notes from the undergound featuring YTV Cebu..

Have you read my previous "notes from the underground" entry?

A lifelong passion sometimes starts as a random kerfuffle, sometimes an accident, sometimes rooting from a very hard blow, a bitch slap square in the face telling you to stand  up against utter mediocrity and boredom. You see, perhaps the only good thing about boredom is the eventual urge to break it. Take it from me, this very blog is the offspring of boredom and (literally) a 6.8 magnitude tremor. 

How do you define a hobby? How does it become a passion? And most importantly, how can one man's hobby help promote the hobbies of others?

I have been a fan of YTV since its conception some 3 or more years ago. As a witness to its evolution, I have thus decided to dedicate this edition of "notes from the underground" to YTV Cebu. If you're a fan of the underground (or to the diverse musical genres of Cebu City local bands, arts and craft) you might have heard of these guys too.

Note: All correspondence were done via Facebook (para ma career nilag tubag kai kung sa personal pato, wa juy padulngan, ang maglihok kai baso rjud tingali).

GeezCurls: How did you guys start out?

YTV Cebu: YTVCebu started as something as binuang2 ra na mga music videos covers ug skits around 2 years ago. Pero due to busy scheds, wa na kaau nagabot2. tungod na busy jud ang duha ka members, I (Yano) thought for a better purpose of YTVCebu kay sayang amu nasugdan.

GeezCurls: Why YTV? What do the initials stand for (assuming that it stands for something)?

YTV Cebu: "walay" TV, kai d man mi tigtanaw TV. Instead of TV mi magkalas sa oras, sa computer nlng mi.

GeezCurls: How many are you guys in the team?

YTV Cebu: Currently we have 5 members. Me (Yano), Dre, Hazel, Ian, Dunhill.

GeezCurls: Who are your target markets for video promotions?

YTV Cebu: Mu.cater mi tanan klasing genre.Pero target jud ang underground scene, kay ganahan mi mu promote nila dli lang dri sa Cebu, pero sa lain2 lugar through internet. makasabot mi na struggle jud samut na if mutukar lang dri, dapat pirmi present taga tukar para ma promote lang. Sayang kaau ang talent nila na dako kaaug potential, pero dli kaau makita sakadaghanan kay way outlet makita ila talent.

GeezCurls: Aside from local band gigs, do you also do coverage for any other events? If so, what else are these?

YTV Cebu: Nisuway man sad mi ug cover mga weddings ug birthdays, pero lisud jud cya sa pagkakaron tungod sa kakakuwang sa gamit ug mga tao. We were given a chance to cover events from our very own entreprenuers. Promote mi sa ila mga products and merchandise.

GeezCurls: You also direct, produce and cover official local band music videos, can you name all of the bands you've collaborated with?

YTV Cebu: Neverending Weekend, The Lower Class, Drive Me To Juliet, OneManDown, and March The Sky.

GeezCurls: How was it working with these bands on their videos? Can you give us one memorable event that happened behind the scenes with each bands?

YTV Cebu: In general, Working with these bands was fun. Usahay exhausting cya sa set, pero tungud lingaw, ma wa ra jud ghapon ang kakapoy. Taga video, klase2 ang challenges, pero klase2 sad jud ang lingaw. like sa neverending weekend na silver lining, after sa shoot, naka sched mi almost everyday for a week, para makshoot lain2 sad na banda sa lain2 lugar dri sa Cebu. Sa the lower class na pagka.manage sa band member sa set, due to space constraint. sa drive me to juliet, na testingan amu tuhod paglakaw sa maria luisa para lang maabot sa set, pero along the way lingaw jud cya. sa onemandown, first tu namu na experience na mu manage ug crowd to work with the band. sa march the sky, wa mi nagexpect na potential actor and actress man jud ni c Ram2 (guitarista) ug Marla (iya girlfriend).

GeezCurls: As a direct witness to the growth of the local Cebuano scenes (bands, arts, hobbies, etc) where would you probably see the diverse talents of Cebu in the years to come? 

YTV Cebu: Right now, we can really see the rapid growth of Cebu in the field of music making and video, our own products and clothing line advertised nationally, We can really say na layu ang maabtan sa Cebu, basta tinabangay lang.

