Mistula: Digital Idols at DentsuINDIO
Once in a while, we enjoy the privilege of exchanging ideas with creative humans. Last November 12, 2009, I went to the creative session of the advertising agency DentsuINDIO to talk about the subject I know best: Mistula, Digital Idols.

Objects of Worship, The Making Of
June 6, 2009 was a very wet day. But that didn’t stop the Mistula crew from driving the slippery highways to Pampanga, a province two hours from Manila, known for its skilled sculptors and religious heritage. We had a deadline to catch. The editor-in-chief of Sense&Style magazine, AA Patawaran, wanted Mistula on the fashion spread for July, and he said the photos had to be in no later than June 10. It was going to be Mistula’s first time to appear on a fashion spread – and the first time for BJDs to be featured in a Philippine fashion magazine. So Joey, our virtual band manager, gathered the crew and had us rushing towards her hometown for a shoot worthy of Sense&Style’s Art issue.

Mistula’s Lovely Day Out (Part 1)
Huge photos demand patience.
Mel Tiangco and Joey de Leon were not the first to talk about the Philippines’ first virtual band on national TV. Mistula’s TV debut was on Lovely Day, a GMA morning program hosted by the lively Love Anover and her cute trio of sidekicks. They featured Mistula alongside the local BJD community, ManikaManila, and the Philippine manga publisher, PSICOM, last March 3, 2007. (The video will be uploaded with English subtitles for our non-Filipino friends soon.)
Here are some scenes you might’ve not seen on TV.

