I have to take a sleeping pill the day before a shoot, otherwise I won’t be able to sleep at all and end up a zombie. Woke up at 5:30 am, a little late, thankfully the location was just downstairs.
Randy Punzal (as Felipe) and Paulken Bustillo (as Sammy)
Butch Dalisay wrote the story a while back, and it’s based on a memory of his as a child. As such I wanted the film to be nostalgic, though it is set in the present I want it to feel like we’re watching something from the seventies. It will look like we’re watching Sammy’s memory of this day. We’re doing a color treatment that’s like a polaroid: very warm, with green shadows. Some details in the film are inconsistent, and the general feel is romantic; much like memory itself.
First scene is the biggest scene in the film: the pool party scene. Originally it was supposed to be a big swimming party full of screaming kids and lounging, Ralph Lauren’ed parents. But this being a zero budget flick, it’s become a patapos-na party.
As usual it’s hell for me to do scenes with lots of people in it (give me a lonely woman in a room anytime!). Randy (playing Felipe) was a little nervous, it being his first lead role and all. He quickly warmed up though and later on, I saw full on why we cast him in the first place: a natural charm, a certain unforced way about him, and that charming smile. His character’s a con-man after all.
Paulken (playing Sammy) was again, incredible. The kid is a triathlete. His energy doesn’t wane. Spot-on at every take. I wish this kid a big, bright future. He’s a find. He did pick up a few bad habits from his stint on TV but it was quickly dealt with.
Gerry Cornejo does a cameo as Mr. Manalo, as do my sisters as party-goers. And they threw themselves in their role, I have to say.
We made good time today, wrapping our day shoot ahead of schedule. The one night scene was in a cramped house, Sammy and Felipe’s home. It was so cramped I couldn’t find much angles. I really wanted to kick those damn walls down. On second thought we should have gone with a set. But, there it is.
The Arkeo team were troopers, as usual: Tracy is my AP and was characteristically strung-out. The others took dual roles. Monster became art department. Margie became art department-slash-driver. Popo was PM-slash-continuity. Pearl, our resident PA, experienced her first no-budget film and is actually close to losing her mind.
Neil the DOP was a great presence. Very cool, unruffled. Thankfully Bombi was there to handle Paulken, who is after all a ten year old boy, prone to distractions and fits.
Next: Day 2, where our two heroes walk the streets of Manila.
