The Art of the Scene Selection

and why I decided to create this newsletter

I don’t really remember the first time I watched films on DVD.

My first memory of films in general goes back to sometime in 2002, when I first got a copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in VCD (yes, the one before DVD)—it was a Christmas gift that was used very well (pun intended, iykyk). I remember watching it constantly, practicing the lines with my neighbors (in complete British accent) and reminiscing about the day I finally receive my Hogwarts letter in the mail.

Which, obviously, never came.

But kidding aside, the idea of being able to watch a film after I’ve seen it in the cinema was such a treat to me. As a nine year old, I was amazed at technology and all the possibilities it allowed. It also reminded me of my dad, because we watched the first Harry Potter film at Shangri-la Plaza mall, a year before he passed on.

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In the early 2000s, DVDs were a common household item. I’d drop by frequently at my aunt’s place, which was near my school, after dismissal. I’d watch School of Rock over the summer, borrow a couple of DVDs, and go through numerous films. I remember borrowing New York Minute, and some Lindsay Lohan films like Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen and Freaky Friday. I remember opening myself up to all these films and realizing, wow, there’s a world outside where I live in.

Let me put this in context: I grew up mostly in the confines of Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. It was 2002. My father had just passed away, and it took me years to acknowledge my grief. I had nothing in my disposal to do during those days (the Internet was still making its way to our side of the world—probably in 2005?) except read books, draw, study (a lot). I didn’t even know travel was a concept in my younger years. I had a very limited worldview. I only thought I could be x person or y person based on what I’ve been exposed to, as a conservative Chinese-Filipino.

In some way, my fascination for media started at a very young age, but it wasn’t until I was twenty three (in years, that’s 2016) that I fully found the genre of films and TV shows that resonated with me.

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When I was thinking of a title for my newsletter, I couldn’t quite put into words what I had wanted it to convey, as a whole. I just knew it had to involve media, in some way.

I called my good friend (and fellow pop culture fan) Koko at almost midnight last week, and asked her to suggest some terms that would be applicable to films / TV / media in general. “Act II? Or how about look up some terms in a screenplay or screen writing?” “How about…dialogue? Eh, too common.”

Somehow my brain just generated these two words faster than ChatGPT: Scene Selection.

literally me, about to sleep, but also amazed at myself

Initially, I wanted to create this Substack to talk about my musings at work (I’m a self-employed artist and author). But since I’ve dedicated my life to working as a full-time creative person (so much so that my work and life feel like a blur most days), I’ve found that I’ve always ended up turning my hobby into a job (i.e. hand lettering, and eventually, journaling).

Which is great on some fronts, but not great if it means I’m limiting myself creatively to focus on just those things. My writing these days? All focused on writing a book about art techniques, promoting a product, talking about my newest video, or sharing a new journaling tip.

I’ve always known writing has always been my first love, and my relationship with words has evolved from writing Dear Diary on paper to typing on Microsoft Word and eventually, to opening up my Notes app for on the go brain dumps (do we assume it’s evolution, still? I’d like to think so). So this is where we’re at.

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Every time I open a conversation that involves some sort of film or TV show, for some reason, I end up saying “Do you know that scene in (insert film/TV show here) where (character/s) does (thing), and then (insert song title) plays in the background? It gets me every. damn. time.”

Usually whoever I’m talking to looks at me like I’m some kind of idiot, but the more I notice this habit of mine, the more I realize that my attention to detail with what I consume is way beyond the usual. I love a good film, TV show, book, song—and if I love something, I really make an effort to dive deep and find connections.

And so that’s where Scene Selection¹ comes in. In every post, I’ll share bits and pieces about films or TV shows I love (mostly my all-time favorites). Some essays I’ll talk about design, some about screenplay, but always about scenes. And details (like opening sequences because I love them). Somewhere in between, these essays will be interspersed with personal anecdotes, because I like to romanticize my life as an ongoing coming-of-age movie (even if I’m already thirty).

I’m trying my hand at veering away from personal writing, and shifting my voice to something more fun, lighthearted, and freeing. I’m hoping Scene Selection will achieve that (did I mention I’m an overachiever? I’m a Capricorn, so that explains it).

Scene Selection will never be a paid endeavour—and I’m writing this so future Abbey doesn’t make a job out of this. As of tonight, I’ve already brainstormed 10 essay topics and you best believe my enthusiasm to get this out has been a long time coming.

Thanks for being here!

1. Scene Selection used to be a prominent feature in DVDs. Here’s an example from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban:

Source: dvdmoviemenus.com