category, interest or genre, etc. In my case, I monitor public and free admission concerts/shows/performances in malls, parks and nearby venues.

For October 2013, two mall shows have been lined up to be featured in my channels.   Last Friday October 11, I recorded the reunion mall show of two former members of a popular Philippine band Freestyle. Top Suzara and Jinky Vidal collaborated to come up with the album Reunited which was also the title of the reunion concert previously held at the Music Museum.   To promote the album, a series of mall and promo shows are scheduled and the Glorietta Mall show was part of the promo tour.

                 

I made the necessary preparations prior to performance night. My mother who was under my care was ,four days earlier, diagnosed to have a community-acquired Pneumonia. Her stable condition, however, allowed me to attend and record the mall show.  The only lapse was my failure to bring an extra battery for my recording device.  Since I have previously shot a food recycling video for my first channel, I was not able to recharge and replace the battery in my video recorder.

During the event, I coordinated with the marketing officer of Viva Records for the recording/uploading of the show.  Viva Records is the record company that released the Reunited album and together with Glorietta presented the mall show. As expected, the duo performed popular hits from their previous band Freestyle. Afterwards, the duo sang tracks from their new album. Reunited, the title track, was the show's finale.

The absence of a spare battery nearly caused the exclusion of the title track performance by the duo during the show.  Thus, a video concept has to be arrived at to lessen the impact of an incomplete title track. With the duo's musical biography, the video was divided into two parts. The first part is referred to as "blast from the past" which reminds viewers of the duo's previous hits with Freestyle.  Recorded footage were edited  to become a medley of three songs from the duo's Freestyle past. 

The second part highlights the duo's latest collaboration and presents a well-crafted album by prolific songwriter Top Suzara and superb vocalist Jinky Vidal.  Aside from original compositions, the Reunited album includes revivals of popular hits.  For this video, the second part presents five tracks of the Reunited album. To emphasize that the album does not solely rely on the title track Reunited for its creative merit, the show's finale song was placed in the video as the first track.  Then, the video sequence of the remaining four tracks were resolved.

From the four tracks, the most upbeat track was selected to be the video's final song. Fortunately, the chosen track Right Here With You was performed by the duo and was not a vehicle to focus a solo vocal performance.  Two songs which separately highlight the individual vocal prowess of both artists were placed immediately before the last song. With this sequence, a Reunited video finale was avoided.  Given reasonable airtime and exposure, the "other " songs may even turn out to be major hits like the title track.  Also, the chosen track for the video finale seemed appropriate for the current situation in the Philippines.

The next show in line was to be recorded today October 16, 2013.  After my mother's follow-up check up, I geared up to proceed to the "entertainment centerstage".  I was thankful that the mall was in Manila and heavy rainfall was experienced in Makati City for an hour immediately after lunch time. After siesta, I got to reflect and "feel".  Even though I had anticipated to record the show of another admired artist, my hands were not similarly tied as that of the performing artist. In my case, the Show "Need Not Necessarily" Go On.

Although I have missed the opportunity to record an accomplished artist and forego the viewer traffic for my channel from such video,  I must "temporarily halt the videos from coming" to give respect to and join the Philippine nation in remembering the casualties of the terrible earthquake which happened the day before in the Central Philippine Region.

The music of my concert channel will not ease their pain but I believe a "silent song" will.  For non-believers, I cannot expect you to understand this.  I do not grieve because of the destroyed churches and properties, and lives lost instead I am hopeful because of the lives that have been spared from such tragedy. I do not have the means to personally help them but I can always sing a silent song to Heaven to request for help.  I do not intend to create a musical video with a closing credit reminding viewers to remember the casualties of a catastrophe.   My mind is torn between opportunities lost and compassion but My heart is in a place where it should be.  Until such an appropriate time, the musical videos will be coming again. I will just be "Right Here With You".

Throwback 3 : Road to Konsyerto Pinoy Channel - Parada ng Musika (Music Parade)

In an earlier post,  I wrote that my first musical video was Rizal Park's dancing fountain show. Right after the 2011 People Power Revolution/EDSA 1 anniversary, I was recording scenes for Hearts 2011 What's Love? video.  Having just finished my video shots of the unveiled statues of EDSA 1 heroes near Manila Hotel, I passed by the central section of Rizal Park (previously known and referred to as Luneta) on my way home. I noticed lots of people in the area watching some water fountain action synchronized with the background music.  Amazed by what I saw and attracted to the music being played by the public audio system, I stayed to record the dancing fountain show.

