Color it Red
October 12, 2002 | 12:00am
Filmmaker Jon Red loves to paint. Although he has since swapped his paintbrushes for celluloid, the painter in him still surfaces in his new medium. One of the most original voices to come out of the burgeoning local independent scene, he manages to create with each film a wonderfully textured array of characters whose shortcomings are as endearing as their virtues.
His first feature Still Lives focuses on shabu traffickers and presents an acute portrait of their daily lives, combining the quiet observation of a Vermeer with a surrealist’s humor. All this and, without once, moving the camera.
His latest work Utang ni Tatang follows another gang of misfits as they travel to settle an old score. Again, Red shows his penchant for eccentric but ultimately all too human protagonists, highlighting both the funny and the sad. What interests him is not actually the destination but rather the journey (both spiritual and physical) his characters take, and he invites the viewer to come along for the ride. Like all of Red’s films, it is the perfect prescription for the leprous soul.
Young STAR: How did Utang ni Tatang come about?
Jon Red: I wrote it for a short digital film that I was planning to do after Still Lives. And then Rico (Ilarde, one of the country’s most promising young directors) introduced me to a producer who wanted to produce a film for him and direk Lav Diaz. But they both couldn’t commit to her because they had a contract with Regal Films. So they introduced me as they thought this could be a great opportunity for an independent filmmaker. I submitted the screenplay for Utang Ni Tatang and then months passed by until I decided to produce it myself as a digital project. I informed the producer but then she asked for a meeting. That was about six months after I first gave it that she finally decided to produce it.
You mentioned that this was originally planned as a short film to be shot on digital video. What changes did you make when you were given the chance to make it a 35 mm feature?
The shift from digital video to film wasn’t such a big step. With a bigger budget though, I was able to add more characters and more locations into the story. So instead of making it this small and intimate road movie, it became a bit bigger. Incidentally, Viva was also interested in the script but they wanted it to be less experimental.
How do you mean?
They wanted me to put flashback sequences to make the story clearer to the mass audience. I worked on that for a while but decided not to pursue it because I preferred the first version.
That brings us to an interesting point. It is clear from watching the film that it was a conscious decision not to show the events that brought about the gang’s craving for revenge. What was the idea behind that?
Well, I think that was exactly the point: That the past didn’t matter. What interested me was the question whether these characters would continue with their normal lives or are they going to face an unresolved past?
What were the difficulties in shooting the film?
I think the biggest difficulty was the limited number of shooting days. We shot the film in only 10 days. And also the number of rolls of film stock we were given.
How much did you expose?
About 22,000 feet, I think. Approximately our shooting ratio was 1:2. So, for example, some of our action scenes were shot in the simplest way possible. The coverage for each scene was very limited. It’s interesting though that somebody told me that he thought that the film would’ve been shot in the same way even if we had more film stock.
Why?
Because I guess in a way we wanted to capture everything in long takes. Some scenes were done in one shot.
Do you think the limitations helped the film?
In some ways, you can say that. I wrote the screenplay thinking that I really wouldn’t have a budget. So I wouldn’t say that the film was compromised. In fact, it was even a step up.
How different was your experience shooting Utang Ni Tatang to your previous film Still Lives?
Very different. First of all with Still Lives we only had one location, one setup. We only shot it in only two days. Utang is somewhat like a travelogue. Also, I was a little more conscious with this one if the audience would get the joke or not in some of the scenes.
One thing the two films have in common though is that you were able to get the most talented actors especially the likes of Joel Torre and Jeffrey Quizon. Was it hard to convince them?
Not really. I wouldn’t even say that I convinced the actors to join the project. All I did was to let them read the script and I told them that maybe they had to lower their rates to do this film. They came into the project knowing this. I guess a lot of actors are really looking for roles that are different from what they usually do. You see many of these actors are working in things like soap operas and I think they’re getting tired of the same stories so they’re more than willing. I can’t say enough of the dedication that they put in.
What are some of the more amusing experiences you had while shooting the film?
There was one time where we didn’t have any more rolls of film. We were shooting in Bulacan and the rolls would be coming from Manila. It was just mid-afternoon and we were shooting this long take and we were worrying that the film would run out! But again I have to point out that the low budget aspect isn’t really an issue with independent filmmakers. We’re used to this kind of filmmaking. Our concern is how strongly we feel about the concept. So despite the constraints, we still feel fortunate that somebody believed in the film enough to produce it and allow us to do this crazy idea.
The film is basically the story of Mike, a respectable family man, who gets a call from an old friend from his somewhat shady past. What attracted you to this story?
There’s this thing I noticed with a lot of serious filmmakers that they get this "serious" concept and then they try to commercialize it. My strategy is more of getting a commercial concept  a story the audience is familiar with  and turn it around. Utang Ni Tatang is basically like an old FPJ revenge story but I made it into something more personal and experimental.
