this tells us why these two are still the greatest actresses we have in the philippines. this is a scene from the film, ikaw ay akin, which ive never seen actually. hoping i could find a copy somewhere. shot in 1978, this is written and directed by philippine national artist for film ishmael bernal, with additional writing credits for jose carreon (story and screenplay), starring vilma santos, nora aunor and christopher de leon (source imdb.com). just awesome.
Category Archives: filmmaking
walk like an egyptian
havent blogged anything in a long time so whatevs, i always say that haha
anyway, we shot this eq diapers commercial last year following the story of cleopatra and two of her visitors, an arabian prince and a lowly hebrew woman. loved this shoot. the costumed dramas for eq diapers have become a series of some sort, starting with sonia two years ago, a mix of grecian, elizabethan and gothic influences. the next ad, solomon, i wasnt able to work on because i think i was doing a film then. the third ad in the series would be this one, shot in december last year but only aired in february of this year. posting pics from concept to final output.
SET DESIGN
drew inspiration from classical paintings of cleopatra and egypt.
also looked into the set design of elizabeth taylor’s cleopatra, (1963) directed by joseph l. mankiewicz, production design by john de cuir (source imdb.com) and martin curtiz’s the egyptian (1954).
some of these pegs came from the director, mike alcazaren, and im not familiar with what television series they came from.
original set design
revised set design. the raised platform with pool would be too expensive to construct so i created two separate pool units instead. always wanted to do a set with water again. it’s been a long time haha
construction plans in chamba perspective (to produce a drawn perspective without use of rulers and no actual measurements of vanishing points) with measurements for my builders (called setmen). in architecture school, we learned to work in the metric system. when i started working on film, i had to adjust when the setmen told me they worked in feet because materials in the philippines were cut in feet and inches. it actually makes sense. why measure out 2.4384 meters for a panel when you can just say 8 feet?
production designer job description
taken in 2005 on the set of kaleldo, the 2nd feature length film dante mendoza directed and i designed for. here actress cherry pie picache is fixing her lapel while we look on. crazy times.
stumbled upon setdesign’s tweet about skillset’s article on the responsibilities of a production designer. although i took up architecture and interior design (once upon a time) and eventually got a degree in fine arts, i never really studied production design. there is no course on production design here in the Philippines, just a 3-unit subject offered under the film program, which i never took. in high school, i yearned to direct movies but never to design for film. i counted on cesar hernando as a mentor in college but my training came from cannes winner brillante mendoza, when he was still known as dante mendoza, the production designer. a friend of a friend recommended me to mendoza back in 2004 when i really didn’t have an idea what i would be getting into except the fact that i’d be involved in a shoot. you may call me an accidental production designer, like most designers i know.
production design in the philippines is a tricky sort, one that hasn’t been formalized and standardized. there are expectations but the working styles, commitment and the art department designations vary per designer. more often than not, here in the Philippines the production designer is a designer, art director, set decorator, wardrobe and props buyer in one. when i was an apprentice for dante mendoza, i learned to juggle different requirements for various tv commercial projects all happening at the same time. our team ranged from 3-6 people per project with overlapping responsibilities. i later learned other tvc designers, like butch garcia and adelina leung, would have a different art department team for each project. practices in production design also adjust slightly when working on film (independent and mainstream), print media, tv shows and music videos.
was offered to work as art director for an international ad recently. i immediately said yes, not only because i was excited to work with the celebrity talent but more because i would be working with an international production designer (and production staff). the prospect of learning something new and hopefully improving my work as a designer and that of my team thrilled me. add to this the fact that the director used to be a production designer as well raised the stakes but i was stoked and was more than eager to get the work started.
the skillset article breaks down what would be the ideal setup for the art department, something we local designers can hope to have and given the budget of most productions in the Philippines, we can only dream of. im reposting the whole article below
i am love (io sono l’amore)
one of the most gorgeous films ive seen in recent years is practically unknown on this side of the world and i wonder why. tilda swinton stars in I Am Love (2009), a sweeping melodrama directed by luca guadagnino, production design by francesca balestra di mottola, set decoration by monica sironi, costume design by antonella cannarozzi, cinematography by yorick le saux and features previously produced music by john adams. this film is just exquisite, from the opening titles that evoked classical italian cinema to the magnificent modernist interiors of villa necchi and the impeccable tailored costumes by fendi (sylvia venturini fendi is an associate producer) and jil sander (with raf simons) plus the elegant plating and emotion of carlo cracco’s culinary masterpieces.
