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The Storyographist's Story with Cielo de la Paz

Lesson 1 from: The Storyographist's Story

Cielo de la Paz, Kenna Klosterman

The Storyographist's Story with Cielo de la Paz

Lesson 1 from: The Storyographist's Story

Cielo de la Paz, Kenna Klosterman

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Lesson Info

1. The Storyographist's Story with Cielo de la Paz

Lesson Info

The Storyographist's Story with Cielo de la Paz

mhm. Yeah. Yeah. Mhm. Mhm mm. Into Yeah, Yeah. Hello everyone and welcome to Creative Live. We are here for another episode of our podcast. We are photographers right here on Creative Live tv. This is where we connect you with photographers, filmmakers, industry greats all over the world so that you can ask your questions here. The conversations participate with each other and know that you are not alone in the creative journey. Um So if you are tuning in while we are alive right now, whether that's on creativelive dot com slash T. V. Where you can click on the chat icon and join us in their chat with each other, ask your questions. Um give each other examples and and tips and if you are watching on our facebook youtube twitter, you can do the same, you can type on in there and I'll see your comments and of course we always love to know where it is that you are tuning in from, from all over the world as we are a global community. So let's get started. Once again, I'm kinda cluster in y...

our host and we are here on Creative Live for a podcast. We are photographers and I am thrilled to bring on today one of our instructors who is highly rated, We know and Love and her name is Cielo de la Paz. And Cielo is a photographer, a mobile filmmaker, she is an educator and early on she was featured in Apple's Shot on iphone and that we're going to talk about her journey from there because she was featured all over the world um which is very cool and was definitely a moment in her career. Like I said, she teaches whether that's at Stanford University at Google here on Creative Live, definitely gonna want to check out her courses on mobile filmmaking and editing. She travels all over the world, speaking at conferences about mobile photography and filmmaking. And she has won awards two and she's just a lovely human. So Cielo de la pause. Thank you so much for joining us today. I'm creative live. I cannot So great to be here to see you. Thanks for that intro. Well, it's been a minute. I I just have such fond memories of you being in the creative life studios and teaching your classes and you're just, you know, when you look at the reviews of your classes or other, you know, wherever it is that you're teaching and speaking, you just you are such a natural teacher and you also just your your personality comes through. So happy to finally have you hear of on the podcast. So let's just let's check in and see where people have are tuning in from. Wow, we have um we have K. Algal, I'm sorry if I pronounce your name improperly. Who is watching from Francis town Botswana? We have Brooke who is in the Philly area. I used to live in Philly alright, P. A. And uh we have images by Gretchen, a regular here and Gretchen is in long branch, so keep those coming, I see you, I hear you and we love to do the shout outs. Where are you joining us from today? Cielo, I know the answer but I am joining you from the san Francisco barrier. Exactly, exactly. Um what I want to start talking about, Cielo is your 365 66 days of putting out a video day for the year of 2020 where now it's now March. Unbelievable, 2021. Uh And so just let's start talking about why you took this on and of course they'll be like various things to talk about, but for all of you out there, you know, there's like the photo of the day thing, Well, Cielo took it up a notch to a video a day for a year. So why did you start it? Um so I had done a photo a day for eight years and it just got too easy, just kidding. Now I did it for eight years in a row. I didn't succeed every year, I think, like for five, those years I succeeded. Um and then I got into filmmaking and I noticed I wasn't posting as much of my videos and so I thought as a way to just practice and also to get over the fear of posting something imperfect because I feel like that's kind of what stops a lot of us is we're just so afraid of putting in perfect work out there and I know I'm such a perfectionist, that that's always what keeps me from, you know, showing my work. I said I'm just going to commit to doing a video a day, whether it's good, whether it's bad, I'm just gonna put it out there, It's kind to me, it was kind of like the equivalent of doing your piano drills, you know, like you can't create your masterpiece until you've mastered your your piano drills in your scales. Um So I I feel like that was the same for video and video creation and storytelling, and so for that whole year, last year to me was kind of like my, it was my practice. Um and it just, oh, I learned so much from it, I'm so glad that I did it, but I'm happy it's done well, I think it's there's there's so many different things I want to talk about in what you just said. I mean there's the getting over your fears of putting stuff out that until it's perfect. Um