The nuances
The local film industry has momentarily been stirred due to a Facebook post of Mr. Marlon Hofer, a talent builder, actor, and director, regarding an unpleasant experience shooting a film based on a rape and murder case in Cebu whose director is Isabelle Peach, daughter of veteran director Carlo J. Caparas.
And because I was tagged in Facebook, I saw Mr. Hofer's post. And although reconciliation has been made, allow me to say my piece with the hope that this won't recur or at least be curbed.
The complaint basically stems from a host of related inconveniences and can be lumped into one --how things are being planned and handled. Especially the absence or lack of information as well as the provision of basic needs, food, and transportation of the cast, including those playing bit roles.
Such concerns are not unique to this industry but in other human undertakings. And probably magnified because of its nature and can be prevented in the future by establishing and strengthening of the information channel. In an undertaking where information flows so fluid and fast, there is a need for people handling this department to make sure that information is relayed speedily and clearly. And when shoots are held in various locations, provision of transportation is readily available or can be arranged before the takes.
And because of the nature of industry that puts premium on deadlines, people have the tendency to overlook the value of respect and good regard for others. And probably for veterans, this is a given occurrence. For neophytes, this can be a factor not to pursue their dreams especially when desires are founded on superficial aims. Or they would just take it as part of their baptism because they don't want to be blacklisted and so future projects would become elusive.
On the other hand, there is also a key reminder. Filming any sort of movie is an arduous process, even if it's something like people sitting at a table talking for two hours. Working on a film production we can expect long days, menial tasks, and a lot of sitting around waiting for lights to be set up. This process can be made even harder if you are filming in an inhospitable location, or the weather turns against you. Even a terrible movie needs a lot of work put into it, and great movies take even more. In order to create some of the best movies ever made, certain film crew had to endure terrible hardships beyond what normally happens on a shoot. Like in the case of the mass poisoning of the film crew of "Titanic," to angry native tribes attacking the set of "Fitzcarraldo." These are those just two legendary movies where the crew had upsetting stories to tell.
I experience both the extremes and in between of the shooting process, and how I, as an actor, lead or extra, was treated. From everything that has the contract to something that we have to rely only on verbal or text messages. From the directors of big outfits to a neophyte filmmaker for a degree requirement, the practice and its nuances are indistinct and to some extent chaotic. This makes the line between professionalism or lack of it undefined. And in the local film industry, this owes to the fact that no established group looks into the nitty-gritty. Although there are well-intentioned individuals looking after the welfare of the artists, one recognized body that has the blanket power over the distinctive needs of this industry is entirely idiosyncratic.
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