After reviewing the show footage, I chose to feature Journey's song Don't Stop Believin' which was interpreted by the Glee cast. Although there exists a Youtube search page category "Rizal Park Dancing Fountain" where you can see all the videos about the park's dancing fountain, I did not know of such page at that time.  Instead, I thought of a video concept which will attract the viewers.

The concept was a trilogy of songs - similar to a good, better and  best concept. In this case, it was a teaser, excerpt and entire featured songs concept.  Aside from Journey's song, I selected two more songs from the recorded footage. After completing the featured songs list, I used two downloaded songs (which were not part of the show) for the opening and closing credits. Opening credits song was Rico J. Puno's version of The Way We Were with the famous phrase "Namamasyal pa sa Luneta ng walang pera." translated "Strolling in Luneta even without money" and closing credits song was an instrumental version of O Sole Mio played by an orchestra. Within the day after uploading, Youtube informed me that the video cannot be played anywhere due to the copyrighted songs.

At that time, copyrighted songs were not specified so I just took out the opening and closing credit songs. After uploading the revised version, Youtube again informed me of a "Matching Third Party Content" message and my video was blocked in Germany.  Being ignorant about Copyrights, I disputed the claim since my belief ,at that time, was that a copyrighted song when used with permission will not be blocked anywhere. For sure, I said to myself, Rizal Park administration (National Parks Development Committee NPDC Philippines) will not use any music without paying royalties to the copyright owner,  Thus, my video should not be blocked anywhere. Of course, the dispute was rejected and ,from then on, I learned more importantly that the Owner has always the prerogative on the use of a copyrighted song.

With a failed initial upload and a Germany-blocked second upload of Rizal Park Dancing Fountain, I felt frustrated and took awhile to create another musical video.  However, true to my inner core, I incorporated "fair share" music in my videos.  From Youtube, I learned that an uploader is allowed to use "tiny bits/portions" of  a song without negative impact on a video (like blocking viewership or muting of audio).

It was December 2011 when my cousin Caloy took part in a trade fair at the car park of Boom na Boom which is a known theme park in Pasay City. One weekend while visiting Kuya Caloy's stall, I learned that there was a dance contest during the trade fair period.  That night, five dance groups competed for a slot in the contest finals.  I was able to watch and record ,excerpts of, the semi-final round of the contest.

Together with my nephew's wife Sheila, we coached three kids - my youngest nephew Kenneth and my grandchildren Frances and Quino to sit on the judges' table after the show. This cute scene was my subtle way of reminding people that the most objective judges are the innocent ones - the  kids who are expected to know No politics and to have No hidden agenda.

Still avoiding the setbacks of my first musical video, I incorporated the Fair's location, area and main feature (the stalls) in the video and made the contest performance as the video climax. Also, I included "Boom" songs which have the word Boom in their titles since the recorded place was Boom na Boom. For the initial song, I mixed Black Eyed Peas' Boom Boom Pow with the instrumental portion of Donna Summer's Bad Girls. For the closing credits, I included Blondie's hit song Call Me. After I finished the video, I uploaded Boom na Boom Night Market Park and Sell Special in the "Travel and Events" category rather than "Entertainment".

Once uploaded, I immediately checked any copyright notice and was very nervous since Boom na Boom video might be a "Deja Vu" of the Rizal Park Dancing Fountain video. The first couple of nights after the upload were exciting and very encouraging since ,for the first time, I witnessed that my video was being watched by a dozen people by the hour. As a new uploader (nearly a year), I felt the satisfaction that no monetary reward can give. The hourly increase in views was the best Christmas 2011 gift I received. Until now, I feel happy when there's a continuous rise in the view count of my videos immediately after an upload. On the contrary, when I have uploaded a noteworthy video and no view is incurred, I still get disappointed.

Encouraged by the decent view count of my first dance video and by the spirit of the Christmas 2011 season, I got the confidence to record another musical video - my very first mall and instrumental video.  In fact, I proudly consider this video's musical artists  who are three (3) instrumentalists as my first video talents. When I asked the trio's lovely and gifted pianist/leader Ms. Zarah Bertulfo for their name, Zarah called her group Heart AND Soul which included herself, impressive musicians Mr. Ray Ama and Mr. Vic San Juan.

