Whenever I direct music videos, I see it as an opportunity to craft a narrative short film—something that genuinely makes the audience think and feel. When Balcony-Prime Productions reached out with Rock Opong's "Anong Layo," I immediately fell in love with the track and could easily think of a story. Unfortunately, my first concept didn't push through due to location issues, so I came up with another one that I knew audiences would instantly recognize: the "organic encounter." To make it as relatable as possible, I wrote and conceptualized it into a commuter's love story.
Bringing that vision to life meant adapting to the reality of the production. Operating with a tiny, skeletal crew actually worked to our advantage, even though it meant our producer, Denise, had to step up and wear many different hats to keep the project moving. With no time to secure official permits, we leaned into a fast-paced, guerilla-style shoot on the streets.
My cinematographer, Richmond, chose the Sony FX3 paired with DZO Arles lenses (from Balcony-Prime Productions) to give our run-and-gun setup a highly cinematic look while still keeping the form factor relatively small. The biggest happy accident of the shoot happened at Ready Coffee. I initially hesitated to use the location because of its frontal glass walls, but my DP brilliantly turned that architectural challenge into a visual motif. He turned that problem into a series of striking reflection shots that perfectly echoed the emotional longing of the story.
In fact, there is a very special shot in the final cut that wasn't even storyboarded. There’s a moment where The Girl walks into the cafe and is perfectly mirrored by Rock as the glass door closes. It just magically came together during the shoot, and we all actually gasped on set when it happened because it looked so terrific.
Despite the fast pace and the challenges, we all had so much fun on this set. I feel incredibly honored to have directed a music video for a song that I genuinely love.
A Balcony-Prime Production
Director: Ian Abaya
Producer / Production Manager: Denise Blanco Elizon
Director of Photography: Richmond Cadsawan
Equipment Head: Miguel Herce
1st AC / Focus Puller: Gunther De Guzman
Key Grip: Christopher Ducot
2nd ACs: Edward Amante
Grips: Benjie Barruga, John Dwight Sunga, Keenx Benabente
Production Drivers: JR Pancho, Jonathan Ringad, Mark Jophet Andallo
Production Staff: Brandon Delfino
Girl Talent: Ashley Almonte
Talent Coordinator: Chesca Hebron
Hair and Makeup Artists: Ranel Vierneza, Edwin Erejer
Editor (Offline/Online): Dave Ilagan
Colorist: Verge Tafalla
Color Producer: Jess Maristela