GeezCurls: Any messages to hobbyists out there who are, in their little ways, also doing their part in promoting the talents of Cebu?

YTV Cebu: Just keep supporting your favorite local bands, promote your favorite line of shirts or merchandise. Bisag sa pagad2 lang sa mga events, dako na kaau nag tabang for the local scene, not just for the bands, but also the people involved in these events. Dri sad nimu makita ang enthusiasism sa banda bisag way TF. 

GeezCurls: Promote Youtube and FB or any online accounts na dri nga part.

YTV Cebu: Check our facebook page at www.facebook.com/YTVCebu for updates and current events on the local scene. Also check our youtube channel www.youtube.com/YTVCebu for live coverages of bands playing on events, promotional videos, and official music videos. For donations you can PM us on our facebook page...hehe

So, I guess you guys know what to do now...

Long live Cebuano local talents!!!

Tunnel

For all we know, that so-called light at the end of the tunnel is a steam-engine-powered-train. So unless you have a death wish, I suggest you bring your own light, a torch or a match. The tunnel of life might seem unending  but once you have that light within you, you glow, you shine, blinding like the sun. By then perhaps your life won't be a pitch black void of boredom and mediocrity anymore. Trust me. We've all been there, I think it's just up to us when to turn on the switch.

Shine on you crazy diamond!

I love you, 2012!

I don't really understand why everyone's so giddy to leave 2012 behind. So giddy in a sense that most have perhaps the most negative bidding of the supposedly "end-of-days" year. Fvck-ups are inevitable really. If anything, people should be thankful of 2012. Yeah we had a lot of down times, but that never stopped us from growing stronger.

My sentiments for 2012 cannot be contained in one entry but it generally boils down to tons of thanksgiving, a few irrational rants, more thanksgiving, and a whole lot of love. 2012 was an awesome year for me, my family, Goody, my friends (generally), even to my plant (who by the way shed down its last leaf yesterday, rest in peace my love).

2012 was a year of massive repelling to negative vibes and constant attraction for the better things in life.

I'm stronger now. Still (forever) inlove, healthier (though not in any way living a healthy lifestyle), faithful, mature.

I love you, 2012! 

Should the world end on 2013, by zombie apocalypse or Nibiru, it sure was a blast living in it! 

To Naboo, my padawans!!!

Movie of my Year (2012)

This tradition started out as a countdown to Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen back in 2009. My brother and I would be listing down the films that we would strictly watch in the theaters. It was feasible at first but until IMAX (Tron) came into the market, we eventually resorted to the, well... you know. We be good laddies drinking o'er leaping barnacles!

This year's list was a countdown to The Hobbit for the very obvious reason that, it's the Hobbit!!! 

The following are my top 5 favorites of this year's list. This is generally based on the film's entirety.  Not really familiar with the different aspects of making a film a blockbuster (aside from its sales) but story-wise, general cinematic visual effects, direction, and goosepimple moments, these are the top 5 that made it to the list: (all of which were seen on the theater house)

5. Prometheus. A total mind-fvck  (especially) if you've seen the Alien franchise. But I think that's just me, trying my hardest to connect the 33-year-gap-dots between the Weaver franchise to that of Rapace's.  I honestly did not understand the film on my first viewing because I was literally preoccupied with looking for familiar scenes and references from the Ellen Ripley series. The film was generally awesmazing! Talk about Ancient Aliens and all, this film has  literally made that Giorgio Tsoukalos nerd shat in his shorts!

4. Have you read my tribute article for Brave?

3. Here's a review of my tribute for Chris Nolan's The Dark Knight (Rises) franchise. 

2. The Hobbit. Of course. Yeah yeah it didn't make it to the top(not that it matters, Peter Jackson is probably swimming in 100 dollar bills as I type) but it is, in fact, worth being the movie countdown basis of the year. Yes, I've read the book, seen the crappy cartoon 1960s movie and a die-hard fan of the Tolkien-Jackson book-film adaptation but, I don't know, is it me or was the whole movie's pacing a tad bit dragging? Nevertheless, I would definitely watch the whole film again, anytime, and perhaps by then, I'd be awake, for the whole 3 hours.