The mall where I recorded this video is Robinsons Place Manila RPM which I refer to as "Entertainment Centerstage". Though Glorietta Mall had more often been my refuge, there was another mall which gave me sanctuary in the latter part of my residence in Manila.  Prior to 2012, it is true that I looked forward to the weekends we spent in Makati City but ,when I was in Manila during weekdays, I felt relieved when I made visits to RPM. When the RPM Midtown Atrium was completed, I just sat down in the lobby seat to relax when I was stressed out. By the turn of the millennium, my mother's health condition deteriorated and ,every time my mother's hospital check-up was finished, we would go to RPM for lunch. This has been the place where my Mother and I could temporarily forget her illness and eat in the selected restaurant or fast food chain of her choice.

Preparing for our 2011 Christmas vacation in Makati City, I made my last minute shopping  at Robinsons Supermarket in RPM on December 23, 2011. On my way out of the mall, I heard jazz arrangements of Christmas and popular songs at the Atrium Lobby. Curiosity dictated me to watch the performance and ,again "for the love of Youtube",  I approached Zarah. and company for permission to record and upload their performance.  I even asked them if they had any formal contract with the mall since the existence of one may require authorization from RPM itself.  Luckily, Zarah and company had  none at that time and agreed to be recorded by yours truly.

Since the crowd numbered a couple of dozen at most,  and the musical session was casual and not a formal concert, I was very comfortable in recording the trio. I experimented with the shots for a couple of songs by revolving around the trio from left to right. In addition, I had to be at the group's front when the Christmas song ended.   Finally, I requested the trio for a separate photo-op which will be used for the video's intro and closing credits.

That generosity which I have received from total strangers will be remembered for a lifetime.  Then, I realized that creation of musical videos was primarily driven by the willingness and generosity of gifted people to share their talents and entertain viewers.  I could now understand the reason why people specially fans admire and put these artists on a pedestal.  Some might call this fanaticism but I would just refer to such as voluntary and selfless payback for the joy brought by these artists/performers. Indeed, the kindness I received from Zarah and her group was a signal to give creating musical videos another try.


The year 2012 came and it established the fundamentals of my musical video creation.  During 2012, I met people, groups, companies and organizations that provided content, materials, recording opportunities, even indirect training and critical support to my video making activities.  Aside from the various artists and performers that included sportspeople who shared their time and talents, and the malls and group of companies which provided the venues, events and video-ops,  I got very valuable support from ,nonetheless, several government agencies/offices  and their personnel like the Cultural Center of the Philippines CCP, National Parks and Development Committee NPDC Philippines, People's Television PTV4 and Paco Park Presents.

Prior to 2012, I did not interact with the entities mentioned above. For now, I mentioned them to make a fast forward narrative on the being of the Konsyerto Pinoy channel.  In a future throwback, I will provide a detailed account of how these entities influenced and provided direction to The Accidental Video Maker. In the meantime,  I will continue to narrate the path to Konyserto Pinoy's being.

With the uploading of dance and instrumental musical videos in 2011, I was eager to create a vocal musical video. Aliwan Fiesta 2012 Pasakalye Concert enabled me to create not only a vocal but a song and dance or musical variety video. Still, the copyright issues previously encountered lingered  and I remained cautious in the video inclusion of an entire song.  To be on the safe side, I adapted some elements of Boom na Boom Night Market video creation process.

Like Boom na Boom Night Market video, I did refrain from including an entire song and dance number.  The video started with information regarding the location, event and the performance area.  These info were shown to satisfy the "Events" category since Aliwan Fiesta 2012 Pasakalye was also listed under the "Travel and Events" category. During this time, I intended to create a musical video with the guise of an events video as if by using/specifying a half valid proxy category for a "music/entertainment" category will spare viewership blocking resulting from a copyrighted song.  Thus, like Boom na Boom video with the hanging dance contest outcome "and the winner is ...", Aliwan Fiesta 2012 Pasakalye have the hanging "Who will win?" questions and an invitation ,as well, to attend the event.

At this time, I had made musical videos for CCP events like Filipiniana Sunsets and Pasinaya Open House Festival. Also, I wanted my first channel (Jakeslanza/JSL then, Jake Lanuza now) to include videos which will highlight the West Manila Bay Entertainment  and Leisure Stretch (from Quirino Grandstand, CCP, Star City, Boom Na Boom up to the SM Mall of Asia Grounds).  Because of these, I started the Aliwan Fiesta 2012 video with the shot of the CCP going to the Aliwan Fiesta grounds or the Star City Complex, to show the continuation of festivals from CCP Pasinaya to Aliwan Fiesta 2012.