the deliciously stylish film, set in milan in the year 2000, follows a haute bourgeoisie family through changing times and fortunes, and its disruption by the force of passion. the title is taken from a line from the aria La mamma morta, which is explored in the film philadelphia (starring tom hanks and denzel washington), a scene of which emma is watching while in bed with her husband, during the film. wiki source
the detail that went into the film is beyond words. it was a beautiful showcase of family, tradition and the unmaking of it. every frame of this film is a masterpiece and every scene just breathtaking. i love the real time take on the opening sequence where the whole family arrives and sits for lunch while swinton, gorgeous in a burgundy dress, orchestrates the household serving the perfect meal from her seat.
the opening titles had me at hello. it is reminiscent of many old films by visconti, hitchcock and the like
much of the film was set at the villa necchi campiglio in milan, which is a character in itself. the interiors, reckoned the producers, were a wonderful mix of home, museum and prison. i marveled that the director highlighted the house by showing us not just the main rooms of the villa but also its kitchen, staircases, sitting rooms, entryways and even the househelp’s private quarters.
“I wrote a script that called for a cube of marble with a big staircase and sharp surfaces,” Guadagnino says. “I was banging my head trying to find a home that suggested great wealth but also a restrained sensibility.” After searching for years, he saw Villa Necchi in a book and immediately knew that it was the one. “It shows the obsession with perfection and details that the Milanese bourgeoisie have,” he says. “Old money always comes with great charm. Their real success is making others believe that money doesn’t exist — and luxury, as most people perceive it, doesn’t really exist in this house. It’s very severe, and feels almost unmovable, like a piece of rock.” source
60s love on the x-men
i was excited when teaser clips of this film were circulated. what’s not to love? a younger batch of x-men in the 60s? it’s like porn. and rightly so, with the magnetic chemistry and undeniable bromance between professor charles x xavier and erik lehnsherr, played by james mcavoy and michael fassbender.
this may be the best x-men film out there for me. the pacing was right and fassbenber’s performance is just killer. he owned the film actually. online reviews reflect a more mixed feedback but im all for this film. weak link was probably january jones, playing the white queen, because she doesnt seem to know how to act. she always had this blank stare and looked like she’s eternally bored and it’s not a very convincing bored look in the first place!
but the biggest selling point for me with this film is the 60s look. i thought it was an obvious route for director matthew vaughn to take this movie to that era because he also did the 60s advertising tv series, mad men. i apparently have mistaken him for matthew weiner haha. vaughn, a totally different guy, produced lock stock and two smoking barrels with director guy ritchie (ex-mr.madonna) before he went on to direct stardust and kick-ass, among others.
credit for the gorgeous set design go to the production designer chris seagers and his team of art directors led by john king and dawn swiderski plus set decoration by erin boyd and sonja klaus. costume design is by sammy sheldon. i just love anything 60s-70s. they’re so much fun to look at and do. full info at imdb.com. i do not take credit for the photos below. details on the photos were taken from architectural digest. im just a fan 🙂
more after the jump.
lake sebu revisited
this is y’egas, a t’boli singer from lake sebu in south cotabato. i came across her in 2004 when i went up the area to work on a documentary (which unfortunately i didn’t finish). the first time i met her at her home and asked her to sing for the documentary, y’egas started lamenting in song about the conditions of her people and fighting for ancestral domain land titles in a largely government protected area (watershed). i gave her a token of thanks (p500) for her help and left. i later learned from my guide that she didnt like me recording her; she was saying i might exploit her and her people and all that jazz. i was oblivious because she sang in her native tongue and didnt speak a word of bisaya! i also found out my recording got corrupted (used minidv tapes and for some reason they were pixelated and “choppy”) so i had to go back and redo the footage. i braved asking her to sing again and thankfully this time she was more than helpful, smiled a lot more and sang of the beauty of lake sebu and hoped i bring with me only good memories of her and her land. she even recounted the death of a beloved datu chieftain and sang about a local epic. here is the video to that song.
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sorry, i have no way of translating this video. took me a while to find this file, one of the few scenes i was able to digitally convert and keep 5 years ago, and upload on youtube. has it been that long? i have one more of y’egas dancing and her brother, ma’afil, playing the hegolung he made for me. ill upload this vid at another time. here are my blog entries on the trip around zamboanga and lake sebu in 2004:
cruising down the freeway in the hot hot sun
more on motorcycle diaries
set design porn
found this posted so im reblogging because it’s friggin awesome! this is set design porn at its best!