How do you think you achieved this?
The details. The small elements that we added into the material like the dialogue, the mannerisms of the characters and the way they looked. So basically you can give me any story that I’m comfortable with and I can somehow make it into my own, putting characters that I can relate to.
By the way, are these characters based on real life people?
Most of them were based on people I know.
How much is based on you?
(Ponders a bit) Well, I’m also a family man but I don’t necessarily have a dark past. At my age (I’m turning 39), you start to question some of the things that you did or thoughts like "Am I in the right direction?" that pop up once in a while. Of course I still see bits of myself in the other characters, not just Mike.
Some have said that Utang Ni Tatang bears a resemblance to an earlier film of yours called Trip. Would you say that’s accurate?
Maybe the short films I did before were exercises for a bigger project in the same way that Utang might be an exercise for future projects. It’s not something conscious; its just part of what you’re concerned about as an artist.
What was your first short film?
My first one was called Es. It was about a guy who goes to the office doing the same thing every day so that’s why its Lunes, Martes...Very experimental but narrative based. Also very crude. It was shot on video 8 and edited from video 8 to Betamax. Not Betacam (laughs). To do slow motion I had to pause the image and push the frame-by-frame button. It won in CCP and got a special jury prize in Brussels, Belgium.
You were a painter before?
I still am.
But you’ve recently been more active in film.
I see it as an extension of my painting. It’s still about images. For me though, I still think painting to be more enjoyable and fulfilling when it comes to process. I don’t enjoy filmmaking that much. But in terms of audience reaction, nothing compares to film because the reaction is immediate. It’s especially overwhelming when you have fifty or a thousand people reacting to a certain line or image in a theater.
What aspect of your background as a painter do you think you’ve benefited from in terms of your filmmaking?
My early paintings are basically figurative works, very impressionistic. They look like editorial cartoons. I think my films have the same character; they’re basically satires. I write my scripts very spontaneously; I rarely edit my works. I don’t even stop to think if it’s corny, I just put it on paper. Most of the time I just decide if I’m going to use it or not during the shoot.
How do you feel that the mainstream has started to recruit talent from the independent scene?
I think this is a good development, an opportunity. People ask me if I’m going to go commercial and make commercial films. I always tell them that I’m going to bring my kind of cinema to the mainstream; I’m not going to change the way I work. I feel that some of the independent filmmakers are adjusting to the industry and there’s nothing wrong with that and maybe their films are making money because of that. I respect them, but I can’t do that. And it’s not because of any integrity I think I have but rather that I lack the skills to make that kind of film. So when people ask me why I chose to be experimental, I just tell them that this is the best way I know how to make films. I don’t know any other way.
The Photography Art Center is offering a series of workshops for artists, graphic designers, photographers and students. Courses include the following:
• Photoshop for Photographers with (Datu Arellano)  Learn how to use the digital darkroom. Nov. 10 to Dec. 8, Sundays 1-4 p.m.
• The Pinhole Project (with Gari Buenavista)  An interesting course that teaches you how to make a camera using about anything plus the basics of photography. Oct. 12 to 20, Saturdays and Sundays, 1 - 6 p.m.
• Adobe Illustrator (with Bernard Bunuan)  Learn how to prepare professional designs. Oct. 12 to 30, Wednesdays and Saturdays, 5 - 7 p.m.
• Graphic Design Workshop (with Yodel Pe)  Develop your visual vocabulary while learning the history of graphic design. Oct. 12 to 20, Saturdays and Sundays, 1 - 4 p.m.
• Portfolio Presentation for photographers, visual artists and graphic designers (with Yodel Pe)  Learn how to make creative ways on how to present your work. Nov. 3 to 17, Sundays, 1- 4 p.m.
For inquiries and reservations, call 895-4143 or e-mail: pacenter@hotmail.com or text Katya Guerrero at 0917-5404608.
Registration is ongoing at the Photography Art Center located at #8352 Zen Building 3rd Floor, Mayapis St. corner Saint Paul St., San Antonio Village, Makati. Open Wed-Sun 1 - 8 p.m. only.
Strange Brew, the wackiest show on television begins its third season run on Monday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. on untv UHF 37. The show stars Tado ("ang pensionadong probinsyano") and Erning (the Chabacano-speaking lady driver/girl Friday of Tado). The duo drives around, aboard their maroon ’69 Beetle in search of just about anything.
A first on Philippine television, Strange Brew is a hybrid of a sitcom and a travelogue. The hosts conduct interviews in an off-the-wall fashion that send audiences laughing ’til their sides hurt.