The mother of Philippine cultural festivals Aliwan Fiesta had been celebrated for a decade.  As expected, the opening night concert Pasakalye was filled with musical artists.  I had a smooth time recording this event. This particular event, though, had a significant effect on my creation of musical videos.  Since I was using a mobile phone camera, I needed a way to execute a periodic close-up of the performing artist(s).  From the Aliwan Fiesta 2012 Pasakalye Concert, I met a reliable video recording friend - the Video Wall.  Though the output quality will partly depend on the video wall's cameraman, coordination of shots with the video wall is quite important in mobile video recording especially when the recorder is far from the performer. Without the video wall, a number of my musical videos would not have survived the technical superiority of various recording devices released that year.

Although this video contained a copyrighted song I'm Sexy and I know It, Aliwan Fiesta 2012 Pasakalye Concert video was not restricted or blocked in a country where my first channel enjoyed significant number of total views -at least 50 views  across all videos for the country at that time. I learned to accept the fact that potential views can be blocked with the presence of a copyrighted song. Until today, I always hope that the area or country where views will be blocked would only provide non-existent or ,at most, negligible view count. As long as the video can be viewed anywhere, and its audio is not muted, I do not consider the copyright notice a problem.

Even if I have gained confidence in creating musical videos some time after Aliwan Fiesta 2012 Pasakalye Concert, there was no plan whatsoever, to set up a concert channel until I had created and uploaded one of my significant 2012 video Kindred Voices @ The Glorietta Makati.  In my opinion, this video was the front runner of the Konyerto Pinoy channel aside from being a milestone in my video making activity and in my first channel.

Kindred Voices @ The Glorietta Makati was not a planned video. I did not have a Facebook FB account last year 2012 to monitor mall events. I learned about Kindred Voices three (3) days before the event from an unlikely source - Events Post in the least visited area of Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati City. Moreover, it was an accidental discovery due to an unexpected itinerary.

After doing administrative tasks for a cousin's real estate lessor company in Manila,  I returned to Makati City to purchase medicines for my mother at a Drug Store in Glorietta. For some vague reason, the air-conditioned bus I rode from Manila to Ayala Avenue in Makati City did not traverse its usual route.  As a result, I had to prematurely get-off from the bus near Ayala Triangle Gardens and pass by the area.  While walking at the Ayala Triangle Gardens area, I noticed a poster in the Events Post and stopped by to read the poster. The poster advertised  a Lea Salonga concert at the Greenbelt Mall titled Kindred Voices. Since there was no ticket requirement specified, I decided to watch the show of an internationally acclaimed artist.

Performance night came and I proceeded to Greenbelt Mall. In another unexpected turn of events, the Kindred Voices Concert with Lea Salonga was moved to Glorietta that night. Good thing Glorietta is just a minute's walk away from Greenbelt.  With the new venue, more people were able to watch the concert aside from the guests/audience in the reserved seats area.  For one thing, I was not familiar with the mall mechanics of securing tickets for such concert at that time. I just asked some ladies from the event organizers' desk if I can record the show.   They answered on the affirmative and I just recorded the concert as soon as Maestro Gerard and ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra hit the notes.

After the concert, I was able to immediately upload the "Encore" portion.  Then, I edited and organized the concert proper footage, and uploaded the created video.  I did not immediately publish the main concert video since there was another Kindred Voices (with Nikki Gil and Blake) performance still to be finished that week. After the last Glorietta performance night, I published the concert video. With encouraging view count and feedback, I was just looking forward to record one or two more shows until the end of 2012.

Establishing another Youtube channel was not in my radar system at that time,  I was content in reading the feedback and in monitoring the view counts of the uploaded main concert and encore videos. Then, the new channel idea just popped out. The trigger point was a comment made by a viewer "nice x-mas concert..luv it...". The idea of  a 'Pinoy Concert Channel' crossed my mind for a second.  Then, I shot it down since I still wanted to create videos of diverse genre.  However, at the back of my mind, several questions were raised. Do I need another channel? Can I maintain two channels?  Will a second channel be viable? For what purpose is the second channel?

De La Salle University Chorale
(Sights and Sounds of Christmas @
 Robinsons Place Manila)

In just four weeks, these questions were answered.  Within that period, I recorded at least three musical videos with little search effort.  My first channel Jake Lanuza had become a predominantly musical channel which I did not envision.  I wanted the channel to reflect my various interests and to maintain some balance as far as video genre is concerned.  In order not to overload the channel with musical videos, ignoring some concerts will be the worst thing I could do (and I would never do!). It was not the number of musicals that I was worried. With more than a dozen musicals previously uploaded for this channel, I just wanted the next one to be unique in style, execution or material/content.

