January 9, I was shooting a wedding in Fernwood and was already done with my Onsite Video. I was giddy, excited and nervous. Not because of the SDE we were about to show (I knew it was good) but because I sent some entries to the 4EVER Group’s Artistic Achievement Awards. In Jacksonville, Florida about the same time, they had just concluded the awarding ceremonies and I was awaiting news online. And what news it was.

We bagged a total of eight awards (the most for any company) including a Diamond Award in the Onsite Video Category as well as the prize of all prizes - Best in Show. Here’s the list that made us proud.
Best in Show
Patricia and Jay

Same Day Edit
Diamond - Patricia and Jay
Ruby - Jilbert and Michelle
Pearl - Claudine and Raymart

Love Story
Emerald - Roselynn and Ryan

Overall Wedding
Ruby - Claudine and Raymart

Pre- Ceremony
Pearl - Heidi and Marvin

Corporate
Pearl - Mega Magazine

The official list of winners.
And here’s the after-event commentary of Stephen Nathans on EventDV.net

Shooting a wedding without me doing an onsite video is a welcome breather and actually refreshing.. Everything seems more relaxed and stress free (at least on my part).
Given a bit of creative freedom, I was able to shoot bits and pieces of the wedding using my spankin’ new Nokia N93.

It won’t replace my Sony HDV cams anytime soon but the possibilities are endless for serious content makers and casual shooters alike using this teensy device.

Check it out here.

We had to make our drive to Subic worth the while and come up with a spectacular Onsite Video.  It took some weeks of planning the shots, of mapping out how we want the story to unfold and figuring out how to give justice to the heart-wrenching song.  In the end, I’d say we did a pretty good job.

Watch it now.

There is a special place in hell reserved for people who send text quotes and chain mail. Ahh but what is a blogger to do when tagged? This one is for John.

1. I used to be a teacher and a DJ.  A lifetime ago, before I became a wedding videographer, my first career was that of a teacher. I used to teach video and radio production to college students in Sacred Heart College - Lucena City and Saint Paul Manila. I had the most wonderful five years in this noble profession. (the profession is noble, I wasn’t). I also moonlighted as a radio announcer in a couple of local fm stations. Now that was a LOT of fun. While at it, I found out for real that radio stations rig ALL their contests for the benefit of their employees and their girlfriends. How else was I supposed to watch Michael Jackson?

2. I have curly hair.  Not the cutesy locks that Tom Welling has.  But a BIG BAD-ASS afro that would put Jimi Hendrix’s to shame.  The little said about this topic the better it is for everyone. So now you understand why my hair is kept to a mimimum now.

3. I used to be in theater.  I used to be very active in theater work in college.  I was a member of Entablado, a progressive street theater organization.  I acted, wrote and directed some.  Oh, I used to dance too.  They actually produced a dance drama based on my ability to do the roger rabbit. 

Unfortunately, something happened along the way and now I cannot dance to save my life.  Perhaps I realized I look silly dancing.  Embarassment is something one tends to acquire when aging.

4. I don’t drive.  Never had the chance to learn when I was growing up because we didn’t have a car to begin with.  When I finally could one of my own I was too lazy to learn.  Besides, I have one of the finest chaffeurs around - my wife. 

5. I married my student.  But hey I’m not a gazillion years older than her.  We got together after the sem and in no way did it influence my grade giving.  Promise!

 

It’s been the second year that EventDV.net has been coming out with an “All Star Team” of international videographers monickered the EventDV 25. The shortlist is what voters deem to be the “hottest”, most influential worldwide.

We were voted in to be part of the 25.

To say it was a pleasant surprise is an understatement. I was blown away with the news. It’s truly humbling and I’m extremely grateful to the videographers all over the planet who deemed us worthy for such a recognition.

Salamat!

Read more about it at WeddingsAtWork.
Check out the other honorees (view the pdf).

I’ve been a slouch with updating the blog last December. We had so many shoots that we barely had enough tiime to go online. I’d like to backtrack a little and show a few Oniste Videos we did last Christmastime.

Aimee and Eric - This video is just plain pure fun. Love the light and happy soundtrack. Almost a prelude to the New Year - Shh Boom!

Lynn and Lex - It takes a special kind of insanity to do an Onsite Video with what Lynn and Lex considered as a “song”. I forgot my medication that day so I hastily agreed. Subsequent days after their wedding were all fuzzy and ambiguous. And by the way, have you heard of the much maligned “Wonder Woman” shot of the bride? Watch it here and feel like it’s the eighties all over again.

Paulyn and Leo - The very first wedding ever done in the Midlands Wedding Chapel. Check out our positively radiant bride. But where’s the groom? Well, we don’t call him the mystery groom for nothing, right Paulyn? Click to find out.

Pia and Michael - The third of the Panganiban-Ilas Clan we’ve shot weddings for (fourth if you count the PBL video Mr. Panganiban Sr. was in). Truly an emotional wedding for everybody - the bride was crying even before alighting from the car! Proudly shot by the second team.

Sara and Keith - Our last SDE for 2006, as Barry Manilow sings - “Looks like we made it!” After doing a hundred of these in 2006, I have all of 2007 to abuse my heart some more Cheers!