User:Martinzapanta/sandbox

Martin Kim Patolilic Zapanta (born September 20, 1986) is a Filipino freediver. A freediving instructor in his native Philippines as well as a 15x national record holder in seven freediving disciplines; Martin has all the breath-hold credentials he needs. He has also developed a wide-ranging imaging skill set—from photography and filmmaking to video editing and color grading — that has seen him work with both Filipino commercial directors and Hollywood professionals, and get noticed by the likes of Red Bull, leading local TV network GMA, and print media like the Manila Bulletin newspaper, Asian Diver magazine, Proper Adventure magazine, and Hawaii Skin Diver magazine. Martin’s technical abilities and creative eye are in clear evidence, with beautifully choreographed depictions of his fellow freedivers and evocative marine life portraits composed with almost impossible precision. In a word: breathtaking.

= Early life = Martin Kim Patolilic Zapanta was born on September 20, 1986 in Manila. He is the son of Titus Zapanta and Barbara Catalla Patolilic. Zapanta began drawing and painting at a very young age.

= Film and art career = Zapanta started as graphic artist in 2008 then he opened his own studio and he decided to add photography to his services. After a few months of learning photography he covered some events then a year later he switched to fashion photography and moved to Cebu in 2010 to work at Bigfoot Studios. But instead of working as a photographer, he was became an apprentice to learn post-production and mainly color grading. He trained and work in the TV and film industry for five years we he also did video editing, directing and cinematography which focused on reality television, news, documentary and film.

= Freediving career = While on a island hopping trip in 2010, Martin tried snorkeling for the first time which led to almost drowning in open water. He then later on learned about freediving after seeing his friends diving underwater without any tanks. In 2013 he took the AIDA 1 introduction course freediving course at Moalboal, Cebu. He continued his freediving education (Level 1, 2 and 3) and training under SSI at Freedive HQ at Mactan, Cebu between 2013 to 2015 where he eventually worked part-time as a underwater photographer and videographer. After a few months he discovered a local freediving group in Cebu called Dive Ta Bai.

In 2015, he went back to Manila to work in post-production for two years. He continued his passion in underwater photography while color grading TV commercials but his competitive freediving career had to stop due to lack of time and training in the city. A couple of years later the company he was working for went bankrupt. He then decided to move to Panglao, Bohol to take his instructor course under AIDA and work as a full-time freediver and athlete with Freedive Panglao. Zapanta went back to training and competitions where he gathered several awards and national records and slowly he built a name in the freediving scene in the Philippines.

On July 14, 2018 he reestablished AIDA Philippines and founded the Philippine Freediving Team.

= National Records =

= Personal bests =

= Filmography =


 * 2018: Martin Zapanta | Beached by Metro Style – Video on Youtube
 * 2018: Tribute - Freediver: Martin Zapanta by Maldavar Films – Video on Youtube
 * 2017: iBilib: Swim like a mermaid! by GMA Network – Video on Youtube