IMAGO
(Paskong Pinoy 2012
"A Joyous Rock in the Park")     

Philippine All Stars
(World Bazaar Festival 2012)

With several musical videos created in 2012, I started organizing these videos by creating four  playlists - major/full length concert, vocals, dance and instrumentals playlists.  My first channel had already a handful of playlists and  adding new playlists will saturate the channel page.  I wanted a simple way to organize these musical videos aside from the non-musical ones.  The playlist solution was messy for me and the only option I can think of was the new channel creation.

A specialized channel is inevitable since I would want to feature upcoming musical artists aside from topnotch performers. Finally, I wanted to be flexible in uploading musical videos and need not justify the videos' length - full concert (extended/long length), album launch/mall show (medium length), and single song/artist feature or song cover (short length).

During 2012 Christmas Season, I was bombarded with concert video-ops. There was a proliferation of concerts and shows.  Even if it will be difficult for me to maintain two Youtube channels, I had to create the  Konsyerto Pinoy Channel. Aside from the above reasons and circumstamces, the last straw was brought by the One World, One Makati Concert.

To experience what is like to be away from home or "work" during New Year's Eve, I attended the street party and countdown concert at the corner of Makati Avenue and Ayala Avenue.  Titled One World, One Makati (2013 New Year Countdown) Concert, various musical talents participated in the event.  Such talents included iconic bands  Hotdog and The Dawn.

The Dawn performed songs belonging to music genres which the band has mastered and been associated with. In creating The Dawn's video, a straight forward assembly of songs performed was made. The number of songs included was trimmed down to create a mini-concert or  a mall album launch video length ( 3-5 songs).

On the other hand, Hotdog  had a repertoire which included their original hits and adapted songs of other local and foreign artists. Since the band was already an icon several decades ago, a "journey into the past" concept would be appropriate for Hotdog's video.  Thus, the video was titled Hotdog Takes One World, One Makati to a Musical Journey (a sentimental trip into the 1970s via Original Pilipino Music OPM hits). With this concept, two Hotdog medley's were excluded from the Jake Lanuza channel uploads and became the initial uploads of the Konsyerto Pinoy Channel.

Konsyerto Pinoy Channel
Initial/First Logo

To emphasize the new channel's purpose and vision, a video snapshot from Paskong Pinoy 2012 "A Joyous Rock in the Park" was used for the channel logo and later for the channel art.  With the brand essential in place, the two Hotdog medleys were uploaded.


Konsyerto Pinoy Upload 1

The first Konsyerto Pinoy video uploaded was Hotdog's medley of songs by Journey Don't Stop Believin'  and by Guns N' Roses Sweet Child O' Mine. This medley was also performed during the same set as that of the songs in "Hotdog Takes One Word, One Makati to a Musical Journey" video.


Konsyerto Pinoy Upload 2

Aside from the medley above, Hotdog performed another medley of songs by Queen We Will Rock You and by The Beatles Come Together. This medley became the second upload for Konsyerto Pinoy Channel.

Now, it will just be a waste of time to enumerate the forty (40) musical videos created for the Konsyerto Pinoy Channel so far.  As far as I am concerned, justification for the creation of Konsyerto Pinoy Channel can only be validated by the new channel's performance.  For the Konsyerto Pinoy Channel, the validation for its being came early with this video.

The video was recorded on Valentine's day of 2013 and featured the Philippines' most popular total performer Ms. Sarah Geronimo.  True to Konsyerto Pinoy Channel's purpose, this young artist can sing, dance, and perform quite well and thus, the channel salutes her talent and proudly presents her to the world. In this light, the channel hopes to highlight more Filipino artists and show the nation's musical versatility.

Though "Sarah Geronimo in Heart Songs @ The Glorietta Mall Makati 2013" justified the being of the new channel, the driving force of such validation must be  pointed out now.  Even with the huge talent of "Popstar Princess" Sarah,  the viewers choice (to watch the video in part or completely) defined the validation process. A viewer has always the option to ignore a video even with a high-density HD quality.  The power ultimately rests on the viewer who passes judgement on a channel.  Without the viewers, Sarah's video could not attain more than ten thousand views and hundred likes. Due to the viewers, Konsyerto Pinoy Channel has surpassed the highest number of views twice over than any video of my first channel.  Indirectly, the viewers enabled the channel to deliver 40 musical videos to date.