A selection of some of the most awesome Behind-the-scenes shots I’ve seen from some famous movies. Back when set designs were huge and hand made, when special effects where mechanical and photographic and film stars were risking their lives on the set.
SEE THIS GALLERY HERE: BEST OF BTS –reposting the photos below
source: Ain’t It Cool News specifically here and here
A self portrait of Stanley Kubrick with his daughter, Jack Nicholson and the crew @ the set of The Shining. Production Design by Roy Walker. Art Direction by Leslie Tomkins, Costume Design by Milena Canonero. Source
On the set of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis — the actress inside the Maria robot taking a breather.
The Empire Strikes Back – filming the Crawl.
darth vader and director Irvin Kershner. i love empire strikes back more than star wars and return of the jedi. it was a much fuller story and direction was so much better. Production Design by Norman Reynolds. Art Direction by Leslie Dilley, Harry Lange, Alan Tomkins. Set Decoration by Michael Ford. Costume Design by John Mollo. Source
the swamp where luke first meets yoda.
Rebel Without A Cause — James Dean, Natalie Wood and director Nicholas Ray.
Sesame Street
Requiem for a Dream — Jennifer Connelly strapped into a SnorriCam. Directed by Darren Aronofsky, Cinematography by pinoy Matthew Libatique. Production Design by James Chinlund, Art Direction by Judy Rhee, Set Decoration by Ondine Karady
The Gate (1987) — Giant special effect set. © Craig Reardon
The Birds (1961) — Tippi Hedren with Hitchcock.
set of Alien. nominated at the oscars for art direction. Directed by Ridley Scott. the alien itself was designed by H.R. Giger. Production Design by Michael Seymour, Roger Christian (uncredited), Art Direction by Roger Christian, Leslie Dilley. Set Decoration by Ian Whittaker, Costume Design by John Mollo. source
h.r. giger on set. winnneeeeerrrrrrrr *drool*
stan winston working on the queen in Aliens. Directed by James Cameron. Production Design by Peter Lamont. Art Direction by Terry Ackland-Snow (supervising art director), Ken Court, Bert Davey, Fred Hole, Michael Lamont. Set Decoration by Crispian Sallis. Source
Private Vasquez (Jenette Goldstein) on the set of Aliens. idol ko sha! she also worked with cameron on Terminator 2 as furlong’s foster mom and Titanic as that mother with the 2 kids. source
marshmallow man in 1984’s Ghostbusters
Superman seems flying on the set.
on the set of Mothra (1961) – special effects director Tsuburaya Eiji
Dr. Strangelove — Sellers & Kubrick. Production Design by Ken Adam, Art Direction by Peter Murton.
Tron (1982) — David Warner and Bruce Boxleitner fuck around in costume. Production Design by Dean Edward Mitzner, Art Direction by John B. Mansbridge, Al Roelofs. Set Decoration by Roger M. Shook, Costume Design by Eloise Jensson, Rosanna Norton. source
Nosferatu (1922) — only Max Schreck “lounged” like that.
on the set of Faust.
Godfather — fish-line bullet holes.
Sean Connery sleeping on the set. awaaaard source
King Kong (1933)
on the spaceship set of 2001: A Space Odyssey. *drool* love this movie. won the academy award for best art direction. Production Design by Ernest Archer, Harry Lange, Anthony (Tony) Masters. Art Direction by John Hoesli, Set Decoration by Robert Cartwright (uncredited) source imdb
like!
probably one of the most fun shoots we did this year was working on the currently airing lola techie commercial for bayanDSL. lyle sacris directed all tvcs for bayanDSL’s lola techie ads and this would be my first working on this campaign with him. i had to recreate every detail of continuity from the previous commercials but the bedroom and kitchen were new ground so i was able to play around with it. it helped a lot that the location we shot in was amazing, with authentic vintage 70s furniture and gorgeous detailed work on ceiling and wall panels.
had to introduce a few more elements to the house to push the lolatechi-ness in the design. i always love playing up the 70s feel in my designs and this was another opportunity to do so 🙂 i always get inspiration from amelie (directed by jean-pierre jeunet, design by aline bonetto (art director) and marie-laure valla (set decorator), and of course top photographer erwin olaf. a lot of the toys in lola techie’s house are from direk lyle’s own collection, including worlds of warcraft and the matrix’s sentinel (which we wanted to put on her bed’s headboard but was taken out eventually).