The show has built a cult following since it first aired (sans fanfare) on untv in August last year. To date, there are threads on the Internet about it, an unofficial website and a fans’ club organized by regular viewers. Strange Brew is brought to you by San Miguel Beer and airs daily at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. on untv UHF 37 (the TV counterpart of DWNU 107.5 FM) 59 on Home and Destiny Cable, 95 on Sky Cable or you may check untv’s channel assignment with your local cable operator.
Send comments and reactions to: erwin_romulo@hotmail.com.
His first feature Still Lives focuses on shabu traffickers and presents an acute portrait of their daily lives, combining the quiet observation of a Vermeer with a surrealist’s humor. All this and, without once, moving the camera.
His latest work Utang ni Tatang follows another gang of misfits as they travel to settle an old score. Again, Red shows his penchant for eccentric but ultimately all too human protagonists, highlighting both the funny and the sad. What interests him is not actually the destination but rather the journey (both spiritual and physical) his characters take, and he invites the viewer to come along for the ride. Like all of Red’s films, it is the perfect prescription for the leprous soul.
Young STAR: How did Utang ni Tatang come about?
Jon Red: I wrote it for a short digital film that I was planning to do after Still Lives. And then Rico (Ilarde, one of the country’s most promising young directors) introduced me to a producer who wanted to produce a film for him and direk Lav Diaz. But they both couldn’t commit to her because they had a contract with Regal Films. So they introduced me as they thought this could be a great opportunity for an independent filmmaker. I submitted the screenplay for Utang Ni Tatang and then months passed by until I decided to produce it myself as a digital project. I informed the producer but then she asked for a meeting. That was about six months after I first gave it that she finally decided to produce it.
You mentioned that this was originally planned as a short film to be shot on digital video. What changes did you make when you were given the chance to make it a 35 mm feature?
The shift from digital video to film wasn’t such a big step. With a bigger budget though, I was able to add more characters and more locations into the story. So instead of making it this small and intimate road movie, it became a bit bigger. Incidentally, Viva was also interested in the script but they wanted it to be less experimental.
How do you mean?
They wanted me to put flashback sequences to make the story clearer to the mass audience. I worked on that for a while but decided not to pursue it because I preferred the first version.
That brings us to an interesting point. It is clear from watching the film that it was a conscious decision not to show the events that brought about the gang’s craving for revenge. What was the idea behind that?
Well, I think that was exactly the point: That the past didn’t matter. What interested me was the question whether these characters would continue with their normal lives or are they going to face an unresolved past?
What were the difficulties in shooting the film?
I think the biggest difficulty was the limited number of shooting days. We shot the film in only 10 days. And also the number of rolls of film stock we were given.
How much did you expose?
About 22,000 feet, I think. Approximately our shooting ratio was 1:2. So, for example, some of our action scenes were shot in the simplest way possible. The coverage for each scene was very limited. It’s interesting though that somebody told me that he thought that the film would’ve been shot in the same way even if we had more film stock.
Why?
Because I guess in a way we wanted to capture everything in long takes. Some scenes were done in one shot.
Do you think the limitations helped the film?
In some ways, you can say that. I wrote the screenplay thinking that I really wouldn’t have a budget. So I wouldn’t say that the film was compromised. In fact, it was even a step up.
How different was your experience shooting Utang Ni Tatang to your previous film Still Lives?
Very different. First of all with Still Lives we only had one location, one setup. We only shot it in only two days. Utang is somewhat like a travelogue. Also, I was a little more conscious with this one if the audience would get the joke or not in some of the scenes.
One thing the two films have in common though is that you were able to get the most talented actors especially the likes of Joel Torre and Jeffrey Quizon. Was it hard to convince them?
Not really. I wouldn’t even say that I convinced the actors to join the project. All I did was to let them read the script and I told them that maybe they had to lower their rates to do this film. They came into the project knowing this. I guess a lot of actors are really looking for roles that are different from what they usually do. You see many of these actors are working in things like soap operas and I think they’re getting tired of the same stories so they’re more than willing. I can’t say enough of the dedication that they put in.
What are some of the more amusing experiences you had while shooting the film?
There was one time where we didn’t have any more rolls of film. We were shooting in Bulacan and the rolls would be coming from Manila. It was just mid-afternoon and we were shooting this long take and we were worrying that the film would run out! But again I have to point out that the low budget aspect isn’t really an issue with independent filmmakers. We’re used to this kind of filmmaking. Our concern is how strongly we feel about the concept. So despite the constraints, we still feel fortunate that somebody believed in the film enough to produce it and allow us to do this crazy idea.
The film is basically the story of Mike, a respectable family man, who gets a call from an old friend from his somewhat shady past. What attracted you to this story?
