DAY ONE: THE PRESS CONFERENCE

2022, March 18 – MANILA, Philippines. The first quarter of this year has been packed with events and performances from different artists, and it is not over yet. As the industry gets more saturated with bands, soloists, and idol groups, it can become difficult to stand out. However, all eyes are now on ELLIPSIS as they near their debut.

But where did ELLIPSIS begin? The leader of the group, CASH, stated that…

“from this indomitable bond that the members established during our stay in our beloved school—Beaumont University—most of us have become more exposed to the industry and took part in such thrilling and exciting performances.”

The origin of this up and coming idol group is from the teasing of one member, IVAN. At the time, they were known as BGCz and were only meant to perform for an event at Beaumont. However, the boys enjoyed the booming system from the stage, the crowd’s cheers, and many more. After such a performance, they all collectively felt ready for the idol life. No words were even necessary. The ELLIPSIS members all shared passion and dedication for performing and delivering wonderful music. And so, they were off to make their dream come true.

@ELLlPSISLAB became active in early February. From their first post it was evident they wanted to keep the audience guessing. They first showcased their skilled management group before releasing introductory videos of their members. Afterwards, they created a poll regarding their fandom’s name. This may be considered a bold move for a group that has not debuted yet but that is the sort of gutsy move that sets them apart.

To get to know the boys better, a member article was released. This featured basic information and facts about ELLIPSIS and the members: CASH, IVAN, ARCHIE, ROKU, KOUIJI, SIKE, and EZIO. Following this was a post on their official accounts for easy navigation. It might be easier to keep guessing when you are able to keep tabs on the group.

Finally at the beginning of March they posted their debut calendar, revealing their first album release HANA: FILE. This has certainly piqued the interest of the public. Many are wondering what this concept is. Black and white aesthetic, chess pieces, invitations. What could this all mean? EZIO, the maknae, said that their concept involved the struggles of the youth when it came to society. As a group they hope to show a unique perspective that is still aligned with the overall mysterious theme of ELLIPSIS. On a less vague note, their manager Scien shared that the idol group is focusing on the game of chess. This was meant to be a representation of the member’s enthusiasm and vitality. They sent this invitation to play a game of chess so that they could test their trust and loyalty. They hope to find independence but at the same time develop friendship until a twist of events that we just have to guess.

Sounds complicated. How did this concept even come to life? We hear from the face of the group, IVAN, that they wanted to portray the concept of youth’s passion as they enter the performer scene. Such passion is representative of the energy and determination needed to face society. And so this concept allows ELLIPSIS to share that passion in a form of an invitation that lures everyone to such a game. Their expression of eagerness and determination is bound to leave a powerful impression.

To achieve this is no easy task. The members and management have quite an order to fill but they are determined to serve the best debut for the group. KOUJI shared that he thought of the whole debut process as a challenge. This is his first time in the performing industry and so many of the ins and outs baffled him. But he expressed how lucky he was to have ELLIPSIS guide him through the whole process.

The center for this debut, SIKE, also relayed how the rookie group had some challenges such as their line distribution. It was difficult for them to divide all the parts as equally as possible but to compromise they agreed on a rotational basis for the center position. He also said that he believes all of the members will shine like stars no matter how many lines they receive. Another member, ROKU, admitted to having difficulty managing his schedule and energy when it came to meetings with ELLIPSIS. Apart from being a soon-to-debut idol, he is also a figure skater that is used to performing on ice rather than on this type of stage. As time passed, he felt even more exhausted with the nearing debut. Still, this experience helped him build his confidence and it’s an added bonus he finds this fun. He wishes that everyone will enjoy ELLIPSIS’ debut.

It seems as though there are some ups and downs in the group. The managers shared how easy or difficult it is to manage the idol group and company. Scien said that it is often claimed handling groups would be stressful but to manage ELLIPSIS is not at all tiresome or challenging. Their positivity and cooperation makes the entire process work wonders. Everyone engages in sharing their ideas and feedback, which is immensely helpful to the management team. Dae, also a manager, stated that the idol group is not that hard to handle, likely because they knew each other personally even before debut and knew the boys are fun to be with. They like their attitude on and off work as it’s easy to blend with the idols. Admittedly, there may be some disagreements among some decisions but Dae assured everyone that they have a great bond and excellent teamwork that brings them here at a successful debut.