1. The lucky number 9 on the list. An unexpected watch. Was originally planning to see the film on DVD Rip but thanks to SM Cinemas, BEST 2012 MOVIE EVER!!! Rurouni Kenshin. I have been a fan of the series since I even knew cable TV existed. I even deemed Aoshi Shinomori my first EVER crush  since I knew Mark Wahlberg (w-e-i-r-d!!!) So imagine my awe and giddyness when I saw Kenshin in live action 1080p in the theater! The techniques, fight scenes, ghaaaaaaaad!!! I can't... I mean... I couldn't... Ghaaaad!!! Though a few scenes from the animated series were cut-off from the film, the movie was generally good enough for hardcore Samurai X fans like myself.

Notable Others. Top 5 notable films that were worth my time and moolah.
5. Battleship
4. The Avengers
3. The Amazing (chemistry between Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield) Spiderman
2. We bought a Zoo.
1.The odd life of Timothy Green (a definite Torrent-download favorite).

Definite personal flops. These are the films that were very good with the trailers... yeah, just the trailers.
2. Mirror Mirror
1. Wrath of the Titans. Especially since I was planning to make this a number 2 for this year's movie countdown.
Would've probably placed John Carter a definite  placer on this category but, though it did have an almost-close-to-lousy trailer, it did not disappoint as a film in general. But I don't think I'd still be a fan of the adaptation.

So, that's it. Check out Teaser-Trailer (not mine) for the latest movie trailers in town.

Merry Christmas 2012!!!

Ending the year with the most awkward bang in all of Ancient Mayan history. Perhaps the biggest scam in hysteria-history, Dec 21, 2012. The day when the Mayan calendar is supposedly set to end and when this mysterious planet, Nibiru, would allegedly disrupt our very own gravitational pull from the Sun, ultimately causing a rampage of natural disasters thus eventually leading to the complete wipe-off of every sentient living thing on Earth. Party like it's the end of the world alright!

We have finally broke tradition this year. Christmas Eve was supposedly a whole day marathon of Casablanca, Fiddler on the Roof and Sound of Music. This year, is especially brought to us by Roger Waters' The Wall 1990 Concert. And you thought we couldn't get any weirder? I'm typing this whole article with flickering series lights and the monitor as my source of lumination. I'm actually excited for the vertigo trip after all of this. This isn't actually the culmination of this year's articles, I'm doing that next week (if I still have the time).

Here, I will try my very best to at least impart my most Coelho-esque Christmas message. Let me do this by recalling my most stoned Christmas ever (so much for this whole thing to be Coelho-esque, eh?) . Yes my friends, stoned, high, dissociated, far-fvcking-out!

I was about 6 or 7 years old that Christmas eve, sick with the flu and mild asthma. My cousins from the far seas (okay so it's not really that far) were staying over for the holidays. The whole house was in a blissful ruckus (ironic I know, but that's just how we are as a bunch) whereas I was in bed, practically a veggie, martial-lawed by my Mom until the midnight noche buena. Really? Order a 7 year old to stay in bed the whole day? Who did she (Mom) think I was, Keith Moon or someone? The next few scenes are rather explicit but in summary, I took an extra dose (okay, DOSES) of flu/cough syrup just hours before midnight. Worst-trip-ever!!! Slept like a cooking oil on a freezer just minutes before midnight.

Moral of the story? It's not really a good idea to get high on Christmas. Really. Christmas isn't a good time to get high, it's a high time to be good. But really, spend it however you must, with whoever and whatever, but always remember, Christmas does not necessarily happen just once a year. Everyday can be Christmas, you just have to have the heart to make it happen.

However you want to spend Christmas, with prayer, or booze, or pizza, or unlimited supply of your grandmother's pasta, it's not what comes in our systems that matters, it's what stays there, forever engraved in our hearts, fueling our passion for life, faith and selfless love.

Merry Christmas, Nerds!!!

I love you.

No, really, I do!

Have a good one...Heck, have the best one this year, and if it does end up as the best one for you, well... there's always next year.