They're sort of relaxing with, you know, who you are and what you're putting out there uh in addition to just the what you learned. So let's start with the sort of what what you learned from a just from a storyteller. Let's start with the storytelling. What did you learn about storytelling and in itself from this project? And I still, my mind is blown by the five by eight years of trying to do a photo photo day. Well, I mean, we can get into that later, but that's how my work was found by Apple because I just had so much content out there. I think I just spammed everybody and there's no way you're gonna stumble on my work somehow, we will get to that, we'll get to that. Um But what did I learn about storytelling? Quite a few things actually. Um One is that it that's the hardest thing, to be honest with you. It's not the technical, it's that's probably the easiest part is the film, the actual act of filmmaking and the editing super easy, but coming up with content and trying to tell a story was really hard and um I learned that it works better if it's planned obviously. Um and there's different ways to tell a story actually, so there's visual, right? Um but If you don't necessarily have all the visuals which happened very often, because at the end of the night, be like nine pm and I had nothing and I still had to come up with something. Um so it's not just visual, it's voice. Um you know, and you can just put together a series of screens, there's many ways I learned that you can successfully tell a story. And before I did the full year, to me, storytelling had to be this full on, like with music. You know, to me it was something really, um much it felt like it had to be huge production and I learned it didn't have to be um there's different ways to it, but it is incredibly hard to tell a good, compelling story. Well, I think it's interesting because if you're if you're somebody who's just starting um using, you know, again, we're talking mobile filmmaking, using your smartphone to be um to be creating visual stories. It's one thing, probably all of us take photos with our iphone, take perhaps videos with our iphone, but the then doing something with it, the editing part, I've got thousands of little video clips on my phone, like literally thousands. And because I'm always thinking like, oh, I'm going to do something with this or that. And then and then I don't but part of that is both like not knowing how to how to edit. Um I don't want to say not knowing not having taken the time to actually do the work to know how to do it and all of that. Um But then there's like you said, the storytelling part, so um it's interesting to me that you're like, oh, the technical stuff is easy, whereas for me, I'm still hung up on on on that part um talking about about the ease of like, did you, again, you're you teach the editing part, you know, and the filmmaking part. So, so what are the what are things that people most often say? Like, are hard about the technical side that you tell them? No, it's okay, like you're going to be able to do that part. Yeah, so, editing is always what people say they have the hardest time with. Um but after it's funny because it's it's a little bit backwards, people think editing is going to be really hard, because it seems the most technical and um it actually always ends up not being the hardest thing. And I've taught, you know, hundreds, if not thousands of students, it's actually, editing is will come easiest once, you know, where the buttons are and like how to place things where on a timeline, what's harder is the filmmaking actually, but people think, you know, if I just wave my phone around, you know, I'm already filmmaking, but no, it's hard, it requires more skill and nuance actually to film something well, whereas with editing, you can kind of, like, mess around and, and you'll end up with something decent. Um, but I think, you know, I say it was easy for me because I, I obviously have an advantage, you know, I teach it. So it's kind of unfair, you know, for others to try what I did if they didn't have the skills on the phone to edit in film. Um, but it's not as hard as people might think, especially if you're doing the editing on your phone and their apps out there, that just make it super easy to do it. I mean, I don't know if you're on Tiktok, but there are folks that have never done videography and film editing and they're on Tiktok and they don't know what they're actually doing is they're editing video on the fly. So it's not that hard actually. That's a brilliant point. Like, I mean, we watch, we're seeing Tiktok videos, you know, left, right and center. But to your point, like people are, that's video editing, right? Yes, it is. Yeah. So I think, I think we're all just, I know mice is when they first start, especially at stanford. You know, I have a lot of technophobic people that are like, oh, I just don't, I'm not technically, you know, skilled. And um, they're surprised, you know, after a few weeks, they've got it, they've got a video and it's, it's, it's actually really not that hard. You just need to know how to do it. So let's go back to again what you, what you learned over this. Because I just said, yeah, the, the, I started to watch some of them. And it's just so