A certified rescue diver and sky diver in his spare time, Ronnie T. Miranda brings his passion for high risks into his profession. As the head of the graphics design firm Storm Visualization & Imaging, he's the man behind some of the best and most popular Filipino celebrity Web sites, including the Charlene Gonzalez Webpage, which as of early this week has been visited 53,078 times since its inception in September 1996; Mikee Cojuangco: The Official Web Site, which boasts an outstanding 11,679 hits since it was created a short three months ago; and CrazySexyCool: Ruffa Gutierrez

How did you come up with the idea of doing celebrity websites?

When the internet was first introduced in the Philippines in 1995, I immediately saw its potential. The possbilities were endless.

Having an extensive background in computer graphics, 3D animation and visual effects, I realized that making web sites were far more easier. So I ventured into this  by adding web site design and hosting  services which was geared  towards companies and businesses, including celebrities. Anyone can have a web site created  even individuals. There are no limits to its application.

It seemed that many people, including celebrities,  liked the web sites I created. So through email inquiries, referrals and by word-of-mouth, I was getting more celebrity clients. I hope I haven't disappointed them with the quality of my work and services.

It is very rewarding when a web site is regularly visited by surfers. It has been  my policy to constantly updated all web sites I create with the  latest photos and information in order to get surfers to come back. So when a web site hasn't been updated for a certain period, I personally contact the celebrity and ask if they have any new material that they want to put into their web sites.

Why should a celebrity have a website?

Because it is a business card, a marketing tool that is targeted not towards the local market but towards the gobal community. This is the information age. We should not only have a localize application or perception of technology anymore. We have to think global. The web sites I create should cater to the needs, requriements  and appeal of the global community and not the local market. These celebrities are already known in the Philippines, so there is no point marketing them here.

The internet has over 100 million users worldwide with 2/3 in the US. And it's growing exponentially. It opens international markets. A celebrity should exploits his or her web site to the fullest.

I think in the local market, some web sites by other companies were  created for the sheer novelty of it. For some celebrities, it became a "status" symbol, like an  "in" thing to have.  Eventually, these web site weren't maximize to its fullest potential.

Of all the celebrity Web sites you've created, which did you enjoy doing most? Which eventually became your favorite?

Each web site has its own unique feature. They are distinct from each other and have their own character. Personally, I focus on content and information. A web site can have a great design and tons of photos, but if it doesn't have any infomartion, and content, then its just a worthless piece of junk. On the other hand, a web site may have lots of infomartion but if it is not presentable or organized, then it just confuses and dicourages a potential surfer to navigate through it. So I make it a point to incorporate both ideas but always put premium on the information aspect.

I will admit that I do have a personal favorite but I'd rather keep it to myself.

What is your most-visited celeb website? How many hits does it get? Why do you think this is the most popular?

From my daily log reports, the web sites of Charlene Gonzalez, Pops Fernandez and Mikee Cojuangco have high daily hit rates. Following closely are the web sites of Dina Bonnevie, Gelli de Belen, Rachel Alejandro and Zsa Zsa Padilla.

Charlene's site has always had the highest  visits averaging 250 hits/day and still growing. Although it has a number of articles about Charlene, I think people like to see of her pictures.  Aside from having lots of audio clips which surfers love to listen to,  Pops' site has  ASAP Live! as a special section wherein surfers can view live images of Pops on ASAP and listen to audio clips of her song numbers. So every Sunday, visitors to Pops' site significantly increase sometimes reaching 450 hits. Mikee's site is relatively new but has gained momentum in just a couple of weeks. Dina's site which is an extension of her daily show Ms.D has its own following too.

In general, I think people like seeing lots of photos - beautiful and sexy photos!

The movie industry is in a slump now. Do you think the Internet contributes to this in any way?

Yes. To some extent, the internet has contributed indirectly to the downfall of the local movie industry because as more and more Filipinos get to use the net, they become more exposed to new ideas, new information thus, stimulating their minds and their creativity whether consciously or unconsciously. In contrast, Filipino movies don't have any substance or content – if not copied or imitated, they have been using the same storyline, dialogue, concepts, treatment, techniques since time in memorial. They perhaps modify the approach to a script but the essence, the substance has always been the same. No originality. Nothing new.  The local movie industry doesn't only have the substance to create better movies but also doesn't avail of the latest tools to produce better movies. Technology has become a very cost-effective production tool and has allowed  everyone to become more productive. Yet the local movie industry sees technology more as an expensive time-consuming approach to movie production and a threat to their jobs.
Unfortunately, the local movie industry has stuck to the an old school of thought and has buried its own grave, so to speak.

There is also cable TV which even the masses have access to and which show the same thing.  Worst is you see them same faces all over your TV sets everyday. Many are already fed-up with the same thing. And the movie industry in blind to acknowledge all these.

Furthermore, the fact that more and more Filipinos are getting exposed to foreign films that are extremely creative  and have superior technical production values, they begin to appreciate what a quality movie is and what isn't. They can tell the difference. With foreign films, there is always something new and different.  And they begin to look for these types of movies.

The net contributes to new creative ideas. It's the information age! And there is so much information and ideas out there.  It would be arrogant for anyone especially those from the movie industry to say that the masses cannot afford or don't have access to the internet. The fact is you don't need to have an internet account or own a computer to go online. Public internet cafes are available here in Manila and even in the provinces that anyone can now go online. Even some public schools have internet access in their libraries already.  The masses, in one way or another, are already exposed to this technology.

I wouldn't say that the internet has replaced movie-watching as a form of entertainment. On the contrary, it even entices people to watch movies. There are many movie-related web sites out there. Movie companies use the net to promote their movies by providing more in-depth information about a particular movie, thus, getting people interested to watch these movies. They even show a trailer to their upcoming movies or even interviews. For example, the latest Star Wars trilogy from George Lucas is still under production and will probably be released in 2 more years but you can already get a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes information through their web site. Through this, you can have a deeper understanding and appreciation of the movie.

The net is an extremely effective marketing tool which no one in the local market has maximized.