Skip to main content

“Cerberus”: Why it deserves to win the MYX Philippines Best Music Video Award of 2016

It has been a personal advocacy to support the local music and art industry of the Philippines.
I have been researching and writing about emerging art forms since 2011.
As of the moment, the music industry is undergoing a revolution of its own- for the better.
The people featured here on my blogs are artists, directors, visionaries who are changing the game of the local industry in a positive way.


Music Video Creation in the Philippines:
The music videos that are being created right now in the Philippines have yet to improve.

 The concepts that are made by traditional video makers still lack the vision and ideas that are needed to convey what is needed by the song and the artist.

However, once in a while we meet Directors and artists that challenge our ideas.

Here is my analysis on why “Cerberus:” deserves to win the Best Music Video Award on MYX.



What makes”Cerberus” stand out?
 “Cerberus” with Abra. Feat. Loonie and Ron Henley were able to stand out for a lot of reasons.



The vision of the Director:
Willan Rivera unlike other music video and film directors was able to capture the essence of the song.

Rappers like Abra, Loonie and Ron Henley have strong personalities and it takes a strong vision in order to be able to blend the elements together.



What makes this music video stand out?
The execution and the way it was edited.

The way the scenes were cut and the cinematography was strategically made.
Willan Rivera is able to transport the viewer into another dimension.

His music videos feel like actual movies.
Willan is able to give you that blockbuster feeling-

The quality of the music videos has leveled up since Directors like him have entered the game.



The concept:
The title “Cerberus” is about a three headed dog guarding the underworld.
The director has selected Cerberus as the title in order to accommodate three different perspectives.
The video features three artists: Abra, Loonie and Ron Henley.
Each of them has their own personality and style.
But despite the difference in background, technique and artistry, all of them have a uniting factor in them and this is what the music video conveyed.

Prosthetics Make-up:
The vision of the video is to provide an abstraction of deities in another dimension.
The prosthetics used in this video is made from high quality materials. Willan not only directs but is also able to provide prosthetics and make up as part of the music video package.


This is rare for music videos in the Philippines; usually we will just see this level of work in the movies.

Abra was portrayed as an Extra Terrestrial,  Loonie was the Angel of Death while Ron Henley is the Shaman.

The Producers behind the project:
The video was produced by game changers of the music industry.
Artifice Records and Clips merged in order to create this one of a kind music video.

Why we need to support our local music industry and the people behind it?

The Philippine music industry is undergoing a process.

The changes would be tedious, but the quality of the work and artistry is leveling up.

The collaborative work that has occurred in this video is noticeable.




Three of the best musicians in the country were able to merge into one powerful song and together with Willan Rivera; they were able to come out with the MYX Best Music Video of 2016.


I hope to get a chance to meet Willan Rivera in order to observe the video production process.

 An organic processing of thought and ideas is happening in his videos, and it has to be observed and researched in order to help other upcoming music video directors.

I am following his Facebook page, and have heard that he will be creating a full length film- Willan is a different type of director, he is able to express himself fully on social media using wit and humor.


 I will definitely look forward for more of his projects. 


 Here is a link of Cerberus: 



Popular posts from this blog

Know your local artist: Khervin John Gallandez : The Ilocano Artist

Khervin John Gallandez is an emerging visual artist from Ilocos. It has been a personal advocacy to share the amazing people I have met while on the road Khervin John Gallandez, is one of the many hopefuls in the local art industry— and he is definitely worth our time. He has focus and determination and young artists can learn a lot from his willingness to evolve when it comes to his craft. Q&A : At what age did you first realize that you wanted to become an artist? I started to draw at the age of 7, as far as I remember.  I draw simple houses with my cousins. My mother was a disciplinarian before, and she provides used papers for me to draw/scribble instead of me going out and playing around. When my father came back in Philippines from working abroad, he brought set of encyclopedias for me to read.  It was then the first time that I read about paintings of the old masters (e.g. Leonardo Da Vinci, Van Gogh and others) which gave me my
Read more

Why you need to visit the Bamboo Intramuros

There are very few places in Metro Manila that would make you feel relaxed and one with nature . I was fortunate enough to meet one of the legendary owners of  Bamboo Grande franchise.  Honesto Deuda aka Ka-Oni  is well loved by friends, acquaintances and people who have met him from different walks of life.  He co-owns some of the best bar and restaurants in Metro Manila. Ka Oni is known for creating inspiring and bars that have soul, spunk and spirit.  He has been conceptualizing organic looking resto bars for more than 10 years now. Ka- Oni's creations are noticeable because the resto bars that he creates are made out of love for music and the arts. His process is different, Ka Oni  creates the vision for the restaurants but does not need to put them on paper, they are directly executed from his imagination to reality.   Ka Oni was already featured in Mabuhay International Magazine for the amazing work that he has done with his surrounding commun
Read more

Origami Pilipinas: Changing the Country one paper fold at a time

MAY 22 TIU theater is an artist hub located in Makati, and I was given the chance to watch Bakata: The Battle of Street Poets, a play produced by  Toshihiko Uriu  -   The play was a huge success and is predicted to turn into a Philippine classic, but I am writing this article right now to highlight another story that occurred inside the TIU theater.  A collaboration piece that helped produce the effect of the wonder called Bakata. I noticed the glow of the lanterns and the paper cranes highlighted in the stage design, it had the flair and flamboyant but subtle effect that was needed in order to make the stage look just perfect for the story line.  Leo R Natividad is the President and Owner of Origami Pilipinas.  I was fortunate to meet members like  L. River Butay, Adonis dela Cruz as well as Jose Monzales and other volunteers who continue to strengthen Origami Pilipinas. Origami Pilipinas and their Advocacy: Origami Pilipinas, was founded out of pa
Read more