it's so funny because you see like, oh yeah, she had to get really creative and she did. But it was also interesting to see like just literally looking at some of the videos from the beginning of the year pre pandemic. Like you know, like it's just it's so so so how did things change for you once? Um things changed for us all in the world? I know I actually was first kicking myself for doing this during a pandemic year because clearly I wasn't traveling. I mean if it were done just the year before, I would have had beautiful scenery. You have seen Ireland in London, like all sorts of cool places and this year was literally my backyard half the time that you were seeing. But I am actually glad that it did happen during the pandemic here because I was able to capture momentous events of 2020. And to me my feed from then it feels like a historical piece to be honest with you, especially you can contrast the beginning of the year january. I did a trip to L. A. And just kind of like the freedom we had of walking around without masks. Um and just I was in a crowd at staples center, you know, and then to towards end the year most of time alone and a lot of times I'm wearing a mask. Um so it's just really interesting to see that contrast of before and after. Yeah, absolutely. Um and it's like you said it's you had one idea in mind, but then I would imagine like did it force you to have to get even more creative because you weren't just like traveling and in this new and cool place. Um And and so again, going back to the like storytelling, how did you like tell us about a time where you were like where it was that nine p.m. And you're like I don't know what I'm gonna do today. That happened so many times. Um Yeah so I felt like it was kind of an equaliser for me because um I know a lot of folks would have said to me before well that's easy for you to say to be able to film something because you're always out and about and you have interesting things to show. Well last year I had nothing to show. So it was kind of like for everyone that complained that all they had was their house. Well guess what, that was all I had and come nine PM I had nothing and so a lot of the times um I don't know if you saw that one, I just spun around in my chair and I filmed it and then I just made some cool effects and just kind of talked about how I had nothing to film. And that in itself became a story. So I kind of showed like, you know, how do you tell that story of no ideas? So that's a story. Um I really forced me to be creative. Um I was very surprised with what I came up with sometimes. Well, and I think that's the thing, like, we always you you we all get in creative rats, we're all in that moment of like, you know, like, I don't know how I'm going to get out of this creative right, or whatever, because it's like, I don't have the idea now, how am I going to get to that idea, You know? But to your point, I I think that's the thing is when you are in a creative rut, the worst thing you can do is do nothing. Um you know, just like, just the act of doing it gets you out of that creative rut and You're probably not going to produce something amazing, but it will get things kind of kick started and if you just keep practicing and to me it became kind of like a discipline, you know, just do it every day and that you don't even it's not a decision to make. That decision was already made January 1 2020. I am making a video today and it got me I was surprised, like I have to create something when you're, you know, pinned against the wall. You you'll be surprised when you come out with it. It was actually a lot of times I would be done with the video and I'd be like, wow, I can't believe I just did that. Um so I think you'll be surprised and I don't think I'm any special. I think it's just when you're, you know, under pressure like that, most of us, I think will come up with something well, and I think it's a good, I mean, similarly just in life, right? I mean, not just your creativity, but you, in any of the challenges that we come up against. Um the often the worst thing like you said to do is nothing, I find that it's resonating with me strongly right now, really, just, you know, just, it seems like when you're experiencing like anxiety or whatever, or you're unsure of how something's going to work out and you're like, if you just sit there and freeze, you know, then then, yeah, it's not gonna move forward. I do want to give a shout out, we've got some people again continuing to, to tune in and Jason ruby uh, did, yes. Did 225 daily videos with you. Amazing. Oh, you guys should look at his instagram. He had a full on set like he was, he, yeah, he's take a look at his feet. He's good. Yeah, awesome. Um, Jason ruby put type in, you're watching on facebook, type in what your instagram is so we can go, I'll go check that out that he was saying yes and it broke me. He's also um, he was also featured on the apple shot on iphone by the way. So his work was also up there. Okay, awesome. Alright, so let's, let's talk about that. Let's go back in time again. First of all, kudos and congratulations. And I know at the end of that series again, your, your whole thing was to encourage other people to get out there and do the same so and and create so