Apart from managers, ELLIPSIS also has talented editors that help in executing the visual nature of the concepts. Yndica shared that the management and members worked on a lot, some of which she refused to mention to keep us guessing. For inspiration, she shared that the theme and storyline followed is behind all media and graphics. It’s up to the fans to create their own theories about the groups from teasers and other content. Yndica hopes that Hellix is looking forward to seeing what they have in store.

Amber, on the other hand, shared that she was behind the creation of the first teaser image and the individual member posters.

“Originally the first teaser image was supposed to be a group one,” she said. “However it was eventually settled that the single shadow of a person looked better among all the drafts of the design.”

The editor shared that there were many tiny revisions on her part as some misunderstandings arose but ultimately it was for the betterment of the product that we see now. Naia shared that she was the maker of the album, tracklist previews, and highlight medley. She expressed that it was pure fun as she did something new for ELLIPSIS’ concept. It was unfamiliar to her so once she had an idea she drew it immediately. It would be a bluff to say everything went according to plan, she said. Naia shared that Pinterest was where she would go when there was a lack of creative senses. Apart from this, everyone on the team was willing to help and share their insights. She said that all of the graphics made for the debut was nothing short of worth it.

It is clear that there were some challenges in preparing for this debut. However, there are some good parts, too. IVAN said there were many that they enjoyed, in fact. The most that stood out for him was conceptualizing the debut. He felt the enthusiasm of everyone to share ideas and the event amazed him as he was given the opportunity to see other people’s perspectives. A close second would be the members practicing for their debut. He shared how it was a core memory to him now and is something that IVAN will never forget. Dae, a manager of ELLIPSIS, shared how the band and management worked together to fix and arrange the entire concept and media that was needed. They also appreciate that even though they might have busy schedules, they were still able to joke around and feel comfortable with one another. It is clear that from conception this debut was already set to be the best experience for the ELLIPSIS team.

On another note, the editor Amber shared that each meeting with them was the best part. As someone that did not personally know the boys or most of the management team in the beginning, she felt afraid of judgement and shy to speak up at times. But as each meeting went on, she grew more comfortable and realized that they were not like that at all. Everyone was friendly and made her feel welcome. They poked fun at each other but also knew their limits and when it was time to get serious. She no longer held back from sharing her thoughts and felt conscious when cracking some jokes.

The whole ELLIPSIS team has truly bonded over the weeks as they prepared for the showcase set tomorrow, March 19th of 2022. Yndica is most looking forward to the performances as those are certainly the highlights.

“The tracklist is too good,” she praised, “I’m sure that the members would enjoy [it] along with the audience. However, nothing compares to seeing their hard work pay off when they see the smile of their members as they finally show themselves to the world. And take over it, too.” She joked.

Lead rapper and dancer, ARCHIE, is hoping for a successful commencement of their debut showcase.

“Well, I am optimistic about it already — who would want for it to happen otherwise, right? Witnessing all the efforts exerted by the members and the management, I am complacent with the whole program running smoothly”

He is also looking forward to the performances as all seven members have been staying up late just to master the choreography. He hopes all this hard work pays off tomorrow. He even recalled practicing intermission numbers in the dance room of the university they study at. And now to have a studio to record music and practice dance routines serve as his motivation to keep working hard. ARCHIE also wishes that this debut will open more doors for ELLIPSIS such as promotions, public performances, and anticipated comebacks.

Many are eager to know what ELLIPSIS is up to. Even the members themselves are excited for what is up ahead, ARCHIE said. So let’s hear some hints from the center and leader of the group. SIKE shared that since they are named as ELLIPSIS, you can expect that whatever is seen in the debut will only leave the audience more curious as to what can happen next. They promise to keep everyone guessing. The debut may be nerve wracking, not just to the members, but also to the audience. Hence, SIKE warns everyone to prepare their brain cells. He himself still finds their concept mind blowing and so he hopes everyone enjoys the March debut.

CASH simply pointed out that whether or not one is on stage, you ignite still when you do what you love. This is especially the case for ELLIPSIS. This is why he calls on everyone to walk hand in hand, to run or walk, to burn with passion, and to break a leg.

“With HELLIX by our side, possibilities in the career of ELLIPSIS are endless.” (ARCHIE, 2022).