It’s 2026… and the first woman has finally won the Oscar for Best Cinematography.
That moment belongs to Autumn Durald Arkapaw.
What also struck me tonight is her story.
Her mother is Filipino.
Her father African-American Creole.
Watching that moment made me reflect on my own relationship with filmmaking. I’ve spent years circling it… sometimes fully in, sometimes standing just outside the door. The cameras, lenses, and lights sit with me every day, like quiet reminders that stories are waiting.
Tonight something shifted.
If it’s taken nearly a century for this moment to happen, it reminds us there’s still work to do. More stories to tell. More doors to open.
So I’ve decided I’m stepping in fully.
Using the resources I have to make films, create stories, and build spaces where others can do the same.
And maybe… just maybe… one day I’ll be there when another ceiling cracks open… and someone who never thought they belonged behind the camera steps forward.
Who’s with me?
@pasmag
Almost Three Decades. One Core Team. A Lifetime of Experiences.
We’ve never just produced content — we’ve produced experiences.
From the earliest days of PASMAG, we weren’t just telling stories.
We were living them.
On the page. Behind the camera. On the road. At the track.
Building something that would last beyond the moment.
From print to video to real-life events, we’ve always believed in creating something people could feel — something they could hold, hear, and remember.
This core crew… we’ve been at it for almost 30 years.
The same late nights, early call times, rolled-up sleeves and shared purpose.
We’ve worked with some of the most iconic brands who share our love for this culture — turning those collaborations into something more: community.
And now, something incredible is happening.
Our kids, who grew up around the chaos and creativity, are stepping into the frame.
Helping at shoots. Watching from behind the scenes. Asking the right questions.
They’re starting to understand why we’ve held onto this so tightly.
Because this was never just about cars.
It’s about connection.
It’s about legacy.
And maybe one day — if we’ve done it right — they’ll carry the torch.
This is still the same team.
Still rolling.
Still building.
Still believing.
#PASMAG #PerformanceProductions
Building my production gear over the years, Vistek was always part of the journey. Long before the shoots, the clients, and the studio builds, it was the place tied to the obsession of making better images.
Today on my birthday, I found myself shooting BTS inside the new Cinepod X with Jack from Vistek and the incredibly talented portrait photographer , brand ambassador for Studio Titan America.
Here’s what I keep realizing. Cameras and gear open the door, but it’s the people behind them that shape the story.
Not a bad way to spend a birthday.
For the #raybanmetachallenge I used my RayBan Meta v.1 glasses to shoot this video of Sung Kang driving my red AE86 hatchback in Las Vegas.
Even though I had my pro cameras in the car with me, this event was just too fast paced to grab the big cameras, so I ended up filming with my Meta glasses. Should I upgrade to the newest version?
Also… by now, all fans of the Fast & Furious Tokyo Drift know that @sungkangsta has his new @driftermovie coming out soon.
Have you seen the Drifter movie previews that includes cameo appearances from authentic drivers from the drifting community? 👀
#fastandfurioustokyodrift #tokyodrift #sungkang #ae86
Happy Birthday to my beautiful wife.
The mother of our two kids.
The one constantly worrying about everyone before herself.
The one carrying the weight of schedules, emotions, meals, school, life, and somehow still finding a way to hold this family together.
She probably won’t even give me credit for this poem because "AI helped me write it."
But honestly… isn’t it the thought that counts?
Because the truth is, no machine can fake the years we’ve been through together.
The late nights.
The arguments.
The rebuilding.
The victories nobody else saw.
The moments where we were exhausted but still kept going because our family mattered more than our comfort.
That’s the part I could never fake.
People think love is in the grand gestures.
But real love is the journey.
It’s surviving seasons together.
Growing older together.
Watching our kids become little pieces of us while we quietly become stronger versions of ourselves.
One day the house will be quieter.
The kids will grow up.
And all these chaotic days we’re trying to survive right now will become the memories we miss the most.
So Happy Birthday to the woman who keeps this whole thing moving.
The heart of this family.
My partner in the chaos, the struggle, and the story we’re still writing together. ❤️
Another 48 Hour Film Project Toronto.
This one hits different.
Two years ago, I stepped into my first 48 because of Dennis Logan. That weekend was my entry into narrative filmmaking. No roadmap, just a clock, a crew, and instinct. Messy, fast, alive.
I’ve been chasing stories my entire career. Different lanes, same obsession. Find the story. Tell it right.
The 48 stripped it down to the core. No overthinking. Just decisions and consequences, shot by shot.
Since then, the path evolved. Documentary roots. Real people. Real moments you can’t script even if you tried. That kind of storytelling doesn’t live inside a 48-hour window. It asks for time.
I’m watching all the posts come in. Teams grinding. No sleep. Pure chaos. And yeah… I feel that pull. You don’t lose that once you’ve lived it.
But I don’t see it as missing out.
I see it as remembering where it started.
To everyone out there right now pushing through and gutting it out… respect.
Ronin versus 13
Thirteen.
You’ve stepped into that quiet space between who you were and who you’re about to become. Not a boy, not yet a man. But standing right at the doorway, hand on the handle.
The world is wide open in front of you. Bigger than you think. Wilder than you expect. And it doesn’t hand anything over easy. That’s the good part.
Because you’re built for it.
I’ve watched you grow into your own name. Ronin versus the world. And here’s what you need to understand… it’s not about fighting everything. It’s about choosing what’s worth standing for.
Take your time.
Not everything needs to be rushed. Not every win needs to happen now. Some of the best parts of life sneak up on you when you slow down enough to notice them.
Be grateful. Even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard.
Because one day you’ll look back and realize these are the moments that shaped you. The small ones. The quiet ones. The ones nobody clapped for.
Be great. But not for the world.
Be great for yourself. For your standards. For your name.
And remember this… no matter how far you go, no matter who you become
I’ve got your back.
Always.
Happy 13th birthday.
Inside Leaside Business Park, where ideas have been grinding for years, PERFORMANCE PRODUCTIONS just carved out more room to move. Another studio. More space to build, to shoot, to keep up with the pace that doesn’t slow down.
This isn’t about flexing square footage.
It’s about demand catching up to vision.
More sets. More stories. More late nights chasing the cut that finally feels right.
What this really means is simple.
The work is growing because the trust is growing.
And now there’s more room to prove it.
