At only 36 years old, Michael (or Mick, as he is fondly called) has set his sight on making Bigfoot the leader in the entertainment industry by taking a fresh approach in creating high impact and valued programming and products that "entertain, inform and inspire." Based in North America and Asia, he produces quality independent feature films, television programming, as well as educational and corporate content designed for international audiences. His team of award-winning producers, directors and writers from Hollywood and other film capitals of the world, now operate in a newly-constructed, world-class production facility located in Mactan Island, Cebu.

Arriving in Cebu, our team was met by great sunshine and warm smiles from the queen of the south. Immediately, we were whisked away by van and brought to our accommodations located within the 8,200 square-meter sprawling complex that houses the International Academy of Film and Television (IAFT), owned by Bigfoot Entertainment. Facing a picturesque beachfront, the IAFT combines the very best of both worlds – state-of-the-art film-making facilities and a wonderful beachside lifestyle.

Our group was billeted in five adjacent suites, designed to accommodate visiting Hollywood royalty complete with the usual perks fit for a celebrity – plasma TV, DVD, living room, mini-bar, fruit basket, 180 thread count sheets and a luxurious bathroom with glass panels and rain shower head. For once in my life, I felt what it was like to be Leonardo Di Caprio.

Lunch was served in a traditional Thai restaurant downtown hosted by Bigfoot’s Director of PR & Marketing Communications, the lovely Daphne Chua together with Jessica Kelly from the Bigfoot headquarters in LA. Our group delighted in the finest of Thai delicacies, and teased the vegetarian Jessica who ended up struggling with the meat dishes.

During the afternoon, we were given a comprehensive tour of the IAFT Academy, sans the traditional mini golf carts used at Universal Studios. The campus boasts the most advanced soundstage, recording and Foley studios, a Dolby-certified sound mixing theater, and Final Cut Pro digital editing suites. We then went for a meet and greet fashion with the Bigfoot Team headed by CEO muscleman Matt Lubetich, VP of Technical Operations Mark Cabaluna, Creative Development Head Tim Doolen, Sales & Marketing Director Claude Howard, IAFT Academic Director Gemma Lucero, and Project Architect Sarah Abadia. We learned that beginning January 2006, the IAFT will offer a one-year Immersion Program to aspiring filmmakers from around the world. Under the direction of Hollywood-trained filmmakers, students will have the chance to take film courses in cinematography, directing, editing, producing, screenwriting and sound design. The academy’s philosophy is to combine both theory and real-world applications to create a hands-on approach for students. The course will consist of five 9-week sessions, with tuition cost that range between U$8,000-5,000. The goal is for students to write, produce and direct their own material and the exemplary ones will get a chance to go on an internship program with Bigfoot Productions helping them to create their own professional show reel. Later, dinner was served buffet style at Bigfoot’s version of Starbucks Café (aptly named Big Bucks!) downtown at BFE’s Corporate Office Tower.

Our next day’s adventure included a choice between two tasks: Yachting or Diving. In yachting, teams got the privilege to enjoy Mick’s multi-million dollar Sun Seeker yacht docked at Shangri-La Mactan. Here, everyone got to enjoy the beautiful waters of Cebu, wine in tow. In Diving (where I was the only one brave enough to volunteer), I finally got my chance to see Moalboal underwater guided by a certified PADI-diver. But the most interesting part came when Mick showcased his unique style of underwater photography, now compiled into one beautiful calendar called Nautical Angels (incidentally, the calendar promotes the beautiful marine life in Cebu). "Many of us have had the pleasure of seeing stunning visuals of marine and coral life in the specialized field of underwater photography, but very rarely have we been exposed to settings underwater involving real people," explains Mick. With his fascination for diving, photography and beautiful women, Mick decided to up the ante by taking up the unique challenge of underwater fashion photography.

All the training in relaxation, breath holding, bubble making and strategic hair movement the models receive will culminate in the shoot. An ideal shot captures the model relaxed, posing in the right place with eyes open, with hair floating upwards and out of her face, and bubbles just above her head. The hair and bubbles are considered the icing on the cake – the stamp of proof that the shot took place underwater. The longer the model is able to hold her breath, the higher the number of shots per shooting window. Her relaxation training teaches her to pose in this challenging environment without looking tense or panicky. Her bubble training allows her to release bubbles at a particular pace (as too many bubbles can block her face altogether). All these will prepare the model to coordinate her jump with the aforesaid directions. The myriad of all these factors will certainly limit the chances for success.

"Unlike traditional photography, which allows the changing of camera lens to be relatively easy and accessible, underwater photography requires a camera with an underwater housing that are fitted for a single-sized lens. Hence, a shoot may require three separate cameras with different lenses and housings." Mick usually descends with one camera, having decided ahead of time which lens he would use. However, at times, extra cameras might be required. For shots requiring mobility, Mick wore scuba gear. However, for shots that required a static shooting angle, he wore custom-made shoes weighing 8 kilograms for greater negative buoyancy. Unique to Mick’s Underwater Fashion Photography is the aquatic set design, recreating a basketball headboard, boxing ring and bench press demanded tremendous creativity and engineering and perseverance. His production crew spent days of trial and error to create set designs that would sustain in an underwater environment. Good visibility and a clear sky can also go a long way to create the ideal photo opportunity. Mick and his team often use tide and time table predictions provided by the Coast Guard to study the size and direction of currents to schedule photo shoots.

Bigfoot’s International Academy of Film and Television has offered numerous workshops specifically created to introduce students to the basics of filmmaking since its formation in 2003. It has conducted corporate training programs with Filipino media conglomerate ABS CBN and has graduated more than 300 students in just over a year. In the next 12 months, the IAFT will also conduct workshops on Acting, Animation, Editing Certification, Underwater Photography, Sound Design, Guerilla Filmmaking, Documentary making, Dance and Singing. For more information, visit www.study-film.com.