I don’t just shoot and edit videos, I tell stories.”
By CHRISTINE ANNE T. CABANATAN
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – A multimedia arts major from a university here is starting to make waves on Youtube tackling youth-centered issues like homosexuality, and of course, love.
Airish Joyce Vitales, 19, has produced the short films Eh ano kung bakla ako? and #Hugot, which had earned tens of thousands of views on Youtube. She is taking up Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Arts at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.
“I love filmmaking more than anything else because it allows me to dream and imagine things beyond reality. I don’t just shoot and edit videos, I tell stories.” Vitales said.
Vitales’s parents wanted her to take up medicine, but eventually let her decide for herself what course to take.
Vitales said watching movies inspired her to produce her own film.
Her first short film, Eh ano kung bakla ako, is a web narrative showing the different forms of discrimination encountered by teenage homosexuals. Although there were viewers who gave negative comments about the performance of the actors, many praised the story-telling aspect.
Vitales said the feedback made her realize that she needs to consider her set of characters carefully.
Her short film #Hugot, is about people who fall in love, but got hurt because they believed in lies. This film gained a lot of viewers on Youtube and a good feedback since many can relate with the story.
A third short film, Resigned, is yet to get viewers. Vitales said the idea for the film was taken from a viral picture on the Internet.
Vitales said her production were mainly made to fulfill academic requirements, but she said she wants to give a new perspective on stories and to have impact on her viewers.
“Whenever I produce a film, I always make sure that it has unpredictable endings but at the same time, realistic – not necessarily happy endings.” She said.
Filmmaking involves a lot of time, money and effort. It is exhausting, Vitales said, as she encountered problems throughout the process. She will also be going up against many other wanna-be filmmakers, but she said she is up for the challenge.
“Trust, be proud, and confident with yourself because no one will do it except you,” she said. 
