Quentin Tarantino's Talk in Cinemanila 2007 - Part I

I'm thankful I got a seat to see him do his lecture/talk. I think its just downright wonderful of the man to go all the way out here wanting to do a talk for film students.

Though he did point out no to mobile cameras and explicitly told us "Its either you were here or you weren't" for the talk. I do want to post what he did say, for the curious and those who apparently missed it because of the weather. In his element, this is what he had to say...

On Characters

- Dazed & Confused is the best hang-out movie ever made. Yes there's a plot, but more important to it are the people. You hang out with the characters. You get to like these people like they're your friends. Jackie Brown is my "hang out film"

As a Writer-Director

- I have no problem being both because its my material.

- Its important that the piece start with a blank page that I'm able to create celluloid out of nothing. A blank page.

- Where I'm come the process that is closest to writing is editing... Sally Menke... I only work with one editor. This is how my cinema is. The last draft of the script is the first cut of the movie.

On Planet Terror

I grew up loving these kinds of movie. I wanna give back to the people who love them as well. Also to give the theatrical experience with these kind of movies to a new audience. To give our obsession back.

On Casting

- I try to get to know that I get of sense of them (the actors). Have dinner and hang-out.

- I had to learnover the course of time, its all about my characters. I'm proud of them, they're my babies. I love my characters more than my movies. They're real to me. I'm God and they're my subjects. But they're me. They become my humanity.

- The actors at the end of the day, they have to live up to my characters. I'm in the business of finding the actor that will make the character come alive..

- Sometimes they're so intuned into the characters, I no longer see my words but I hear the actor's voices.

- At casting an oddball comes in... interesting... exciting artistically. I have a crush on them. Its gotta be the right one... If I get turned on by their uniqueness or quirkiness. Sometimes you cast the actor, not the character... If i didn't holdout for the perfect actor, he's not the character.

On being a Writer

I'm coming from a serious writer's place. I'm not saying I deserve it, but that's what I want. I want to be one of the greatest writers in the 20th century.

How do I reinvent myself?

I just come up with the next story I want to tell. I fall in love with the next story, there's never a question. about it. You're in love then you're in loive. That's just the joy! I'm in such love I'm able to commit to what I should do.

On Budget

- For anyone who produces I wanna be a good investment. I don't want you to lose money. But if it happens, its not ideal. Hopefully I can give you $2 back for every dollar.

- Some movies have small audiences. They touch a nerve, I got that with Pulp Fiction. It made $8 million at the time.

-To fashion the budget appropriate to the story I want to tell

On Pulp Fiction

- It gave me a place, a position in this business I'm fortunate to have. I'm lucky in a highly competitive, commercial industry I'm an artist in residence.

- I had a complete smash in a quirky smash, my thing and I was completely rewarded by it.

After much anxiety shooting Walang Paraiso, finally it'll be seen on screen on Cinemanila. I couldn't be any happier about it =)

Endless months of pre-prod and storyboarding with enzo. The daily location hunt, casting calls are the sweat, blood and tears of Elisse our PM. Nerissa's very steady wrangling on set was crucial and the two are just great! The principal photography was a juggling act but well executed by the three: Albert, Maisa and Ruel. Albert bringing on so much luck at the MRT sequence, the whole scene was an experiment in serendipity including the guerilla shoot in downtown Manila at almost midnight. Joy who arguably wanted to kill me between days for providing her a measly budget for PD surprisingly delivered more: a full-functional wardrobe team, set design and tons of props. So lucky!

But after 27 hours together, energies and tempers just languishing, the actors are still riled up for their scenes. Perry seems to be on so much adrenaline, I dunno, he never gets tired at all and easily slips into character like second skin. Therese is just funny, she's so wind up, she's so madaldal! my gosh! like an energizer bunny between takes. and Rham? well everybody just agrees, Rham is just intense! Kuya Amante is so consistent and seriously, he's not the guy you should cross, he brings on the pretty serious stuff on set. Just back from a funeral from an 8 hour road trip and still he's ready for anything.

Now the whole project of finally getting to shoot your first short is not for the fainthearted. This is the result of years being behind-the-scenes fervently waiting for the right time. It will really strain a number of relationships, burn holes in your pockets (not just yours) and emotionally drain your whole being. Friends will fight for you, linger around or just pat you in the back and say "I hope you know what you're doing now." I think what is crucial is getting a good team of people who believe in the project you're doing. And in the end, all the hardwork is worth every notion of a dream realized.

The Official Selection CineManila Young Cinema Programme 2007.

