Post-ECQ scenario: The show will go on!
Fair weather or foul, showbiz denizens faithfully follow the industry line “the show must go on.” The whole world has screeched to a halt amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and the entertainment industry is not spared.
“The industry will bounce back but it might take awhile,” predicted Ricky Davao, one of the industry experts asked by Funfare to paint a post-COVID-19 scenario, hoping and praying that the “curve” will soon flatten and the much-hoped-for vaccine will be available sooner than the projected 18 months. “As in other industries, the impact of the crisis on the movie industry is great. A movie project involves about a hundred people so how can we go on with the wear-mask/observe-physical-distancing rule?”
Ricky has two projects hanging — a Cinemalaya indie film titled Parole (shoot moved to next year) and the Kapuso teleserye The Seed of Love (starring Glaiza de Castro, Valerie Concepcion, Mike Tan, Allan Paule and Tina Paner). “The crisis has pushed us back to the basics, it’s true, but it has also made us realize a lot of things such as we don’t really need so many clothes, we are learning how to be patient and fall in line and to share with those in need,” adding, “I just hope and I call on those who have more in life to help those who have less in life.”
Here’s director Joel Lamangan on how the crisis impacts the industry and how soon people will troop back to the moviehouses, with fingers crossed.
“COVID-19 is a nightmare that all of us from the industry would like to wake up from,” said Joel. “Everything is at standstill...no shooting, no taping, no premieres, no press conferences, no opening nights, etc.
“Death is by the doorstep, you die either of COVID or of hunger. There is no sign of going back to normal in the nearest future. Our industry is not considered essential; it is not like food, transport, tourism, housing, etc. But isn’t it the soul of the country? Isn’t it the reflection of what is now, of our past and of our future? It is as important as the food you put on the table, it is the food you put inside your brain and inside your heart. It is as important, therefore as essential.”
Joel proceeded to enumerate certain “steps” towards the return of what we used to do, or what they call “new normal.”
“Steps must be studied to loosen the quarantine for the film, TV, theater industry to have life again! It might take long for people to go back to the theater. COVID-19 must be defeated first so the fear of sitting together and experiencing the truth being told on the screen be truly felt and enjoyed. Or if not, a new scheme of sitting arrangements be implemented. There will be a new normal in getting inside the movie house, but definitely there will still be movies shown in the malls.”
Joel has three movies on hold (one for Regal, one for BG Productions and one for Cineko), and a series and a film for iWant.
No stopping the flow of the creative juices as far as Ricky Lee is concerned.
“I’ve been told by my producers to continue writing,” said Ricky who is busy with several projects including Servando Magdamag (starring John Lloyd Cruz and now being edited by its director, Lav Diaz), one with Mikhail Red, one with Treb Monteras and one with Mac Alejandre (Tagpuan starring Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas, Shaina Magdayao and Iza Calzado). “I am just more conscious that if I have them done soon, there should be lesser people in the scene. I think that because of COVID-19, the films that we will do should be more empathetic, more compassionate and more spiritual in a way. But also with a sense of outrage at how things could have been better handled. But we won’t stop making films, telling stories, because we need them now more than ever. We will just find new ways of doing things.”
Roselle Monteverde of Regal Entertainment, Inc. conceded that the entertainment industry is not exempted from the wrath of the virus.
“Cinema sales have been suffering since last year,” disclosed Roselle. “This year, the state of the industry is even more bleak and it’s hard to tell how the situation will be once the ECQ (Enhanced Community Quarantine) is lifted. We in the industry are weighing how things will turn out.”
Social distancing might affect the habit of movie-going, Roselle agreed.
“The cinema attendance might decline further, but we are hoping for the best. Let’s see first when the ECQ is lifted, how the public behavior about going to the cinema will be. But we producers must continue making the best entertainment fare that the public will patronize.”
Regal has two productions in progress, two ready for principal photography and 10 in development.
“Of course, the pandemic has a dire effect (impact) on the industry,” according to Vincent “Ting” Nebrida of TBA Studios.
“There will be fewer moviegoers and fewer films will get made because productions generally require a mass gathering that involves cast members and the crew,” he explained. “The feasibility will depend as well on the guidelines from FDCP (Film Development Council of the Philippines), the government agency.”
And how soon does he think cinemas will reopen?
“About a couple of months,” Ting predicted. “In terms of audiences going back to the movie houses, we are expecting that it will be very slow and gradual as they need to be convinced first that there’s little chance or no risk of getting the virus if they go to the cinema. Also, even if moviegoers are eventually excited to return, we might not see the usual ‘packed’ cinemas anytime soon. I’m sure that there will still be some form of social distancing that will be enforced inside the theaters. That will, of course, limit the audience turnout. But we have to continue to remain positive and hope that this will prove to be otherwise.”
Ting revealed that TBA has no projects on hold.
“Although before the pandemic, we were about to go into pre-production mode on at least two film projects for this year.”
(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)
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