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
alumni of st frederick from left: rj ledesma, arnold reyes, dimples romana, ina feleo, benjamin padero and carlo tabije. char lang
the film SENIOR YEAR that we shot last may is rated A by the cinema evaluation board! that means it gets a 100% tax rebate when it is shown in local theaters. im posting below the full review of the board lifted from director jerrold tarog’s tumblr. furthermore, SENIOR YEAR is one of the independent features to be screened during this december’s MMFF (metro manila film festival). that means two of the films i worked on as production designer is featured in that festival (shake rattle and roll XII and senior year). wohoo! have a merry christmas!
pogi, official mascot of the SENIOR YEAR shoot. photo by joseph pascual
Film Development Council of the Philippines
CINEMA EVALUATION BOARD
Summation of CEB members’ comments on “SENIOR YEAR” Grade: A Digitank Studios, Inc.
“SENIOR YEAR” is a refreshing and welcome departure from both the cotton candy romcoms churned out by mainstream cinema regularly as well as from the depressing poverty porn sometimes offered by the indies.
“Because of its imaginative, insightful and well-paced direction, intriguing characters and story structure, the film merits a clear `A.’” The film is “very, very good! It is simple and honest” like the graduation speech of the valedictorian, the film is not pretentious, nor over-reaching but just sincere in its quiet little space and in its intention and execution.
Of course, most of the credit goes to Director Jerrold Tarog who also wrote and edited the film; Tarog is also responsible for the overall sound design. His direction is called “superb as he has great mastery of his subject with effortless handling of his actors.”
The script is “well structured with praiseworthy attention to characters and with admirable avoidance of artistic pretensions.” A reviewer also commented that the “dialogue and characters are very natural.”
“The film captures the essence and vagaries of high school life and gives a taste of what may happen 12 – 14 years later.” Furthermore, the “screenplay captures the spirit and fun of the senior year” as well as the uncertainty and fears that are up ahead in college.
There are the usual nerds and wannabes, the usual bullies and their victims and the latter’s defenders. They are not portrayed as obligatory stereotypes though and this is what makes the seniors in the film interesting and endearing. Their back/home stories also vividly show the milieu the seniors are forced to sink or swim in. There are the heartbreaks from teen-age break-ups, college rejections and intram defeats and there are also successful physical and emotional make-overs. There are teachers who inspire and challenge and there are classmates who support and encourage but sometimes infuriate and meddle. The kids may not be as attractive or as airbrushed as the Glee cheerleaders; they are just the pimply, gangly and giddy teen-agers in the real world.
The editing is “sharp and competent as well as brisk and disciplined” though a couple of reviewers suggested a pruning of some scenes. Except for some scenes (the blurry footage from the actual intrams), the cinematography is considered “sharp and admirably controlled.”
The production design is “compatible with the theme and period covered.” The great attention to detail” is noted and praised.
“The music, like the other elements of the film, is both understated and worth listening to.” One CEB member says that the “musical score is provocative and aids in the plot development very well.”
Finally, it is the non-acting of the young non-actors that is the crowning glory of the film. The film boasts of “impressive, excellent and memorable repertory performances.” The performers are “natural, fresh, truthful and honest.” “Together with the professional actors who portray the teachers, the students provide a palpable sense of reality.”
To sum up, the following are some concluding comments from the Board:
“Congratulations for a very well-crafted film.”
“Snatches of high school life become a colorful tapestry of young lives at the brink of adulthood and the Director succeeds in conveying this essence to the screen.”
“Kudos should go Tarog and his young producer. Their film is a quiet but impressive feat.”
“May puso ang pelikula.”
“Love it!”
director jerrold tarog showing his true colors. me (145lbs heavy) in the background. photo by joseph pascual
SENIOR YEAR is written and directed by jerrold tarog. he also edited and scored the whole thing. cinematographer mackie galvez, prod design benjamin padero, assistant director bianca balbuena, sound nicholas varela with songs by johnoy, danao, executive producer beverly tanedo, produced by franco alido.
for screening schedules, please check here. click “like,” too! yey
before all these pd work on tv commercials, before regal films and centerstage, revolver and abracadabra, before doing design for brillante mendoza and jerrold tarog and chito rono and tikoy aguiluz, before getting the urian and a ycc, before graduating and all the bills, i was once a filmmaker. i wouldnt go as far as say i was great, but i was a friggin filmmaker.
