Wednesday, December 31, 2003




Footage from my latest project. The restoration of a music video I did several years ago.


PRODUCTION MANAGER:” Why did you have to change it? I liked it the first time.

FLIM: “ I don’t know. I just wasn’t too crazy with the first cut. Budgetary limitation
Aside we didn’t have the technical access for my vision of what hell truly looked like.

PRODUCTION MANAGER: “ So is this what hell looks like for you? “

FLIM: “ Before yes. But as you grow older your concept of hell changes.Then it was all fire and brimstone.Now, we don’t have to go very far. Just open the papers and look out the window. Try going from one place to the other, this is hell.

But I’m digressing, what I originally wanted was thousands of naked writhing bodies impaled on spikes all mouthing the chorus of the song.

PRODUCTION MANAGER:” That’s really gross! In your original version the angel was inside this wall of darkness, now he’s in the middle of giant cavern ,sourrounded by a raging inferno. I prefer the wall of darkness. Leaves room to the imagination,you know? ”

FLIM: “ Yeah I know what you mean. That’s what I said too in my intial pitch. He’s going to be in the middle of this black void. So you really don’t know where he is. Is he imprisoned in a windowless pit, or stranded on the edge of eternity. But the reality of it was that there was no budget for any sets. So your predecessor and I got a lot of black garbage plastic bags and hung them all over the place.

And you know what’s really funny. Back then I knew I would want to go back and alter the shot I was doing. And by sorrounding the actor in total black, I could pull a perfect matte out of it.”

PRODUCTION MANAGER: So are you calling this your director’s cut? “

FLIM: “ Nah, I call it the TINGGA edition.”

PRODUCTION MANAGER: “ Are we going to air it? “

FLIM: “ I don’t think we can. We need to get permission from the parent recording company who commissioned it.”

PRODUCTION MANAGER: “ SO WHAT’S THE POINT OF DOING IT? “

FLIM: “ MY dear girl, this was just a test project to see what we can do with our latest
Toys. From this I can acertain what we can and cannot do.”

PRODUCTION MANAGER: “ what can we do? “

I just gave her a smile.
This is what I’m working on now. Selina’s yaya went on a two-week holiday for the Christmas break. So that meant Cess and me would take turns in watching over the baby full time.

Last Friday, I volunteered to take Selina to the mall.

CESS: “ Why don’t you take our cook to accompany you.”

FLIM: “ Nah I want to spend some quality time with the baby. Take her around. Look at some books and toys, a ride or two and then some refreshments. The works.”

CESS: “ I’M NOT TOO SURE THAT YOU CAN HANDLE IT.”

FLIM: “ I CAN. I USE TO TAKE HER TO Jollibee in the mornings so this won’t be any diff.”

So we dropped off Cess in her office and right off, Selina did her thing!

SELINA: “ WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
WHERE’S MOMMY GOING, WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!”

FLIM: “ Ohh there, there I’ll take you shopping and we’ll buy toys and we’ll have fun! “

SELINA: “ WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! OPEN DOOR! OPEN THE DOOR! “

I told the driver to hit the pedal to the metal! And we were off! But before going to Glorietta I dropped by the supplier who ‘s contracted to sell me the latest editing machine.

By then SELINA was at full throttle!

SELINA: “ mOOOMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! WHERE’S MOMMMMEEEE! “

FLIM: “ Shush, keep quiet! I just have to get some last minute check up on daddee’s new editing equipment then were’ off.”

SELINA: “ NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! DON’T! LIKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!”

Everyone in the building was looking at me. We went inside the elevator where she screamed her head off! Acoustics in enclosed spaces are really tricky! Three other occupants inside had to hold their hands to their ears. I was too deaf by then to even notice any difference.

I went to the office and there was my tech supervisor. He was giving the specs and the best possible set up to maximize my latest acquisition.

TECH SUPE: “ So you need an extra power generator because this machine is going to suck up all the electronic supply in your house my advice…


SELINA: ‘AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!! MOMMME!!!!!! I WANT MOMMMEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

FLIM: “ Don’t mind her, she just got out of prison and is experiencing separation anxieties.”

Tech supe goes on talking but Selina ‘s vocal prowess found an extra hidden energy reserve and it went from decibel levels to supersonic sub frequencies!

TECHSUPE: “ ……………………..Instant……………………then………………separate………….
………………………So I …………….not.”

FLIM: “ Uhm can we just talk on the phone. I’m not really getting any of this!”

While holding her as she gyrated and whipped up a tantrum of a cosmological magnitude.

So we we went off to glorietta. And when we climbed the escalator she suddenly smiled and the cries abated.

SELINA: “ Escalator, WHOPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

I was totally exasperated and I thought that the worst was over that once we were inside she would see so many distractions that she wont even notice her mother missing.

That illusion was suddenly shattered thirty minutes later when she threw a fit over at the POWER ZONE.

FLIM: “ I thought you wanted to ride the horsie! “

SELINA: “ Jet plane! “

FLIM: “ Ok! OK! “

So we strapped ourselves inside the sega powered simulator and we were off and running!

Selina kept pressing the change view button so I amaze even myself when I was able to hit all the targets!

BOY SPECTATOR: “ Hey youre good! Even when she’s changing your view button.”

FLIM: “ Try raising a kid like this and I can do anything! “

She then brought me to the skateboard simulator and we rode that too! She became dizzy and kinda liked walked funny so we took a breather beside the fountain. I then went to the Potatoes corner to get her some barbeque flavored French fries.

While on line, she ran off and I had to chase her! This happened nine times, try doing that while lining up for some fries.

