Welcome to The Visual Texture
The Visual Texture
Where arthouse meets human connection
Why another blog? Because cinema is a conversation rooted in perspective and in a world where nobody knows how to talk about art anymore, it's important to keep the conversation going to gain each other's perspectives. We've lost the art of discussing films beyond algorithmic ratings and hot takes. I believe we need spaces where cinema can be explored thoughtfully, personally, and with the nuance it deserves.
The Visual Texture is where filmmaking meets life. As a multicultural writer-director, I explore cinema through a lens shaped by my cross-cultural experiences and artistic sensibilities. Here, you'll find honest film reviews, behind-the-scenes glimpses into my creative process, festival adventures, and reflections on finding inspiration in unexpected places. Join me at the intersection of art house ambition and human connection.
But what IS a "Visual Texture"? In film and visual arts, it's a created illusion of a surface's texture—the way light plays across fabric in Wong Kar-wai's films, the grain and grit of 16mm in early Jarmusch, or the digital crispness of Fincher's compositions. It's the tactile quality that makes you feel you could reach through the screen and touch what you're seeing.
I've chosen this name because it represents what fascinates me most about cinema—how technical choices create emotional responses. How the visual language of film speaks directly to our senses before our minds have time to analyze what we're experiencing. This space is about exploring that connection between craft and feeling.
As someone who grew up between cultures—half white, half Filipino—I've always existed in the in-between spaces. This perspective shapes how I see films and how I make them. The Visual Texture is where I'll share that lens with you. I believe the most interesting conversations happen at these intersections of identity, art, and lived experience.
Here, you'll find:
Film reviews that go beyond thumbs up/down to explore what makes cinema resonate
Behind-the-scenes glimpses into my own filmmaking journey
Festival dispatches and industry observations
Essays on the creative process and finding inspiration in a chaotic world
Explorations of how cultural context shapes storytelling
I'm creating this space because I believe we need more thoughtful discourse around cinema—not just what's "good" or "bad," but what moves us and why. In a media landscape dominated by hot takes and algorithm-friendly content, I want to slow down and really look at the visual textures that make film such a singular art form.
Whether you're a fellow filmmaker, a dedicated cinephile, or simply curious about the creative process, I hope you'll join me in this conversation. Because ultimately, that's what cinema is—a conversation between filmmaker and audience, between past and present, between different ways of seeing the world.
Welcome to The Visual Texture.