August 8 to 19 2007 at Gateway Mall Cineplex 10 in Araneta Center, Quezon City August 17 to 19 Boracay

COMPETITION
1. Libingan (Ramon del Prado)
2. The Calling (Christopher Gozum)
3. Three Boys (Ming Kai Leung)
4. Delusions (Ernest Michael Manalastas)
5. Parang Sirang Plaka (Real Florido)
6. Bingit (Michael Christian Cardoz)
7. Kasila (Sherwin Desierto)

EXHIBITION
1. Afterbirth (Reginald Vinluan)
2. Umbilical (Jason Joven)
3. Sa Kanlungan ng Impyerno (Milo Tolentino)
4. Ambulancia (Richard Soriano Legaspi)
5. Qwerty (Paolo Dy)
6. Walang Paraiso (Ivy Tayag Baldoza)
7. Tres Pas (Janus Victoria)

Yay!

All-Indie Film Festival @ TitusBrandsma

“Walang Paraiso” was screened last night at the 10th year Anniversary and the yearly All-indie film festival of Pelikula @TitusBrandsma, the highlight of this year's event is Nerissa Picadizo's music video “Nice”. A dear tribute on the first year death Anniversary of actor/filmmaker Kuya Elmo Redrico. Ka Elmo in particular gave a memorable and extraordinary performance in Tad Ermitaño's Local Unit.

Among the films screen, I love the Calling by Christopher Gozum which is in Competition this coming CineManila Int'l Filmfest. An atmospheric short that deals with an OFW working in a factory in Pusan who has to heed the Calling of his Visayan grandmother to return to his town and assume his destiny as a healer. The short is technically and visually stunning and evokes the filmmaking clarity of Kim Ki-duk. Chris Gozum is last year's alumni and Philippine representative at the Asian Film Academy which funded and produce his short.

Other films of interests, the whimsical and heartwarming short Babae by Sigrid Andrea Bernardo. How can you compress so much Life in a 25 minute short? It feels like a full-length feature and a tongue-in-cheek documentary that just rolls out the punches. The visually curt and direct Boy Who Loves Flowers, insightful considering its length. The intense and cautionary tale of Lunes ng Hapis by Nick Joseph Olanka is unforgettable in its own right.

duendes in makati's little tokyo

rediscovering the indigneous duende inside us

Spent the day at silverlens, a photography gallery at the edge of Pasong Tamo. Well, the whole thing started out surreal i guess. 5 years ago the first indie short i've ever seen was Perfumed Nightmares in VHS, a copy someone got from MFI. it was the first time i saw mang kidlat tahimik, it was the first time i saw an out of sync film that was so captivatingly pinoy and surreal. who could ever forget visually, a jeepney speeding on the autobahn?

now with my son in tow, i get to accidentally meet the larger-than-life Tatay Kidlat and his sons. he says he isn't much of a lecturer, interestingly he banters in what seems like drunken French, so ensues a performance piece that takes you personally behind the spirit of Perfumed Nightmares. i would say he was on fire, entralling and inspiring at the same time, conjuring up the duendes and perhaps the dead muses in my head. you get to meet the master, and unfortunately also an upfront peek at his groin as he sheds his cocoon. but i think that wasn't surreal part, maybe it was what he said that he was actually shooting the lecture/class for his film. Or distinctively what sets him apart for me, that he finds himself a father first before he takes on the role of a filmmaker. well he gets to combine both i guess. odd i should say when most male filmmakers would rather take the drunken bachelor route, and enjoy the debauchery at every biennale and filmfest till their later lives (hehe). how many men anyways would proudly say they like being Dads?

after the lecture, i was too intimidated to say anything as much as i wanted to say "hi,hello, goodbye", i left for the DVDs at MCS.

DVDs found Delicatessen, the science of sleep, 2005 Oscar shorts.

day's details - silver lens gallery showed a work by a segment producer from Probe i think i met her before, can't remember where exactly, anyways her name's JJ Christine Villamarin. Her work showed collage, mixed media pieces of her euro travels.

Manga Kissa 10 just opened today, I met the owner and his employees in French-maid outfits, so classic jap porn. I love the idea finally a Manga library in the neighborhood, Makati's Little Tokyo should stop with the KTVs and sushi bars and get into these kind of niche things. They should follow through with a Hentai Film Store, Kabuki theater or something =)

My friend Makoto did tell me that they do plan to take over the whole pasong tamo district in 5 years tops. The japs are back and will charmingly disarm you with their P88 peso stores, which btw are filled with amazingly sturdy, aesthetically pleasing home wares.