EXPOSING ANA: DIGITAL DIARIES

THE ASWANG WITHIN THE CITY 

LAYING THE FOUNDATION

While waiting for applications, I looked for a makeup artist with SFX or prosthetics experience to transform my muse into the figment of my modernized aswang — the initial concept being an aswang blending into the city.

I contacted Bea, who was referred to me by a friend. We had a three-hour conversation through Instagram DM (while I was simultaneously brainstorming the shoot). Bea’s specialty was glam eye makeup, but she had experience with SFX, and even though I hadn’t fully revealed my project yet, we clicked right away. She asked questions I hadn’t even considered, and sharing ideas felt seamless because our interests were already aligned.

Based on the aswang references I found online, I knew I wanted to incorporate long nails, SFX wax, white eye contacts, and detailed eye looks depending on the setting. That’s when we built a couple of moodboards on Pinterest — mostly focusing on eye looks, because I liked the idea of the aswang being both glamorous and terrifying.

For the muse, I posted the casting call wherever I could; Instagram stories and Facebook groups for castings. I’m not big on using social media, so asking for help from friends to get the word out, and especially having my sister post it on Facebook, was a huge one. Within a day, I had a surprising number of models approaching me through DM and email. I was excited, but also a bit nervous since it was my first time doing an open model casting.

I was initially overwhelmed by how many models applied, regardless of gender, with distinct and interesting features. But what mattered to me wasn’t just the looks; I wanted someone who had grit for a horror or supernatural theme. One of the first applicants was Shy, who professionally sent her set card and included photos from a fashion lookbook called The Outcast, where she wore black eye contacts, sharp nails, black-painted fingertips, and had this very avant-garde way of posing— exactly what I needed. In retrospect, what sealed her for me was Shy’s genuine interest from the start (same as Bea, where I had not told her what it was about yet) and how kind and approachable she was. 

Before our first shoot, I was nervous again. It would be my first time meeting Bea and Shy in person — at someone’s house they hadn’t even been to. Luckily, my friend Yuan assisted me that day, and we shot at my best friend’s house. By the end of it, we all got along through silly gossip and good gravy — officially forming my small production team. I was more than happy with how naturally trust and communication flowed.

Looking through all the model entries gave me the idea of featuring multiple aswangs — each with their own lives across Metro Manila — sort of like Monster High, where classic monsters are reimagined as glamorous teenagers. I briefly tried to build that narrative by shooting different models as aswangs at a bar, but ultimately, that idea was scrapped.

My next entry will dive into what I initially planned for the series — and why I had to pivot.