Seldom do people who share the same passion for arts would gather in one nook. Thanks to Dakila Davao Collective for organizing the first-ever Pecha Kucha Night, these artists went out of their way to meet one another on a Saturday evening at the JavaJive along Quirino Avenue.

The entire second floor of the coffee shop was filled with around 30 up and coming artists who were quietly seated the whole time while the four featured artists presented one after another how they worked on their projects.

Indeed, the first staging of Pecha Kucha Night lived up to its original concept that is to encourage discussion among the artists and the guests, as what its name suggests (translated as “chit-chat” in English).

But beyond just putting these artists together, it is giving them a creative space and to be able to share with a bunch of like-minded people their thoughts and talents that truly counts.

Jad Montenegro-Amor, who was previously recognized for her score of the movie “Sonata Maria”, said she drew her inspiration from listening classical music after she was tapped by filmmaker Bagane Fiola, who was also a presenter during the Pecha Kucha, to join his team to work on the independent film.

“The reference that was given to me was totally different from I used to do,” she said.
Jad admitted she found it quite challenging to come up with a musical score for Sonata Maria because she needed to get the feel of the film — first, by reading the script and second, by seeing its rough draft — to make one that would fit into the flow of the story.

The making of the musical score had to be done closely with the director to ensure that her piece would not go over or less from what the story would require.

A musical score should harmonize with the film yet it should stand on its own in such a way that the “audience should be able to remember the melody”, Jad said.

Believe it or not, if she has the luxury of time, she dabbles in composing songs using her iPad. This is something to remind the new artists to never underestimate what this piece of technology can do.

Another presenter was sound designer and award winning indie filmmaker, Maki Serapio, who was also part of Sonata Maria. His work won him the Best Sound Design award from the Young Critics Circle in Manila.

Fiola is also an award-winning filmaker who was at the helm of Sonata Maria.

Gian Enrique is a newbie in the world of filmmaking yet he and his team bested other contestants in the Davao Documentary Contest for their film “DCplinado,” which highlighted all good things about the city dubbed as the 4th safest in the world.

Coming up with a short docu film, Gian thought of something that would speak about the worth-emulating traits of the Dabawenyos, and so they ended up showcasing how disciplined the people are for adhering to the local laws of the city.

From pre-production to post-production, Gian shared the struggles that he and his team had gone though. As career men, they could barely take the time out to meet on weekdays and seldom on weekends.

“We only communicated and exchanged scripts on Facebook,” he said.

Despite time constraints, the team was persistent to complete the film. All the hardwork was paid off when they won the 1st place and the People’s Choice Award by three votes. They took home some P35,000 worth of cash.

Artists who are interested to join in one of these conversations should watch out for the three Pecha Kucha nights this year. (ALC)

(This article was originally posted in Sunstar Davao)