Again, I had to inject another assumption - viewers chose to watch the video because of some meritorious content.  Ms. Geronimo's performance in the video is quite entertaining specially with the invited kid from the audience.  The video captured the spontaneity in Sarah during her interaction with the audience about being in love, out of love and who cares about love.  More importantly, the "teacher" in Sarah was shown when she professed that ,in difficult times such as storm, love will keep people together.

Even if the video creator is good, even if the performer is excellent and brilliant, the being of a channel depends ,in the long run, on the viewers who keep the videos afloat, and of course on Youtube support.

To all the musical artists' admirers, friends and viewers who shared their valuable time to watch videos of Konsyerto Pinoy Channel, my sincerest gratitude.  Recounting the Road to Konsyerto Pinoy Channel reminded  me of the movie Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade.   Remembering the search for the Holy Grail, the path to Konsyerto Pinoy Channel is like that of the Grail. The path has always been there and was just waiting to be traversed.  To reach the final destiny, I just had to close my eyes and BELIEVE!

Throwback 2: A Serious Hobby - Should Have "Been Careful With My Heart"

It was New Year's eve (December 31, 2011)  when a friend of my nephew Kim asked the most relevant question in my life today - "So now, you are serious with video making?".  Since the occasion was festive - fireworks,  great food and tasting the first commercial Youtube upload (Boom Na Boom Night Market Special video which was vaguely listed by me in the events category rather than entertainment),  I confidently replied "YES!".

At this point in time, I still do not regret that answer and ,maybe, I WILL NEVER , EVER!  However, there should have been a follow-up query "How serious would you be?".  Well, I hope the following would show the intensity of my passion for the accidental hobby of mine.

The Year 2012 coincided with the Chinese Year of the Dragon.  I recorded two events - the Fireworks Display at Quirino Grandstand in Manila and the Dragon and Lion Dance Exhibition at Cash and Carry Mall. For some, they will just connect these events and upload the resulting video.  For me, something was lacking and I wanted to highlight that it was a Dragon Year. There was already a dragon dance and a dragon fruit photo was easy to obtain.  Also, I did not want to animate the video too much by using Goku who was a popular character of the Japanese manga series Dragon Ball Z.  I was into Dim Sum  and not into Sushi for this video so I just adapted the "Dragon-Ball" linked words for a familiar sound and to mean celebration.

A dragon fruit or dance will not suffice to have an impressive video start.  So I thought of things associated with Dragon and ,at that time, I frequented at least once monthly Manila's bay walk area since my Mother goes  to a hospital (Ospital ng Maynila) fronting Manila bay for her diabetic consultation.  In that area for so many years, I witness dragon boat practices and events.  The idea was already settled that dragon boat paddlers will be featured like that of the popular series Hawaii Five-O at the start and will cheer in unison "Happy New Year" in Chinese at the end.  Next, my biggest problem was which group should I approach to appear in my video since I do not know any paddler.

Enter the Dragon-Ball 2012 was meant to be done due to the generous sportspeople that I have met last year.  As a reserved person, I do not approach anybody with ease and so much so to ask them for favor. To psyche myself, I would just say "for the love of Youtube, I will do this".  One weekend, I saw the Manila Wave Paddlers practice and luckily asked their team officers Ms. Nancy Avelino and Ms. Angel Miranda  if their team can make a short appearance on my video (with the team greeting the viewers Happy New Year in Chinese and paddling their boat in action). They agreed without hesitation and informed me about their practice schedule since their routine that Saturday was over.

The paddlers' practice starts quite early as in before dawn. They are already in the water when sunlight begins to cover the horizon. Well, I just sacrificed a day or two to wake up early.  Since I was using a mobile phone camera, I had to be on the takeoff board/paddlers launch pad which was floating in the water and had to take the shot with the boat departing towards  the bay waters.  I wish I had the palmcorder before. The needed shots were taken but ,unfortunately, the video was already late for the occasion. The 2012 Chinese New Year euphoria has already died down.  Thinking about the generosity of the paddlers, I did not even think to shelve the resulting video.  Again, I just wish the Manila Wave Paddlers and their individual members the best in all their endeavors. Maraming Salamat Po!

