it’s amazing how much i’m learning about things outside of my comfort zone since the day i traveled to australia alone, and then some more when i met jeff. just as melbourne was a whole new world for me, jeff opened up a different kind of world for me to see and experience too. things i never imagined i would ever find myself immersed in — from understanding the technical and emotional aspects of freestyle rap music to the elements involved in producing music videos.

you name it, i now have a pretty good idea of how it works. and how much skill and creativity it takes to make one. not to mention the immeasurable amount of passion thrown into the mix. (which, in a way, kind of ruins my viewing experience when watching movies because i oftentimes catch myself mentally dissecting camera movements as “slider” or “jib” or “quadcopter” shots. thanks a lot, jeff.)

which is why, having seen what i’ve seen, i have formed a deep respect for artists and their crafts. because i know it’s tough to survive in a world where people immediately diss your art like you just didn’t enslave your soul for it.

sure, talent is talent but that song or painting didn’t just materialize out of nowhere. it’s a celebration of your life’s journey, in whatever stage the muse caught you. and it takes an insane amount of time to create them. because as far as i have observed, most artists pretty much suffer from the deadly disease of obsessive-compulsiveness. they’re a whole bunch of perfectionist freaks. which, as a fellow artist, i can sometimes relate to. (hahahaha. say that again, jan?)

here’s a little something to give you a bit of an insight as to what goes on behind making a music video. these were taken during the shoot for i am sore. (youtube video link here.)

doesn’t look so fun now, does it?

imagine going up and down the block repeatedly. as many takes as the whole crew could, uh, take despite the cruel heat of the sun. totot (jeff’s cousin and appointed cameraman) and the rest of the guys did a wonderful job. kudos to them all.

and kudos to jeff too for not spontaneously combusting with the concentration of light and heat he received from the gold and silver reflectors. but for the sake of flattery, let’s just say he looked pretty damn hot, though. lol.

(on a side note, i love how resourceful these guys were when it came to mounting a jib on an improvised slider. they sure as hell don’t have that in australia, hey jeff? very state-of-the-art, i know. tell your aussie boys to catch up.)

and where was i in all of this?

i was in the shade. chillin’ like a boss. haha. but in my defense, i was their designated driver slash unofficial spokesperson who answered curious strangers’ questions about what they were doing and if jeff was a famous artist in australia. (“they’re filming a music video and yes, jeff is up there with jay-z.” because, you know, i get a kick out of that. lol.)

oh, and look who signed up to help!

my baby as a reflector girl! (it’s good to train ’em young.) #fiftyshadesofchildlabor