Back from oblivion.

Was in Bataan this past week because of Paul, Ging and Bek's thesis film, La Cancion Del Olvido ("The Song of Oblivion"). I didn't really know what to expect, because the weather can be really weird sometimes, so a lot of things could possibly happen.

We had a briefing last Tuesday before we had to leave on Wednesday night. Instead of a last reading rehearsal in CSB, they decided to have a briefing at KFC instead because they couldn't retrieve the permit for most of the actors. And the permit was left with Audz, who was their PM, but the problem was that Audz got infected with the famous Influenza A(H1N1), but due to organ complications, the flu evolved into H3N2, which sent her to the ICU. Hope Audz is feeling better now.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Pick-up point on Wednesday night was at McDonald's Edsa Central, and I arrived there 2 hours early, hahaha. It's just as well, anyway, because it started raining hard. I took my time having dinner so I wouldn't have to wait that long. Soon after I had finished eating, the rest of the cast started trickling in.

There were 2 vans picking us up, and I chuckled to myself when I found out that the cast members had been assigned to specific vans. I ended up in the 1st van with Ate Jeanette, Jayjay, James, JR and Arian. There were 2 other tech students with us, and because we still had lots of room, we were the van that picked up the sound equipment. Hahaha, during the first part of the ride, we took advantage of the chichirya that JR had brought with him, plus he and Arian were cracking us all up because of his ability to do a million voices, hahaha. After a short pit stop at Petron, we were back on the road to Bataan. Most of us started dozing off, but not JR and Arian, as they were on a 2-hour singing sound trip the entire way.

We had finally arrived at the compound we were staying at during the wee hours of morning. There were 4 houses to accommodate all of us. 1 for the thesis group and their friends, one of us actors, one for the Balikas group, and the last for the thesis group's parents. Because our van was the last to pull up, all the rooms in the actors' house were already taken. Taken meaning all the beds have been filled. So what we all decided to do in each of the 3 rooms were push the 2 beds together so everyone can have a place to sleep. I ended up rooming with Roan and Mercedes. I was suddenly grateful for my mom insisting that I bring an extra pillow, because there was only one pillow for each bed. After Ging had come into each room for the morning's agenda, we finally went to bed.

Thursday, July 9

Breakfast was at 6am, and the scheduled briefing was an hour later. Mash, who had to juggle work and the shoot, had arrived from Manila that very morning, just in time for the briefing. Unfortunately for our room, it had a bathroom that had to share with the room next to it (while the other 2 rooms had their own) so we had to share it with Tita Gigi, Tita Zeny and Toji. Hahaha, I ended up being late for the briefing, so I was pretty lost.

Our first sequences were to be shot at the beach location not so far off from the Zorro set, so we all (except James and JR, who weren't called) piled up in the van. The sun was blazing hot while we were crowded under this one hut, and it didn't help that some of the actors were sort of complaining about costumes (considering this is a period film), scheduling, putting things into action and stuff, which left the thesis group pretty stressed out. While we were waiting, Mercedes taught Roan how to put on eyeshadow while I watched so I could learn how to do it too. In the end, most of us had return to the house to wait and rest because they only had to shoot sequences with the chismosas, plus the two couples (Roan, Mercedes, Mash and Jayjay). Chika mode with Toji and Tita Zeny in their room until the others came back. As it turned out, they only got to shoot the chismosa sequences.

When Roan, Mercedes and I holed up in our room, we talked about the thesis group and the other actors, and how stressed the students got due to all the suggestions the other actors gave them. Kaloka lang, because we can't always blame the thesis group because they weren't really film majors but production design majors, and these older actors kept throwing suggestions left and right and comparing them to the TV and film people they have worked with. We decided to tell the older ones to maybe just help the thesis group with all they have so things can go smoothly. Hahaha, for a while, we even joked about the "RRRamon School of Film Learrrning" (yes, trill those R's) that they had coined while waiting that morning.