When making a video, I also have to deal with the recording location and position available to me.  Aliwan Fiesta 2012 Pasakalye had a big video wall, However, Aliwan Fiesta 2013 Pasakalye "Idol Eyeball" had a smaller video wall.  During the performance of the duo JaMich, I have to stand on a steel bar beside the stage of the central events camera since it was forbidden to be onstage with the cameraman. The whole camera stage might collapse if all mobile video recorders will be allowed to be in that same area. After 10 minutes, I decided to go down and find a way near the performance/main stage,  In this situation, a palmcorder will not be advisable to use with a crowded audience (highly dense audience distribution). The monitor might be broken by a sudden crowd movement.

This recording position/location difficulty was also encountered in The Little Singers of Monaco video where it was very risky to shoot from the Greenbelt Makati The Gallery balcony which is above the performing artists.  A couple of times, I had to tighten my hold on the mobile phone so that it will not be dropped and may possibly hit a cute little choir boy from Monaco.  I was also very conscious when recording this video since my recording activity might have a curious and irritating effect on some balcony audience.

Aside from the recording difficulties, I challenged myself by recording an event which I have never attended to in my life or I did not have the patience to watch on TV (my apologies LifeStyle channels).  Again, Glorietta provided me the unique experience to create a video for such a show - Style Origin 2013 "Gala". It was quite different when you watch well dressed men and women acting/performing on screen (films and TV) from walking the runway.  I should have taken a very strong cup of coffee when I made the video since I had lapses when recording the first celebrity walker - Janella Salvador.  I always got off guard every time she entered since I was not familiar with the whole fashion walk routine and cues. Although, I got to learn after her walk.  To Ms. Salvador's admirers, my apologies for the lapse in my recording reflexes.

The above video is the Final Walk Medley version of Style Origin 2013 "Gala" since the original version was not playable in the USA due to the song completely used by the show's organizers during the final runway walk.  I had to create a medley of  "vogue" songs to replace and overwrite the copyrighted song..  I was quite serious this time to provide for an audience who spend their time to watch my videos.  As any creator should be, I am much grateful to the viewers who define our existence in the Youtube community.

At this very moment, I have just recorded my second Shangri-la Plaza video and my third video with ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra (first was Kindred Voices with Ms. Lea Salonga and British quartet Blake, and the second was with Piano Charmer/Virtuoso Ms. Cecil Licad).  Now, I realize that I need to draw the line/to set the limit of my "seriousness" in making videos. Being extremely serious in making Some Enchanted Evening video has drained me emotionally and ultimately made me unhappy after the upload due to some turn of events.  I did not expect this to happen to a non-performing artist like me but it did.  Maybe I can explain how this emotional crisis happened.

For me, video creation is a visual art form.  Though initially I created videos for fun, my interest led me to develop a serious attitude toward the video creation process.  IMMERSION is the word that describes my video creation attitude.  Prior to this video, I am quite aware not to totally immerse myself in the creation process - set up a certain distance and remain objective in the video's development. There are leading circumstances why I totally focused and immersed myself for this video.

Two weeks prior to this video, I recorded my first Shangri-la Plaza mall video which was the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra PPO @ The Shang's Orchestra Series.  The video was posted in the official fan page of the mall and I got invited to watch the upcoming concert of ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra. The invite did not specify "to watch only" and so I assumed that I can also record. Although they both belong to the "Orchestra" category, I have two (2) Youtube channels which can separately accommodate them to avoid comparison.  

PPO video was a straight forward concert type.  Orchestra size was skeletal for the PPO @ The Shang since I nearly recorded a PPO video during Cultural Center of the Philippines' Open House festival (Pasinaya 2013) last February but did not pursue the recording since my mobile camera cannot clearly capture (in a single frame) the whole orchestra due to its size.  The PPO video was very technical and camera movements were CONTROLLED and tempered even.  The video was quite appropriate for the Konsyerto Pinoy channel.

Since my option was to place ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra (ABSPO)'s  video on the Jake Lanuza Channel, the video style and presentation must be quite different from the PPO.  At the time the ABSPO concert began, I did not have any idea how to create a video with an entirely different style from the previous Shang orchestra video.  I was at a level above the orchestra then and noticed the difference in the performance area.  The area included the audience area during PPO's stint and could fit a full-size orchestra. The resulting front and back audience area which are the actual hallways will not allow my camera to capture the full orchestra in a frame if I record at the same level.  If I remain in the floor level I'm in, only Maestro Gerard will be seen .  

