Our memories are scratchy, grainy, jumpy and unsynced.

Much like the Super 8 movie you are going to watch.

And yet there is a certain charm to the medium.   It is warm.  It is moody.  Something about celluloid just makes you smile and remember.

Without further ado…

The Wedding Film of Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo from Jason Magbanua on Vimeo.

I was perhaps the last to be onboard this super-duper-mega-secret-cloak-and-dagger-reel-to-real-wedding-of-the-year.

And I almost didn’t make it (more on this later).

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Jakob and Lukas on Super 8 from Jason Magbanua on Vimeo.

What is life after all but a series of fleeting moments?

And therefore the task at hand is to aid our fragile memories in remembering.

This film clip chronicles some of these moments, Lukas’ recent third birthday party and Jakob’s graduation early this year.  The clip also captures a poignant moment with my sons and a nephew who passed away last October.

In memory of Jamey Rafael (2002-2008).

For the country’s’ fashion elite last night, all roads led to the Shangri-la Makati for Rajo Laurel’s 15th anniversary gala dinner and fashion show.   Proceeds of the event will benefit the Philippine National Red Cross.

We had the greatest pleasure and privilege to be asked to produce the video short heralding the start of the catwalk runs.  Rizal ballroom was a sight to behold.  The grandiose stage dominated the vast interior,  all in black, with touches of red flowers as centerpieces.

Flanking the stage on both sides were giant LED screens.  I hung around for video testing and calibrating.  The picture quality was breathtaking.

Here’s the piece that we made.  Everything was shot on yummy, yummy Super 8.

Rajo Red! from Jason Magbanua on Vimeo.

There is a reason why audiophiles still prefer vinyls to compact discs, why people still shoot on film rather than CF cards.

And there is a reason why we are going to offer to shoot weddings on film and not just digital.

Shooting in film offers a warmth and atmosphere irreplicable in video. The vintage look of Super 8 is an excellent medium to use on your wedding day. It’s the epitome of memory. Super 8 is rough around the edges, grainy, flicker-full - much like the way we remember things.

Film is not about precision, faithful reproduction and high definition. Not more pixels but more feeling. Analog Love baby!

We have tried so hard to achieve the “film look”, that it only makes sense to do away with the “look” and shoot in “film” from the outset.

Hannah and Rob’s wedding was shot with a Canon 814xls with Fuji Eterna film. Sadly, there are no more processing laboratories here in the Philippines so I had to ship out the rolls to California.

Hannah and Rob from Jason Magbanua on Vimeo.

(photo courtesy of Cliquebooth)

Many thanks to Kristen of Bliss and Chris of MasonJar for their help in “breaking me in”.