Jack Of Arts

"Time's up. Pencils down, papers in, please." The teacher announces, breaking me out of my daze.

The quiz was quite easy and I finished it minutes ago.

Payew's mental calculation tutorials over the school break two months ago are doing wonders in my math grades.

Oh. I forgot to write the date.

As I write in the date on my quiz paper, "Oops…" I accidentally wrote April.

Haaaaa... May. It's already May 2. 

Still three months left before the production of 'Okuba' begins. Do I really have to wait for that long? Why can't I start now? More importantly, if Jouny can finish the pre-production before my school break, I wouldn't want to make her and the crew wait for me.

Tayaw is just too much. I know what he's doing. 

"Alright. Class dismissed." The teacher announces.

Thank goodness, I can go home. 

I am home alone again and it's too quiet. This house is too quiet. I already got used to it, but sometimes, I miss the banter with my brothers. Or the banter between Payew and Tayaw.

"Should I have waited for mom?"

Nah. Dad's picking her up anyways. Whatever, I'll just continue working on the order of that fancy lady from Jebung.

.

.

Okay.

"I'll see you all tomorrow when you've all dried."

I'm done with the forming process. It's still bright outside. Should I have worked slower?

Nah. Too fast, or too slow, produces unevenness in the porcelain. The pace I'm most comfortable with is still the best. Hmmm. Instead, is there a shortcut in drying these pieces without cracking them?

Nah. These are thin anyways. Slow and even drying is always the best. Just takes a lot of time, though.

"Sigh…" I'm still not used how empty my workshop is.

Since I got Tayaw's storyboard for 'Okuba', I stopped taking mass orders from restaurants and hotels. That is to give myself time to prepare for the movie.

It's also been a while since I stopped taking orders of porcelain vases from the fans of Percussive corrections once I felt they got very repetitive.

I feel fine though. Although the orders I'm getting for now, are just a fraction in quantity of my workload before, I'm satisfied.

Some of their demands are challenging, which I love because in addition of those jobs improving my painting skills on the ceramics, I also got to learn impressions and stamping.

I'd rather make unique and beautiful pieces than mass produce stuff. Quality over quantity, baby.

"Alright… Time to clean up." *splash*

Oh… damn it. Clay splashed on 'Okuba' story board. Why did I bring it here? Multi-tasking is making me a klutz.

Ah… 'Okuba'. It's been a month, and every time I read the storyboard, the movie in my head gets clearer. I can't wait for the shoot. 

*VROOM*

Oh. That's the sound of dad's annoyingly loud muscle car. They're home. I should clean myself up as well and get in the house.

"Oh. Agew, working on the order of that lady I introduced you to?" Dad acknowledges me as I meet him and mom at the doorstep.

"Yeah. It'll be done in a day or two."

I thought mom liked walking home, that's why she always refused Tayaw's or dad's offers of gifting her a car, but I guess I was wrong.

I think mom likes it better if dad picks her up from work instead.

.

After showering, I see mom and dad already changed their clothes and are now cooking dinner together.

Should I leave home too? I feel like I'm intruding on the two's interaction. Haha.

It is not only Dad's coming home time that changed since Payew left. Him and mom have also been cooking dinner together every day. They talk about boring things, with smiles on their faces, it's weird.

Whatever. I have a storyboard to read. These two can do lovey dovey things by themselves. 

"Thanks for the food, mom, dad."

It was a nice dinner. Mom's cooking skills improved immensely. Or was it dad? Nah. It's mom. She's the only one who's been reading the storyboard style cook book Tayaw made just for her.

"You're welcome. So? How's school?" Dad asks.

Finally. I've been ignored by them since dinner began.

So.. School, huh? Is he really asking how it is? Or it's just some random question?

"Fine." I tell him.

"Oh. Good." Dad nods.

Hm. Good. It's not like I'm slacking off.

Well, I am slacking off, but with good reasons, as they know.

"His grades are just fine. He's popular too. But I heard from his homeroom teacher that he's not making new friends." Mom says.

I have enough friends. It's just my activities are vastly different from theirs so I don't hang out with them much outside school. These two know enough to realize that.

Them talking about school reminds me of what I've been thinking of for a while now. Should I bring it up?...

"Mom, dad. May I be homeschooled?" I ask.

They look at me blankly.

If they get mad or not, I don't care. It's not like there's nothing wrong with what I said.

"W-what…" Wow. Mom seems to be shocked.

"What brought this up?" Dad on the other hand, is interested. He seems cool about it.