To capture the full orchestra, combination of shots must be done to show the "wholeness" of the orchestra. For ABSPO, the arrangement was very distinct - the string instruments side and the wind instruments side.  I do not have any knowledge of such orchestral arrangements. But if the instruments grouping was made similar to the PPO (with string instruments on the first couple of rows and the wind instruments on the succeeding rows) with this new performance area, it will be visually unattractive and maybe impossible to focus and/or highlight the instruments played. With a very narrow front audience/viewer area, showing the "wholeness" of the orchestra can be made by focusing on the string side, then the wind side and culminating with a shot of the conductor or Maestro with some orchestra members.

So I must come down and be at the same level with the ABSPO.  Again, I am being pulled outside  my comfort zone.  Damn, I am being exposed again!  I don't want people to notice my recording activity but eventually I accepted the fact that if I want better shots then I must record in front of the orchestra and walk within the area.  When should I do the movements and how?  I don't think anybody can give a clear technical reply to such query.  So I stopped using my head, instead I went with my emotion - GO WITH THE FLOW!! (Internalize the music.)

The choice of music was congruent with my system that night. When I heard the initial notes of the signature Bond theme, I rushed down to the orchestra's floor level.  The music gave rise to a "search/query" feeling and so I pointed the camera downwards to avoid directly recording people's faces and demonstrate the camera's searching action.  By now, I adopted an attitude - camera must move similar to what emotion the song ignites in me. By the time the Star Wars and Superman medley was performed, I did feel some sort of adventure and flight - literally my camera was flying over the entire orchestra.  I forgot that I was on earth at that time. It was like carrying the entire scene on air.

After the concert ended, I reviewed the footage and the emotions which I felt when each song/medley was played. I was also reminded that the orchestra represents ABS-CBN , a major TV network with acclaimed drama and telenovela series. Thus, I asked "was there a story in/during/about the concert?".  A story would help in prolonging the viewer's video engagement which means that viewers are enticed to finish the video. Next was to check out if there was a story which can be developed from the emotions that I felt during the concert.  The answer was a resounding YES!

By now, I was totally focused on the development of a story instead of connecting the recorded footage. The video shows a narrative and the music serves to highlight the narrative.  I admit that I lost the right perspective - I was suppose to be an events recorder not a story writer. With my obsession to come up with a different video for ABSPO, I forgot that I only need to show what happened and not to create something which was not there.  Well, I was still carrying the emotions which got me during the concert so I proceeded with the storytelling.

The story is about an orchestra conductor understudy/trainee (Maestro-in-the making) who was searching for romance. With the help of a "superfriend" Kal-El, the trainee was referred to Maestro Gerard who represents the "life" teacher of the understudy. After learning from his teacher, the understudy found his romance.

The inclusion of Star Wars, Kal-El and Gangnam Style in the story may not be necessary at first glance. Do not worry that I will use the shallow reason that the associated musical pieces were used even if it is a valid one.  When we are looking for someone, we just don't buy a magazine with a lovely cover girl or a dashing cover boy.  Some of us involve ourselves in various activities.  For some people, they travel to find someone or join several organizations to hunt down their prince/princess charming.  If it is possible to search the whole world or the universe to find our soul mate, some of us would do it.

In  our search for romance, we sometime request our friends to help us and ,for the religious, we even implore the aid of God (familiar with the line - Lord, please give me a lover!). Kal-El would become insignificant next to God.

Finally, why Gwiyomi and Gangnam?  When we search for our Mr./Ms. Right, we always put our best foot forward.  We even resort to cosmetic enhancements and surgery to improve our looks.  In similar terms, we have to be "lavishly cute" to attract a lifetime partner.

The bottom line is the story emphasizes that in order to find a long and lasting relationship, we must learn to "listen with the heart" or to focus totally on the other individual. The story might be quite simple without the twists and turns of a melodramatic one.  However, the symbolism used is deep (exaggerated for the unconvinced).

The video was then uploaded and I was expecting copyright claims to be made.  It will never be a problem for me to acknowledge a valid copyright claim.  What made me real unhappy was the form of censorship the original video version encountered.  If Youtube only has a list of songs which can be performed live but cannot be uploaded, I will abide by the list and will not consider the songs in the list.  It just so happened that I do not have a list and I really, really like the musical themes.  I think I am justified to be unhappy with the turn of events when the audio of my video was muted.  In the end, I respect the owners' decision to claim the song(s) but I am still hopeful that the owners would reconsider.

What I am feeling right now is my own doing so next time I have to check my involvement(passion) in the video creation process.  Like the title of a very popular ABS-CBN drama series,  I must "Be Careful With My Heart" next time for a hobby should not hurt me. IT SHOULD ALWAYS BE FUN!!!