I’ve been watching a lot of Japanese films recently. I went through a Takeshi Kitano phase in my late teens, and I went through a Kinji Fukusaku phase in my mid-20s. I’ve been rewatching them because I wanted to learn more about cinematography. I’ve been buying cameras and I don’t want to waste them. (more…)
In our thoroughly TikTok-ified, Instagram Reel-ified, and YouTube Short-ified world of 2025, vertical video has established itself as a mainstream video format, much to the chagrin of oldheads who think it’s a stupid and lazy way to shoot and watch video. Not everything is cinema — much of everyday life is about the individual getting by in spite of the world around them, not because of it. For telling such stories, it may not be best to shoot ultrawide. (more…)
In my opinion, what made BuyBust forgettable was that because of the director’s choice to focus mostly on the characters’ emotions and human motivations outside of their job instead of focusing more on the action. It made them not connect that well with the audience as an action movie. When you really think about it, as operators, they spend most of their lives training and honing their craft. Why wouldn’t they be able to express their motivations through combat? (more…)
Near the 2023 Holiday Season, I finally decided to pull the trigger and get a 3D printer. I would obtain an Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro to enter the nerd-filled world of 3D printing. I had been putting together a workshop in the other room in my place as an act of taking more control of my life as a grown-ass man, and it has been looking good so far (if I stop being lazy and clean up). Do note that such additional capability also comes with additional costs, responsibilities, and space restrictions. Let’s get into 3D printing, which I’ll be preoccupied with in 2024. (more…)
On the eve of Monday, 22 May 2023, smoke billowed from the basement of the Manila Central Post Office in Lawton, Manila. Shortly after, the flame that made the smoke became fire. The fire then spread and crawled its way up the building. Paper, wood, and other materials in the post office served as kindling to feed the fire, which grew it into a roaring blaze. For the next 30 hours, one of Manila’s great landmarks stayed alight, to the horror of eyewitnesses and the citizens of Manila. (more…)
The thing about existing in this universe while housed in these squidgy mortal vessels is that illness can come at you when you least expect it. You could be born to go on as an invincible hobo who subsists on moonshine and sewer rats, or you could be born as a Habsburg. While modern medicine can help extend your lifespan, that depends on the affliction. But the x-factor when it comes to the wonders of modern medicine is that it’s hella expensive. I was reminded of that recently, adding to my regret that I haven’t gotten proper health insurance yet (I’ve been planning to get one sometime in 2023). (more…)
Let me preface this by admitting to not being any good at games like this. As I’ve mentioned in my first blog post on Elden Ring, this is the first game by FromSoftware that I actually got into (that is not Ninja Blade). But since this is such a big event in my life, finally being able to appreciate a game in this franchise, I wanted to express how much I appreciate the best open-world game I’ve played since Skyrim by detailing how I got through my first few bosses. (more…)
NVIDIA Broadcast is great, for the most part. You can remove noise from your microphone and speakers like magic and remove the background on your webcam like you’re living in a green screen void. But now that I actually have an RTX card to use it with, I’ve been somewhat disappointed with it. It’s good at what it does, but perhaps it’s too good. Let me explain. (more…)
While I’m figuring out what I want to focus on as 2022 approaches and the world is cautiously opening back up, I looked for a new game that I could grind. I tried Valorant, but it only makes me anxious and regret not having played more CounterStrike. I thought about Final Fantasy XIV, but the onboarding process is so complicated that it discouraged me. Then, I went back to a genre that I used to enjoy and found myself enjoying it again. (more…)
After five months since initial release, I finally got to play Valheim, thanks to being given a copy by a friend. I didn’t want it to go to waste, especially since I heard about the hype back in February. I’ve had some survival crafting experience in Minecraft, but not enough to be proficient at the genre, so here’s my chance to really get into it. (more…)
It’s that time once again to have at least two particular tabs open on my browser—my bank account and the computer store website. After a good bit of pondering and perusing, I’ve come to my final list for what PC upgrades I shall introduce into my life. Hopefully, the major components will be procured as early as the start of July (EDIT: I may delay it to August or September), just in time for my birthday. (more…)
Becoming a Better Commentator
Anyone who has given commentary a try, whether it’s talking over MMA fights and pro wrestling matches alone in your room (like I did) or recording boring let’s play videos or game replays that you then upload on YouTube for no one to watch, would know how hard it can be. You have to be able to talk fast, maintain high energy, and be both informative and entertaining at the same time. This is something I would like to get better at in 2022. (more…)