Why Do We Do What We Do When We Do What We Do

I make media.

I hadn't realized it until I started drafting this post, but making media has been my life's work. It's like blinking. You just kinda forget that you're actively doing it, day in and day out.

Professionally, I started in radio with Mellow 94.7 and I continue to announce on-air with 87.5 FM1. After radio, I got into television by hosting a tech show called Convergence on NET25, and now we're working on a reboot (codenamed "TITO") coming out soon.

For a full recap of my life's work, connect with me on LinkedIn. For my origin story and what the future holds for me, please feel free to read below.

A long time ago, before I knew who Gandalf was, I created an "award-winning" animated short fantasy film. It was about a family of four defeating a green dragon with the help of a bearded wizard clothed in a purple robe. And yes, the wizard's robe was decorated in bright, yellow stars. I was 11.

That was in 1995. The film was animated using a Macintosh and then recorded, VO'd, and edited on JVC equipment that barely anyone used except during after school hours for the KMMI Club at Montgomery Middle School.

That little movie of mine won second place in a multimedia competition sponsored by KPBS in San Diego. I won $50 (which was a lot of money for a first-generation immigrant Filipino kid) and my parent's admiration (which was worth more than any amount of money for any first-generation immigrant Asian kid).

In high school, I was that lanky guy roaming the halls in elephant pants holding a camcorder to people's faces. (Remember that dude in American Beauty who did the same thing? Yeah, I was that guy.)

It's funny looking back at how people thought it was weird to document your life on video when almost everyone and their mother "vlogs" today. "Please LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE below," we all say.

It's a thing now. Everyone's a media maker.

Fast forward to over two decades later, I'm still making media across multiple platforms as a talent, writer, director, and producer. Now I'm taking all of that life experience to work on my own thing at Kaizer Studio.