Post by Ben Caloza

I recently got the chance to edit a music video for unokii — a Filipino-American artist creating music inspired by OPM (Original Pilipino Music). OPM carries a lot of weight in our cultural storytelling; it’s often heartfelt, melodic, and focused on love, in one form or another. It runs the gamut from romantic ballads to environmental activist hymns. And so, our creative team’s goal was to honor the rich tradition of that particular musical heritage and make a truly Filipino-centered work. To that end: the music video (which you can watch here ⇢ https://lnkd.in/geZxYkXJ) is set in the Philippines, features spoken Tagalog, and was produced—completely independently—by an ALL-FILIPINO cast, crew, and leadership team. From every department head to every day player... every above-the-line *and* below-the-line credit... every single person involved in the making of this project: Filipino. It’s genuinely unbelievable to get given the chance to make projects that are more focused on culture than content. It’s a huge reminder of how important intention is in our industry. I’m grateful to collaborate with artists who are intentional about both their sound and their message, and the craftsmanship of all my fellow creatives on this project blew me away. You can read all their names below… Singer/Songwriter: Uno "unokii" Dayoan Director/Producer: Markus L. Thomas Director of Photography: Karlo Aquino Production Designer: Isabella Mojica Editor: Ben Caloza 1st Assistant Director: Elise Blasco Gaffer: Samantha Umbay 1st Assistant Camera: GabrieElla Quiliza Grip & Electric: Sophia Fellows Grip & Electric: Shua Uy Script Supervisor: Riese Ili Digital Imaging Technician: Ben Caloza Colorist: Shua Uy Art Production Assistant: Yhencey Labasan Art Production Assistant: Kassandra Gracee Adona Production Assistant: Jayden J. Santos BTS Videographer: Romi Rendon BTS Photographer: Aiden Ochoa Lawa: Juan Gabriel Dayoan Tracey: Tracey Traquena Anne: Arianne Alog Elle: Gabbie Galindo Olow: Kassandra Gracee Adona Jai: Benjairo Velarde #FilipinoArtists #MusicVideo