and i got reminded of that by eating my instant pancit canton.
and watching the trailer of amorres perros.
in high school and college i got interested in a lot of movies. i read about some highly-praised films that i would never get my hands on. being in the province with no access to obscure movies and art house films, plus technology would not be pirate friendly for another 10 years, i was cinema-starved.
in 2000 i transferred to the college of fine arts and met kindred spirits who were also hungry for good movies. we fed on films by fincher, lynch, inarritu, mike de leon, lav diaz, tornatorre and of course on lucky me pancit canton and red horse beer. after a few years, pirated dvds and players started popping up in quiapo and it was the motherload. we continued feeding on more world cinema along with our unsatiated appetite for pancit canton and moud halal’s roasted chicken and kabsa rice.
back then we dreamed of films, ate films, breathed films. ive been lucky to have shot, produced and directed a few short films. we were living the dream, quite frankly.
before i graduated, my choices of meals were cheap or cheaper. when i started working (with then PD dante mendoza), i could afford to watch more movies on the wide screen and eat in a variety of restaurants. more when i started to do my own PD work in tv commercials and films. now it was a choice of whether we’d eat japanese, italian, pinoy or whatnot, no matter the price.
today i stayed home and waited for the rain. by the time the roofs started their staccato beat, i got hungry and cooked a batch of pancit canton. who’d have thought this bowl got me reminiscing and find enlightenment?
before all these pd work on tv commercials, before regal films and centerstage, revolver and abracadabra, before doing design for brillante mendoza and jerrold tarog and chito rono and tikoy aguiluz, before getting the urian and a ycc, before graduating and all the bills, i was once a filmmaker. i wouldnt go as far as say i was great, but i was a friggin filmmaker.
and i got reminded of that by eating my instant pancit canton. and now maybe it’s time to go back and make my own films.
We shot a film in may this year with the same motley crew of MANGATYANAN. i had the most fun working with jerrold tarog and his staff that i had to do his next feature.
SENIOR YEAR coming to you soon! 🙂 btw, the poster was designed by arnold arre (mythology class, martial law babies). more on this film later. yey!
FROM THE PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER: A very indie Urian
By Bayani San Diego Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines—For the fourth straight year, independent movies dominate the Urian awards, given by the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino, the country’s oldest critics’ group.
The Manunuri, now in its 31st year, nominated only five mainstream works: Jinggoy Estrada in “Katas ng Saudi” for Best Actor; Judy Ann Santos in “Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo” and Lorna Tolentino in “Katas” for Best Actress; Jose Javier Reyes’ “Katas ng Saudi” for Best Screenplay; and Liza Lorena in “Katas” for Supporting Actress.
Clean sweep
Since 2003, the Manunuri has picked indie movies for Best Film.
This year, all six nominees for Best Film are indies: Jerrold Tarog and Ruel Dahis Antipuesto’s “Confessional,” Jade Castro’s “Endo,” Dante Mendoza’s “Foster Child” and “Tirador,” Lav Diaz’s “Death in the Land of Encantos” and Jim Libiran’s “Tribu.”
“It’s the first time for indies to have a clean sweep of the Best Film category,” says Lito Zulueta, Manunuri member. Adds National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera, founding member and former chair: “It’s an indication of the enthusiasm of indie directors. It’s a good sign… that the film industry is being revived by new filmmakers.”
Although it can be argued that “Foster Child,” produced by Seiko Films, can fall under the mainstream category, it is directed by Mendoza, known mainly for indie films.
“Foster” received the most nominations, along with “Tribu” and Adolf Alix Jr.’s “Tambolista” which each got 10 nods. (But “Tambolista” is not in the Best Film race.) “Tirador” got 9 noms; while “Endo” and “Confessional” each has 7.
Mendoza isn’t the only one who scored double nods, for Best Director and Film (“Tirador” and “Foster”). Jiro Manio is nominated for Actor (“Tambolista”) and Supporting Actor (“Foster”); and Sid Lucero is in the race for Actor (“Selda”) and Supporting Actor (“Tambolista”).
Tarog has the most nominations for an individual—six (Sound, Editing, Screenplay, Actor, Director and Film) for a single movie, “Confessional.”
benjamin padero 