When our turn was near I decided to just wrestle her and pin her under my arms as I wait for my turn. But like the fearless and energetic combatant that she is, she wriggled out of my headlock and climbed my shoulders. It was like trying to catch a slippery fish.

VENDOR: “ what would you like sir.”

FLIM: “ 2 barbeques please and make it quick, I might drop the kid.”

VENDOR: “ here you are.”

FLIM: “ Can you fish out the money on my right side pocket? Both of my hands are full at the moment! “

SELINA: “ I WANT TO GO TO FOUNTAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

VENDOR: “Ohm what a loud voice for a child. Are all children like that?”

FLIM: “ My advise to you, is NEVER TO BEAR CHILDREN! ITS LUNACY! Keep the change! “

Feeding her was a breeze; it’s the catching up with her as she runs like a gazelle thru the crowed ground floor of glorietta that’s the trick!

Two hours later after riding the escalator, forty times straight, which she was crazy for? I had to sit down and think about life.

This was just one day. And she’s now 3. I wonder what she will be like when she’s four, five or six. Would I have the stamina and the patience to weather the storm? Will I survive it? I should be an optimist; hell I wont even survive today.

Around six thirty, I had to call reinforcements.

FLIM: “ HELLO, CESS. SEND HELP NOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!! “

My wife picked us up at around 7. And as I slumped inside the car, I dropped like a log.

CESS: “ Well how was it? “

FLIM: “ When the yaya gets back, give her a raise! “

Saturday, December 13, 2003




THE FELLOWSHIP OF ACTION FIGURES

THERE IS NO LIFE IN THE VOID!

FLIM: “ HOW much for that SAURON action figure?”

SALESLADY: “ 1,150! “

FLIM: “ How much for the one that includes SARUMAN? “

SALESLADY: “ 1380.”

THERE IS NO LIFE IN THE VOID!

FLIM: “ But my friend said that he got SAURON with SARUMAN for 1,150. Why and when was the price raised?”

BUILD ME AN ARMY WORTHY OF MORDOR!

SALESLADY: “ they made a mistake at the head office and realized that they priced it at the same level when the one with SARUMAN should be more expensive>”

THERE IS NO LIFE IN THE VOID!

FLIM: ” Sounds fair enough. Ok give me a few seconds to decide which to get.”

CESS: “ Why do you have to decide, it’s pretty obvious that you’ll get the one with the saruman figure included.”?

BUILD ME AN ARMY WORTHY OF MORDOR!

FLIM: “ ye that’s a steal but the problem is they don’t look good together inside the blister pack. They look cramped. But look at the single SAURON he looks pretty cool and sinister. Alone in his box, he retains the majesty and fearsome aura that should be his alone.

BUILD ME AN ARMY WORTHY OF MORDOR!

Look at the SAURON AND SARUMAN TANDEM. They look like gay lovers out for a SATURDAY BONDAGE SESSION.”

CESS: “ But you’ll open it…so why does it matter.”

FLIM: “ Oh no. I’m not opening this. Im just putting it in display!


SALESLADY:” That’s what the other Chinese guy said. He also took a long time in deciding which of the two to get. His display case is made out of glass and has this small bulb like things inside.

FLIM: ” Halogen lamps. Makes for very good mood lighting. Can you hold on to these I need to think?

THERE IS NO LIFE IN THE VOID!

When in doubt never buys. Just walk around to clear your head and put things in the proper perspective.

CESS: " And will you please stop pressing the button on the back, it might wear off the batteries

" BUILD ME AN ARM...."

SALESLADY: “ ok But you better come back soon. A lot of people are looking for these.

I wandered the mall and went into this small toyshop. I promised to get the kid a nice looking and evil toy that she can play with. When lo and behold I find a SURON SARUMAN double team package for …1,100.

FLIM: ‘ DID YOU KNOW that in the department store they raised their prices because the head office said that they made a mistake?”

MANAGER: “ We are not raising our prices here. What you see is what you get.”

FLIM: “ Bag it! “


THE TWO TOWERS EXTENDED EDITION MISHAP.

When my TWO TOWERS extended edition arrived, I was so happy that I breezed thru my lectures with excitement and anticipation for the film viewing to come. Imagine my disappointment when I opened the DVDs and they were littered with large scratches and deep fissure groves.

MY PRECIOUS! WHY MY PRECIOUS?

I did not have the heart to watch it. I called up my supplier who promised to replace them.

Today the replacement arrived but again, it is damaged with scratches and fingerprints. That’s disc 1, so I just exchanged and replaced the damaged discs. Now I have in my possession an amalgamation of the two towers. Parts of the older package and bits of the newer one.

Original DVD manufacturers are getting very sloppy indeed.

RETURN OF THE KING.

My producer texted me that he bought me and Cess two tickets for THE RETURN OF THE KING PREMIERE. GREAT GUNS! WHAT A NICE GUY!

CESS: “ BUT WHAT ABOUT MY MOTHER’S PARTY. She’s hosting one this week and…”

FLIM: “ My dear, there’s no contest. OF COURSE we have to cancel your mother’s party. As much as I like your Mom, I can’t resist the temptation of the one ring!

Maybe they can move the party or something.”

CESS: “ Its her party. We’re just invited.”

FLIM: “ I know. I know! The tragedy of it all.”

Ticktockticktockticktock, REPENT SAID THE TICKTOCKMAN TO THE HARLEQUIN.

CESS: “ Let’s cancel the party! “

And we both giggled like evil hobittses on a small fishing boat. But of course we all know how that all turned out.