"I just feel like I don't need school. It's getting in the way of me practicing my pottery skills." And my study of the storyboard.

I also want to take part in the pre-production of 'Okuba'. How everything gets set up, how every actor, every member of the crew, and every prop is arranged. I want to see them all, if mom and dad allows me to.

"Really…" Mom says, clearly not believing me. "This is not about Tayaw's movie?" she asks.

She got me. How does Tayaw lie to their faces all the time?

"I just want to do well, mom. I want to prepare. With my skills, I don't think I deserve the 100,000 BGCs he is going to pay me." I explain.

"What?!" "100K?!" Judging from their reactions, I don't think Tayaw told them about how much he's paying me.

"Yes. I didn't want to accept the money, but he said that it's the price of my skills." I explain to mom and dad. 

I too, was very shocked when I signed the contract with Tayaw. I just wanted to have fun and shoot great scenes. But to be paid that much… I don't even know what to do with that much money once I receive it.

'Cinematographer', the job that Tayaw gave me.

A job where I will be in charge of the visual aspects of the film. I was confused at first and told him that it's basically directing, but after he explained it more, I saw the difference.

He made use of 'Australia' as an example, a film co-directed by Jun Xiao Song and Gary Messick.

Gary guided how the actors act so they perform well in their respective roles. Xiao Song on the other hand, was in charge of the camera angles and lighting of the film.

Tayaw said that if he had the say in the credits in the film, he would have made Gary the director, and Xiao Song the cinematographer.

So, in 'Okuba', I'll have similar responsibilities that Xiao Song had in 'Australia'.

After Tayaw explained to me what a cinematographer does and what cinematography means, I understand why it's such a high paying job.

I felt like I can do the job too, because of the short films I did. But the more I read the storyboard of 'Okuba' more, and reviewing the storyboards of Tayaw's past films more, I don't feel as confident anymore.

Even though Tayaw gave me the storyboard as a guide, I don't feel confident in expressing what he really wants 'Okuba' to look like.

While his films are almost a copy of his storyboards, it obviously isn't as simple as that. I need more time to study and learn, to see why that is.

Especially 'Okuba'.

The film will be very limited in setting despite the complicated story. The backdrop is mainly just the forest and a bar, and there are no fancy costumes or props. That means that for the story to be told well, the film will have to rely greatly only on the bȧrė foundations; acting, and cinematography. A large chunk of cinematography relies greatly on my execution.

Despite the difficulty, I'm confident I can do the job because I'm not starting the cinematography from scratch. If I had to come up with 'Okuba's storyboard from scratch, like how I did with my short films, I don't even know if I'll complete it in three months even if I have all the time in the world. It will also not even be half as good as Tayaw's storyboard.

That's another wonder in Tayaw. I have no idea how impressive it is to write a novel, write a song, or make a game, but when it comes to storyboarding and cinematograph-izing, I can say that Tayaw simply isn't human. I know it didn't take him long to make 'Okuba's story board, because of how busy he is with different projects.

That also means that he already had the movie in his head and he just drew it down for Jouny and I to make.

Was that also how it was when he was making September Ninth and GBTD? How did he come up with all of this by himself? It's insane.

He's also a good director, judging on how he guided his actors to appear like real people in his films. That means that he always did the job of the director and cinematographer by himself, which is just incredible.

Of course, in traditional film making, directors are also the cinematographers. In my short films, I also was both the director and the cinematographer. But when it comes to full feature films that adapt Tayaw's style, it will be very, very difficult and overwhelming to ȧssume those two roles and do well in them.

For example, Jouny's award-winning 'Hope and Innocence'. The story was nice, the actors were great, but I have a few issues with the camera angles, the color, and the framing. If Jouny had only consulted Tayaw for a bit with the cinematography, she probably would have made her film look better. And if 'Hope and Innocence' looked better, it might have even won some awards internationally.

While Tayaw is inhuman, and probably the only one who can work as a director and a cinematographer simultaneously, and perfectly, in the end of the day, he's just one man.

No matter how many films he can come up with his head, he simply cannot make them all by himself. He said so himself.

'I wish I had more than just two hands to do everything I want. You have great hands, brother. Will you lend them to me?' Those were his exact words.

I don't know if he's lying, or just saying flowery shit like he what he says to mom and dad, but I know that Tayaw simply does not give out a huge responsibility like this just because I'm his brother.

That means I at least have some skill for him to trust me. 