There’s this thing I noticed with a lot of serious filmmakers that they get this "serious" concept and then they try to commercialize it. My strategy is more of getting a commercial concept  a story the audience is familiar with  and turn it around. Utang Ni Tatang is basically like an old FPJ revenge story but I made it into something more personal and experimental.
How do you think you achieved this?
The details. The small elements that we added into the material like the dialogue, the mannerisms of the characters and the way they looked. So basically you can give me any story that I’m comfortable with and I can somehow make it into my own, putting characters that I can relate to.
By the way, are these characters based on real life people?
Most of them were based on people I know.
How much is based on you?
(Ponders a bit) Well, I’m also a family man but I don’t necessarily have a dark past. At my age (I’m turning 39), you start to question some of the things that you did or thoughts like "Am I in the right direction?" that pop up once in a while. Of course I still see bits of myself in the other characters, not just Mike.
Some have said that Utang Ni Tatang bears a resemblance to an earlier film of yours called Trip. Would you say that’s accurate?
Maybe the short films I did before were exercises for a bigger project in the same way that Utang might be an exercise for future projects. It’s not something conscious; its just part of what you’re concerned about as an artist.
What was your first short film?
My first one was called Es. It was about a guy who goes to the office doing the same thing every day so that’s why its Lunes, Martes...Very experimental but narrative based. Also very crude. It was shot on video 8 and edited from video 8 to Betamax. Not Betacam (laughs). To do slow motion I had to pause the image and push the frame-by-frame button. It won in CCP and got a special jury prize in Brussels, Belgium.
You were a painter before?
I still am.
But you’ve recently been more active in film.
I see it as an extension of my painting. It’s still about images. For me though, I still think painting to be more enjoyable and fulfilling when it comes to process. I don’t enjoy filmmaking that much. But in terms of audience reaction, nothing compares to film because the reaction is immediate. It’s especially overwhelming when you have fifty or a thousand people reacting to a certain line or image in a theater.
What aspect of your background as a painter do you think you’ve benefited from in terms of your filmmaking?
My early paintings are basically figurative works, very impressionistic. They look like editorial cartoons. I think my films have the same character; they’re basically satires. I write my scripts very spontaneously; I rarely edit my works. I don’t even stop to think if it’s corny, I just put it on paper. Most of the time I just decide if I’m going to use it or not during the shoot.
How do you feel that the mainstream has started to recruit talent from the independent scene?
I think this is a good development, an opportunity. People ask me if I’m going to go commercial and make commercial films. I always tell them that I’m going to bring my kind of cinema to the mainstream; I’m not going to change the way I work. I feel that some of the independent filmmakers are adjusting to the industry and there’s nothing wrong with that and maybe their films are making money because of that. I respect them, but I can’t do that. And it’s not because of any integrity I think I have but rather that I lack the skills to make that kind of film. So when people ask me why I chose to be experimental, I just tell them that this is the best way I know how to make films. I don’t know any other way.
• Photoshop for Photographers with (Datu Arellano)  Learn how to use the digital darkroom. Nov. 10 to Dec. 8, Sundays 1-4 p.m.
• The Pinhole Project (with Gari Buenavista)  An interesting course that teaches you how to make a camera using about anything plus the basics of photography. Oct. 12 to 20, Saturdays and Sundays, 1 - 6 p.m.
• Adobe Illustrator (with Bernard Bunuan)  Learn how to prepare professional designs. Oct. 12 to 30, Wednesdays and Saturdays, 5 - 7 p.m.
• Graphic Design Workshop (with Yodel Pe)  Develop your visual vocabulary while learning the history of graphic design. Oct. 12 to 20, Saturdays and Sundays, 1 - 4 p.m.
• Portfolio Presentation for photographers, visual artists and graphic designers (with Yodel Pe)  Learn how to make creative ways on how to present your work. Nov. 3 to 17, Sundays, 1- 4 p.m.
For inquiries and reservations, call 895-4143 or e-mail: pacenter@hotmail.com or text Katya Guerrero at 0917-5404608.
Registration is ongoing at the Photography Art Center located at #8352 Zen Building 3rd Floor, Mayapis St. corner Saint Paul St., San Antonio Village, Makati. Open Wed-Sun 1 - 8 p.m. only.
A first on Philippine television, Strange Brew is a hybrid of a sitcom and a travelogue. The hosts conduct interviews in an off-the-wall fashion that send audiences laughing ’til their sides hurt.
The show has built a cult following since it first aired (sans fanfare) on untv in August last year. To date, there are threads on the Internet about it, an unofficial website and a fans’ club organized by regular viewers. Strange Brew is brought to you by San Miguel Beer and airs daily at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. on untv UHF 37 (the TV counterpart of DWNU 107.5 FM) 59 on Home and Destiny Cable, 95 on Sky Cable or you may check untv’s channel assignment with your local cable operator.
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