My ride came early and so I was at
the location an hour before the 6AM call time. Vaguely familiar friendly faces
greeted me at the theater hall’s entrance as I was kindly ushered in by
Michael, a production staffer who’s done bit roles too in some Gallaga-Reyes
projects. “Andiyan na po si Direk Jo,” he assured me and as if on cue, Direk Jo
and some more staffers walked in from a dark hall. She greeted me, “Ang aga mo!”
I wanted to say, “Siyempre, excited eh…” but I didn’t.
I was shown to a big dressing room
which had a sign with names on the door: Joaqui Tupaz and under it, Talents. Of
course, I am not Joaqui so we can all now presume that I am one of THE talents.
I settled for a chair on the leftmost of a long dresser. As an OCD “member”, I
am never comfortable sitting in rows with other people on my either sides. I would
always prefer taking a seat on either ends. But that’s another story.
Moments later and a couple of
selfies after, more and more people came in. The aircon was in full blast and
the once empty room was brimming with young students from various colleges.
Most of them are either majoring in film or communication arts. They were to
play bit parts in the movie, too. The movie? T’yanak.
 |
| Photo Credit: T'yanak 2014 Facebook Page |
 |
| I rarely request for a photo op with celebrities and actors but I just had to have this shot of Tom Rodriguez as proof to my office associates that I was really in a film shoot with him. Poor guy, basing from the look on his (very handsome) face, I bet he was praying I don't request for a selfie shot with him. (Naturally, I didn't.) |
Directed by Peque
Gallaga and Lore Reyes, the official Facebook page offers the movie’s
synopsis: Savage murders terrify the
once-quiet town of Puting Bato, and the chief suspect is the foundling baby who
has won the heart of Julie (Judy Ann Santos). Her brother Mark (Tom Rodriguez)
and his fiancée Madie (Solenn Heussaff) become the target of the T’yanak. A
widower who lost his wife in a vicious T’yanak attack (Sid Lucero) adds a
brutal layer of terror in a town already petrified by fear.
And this is where we (meaning the
cast-of-thousands and I) step in.
The film’s last day of shoot was
the “massacre sequence” where unsuspecting moviegoers got more than what they
cared for. The sequence is a horrific mélange of blood, dead bodies,
pandemonium, stampede and chaos. All wrought by the tiny critter. Packed in a
small theater, the cast and crew had to finish all sequences in record time. The crowd scene had to be choreographed and
blocked with precision. Take after take, the students, along with other “seasoned”
performers like me, had to create the feeling of terror and urgency. You would
never imagine how much chaos can be made in such an orderly manner. Only in
films.
The director, Peque Gallaga, would
later inform the cast that over 80 scenes were filmed in those ten hours only
for that single sequence. Wow! So how did they do that? Well, one thing I
always look forward to when working with the Gallaga- Lore Reyes tandem is that
these guys and their creative team are such meticulous workers that one gets
the feeling that everything was pre-planned and well-organized. Such quality sends
a strong message that “we are all professionals here” and that “we take these things
really, really seriously” and then have loads of fun along the way.
 |
| Photo credit: T'yanak 2014 Facebook Page |
With a shot list that runs like
clockwork, the team moves from one scene to another. And master story-tellers
that they are, Gallaga and Reyes have the ability to make things very clear in
the minds of the actors that even bit players know where they “stood” in the
whole scheme of things.
Which brings me to the real stars
of the day.
Some sixty young students were cast
as talents for the “massacre sequence”. And watching these young talents work
their **ses off couldn’t make one any prouder. They were delivering some of the
most authentic and heartfelt performances of their lives. And deliver they did.
Even with some bruises and unwanted bumps, the young talents endured the takes
after takes with a discipline that any mentor can be proud of. I felt their maturity and willingness to rise
to the demands of professional work. Unfortunately, to respect their privacy, I
choose not to reveal their schools but I am rather sure that there is a present
slew of photo updates among film and production students.
 |
| The future looks very bright! |
If what I saw during that shoot was
any indication of the movie industry’s future in the country, well I can say
that it would be in good hands. Say, even in the next twenty years or so.
 |
| Photo credit: Rap Ramirez/T'yanak 2014 Facebook page |
BUT of course, we are forever fans.
I almost lost it when Judy Ann
Santos walked into the dimly-lit theater, ready for her scenes. At this point I
must confess that I am a HUGE fan of the actor- TV host-celebrity-star-mother-chef.
Having watched her transform from a child actress into one of the industry’s
respected personalities, the multi-hyphenated description doesn’t even come
close to what this talented woman can really bring to the table. Even other directors whom I have talked to
before have nothing but good things to say about Juday. “Napakababait na tao. Napakabuting
mag-asawa (referring of course to her and husband Ryan Agoncillo),” offered one
multi-awarded writer-director who had worked with the couple many times over.
Indeed, a no-nonsense performer like Juday needed only clear directions and
seconds later she would be delivering into the cameras an explosive performance
that is devoid of distracting mannerisms and perfectly natural.
Now, the fact that her scenes
required her to clutch a baby (real, live one) who was wailing and distraught,
it came in handy for Juday who has brought up two children of her own to
instinctively know what to do and how to get the very young thespian to
cooperate for the cameras that you’d want to heave and sigh, “Aaaaaaaaaaw!”
In the massacre sequence, Juday’s
character is on the run for her and her ward’s life. In the finished cut you
would probably see Juday bloodied, bruised and bent, crawling on all fours for her
dear life while trying to protect a horrific monster of a foundling infant from
a vigilante gone mad, very mad (Cheers to Lucero for delivering bloodcurdling
scenes). But will Juday prevail?
I guess we all have to watch the movie to find
out. After all I was only in one scene and unless they decide to leave it on
the cutting floor, we will all need to hold or breath and struggle not to blink
in order not to miss it! Ah, the celebrity of being a Talent!
T'yanak opens on October
29 exclusively in SM Cinemas nationwide as part of the Horror Film Festival
along with three other films: “Hukluban: Gabi Kung Sumikat ang Araw”, directed
by Gil Portes; “The Medium”, by Romy V. Suzara; and Edgardo Boy Vinarao’s “Bacao”
.