thank you again for that. Everybody go check all of that out. Uh, and because it's really, it is really fun to see and watch. Okay, so let's go back in time. What were you doing? Where were you in your career and all of that? Uh, and, and how did the apple iphone campaigns shot on apple? Come about and yeah, just tell us a story for folks who don't know it. Yes. So I had mentioned earlier that I was doing this photo a day project. I believe I started the first one in 20, I don't know, 12 or something like that. Um, and then I was posting on flicker and on Instagram and one day I think it was 2014, I don't remember exactly 2014 2015. Um, someone on flicker randomly messages me and says, hey, we'd like to license your photo but you need to sign this N. D. A. And I almost said no actually because I was like why do I have to sign an N. D. A. That doesn't make any sense. I had licensed my photo to you know, other you know brands and I'd never had to sign you know an NBA. So like I don't know. Um But I signed it and it ended up being Apple. And at that point it was the first year that they ran the Shauna iphone ad campaign. So I had no clue what it was going to be. And um in my mind it was gonna be maybe like a poster at the store, you know or something like that. That's what I thought it was gonna be like a poster, maybe a sticker. I don't know like a little card that kind of like, marketing stuff. Um And then I think I didn't find out until it was actually when they almost launched, and they said, by the way, it's going to be these billboards all around the world. I was like, what do you mean billboards? Like the big ones? And I was so blown away and I did not realize it was going to be that big, um is probably one of the most exciting moments of my, you know, photography or creative life. Um but that was just a lot of fun. And um check, I just have found take us to like that because I mean, I can only imagine seeing your image, you know, on a on a billboard when again, that's taking on your phone. This is before we all, you know, we're taking photos on your phone. And the quality, of course now is different, but like where were you? Which billboard did you see? And what, what was the image tell us? Right. So the image was interesting. Okay, again, I was forced to be creative because I had to do it every day. And the photo that actually got future, and if you can see it's actually behind me is the red umbrella. Um it was one day I almost didn't go out that day to take a photo because it was the worst storm ever in the bay area that we had experienced in 16 years. It was like, well I still have to take a photo today. Um So I went out and I was like, what does the worst storm look like? And I went outside and with my umbrella and then I saw the reflection umbrella on the on the uh on the ground. And I snapped a photo and that was the photo of the day. Um and I posted it to flicker and um that that was that was the image that they selected. So that was really exciting. Um not to get into like my life at that point, but to me, I think I've attached a lot of meaning to this whole campaign because I had gone into photography to just kind of get out of like a rut that I was having in my life. You know, things weren't going well. We do we do want to get into you want to get your Yeah, that's what this podcast is actually. Oh gosh, this this Oprah Yes, yes. Mhm. Um yeah, so I I okay, I had just gotten divorced at that time and I was um I used photography as a way to just kind of have peace. Like I got into hiking and it went out on my own, and it was like, my one piece of joy that I had in my life, and so for something to come out of that whole thing and to bring me joy got, you know, it was just to me, just met so much, and um I had just poured myself into photography. I took I was on creative life, you don't even know like, how many lessons I took on the platform. Um and it was just, it was just amazing to get some kind of, not pay off, but just to get something great out of it, like, that happened. Um So I was extremely happy, I think I overdid it, like, actually it's like, I want to see one in person. Um So I there was, at the time there were no billboards of mine in the Bay Area, and so I just flew all the way to new york uh to go see it and um I stood in front of the billboard um with my kids and my mom was there too and then, you know, we took a photo, we took selfies, but the funny thing was as soon as I got home to san Francisco, there was a billboard there, so I was like, okay, great, but you got to go to new york, okay, mom and stand there and you get there. Yeah, that did make it more memorable. What? Um what? So so that was still images and just my like, geeky head was like, what was the resolution of images at that time that they were able to put on billboards versus now, I mean you said this was in, It was with the IPhone six that I took that photo so I don't know, someone can Google Real Quick. What the resolution was? The IPhone six back then. Yeah, I was surprised like how are they doing that? Uh Did it then go to video? Yeah. Talk to us about that. And then the following year um I had a couple more things featured, so one was a photo again um of my son, so that was really special because it was