W@W VideoFest aftermath: The W@Wies
(photo by Oly Ruiz | see more here)
At the PowerPlant Cinema 4 lobby, these posters were on display. From the feedbacks we got, some attendees thought nothing of those. They simply presumed that those were posters of actual movies. Only guests who did a second take realized that the posters were of the five videographers and boy, were they pleasantly surprised! Props to MetroPhoto for the concept and photography. Benz & I didn’t realize how expensive those special backlit posters were to get printed. Hopefully, we get to find a printer which will sponsor those next time. See the W@W VideoFest poster layouts here (although the effect is not quite the same seeing them by the cinema lobby).
Beginning of our Pride & Joy
A big part of W@W’s success is the W@Wies. Benz & I would never take that credit away from them. They are the ones who brought forth undiscovered talents that are now some of the wedding industry’s biggest names. They are the ones who introduce W@W to the uninitiated wedding supplier.
Like what I said in W@W-SDG (Suppliers’ Discussion Group) before, W@W is not a “training school” for bridezillas. We do not mold a person and shape their character. W@W empowers the soon-to-weds, that much we can own up to. We NEVER asked any suppliers to be wary, or give any special treatment to W@Wie brides. Its a pressure that these suppliers impose to themselves. But W@W sometimes get the flack for their self-imposed pressure. It’s unfair but it’s a trade-off that we have come to accept.
Among the greatest joys we got in our lifetime were gifts from the W@Wies. For Benz, one of the greatest things ever done for her was when a group of W@Wies (they call themselves ‘CaliPanga’) planned a surprise 5th wedding anniversary party/Renewal of Vows for Benz & I (it was supposed to be for both of us, but I foiled their plans midway and left them with no choice but to let me in the surprise). The money spent for the event was raised out of their own pockets. We know that soon-to-weds save up for their own weddings and yet, this group chose to shell out a chunk of what they could’ve been added in their wedding budget, for us.
Another was when the N@Wies gifted us with two scrapbooks filled with thank you notes on how W@W/N@W touched their personal lives. One line from one of those letters is still stuck in Benz’ mind. It came from a new mom who uprooted herself from Cebu to join her husband who was then newly assigned in Manila. With no friends and family in an unfamiliar city, she found ‘home’ in N@W. Her message goes like this…
“Because of N@W, I am happy. And a happy person is a happy wife and a happy mother.”
These humbling gestures and kind words is what make our job the best in the world! Some say maintaining an online community is a thankless job. Since day one, it has never been the case with W@W.
I’m John, she’s Benz, and we are W@Wies! 🙂
About the videographer
Today’s video feature is by Jason Magbanua.
He started in the wedding industry in 2000, a year after W@W. Since we were then the “newbies” in the industry, we naturally gravitated towards each other. He saw how W@W evolved throughout the years. Thus, he was an obvious choice for the 1st W@W Video Fest.
His name is now a brand bigger than W@W. Why, the guy deserves a videofest all to himself!
Strip away the friendship factor, Benz & I are honored that he even joined the videofest. But J-Mag never changed despite his success (although his pricing increased in leaps & bounds!). Maybe a little backgrounder is in order here.
Prior to his entry, soon-to-weds needed to shell out a big chunk of money to have a great and entertaining wedding video. We spent P40,000 for our 1998 wedding just to afford Imacron. Either that or we could have gone to a photo & video studio and spent way lesser and wouldn’t have waited for several months just to see our final video. But as they say, you can’t rush art. 🙂
Then in the year 2000, this one-man-show from Lucena entered the scene. His rate back then was P7,000. He positioned himself as the “3rd option.” The first generation W@Wies were truly lucky. It’s like they bought a painting of an unknown but talented artist who got a shot at fame in less than a decade. We knew the guy’s an artist more than a businessman. It was the effect of his true-blue Jesuit upbringing. He was okay with his rate and just too happy to earn some extra bucks to augment his measly salary of being a teacher (he chose to mentor in an all-girls school, so go figure!), and a DJ (he was “J-man” in Lucena City’s FM radio).
Fast forward to 2009. Soon-to-weds still pay big money (bigger in fact!) to book a good videographer. Couples still wait for months to get their wedding video. So what has this “wonder boy” done to get all the adulation he’s seems to be getting now? After all, the wedding videography sector is still the same. Today, Jason Magbanua charges P95,000 a pop. Has he sold his soul to the devil?!!
The answer is no. But the substance of his story lies within what he has done between those times. A cliffhanger that will serve as a precursor to what will be the 2nd W@W VideoFest in 2010.
Believe it or not, Jason was actually very pressured doing the video below for the 1st W@W VideoFest. We think its because it already reached a point that people expect nothing less from him. His name is among the “25 Hottest & Most Influencial Videographers in the World.” He continuously inspires fellow videographers (both here and abroad) with the work he does. He opened door for other Pinoy videographers to showcase their talents internationally. He helped shape the notion that the Philippines is the hub of great wedding videographers. He raised the bar for others in the local wedding industry to follow suit. He brought pride to a country that’s in need of more people to inspire its people.
Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you the work of a very good friend and an inspiration… Jason Magbanua.