I’s been a crazy busy trip so far with no room to breathe.   I’m quite fortunate to have worked with the bestest couples, the most awesome second shooters and assistants.   Things are slowing down at least this week. Allow me to share a still from last Thursday’s wedding.

She was just positively radiant!  Please stay tuned as I will be posting her highlights video real soon.

The next day, I checked in at this fabulous hotel in Long Beach where my equally fabulous bride, Charlene, did her preps.

Hotel Maya was something else.

Also watch out for her SDE to be posted soon.

Just several hours later, we were shooting a Save the Date video for Diana and Jose in Red Rock Canyon in Las Vegas.  My groom saw elephants on the formations,I saw litlle cute bunnies and twinkies. No, I wasn’t high

They heighed me off to the airport right after and so now I find myself in Disney World in Orlando.  Excuse me while I go find and harass Goofy.

Ok So it’s my turn to bring Jakob to school, none of our cars were available so we had to take a cab. And as most of you know, editing an SDE in under two hours is easier than catching a taxi at 7 am in Makati.

And so we waited…

The wait for the cab took quite a while as I noticed everybody was getting up one at a time.

Baby Elise was up and about.

Lukas was already on his morning ritual with Angry Birds on my iPad.

And so it goes that we were an hour late for school. It was a double bummer because the school cafeteria was still closed so I couldn’t partake of my newest addiction - Deep Fried Oreo!

Going back to the house was even harder than I thought!

And so I decided to walk. I found myself in Mcdonald’s Pasong Tamo, enjoying a Sausage McMuffin and blogging.

Note to self: must learn to drive!

Last July, we were given the chance to do a lecture session in Sydney.

As most of you know, we do this on a regular basis.  But I am always on edge everytime =), not quite nervous but definitely not at all relaxed.

You see, the thought of myself being flown in to speak is a HUGE responsibility.   Planning and executing an educational venture is time consuming, expensive and stressful.  I should know, I was part of ReFrame.  When all the hard work is done, the final piece of the puzzle for the event to become a success, is the speakers’ performance.  If the thought of that is not stressful, I don’t know what is.

However, the attendees for Exposed couldn’t be more easy, friendly and attentive.  And THAT eased me in.  But make no mistake, their congeniality is only matched by their desire to learn and progress.

You KNEW it was a rousing success when people from all over that big continent flew in to Sydney.  And yes, there were representatives from Southeast Asia as well.  That was truly awesome!

Here’s a recap video by Peter of the whole experience -watch here.

My deepest gratitude to Rochelle and Dave (they are not a couple, but were for the duration of the planning of EDU ;-), Susanto and Dewi and the rest of Paper Cranes for being excellent hosts, Abraham Joffe for the “barbie” and my co-presentors, Michael Wong, Konrad Czytowski and Alvin Paver (and the Aussie presentors too!)- the most talented wedding filmmakers in the world, yet the most down to earth too.

Cheers mates!

So my little boys can draw me a robot!

Everybody was scrambling to get out of Manila last Holy week.  I on the other hand eagerly anticipated some time with the new plasma we got specifically for bridal shows.  My head hurt from all the DVDs I watched.

Legion
Planet Hulk
Go
Amores Perros
The Island
Smoking Aces 2
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
Up in the Air

Loved Up in the Air the most.  Everyone in the cast was just perfect.  The movie-simple yet deeply moving.

Finally caught Amores.  Classic Alejandro González Iñárritu - the story arc, the compositions, the grit the “real-ness”.  He did the same thing in Babel of course, hope he’s not a one trick pony. 

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I’ve been very fortunate to have worked with the finest (and friendliest) photographers over the course of our near-ten year career as a photographer.

I struggled and succeeded and struggled and succeeded with Dino Lara from the very start.

I was fortunate to have worked with pillars of the industry very early in my career (Patrick Uy, Wig Tysmans, Eddieboy Escudero).

I saw how MangoRed broke very single rule there is about wedding photography (and yet continue to flourish).

I’ve worked countless of times with Mimi and Karl who quietly and subtly brought back female sensibilities and elegance (with a kick) to photographs.

And then there’s Oly Ruiz of Metro Photo.

He’s only been at it for less than two years.  But that is what patience, talent, hard work, business savvy and MORE hard work bring.  It doesn’t hurt that he’s genuinely nice too.  Here’s the video we whipped up for him for his brand re-launch).  (I mean really?!  Who thinks about branding on their second year?).

Metrophoto by Jason Magbanua from Oly Ruiz on Vimeo.

Andrea and Jerome from Jason Magbanua on Vimeo.

It’s fun to be able to produce a couple of these in a year.  We actually did decade hopping from the 60s to the 50s then all the way down to the 20s (with a lot of guidance from Madge Lejano).

It was a fun shoot overall (but taxing too).  There was a whole truckload of props and costumes to complete the look.  I think I even stole a hat for myself

And nothing beats a hot Tapa King dinner after a long drawn-out shoot.

Production Stills:  Dino Lara
Styling and production design:  Makeup Studio
Editing:  John Marvi de Guzman
Cinematography:  Ian Cruz
Concept and Directing:  Jason Magbanua

I was pleasantly surprised when Bridgette (our ever dependable secretary) that we were nearing capacity for next year - 2010 (with 100+ bookings).    It’s the first time it’s ever happened, us having to close the calendar the year before and I’m eternally grateful to our couples who have placed their trust and faith in our craft, art and vision.

And so we open 2011.  Brides books so far in advance that we might as well open it up.  However, we’ll be taking in far less for 2011. I’m gonna work my ass of next year and try to take it easy the year after.

I’m hoping to travel more, without shooting so I can ingest more, live slower and appreciate places better.  I hope to work out me and Oleg Kalyan’s plan for a workshop in Moscow next year.  And then I hope 2011 will be the year I get to Brazil for the wedding filmmakers there.

I’m turning 35 this December and there’s so much to go to and see.

No.  These are not the musings of a person in mid-life crisis.  I’m not that old!

“All Saints Day” - That’s what we call “Halloween” here in the Philippines.

Remembering the dearly departed.

Hanging out with the kids (on all too rare and precious free weekends).

Consuming all the candy one could possibly can.

Todos Los Santos 2009 from Jason Magbanua on Vimeo.

It was all work in San Francisco for me last week.  It was totally different being just a speaker to being part of the ReFrame Collective, (planning, organizing, skyping, budgeting, emailing people no end).  I guess I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Work it was but seeing everything coming into fruition, and hearing the responses from the attendees made everything well worth it.  A very special thanks goes out to my partners and Julie, Kristen and Bruce for inviting me to be part of the experience.  You cannot even begin to imagine how much time, effort and finances went into this project.

The best ReFrame ever!  That’s what we promised and that’s what we delivered.

Thanks to all the press, sponsors and of course, the attendees who trusted us.  We hope you had as much of a great time as we did.

_______

I kinda purposely didn’t go out as much to explore the city.  Same story last April.  Makes for all the reason to go back and enjoy this beautiful city for once.

On the last day, however, I was able to go to my new favorite place on earth - Rasputin - to pick up a couple of DVDs.

Can’t wait to watch this -(The MIndscape of Alan Moore)