exit through the art house
was enthralled by EXIT THROUGH THE GIFTSHOP, a documentary on the lines and rules separating graffiti, street art and commercial art. directed by the highly regaled street artist, banksy, who himself questioned the popularity of his works in the art world. he asks videographer thierry gueta to released his extensive video footage on graffiti and really show that “it’s not about the money.” rules are made to be broken, especially for these artists who ply their trade in the night but one guy really turned the whole thing around.
the film is hilarious and inspiring, the twists very smart and in the end you dont really know who or what you are rooting for. what defines an artist? who says you are one? the art world? yourself? his peers? this documentary is just awesome! in parts i began to question my own brand of art and then the film peels through another layer of the complexities and im taken into another roller coaster ride. critics questioned its authenticity, noting that thierry’s mr. brainwash was also banksy’s own makings. either way, it made for great entertainment and understanding that most of it is real. maybe.
the film received a nomination for best documentary at this year’s academy awards. im posting the trailer here:
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after this movie, we then watched CATFISH, another documentary whose review i stumbled upon in the new york times. i got intrigued and didnt bother reading the rest of the writeup. words with “facebook” and “better than” got me at hello. it started off pretty decent, introducing us to nev, a hairy photographer, whose photos became inspiration for a young girl artist. his correspondence with this girl and her siblings on facebook became some sort of relationship with the whole family. whatever else happened afterwards i will not be telling you because you gotta see this for yourself. rollercoaster ride! awesome movie, watch!
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*** a bit of a spoiler here, but, read on if you like.
it was serendipity, i guess, that we chanced upon GIFTSHOP and CATFISH one after the other. for CATFISH, we are introduced to an artist who lived in a small town hidden away from the world. no hope of leaving, no opportunities for recognition and fortune. it’s not really fame we are after, artists just need a little bit of acknowledgement for our existence and expression. i guess the same goes for every human being on the planet. im currently in my anxiety-ridden phase on whether i should be changing careers again, stop doing production design, wanting to do other stuff, finding myself yet again. for somebody who is actually doing what he was supposed to do, im ungrateful. here’s this suburban artist who never had the opportunity to study art school or pursue dreams then starts to create an online dream life to escape from her reality. that should slap me out of my whining!
bianca balbuena and i got to talking about this world we live in. there is a big difference between career and jobs. my ancestors took awhile before they appreciated my foray to fine arts instead of pursuing a professional course in college like architecture or engineering. we dont have jobs, we have careers. it’s not perfect but we earn a living and we dont have to slave off in offices 9-5 everyday. and we dont have uniforms!
for banksy, his art got the whole world buzzing enough to raise prices on street art and elevate it from just being graffiti. do more and it becomes kitsch, as what thierry has done. but these artists had found ways to do their art and be heard, in relation to the small-time dreamer artist from CATFISH who’s missing out a lot.
art is subjective, and the art world is political. heidi klum says it best, “one day you’re in, and the next day you’re out.”
SRR XII: Punerarya
i know as a kid ive dreamt of doing a hollywood movie, or at least a star cinema one. but never in my wildest dream did i ever think id be doing a regal movie until it happened. and i had to do a shake rattle and roll movie at that!
joann banaga has always been telling me ill never know my full capabilities until i try doing a regal movie. this may be some sort of rites of passage for filmmakers like myself. my affiliation with the monteverdes was always with dondon, mother lily’s son, who owns reality entertainment (of which i did a shelved project with chito rono eons ago) and revolver studios, where i do most of my tv commercial work. there became a running joke on the set that goes: “weh, filmmaker ka? nag-regal ka na ba?”
i always had apprehensions when regal comes to the picture but i couldnt pass off the opportunity to work with jerrold tarog for his first mainstream movie. we’ve done 2 indies so far (mangatyanan and senior year) and it’s always great fun working with him and his motley crew of a staff. so i blocked off september and october of 2010 for this movie.
jerrold calling the shots from the bedroom
dop mackie galvez
me (still with braces), bianca balbuena assistant director, benjamin tolentino script con and sid lucero
carla abellana, cited for an acting nomination for her work here at the metro manila film festival
mercedes cabral sporting a preggie tummy on top of the film crew while bianca looks on
our awesome cast sid lucero, jess evardone, anna vicente, gaby dela merced and the lovely ms. odette khan
benjamin padero 