Wait mode for the rest of the day, until the late evening when Mercedes was called to shoot some sequences with Jayjay. Because of the effort put into curling Mercedes' hair, Kuya Edwin came to our room to help her (as he had while we were waiting in the beach hut that morning) by adding curly hair extensions (courtesy of Ate Jeanette). Hahaha, that was how the "I want to be a pornstar" line began and evolved. I ended up doing a little bonding with Roan in our room after we had taken our baths (so we don't have to race to the bathroom the next morning).

Friday, July 10

All of us were called to go to the set that morning. Thank goodness for taking a bath the night before, so I got ready pretty early. I ended up trying out Mercedes' make-up tips as I rummaged around the make-up box, hahaha. We were pretty crowded in the van, so I ended up riding in Mash's car (he went home the day before and returned that morning) with him, Jayjay and JR. We all settled in this one house which probably served as a green room for the Zorro people.

More waiting, and set-up for the exterior shot of the day sequences took quite some time. They managed to shoot one sequence, then the weather got really crazy. It started raining on and off, which drove everyone crazy because they had to move 2 huge tables in and out of the house a couple of times. When we were told that we were shooting sequences that involved the entire cast, that was when I was finally given my costume. Kaloka, we weren't advised about bringing a kamison to wear under the baro't saya, but at least there's the panuelo to cover it up.

After lunch, the weather was still pretty crazy, and it was announced that we were to move to another house in the village set. The "youngster cast" (Roan, Mercedes, Mash, Jayjay and me) piled into Mash's car so they wouldn't be as crowded in the van, and headed to the second house. We were all still in our costumes, so it was quite a huge challenge for me to move around with that skirt, and the pina cloth was super hot when we were at the second house, which was a replica of a bahay na bato. Replica nga talaga, as the wooden floor of the 2nd landing was pretty thin, as the floor wobbled with every footstep.

We were hanging around for several minutes when someone had said that we were to move again to another venue, so it was back to the vehicles to this other place that looked like a church or something. Holy kamote, by the time we got there, Ging and Bek were rushing toward us, looking as if they had been crying, and asked who had told us that all of us would be going to that venue. Apparently the one who had told us to go failed to understand that only a few people were to go there to shoot a sequence. We were told to go back to the house instead, except for Mercedes and Jayjay again so they can shoot their intimate scene together.

We were all called back at around 10 in the evening, back to the 2nd house with the wobbly floor. Because of the rain, the supposed beach party scenes were changed to interior daytime party scenes. We were all told to get into our costumes to finally shoot certain sequences with us "youngsters" in the background, then more waiting ensued. After a whole bunch of sequences were shot, most were told to go back to the house except for a bunch of us (me included) for a couple of specific sequences that required a change of costume for us from day to evening party.

Saturday, July 11

This was the longest day of the shoot. Back to the usual house, and we immediately got in costume. More progress that day, and it was good that the thesis group and company were in much better spirits than the previous days. We took advantage of the sunny late morning to shoot one exterior shot of the entire cast walking down the streets of the village. Never mind that it was really hot, especially under those costumes, as long as we finish everything.

Lunch break after that sequence, and we were given a long break afterwards. Ended up dozing off on one of the chairs half the time, and then chika mode with fellow youngsters Roan, Mercedes, Mash and Jayjay. When we shot the sequence with the youngsters that included me, we suddenly included Ate Jeanette in the scene to give it a little more punch, hahaha.

There was a little qualm between Ate Jeanette and Roan sometime during the evening due to a costume mix-up, but it was resolved easily anyway, thank goodness.

It was amazing how we managed to shoot all sequences that required the entire cast that day, including the scene where people had to go crazy, hahaha. Because the rain still kept coming and going, there was an extreme change in some scenes, like an explosion had to be removed and replaced with a stampede.

We finished that day at 4 in the morning. But because we've been planning to have a drinking session during one of the nights of the shoot, we pushed through with it. Mash had some drinks in his car when he arrived that morning, and when we got back to the house, it was inuman time! There was Roan, Mercedes, