Confessions of a Crossfitter and Film Director: Joaquin Pedro Valdes

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Name: Joaquin Pedro Valdes

Occupation: Film and TV Commercial Director

Sports: Did long distance running, climbing, and rowing in college. Ultimate Frisbee, Boxing, Weight Training

Fitness Goals: Build Mass, Increase explosive strength and decrease body fat.

Favorite CrossFit Exercise: Overhead squats! Close runner ups are Lateral Burpees and Push Jerks

What do you do for a living? How did you get yourself into that?

I direct commercials for a living and when I find myself inspired or disturbed, I make films. I was always exposed and attracted to the arts. As a kid I found myself painting and drawing a LOT. I liked watching plays and movies then when other grade sixers were busy with their computer games, a bunch of friends and I would make amateur action movies in the garage with a video-8. Things got serious when I decided to shift from Architecture to Film back in college. From then on I was mentored, schooled and molded to be a director.

Upon searching on google for Joaquin Pedro Valdes’ work, the articles that come up describe your films as unique and edgy. Aren’t most upcoming film directors unique and edgy too? In that case, how are you different?

It’s funny because I think being called “edgy” is equivalent to the 90’s “cool”. I don’t make a conscious effort to make my work different. I find stories and visuals that appeal to me, that strike me and that I feel are potent enough to deliver a thought…then I run with that. With such a visual and experiential craft, the main goal is to grip the audience, and hold them tight. I try and make it a point to keep the viewers interested. A lot of it is subject selection; when many would stop and take a nice picture of the mountains and clouds….I’ll zoom in on the dead frog by the road.

If there was a film critic in the New York Times or a professor from the Int’l Film Institute of New York that saw your stuff, how do you think they would describe your work.

It’s hard to hypothesize. I’ll stick to what has been said; some foreign film ‘academics’ have described some of my works as “strong”, “affecting”, “dark” and “gorgeous”.

You were voted Spot.ph’s 10 Pinoy Talents to watch for in 2011. What exactly is in store for 2011?

A lot! I’m currently finishing the last leg of Project Raincloud which is an Original Graphic Novel by Andrew Drilon. We launched the film DAGIM and its website garnering enough anticipation for the OGN. Apart from the usual advertising grind with my production house PROVILL, I have a couple of on line passion projects set up for release at the end of the year. I’m working on a series of free short films that should be available on line.

You’re also working on something called the Project Raincloud, using tri media – film, graphic novel, and a website to portray your film Dagim. Correct? Any road bumps you’ve experienced in integrating the different mediums?

“Road bumps” is an understatement. It took me about 2 years to get this thing moving, starting as a big ‘dream’ of mine alongside some of my college buddies. I guess our ambition got the better of us when things started to happen faster than we could imagine. I guess we wanted to be the first to do this kind of ‘experiment’ so to speak, and being the “first” comes with a lot of mistakes. What’s great about it is that we found ourselves riding this wave that proved our theories right and teaches us new things at the same time. The multimedia animal is an extremely complex venture. If used right it should be really effective. It’s been an amazing ride so far especially since I trust the people I’m taking it with.

So despite our road bumps, we were still the first. There will be many multi-pronged projects in the future, but nothing beats the first.

Your facebook profile is also named Project Raincloud, your alter ego. How is your alter ego different from the real Joaquin Valdes?

I had a facebook but I committed on line ‘suicide’ back in 2009. No regrets. I maintain the Project Raincloud page because it’s very efficient and useful for our project. Although I’m not the only one that can access that page. I do keep a twitter though, there’s more information control…hence no drunk pic tagging. I prefer to keep all things personal…well…personal.

How did you get into Crossfit? Any first impressions? Apprehensions?

Fitness-wise I’ve always been very adventurous. I like the outdoors, I like pumping iron, I like the stress level and I like competition. That was when schedule was more or less regular and fixed. Directing kind of became the main bane of my fitness regiment since I’m faced with long hours, a lot of stress, a lot of eating and a lot of drinking. But I made sure that when I did get the down-time or some semblance of regularity, I’d jump back in.

It was after my 4 month “fitness break” finishing my film that I felt absolutely lousy. I was supposed to go back to doing Plyo to coincide with my regular gym program when my brother told me about this new thing called CrossFit.

I knew Matt from Frisbee and Plyo and decided to check out the buzz. I saw that it was H.I.I.T and that it always changed. I kind of got challenged by all those bad ass moves like Muscle Ups and the Kipping Pull Up. Plus, it wouldn’t hurt to look like those guys too.

Honestly, I rode the bandwagon of long distance endurance running, badminton and even Bikram Yoga for a while, but nothing matched the burn and pain that comes with lip biting, bullet sweating resistance training. Cross Fit does that for me.

Plus its all functional! It was after my first week that I felt nimbler, lighter, leaner, and knew that if Zombies invaded I could literally run for my life. Or beat the crap out of one of them.

We’ve seen you knock out some bad ass Crossfit workouts. Is that you working out or your alter ego?

Ha! Maybe both. Dagim is about a bunch of cannibalistic mountain dwelling punk monsters….I bring my demons out when doing those damn burpees.

I like the idea that it’s set in a pseudo-group setting, but in reality your really competing with yourself and the clock. There’s that extra push, extra adrenaline shot that boosts you up to the point of puking. But you feel great after.

In the end you really have to go deep into your head and decide to do that extra round, that extra rep and that extra jump. If you quit, you would’ve probably still burned a considerable amount of fat; but you quit.

You also described your Raincloud project to have a cult following, a Rebel Yell, and something the 90’s kids are looking for. Sounds like Crossfit too but minus the 90’s kids right?

There should be a term for when you get hooked on Cross Fit. I have mad respect for the fitness trends around. Mad respect. But I think Cross Fit has surpassed the “trend” and has become logical. It just makes sense. It’s functional, effective, efficient and motivating. That’s all you really need to get out of your fitness rut. When people stop doubting it and end up wanting to puke on their first WOD, you can be sure that they’ll be back for more.

If you were going to do a Viral film for Crossfit (which you’ve actually offered to do), can you walk us through some scenes? And what do you think would make it just as viral as the Old Spice ads?

Aha! I usually charge for consultations like these. Hahaha. I can assure you it’ll most likely be funny, and irreverent. It may or may not involve a hot chick, vomit and lots of groaning and moaning.

You’re looking for partners to help Project Raincloud a reality. How can we help? How can our members help?

Right now, DAGIM (the film) is in works of screening in certain festivals abroad. But BLACK CLOUDS is still in production and should be ready on the shelves in time for Summer. Will keep the Cross Fit Manila people updated; in the meantime do check out our website www.projectraincloud.com or add us up on Face Book!