him. And then the video was uh close up uh micro shot of a ladybug on the ground. Um And it was, I feel like I kind of forced got my way into things. Everything is a mistake that turns into something good. Um But like that ladybug video, So I was actually out early morning taking a sunrise photo and I dropped my lens cap for my lens on the ground and as I speaking it up, I saw this ladybug on the ground and I was like, I'm like a cute little ladybug. Um and then so I put on one of those Allah clip um lenses on my phone and then I just, you know, took a series of videos of the cute little ladybug and then um Apple really liked it. And so they decided to include it in their um their video ad campaigns for the commercials. Okay, so take us from seeing a standing in new york with your kids and your mom seeing a billboard two, seeing your ladybug video on tv commercials. That was amazing because um the highlight was when I was watching the NBA finals, uh you know during that time one of the commercials was my commercial um and it was just like, oh my God, I can't believe this is playing during the NBA finals. And then what was really cool was that I was watching the game with a bunch of my friends and family, and then when it came on, it was like everybody was cheering as if, you know, our team had won, like, oh my God, there's and that was just really, it was just really cool. It's just really, really exciting to just see that. So how did you make the transition then from um it sounded, it sounds like it was, you know, a hobby. You're getting divorced, your, you know, needing something for yourself, you're putting, you know, yourself into this. Um how did it then go to your your teaching? Um and this becomes, you know, your your profession. Um So I think it was because of um some friends just asking me and assuming I knew what I was doing um to teach them how to use their phone to take photos and videos. And at that time no one was really creating videos using their phones. So I think I was sort of an early adopter and I was, you know, it was more than happy to teach them and then the more people asked me, I thought, you know, maybe I'll just, you know, like start teaching this and so I start a Youtube channel, um just kind of teaching it and then stanford found me and also assumed I knew what I was doing. Um and then they like the way, you know, I was kind of teaching and then I just started teaching at stanford and then that sort of just kind of expanded to, you know, different organizations asking me to teach and you know, I joke, but I, I really do love to teach and for me it's a lot of fun. It's kind of one way I get to talk about something I'm passionate about and to me it's kind of just hanging out and I teach you what I know how to do, and then we can kind of hang out and do it together, and that's that's sort of how I see it well, I I appreciate that you mentioned a couple of times, like, people thought I knew what I was doing, and so I said, yes, so talk to me about imposter syndrome and how you, because we all have it. Um, and uh talk to me about that and how you work through that, I'm still working through that. I mean, I think the fact that I'm here sitting in front of you and we're talking about, I was like, you know, I I I mean creativelive has some really, like I said, like, this is how I learned was on the career ladder platform, and um, when I was first invited to photo week, you know, um you know, the folks that were invited, I felt like, why am I here? Um they all seem super experience and they've been doing this for years and years and I've just been doing this for, you know, maybe, You know, two or three years, I mean, it's it's real. Um and how do I overcome it? I try not to think about it in that way. I try to think about it as I have this knowledge and I just want to share it. Um if people don't think it's, it's useful to them, then, you know, then they don't have to take it, but if I keep getting asked to teach and I will always say yes. Um and it's up to everyone else to determine, you know, whether it's good or not. I mean, it's not it's not my job to do that, my job is to just share what I know, I think that absolutely has to be the attitude, right, because they can get so spun up in what Yeah, you're you're just also spun up in like comparing yourselves to others or what have you, and so if you're if you're able to go with the this is what I know, this is, you know, for everybody out there and whatever it is that you're talking about, or not just even just teaching. Like, it all comes from your perspective, here's what I know, here's the way I go about it and you know, that and you're you're the biggest authority on you and what, you know? So uh it's uh it's yeah, making that separation between um yourself and there's Yeah, exactly. It's kind of like this, what I know and I'm sure this isn't the only way and I'm sure there are the folks that will do it a different way, but um you know, like especially teach, it's like, you know, you you you saw who I am and what I like and you you signed up for it, so here you go. Take it or leave it. Uh huh. Talk to me about the, the mobile filmmaking community because, you know, I know that you've gone to Ireland for there's a annual mobile filmmaking uh conference there and you've spoken there and just I mean it really is, we feature films are now made with mobile devices. Talk to me about the community and um I don't know, yeah, I don't know specifically what, but talk to me now, I love the community. I feel like my passion didn't really come alive until I met all these people who are as into it as I am and you know how it is, you kind of like feed on each other and it's just, I really miss this community cause we weren't able to meet last year nor this year, but it's a small, tight community and everybody knows everybody and everybody's super um nice and such a generic word, but I think generous with their knowledge and we're all just here trying to help each other out that, you know, tell somebody about like this new thing, that new thing, how to do this and that. Um, it's a great community even um, like the hardware makers, the app makers like filmic pro and luna fusion. Um, you know, they're very accessible. I have a surprise and I even now consider them, you know friends. Um, when I'm up in Seattle they're like, I'll go see um, the film It guys over there. So, um, and also the lumen fusion folks and um, it's such a, I don't know, it's like, it's such a special community. Um, and it is global, which is, you get different perspectives and um, a lot of the folks are journalists. Um, and so it's really amazing to see what they are able to do and how they are able to tell their stories just with the phones. All right. So normally I don't get into gear necessarily and you know, there's a lot of gear podcasts out there, but um, a lot of people want to know with, you know, with mobile devices and since you just mentioned, um, you know, filmic and luna fusion, can you talk to us? And you also mentioned in your, um, when I was watching your five things that I learned from doing the 365 videos that I thought it was interesting that You said that you can have like a perfectly lit and beautiful story and that you actually got more engagement on like the tips and the gear. So it's true. I mean it was, I mean, I, what's cool? I got, yeah, I got to see from the 366 videos, which one's got the most engagement and the ones that did typically were the ones that we're talking about here. Um, and I don't know, I'm not seriously, I don't know if you want me to talk about gear, but um, I think because it's not anything, it's the easy thing for people to wrap their heads around because everything else is pretty, um, vague and you don't really know what, you don't know. But gear is pretty easy to kind of wrap your head around. I think that's why folks um kind of start their first, it's a good start. It's true, it's the tool, it's a tool and then there's the, the more then there's the art, right? Exactly. What are some of your favorite tools? So my favorite tools, um I'd say it's a mike, got to have a really good mike and I feel like that's always overlooked. You know, everyone kind of focuses on the gimbal, everybody likes the cool gimbal because it feels like I'm officially a mobile filmmaker. Got more gimble. Um that you say like, my favorite mike is um, one of them is the road wireless go, it's a wireless mic and it's very versatile. So I think I like, I really like using that. Um I actually don't use the mobile, uh the gimbal, as much as most people might think I the whole point of mobile filmmaking for me is to just be as mobile as possible. Um And so the last year the better. Um I like to use the one of the Jobi tripods, uh just to kind of hold my phone and to carry it and like to put on the ground if I want to kill myself. Um and I think with those two things, those are my, you know, every day, I won't go out the door without those two things, Nice, and we can see some of that in the back around there too, I'm noticing. So how do you go from, like, tool to, like when you're teaching? I guess I from from tool to art? Ooh, that is a good question. The question. That question. Well, I think, you know, I do start with the gear when I do teach. Um I'll say here's the basic things because you do need, you know, to paint a painting, you need a paintbrush and you need paint right? You have to have the basics, but once you have that, say, okay, now, what do I do, you're sitting in front of a blank canvas. Um and what I start with is what's what's the story that you want to tell. Um, and, you know, I say, it actually matters if you outline it, and then, you know, and then we go into the actual skills of filmmaking, you know, what's your shot list, what story, what, and then you got to learn what the different, like the actual craft of filmmaking is kind of the next thing. You know, you learn, I think. Exactly, and as I'm listening to you, um you know, there there's a there's a lot to learn. Uh, and so, which is why we brought you the creative life to teach your class and why you teach classes elsewhere to, uh, I, but coming back to the story, why did you call yourself the story? Ah, Gra fist, How did that name come about? Yeah, because I didn't want it to be about the gear. I didn't want it to be about the iphone. I wanted to focus on the fact that I am storytelling and right now it happens to be the iphone. But it could be anything. I didn't want it to be focused on the gear and the tools. Because at the end of the day, what matters is the story that you're telling and I always stand by that. And I think it's really important to just remember that. It's really, it's the content that really matters and everything else will switch out. You know? Well, I think it's interesting to think about, again, you're saying like the that you learn the gear and then that's in the tools and then that's the thing and then the content and the story perhaps becomes the, the more challenging heart. What are, what do you hear from your students as to is what are some of the things that you see your students like the biggest mistakes that people make when starting out, that you're able to quickly come around and be like, no, if you do, if you approach it this way differently. Mm there's there's there's quite a few. I mean, I think the biggest mistake and I don't know if this is too vague, but is that, um, is expecting to be to produce something amazing right away. Uh, and also, uh, this gets into how people learn is that I think you first need to learn the mechanics of um of editing and so don't worry about what what what footage you're using just kind of learn. Um and so I think that's a big mistake in that, like you're trying to learn storytelling and the mechanics of editing and filmmaking all at once, um which is a really hard thing to do. So I kind of say pace yourself, just learn just how to actually move your phone because that can get tricky. Um just learned that part first and then learn editing and then finally when you know those two things fairly well put it together and do the storytelling. And I think one of the mistakes of um when it comes to storytelling is um is not not really being aware that you're one trying to tell one and that there is an actual structure to a storytelling and the most basic level. You have to have a beginning, middle and end. Whereas the end should be kind of different from the beginning. I mean very simple way to look at it. Um, and, and I think it's also assuming that your story has to be epic. I mean just cause it's called story, you know, it doesn't have to be like this epic, I climbed a mountain and came down kind of thing. I mean it could have been like as simple as, you know, when I couldn't find what to film that one night, it was just like the story of me agonizing over how to film. I mean, so I think it's just let, it doesn't have to be epic, learn the mechanics, you know? And then, um, and then go from there. Yeah, it doesn't have to be epic. That is um, that is definitely, uh, when you're, especially when you're starting um I need I need to tell myself that more. So let's talk about Something that you created though. That that was epic. Like what is tell us about creating? You know, maybe it's not out of like the 365 project, but like what are you what are you most excited to be creating now? Um as maybe it's whether that's longer stories or or yeah, talk to me about your personal development as a storyteller. Yeah. So I am actually trying to create something epic now. We should like, oh my gosh, let's see how this goes. I have, up until this point I haven't created anything longer than I don't know, maybe 15 minutes, which is long. Yeah, 15 minutes is long. Um and I had been wanting to do this documentary about um it's a personal about my family and I started it um and unfortunately can't complete it because I'm telling myself that I need to travel and go to the places where I had wanted to film. Um So it's kind of like pause right now. I've done what I can locally, but that that it's hard doing something longer because there's more new things story about when you're creating something longer. Um I really had to be organized and plan and um and actually have more pre production happening. Um whereas for the shorter ones, like Youtube videos and whatnot, there's very little pre production. Um And so that that means uh we'll see how it turns out, but it's it's an epic effort for now. Yes. Well we just, we've been to to start such a project is an epic effort. Um is I guess, I mean, yeah, I mean you were in a world where we have to put certain things on hold but is that can you can you don't want to if if you don't want to talk about the story itself right now because it's still in progress. But I'm just curious as to like what your, what your vision is or you said it was about family. So yeah. So why that I guess one is because um I think it's an important story to capture and I haven't really heard it told. It's about the overall arching theme is actually um it's about the overseas Filipino worker. It's we call them oh FWS and it's very much part of Filipino culture where typically it's the mother that will work overseas for years and years and leave her family behind so she can make money and send it back. Um I am a product of that. My mom was in Australia and she was that overseas filipino worker and I was a child left behind and I've heard it told in a very um numbers kind of way but never heard it told from a very personal way and I feel like it's had a huge effect on me in my life and I know other people and parents, I know my mom, it really affected her and it is very much um deeply ingrained in the Filipino culture and I just want to