"Honey… Come to think of it..." Dad gets over his surprise of my salary.

"?" Mom looks at him.

"Tayaw did say that Agew here has enough skills to start working with professionals. That also means he deserves a professional's salary, right?" Dad says.

Huh… That's another way to explain it but… a professional huh.

Am I really a professional? But if that's what Tayaw told mom and dad, then maybe I am? No. I don't feel like it though. Someday, maybe. But for now, I know I'm getting paid not because I'm a full-fledged cinematographer, but because Tayaw needed my hand while he uses his own hands in his other stuff.

One day, mom and dad, I will be. Once I start making my own story boards and can come up with a good cinematography of an entire film, only then will I call myself a professional. 

For now though, let's use this as an excuse.

"Mom. Dad. I'm almost a professional now. Following the school's schedule will just get in the way of me going full pro." I tell them.

The two of them look at me before they start giggling. "Puhahaha…" Dad then bursts to a full-on cackle.

"Oh dear… You're adorable…" Mom on the other hand gives me that embarrassing loving look.

Why are they laughing? It's not entirely a lie?

"Oh good lord. Haha… Hooo." Dad finally stops laughing and Mom too stops giving me the look.

"You're right. At first, I only saw your short films as a hobby. But now… it's become work for you, huh." Mom says.

Oh… it worked. So… does this mean that they're allowing me to be home-schooled?

"So… May I? Study at home?" I ask them once again.

"Is ceramics and film really what you want to do forever? You don't want to go to a high school like Rinowra?" Mom asks.

I've thought about it before. And doing what I'm doing right now for a long, long time in the future doesn't seem like a bad idea. Good, even.

My ceramics business was doing well before I took a break from taking mass orders.

Tayaw, an award-winning filmmaker, said that he is satisfied with what I can do with a camera, and he trusted me with a heavy responsibility in a film with his name on it.

I'm learning well in these things and I find them fun. Even if I don't find them fun, I'm not good at school like Payew and Tayaw are, so what else can I do? What I can do with my hands and my eyes, are the only things I'm good at.

"Yes, mom. I never had good grades in the first place. It's too late now to try and go to good schools. I might as well drop things I'm not good at and focus on things where I'm doing well." 

"Fair enough… But your dad and I are busy to teach you." Mom says.

"Mom, I've looked up some online home-school programs. I can even afford many of them."

I have a lot of savings. After making a LOT of dinnerware for hotels and restaurants, adding my 'royalties' as the designer and former manufacturer of some of Percussive Corrections' merchandise, I saved up around 60,000 BGCs.

If I still get stable customized orders from rich people, then even more savings. I only need 2,000 a year for one of the best online courses. Even if it takes me three or four or five more years of homeschooling to get a GED, I still have plenty left over. I'm too young to buy, own, and use the stuff I want to buy.

"You've been thinking about this for a while, huh?" Dad chuckles.

"I have."

"How about making friends? That's the charm of school life. You'll make friends that will last you a lifetime." So, you're still not down with it.

Come on mom. I haven't even seen one of your friends from your hometown.

"I have friends though? When I have no ceramics to make, I always hang out with school friends before going home." I say. Which is true. .

Sometimes, some of them also visit me to watch the stuff I'm working on in my workshop. They don't like getting their hands dirty though, and are just interested in watching me work.

"And. I'm friends with Tayaw's band. We sometimes talk online. They even want me to visit them again." Them too.

We started as some sort of business partners, but we became friends. That's also how I easily convinced them to be the subjects of my short films.

"Are you really sure? You're gonna be lonely here at home. You're already spending too much time by yourself lately." Mom says, in worry.

She always worries. But I'll be fine. Since I took ceramics seriously, I found myself preferring to be alone. I enjoy being absorbed in doing something, often times more than hanging out with friends. 

"Honey. He'll be fine. Just look at Tayaw and Payew. When they were Agew's age, they really didn't make many friends, did they? Tayaw especially." Dad cuts in with a good excuse.

"Maybe Agew and Tayaw are similar in that matter. You know? Maybe creative types like them are fine being left alone."

"…" Looks like that got mom.

"Just like Tayaw, mom. I'm gonna make friends with actors too." I add.

Well, not friends exactly, but I get to acquaint with celebrities.

Tayaw gave Auntie Jouny my phone number and Auntie Jouny gave my number to Uncle Uranto and Uncle Nielg. They seem to want to meet me and the feeling is mutual.

"Hmmm… Shall I apply for a sabbatical leave from work?" Mom says.