just kind of tell that story to me. It's just really important and talk to me more about the story because I do on this podcast, we like to talk about people's you know origins are growing up and where it was like creativity born and those types of things. But how long were you? Yeah the child left behind and when uh yeah I was more, I was left banned for seven years. Um so I mean it was a happy childhood, like I, you know, don't everybody, I grew up with my aunts and uncles who and uncle raised me and then my cousins, so I was with this like huge family, but my mom would come and go and I felt like I didn't really know her obviously um until you know, I moved to Australia myself and um there's just kind of weird like this woman would come into my life, you know, every year and say she's my mom, you know, it was just like really, really, it's just such a weird dynamic. Um and then so, and then when I moved in with her to Australia, it was like getting to know your mother, which is such a weird thing to say. Um and then we kind of like through our relationship from there, so, and and it's not unique to me. That's the funny thing, it's not unique to my, it's not, it happens a lot in the Philippines and not just in the Philippines. Um you know, um just again, the the, I guess what I was thinking was about, you know, those first seven years of your life is when a lot of like, that is when you have the ability to be creative and to, you know, you're kind of in this little bubble before your brain changes and starts to like not be as, you know, emotion. Yeah, that's like the emotional period of our lives and seeing the world in a different way and and and you're a mom um and a single mom and how, like, talk to me about your approach to, I don't know, I mean, we're running out of time here, but it's just it's really interesting to me again that when we tell stories and um again, a lot of it is looking at our own lives. Um, so did that experience change, like your view of motherhood for yourself? Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think, um you know, I didn't understand why it happened to me when I was younger and you know, I'm not gonna lie was there's a little bit of like, anger bitterness because I didn't understand it, I was a kid, but now that I'm a mom, it's like, you know what, I might have done the same thing and then I can as a mother now, if I imagine having to leave my child, I can't, like that's just beyond us. Such a sacrifice. And so the fact that my mom did that I can see it from her perspective now, I guess is what I'm saying. And so I'm much more like, I am empathize with what she went through as well, so I can kind of understand the whole situation and therefore um the desire to create the tell the story. Well, I just I'm really looking forward to um your ability to be able to continue the project. Um and and um because yeah, what what uh important story to tell um just universally um for for people who have no idea or haven't experienced or, you know, to to then again, like your self expression of getting that out in the world for yourself too, and for your family. Yeah, I'm just trying not to have so much pressure on myself. All I'm saying is like, you know what, I'm just gonna I'm gonna do it and I'm not going to care about what everybody else thinks, it's just important to me. And I'm just I'm just gonna just do it. Yes. Because again, I think it always comes back to you for creatives, especially your intention. And when you do something for yourself is very different than when you do something for projecting what the outcome might be, what somebody else might think of it, etcetera, etcetera. So, I think that's that's a that's the way to go about it. Keep coming back to that. Right? Right. Exactly. Yes. Created for yourself. Yeah. Cielo. I asked you this before we got we got on but uh is your favorite color yellow? Yes, it is. And and it's a coincidence, but it's also how I tell people how to pronounce my name. C Yellow. And I love the double encounter with the sea because you're a filmmaker and the C yellow. You know, photographer, I didn't make that connection. Well now you have it. You know, there you go. Thanks hand that one over to you. So there you go. Everybody. I wanted to end with that because like now you're going to remember her name. Cielo, Cielo, Cielo. Thank you so much for joining me. I really am excited to see what you continue to create with that particular project. But just in general, I want to make sure that everybody goes to your Youtube channel. Check out that 3 66 project 3 66 because you did make the 3 66. and just all the content that you put out there for people to learn whether that is the tips, the tools, um, you are just constantly giving. So where can people find you and follow you? Uh, you can find me on Youtube. It's Youtube slash iphone filmmaking or on instagram where I post my videos. So I'm at the store. Eog roughest on instagram, awesome, awesome. Well thank you again for joining us today. It's so great to see you. And um, and again, of course, you can check out CLS classes here on creativelive or get on her. You've got freebies on your website. Um, go you know, check those out as well.

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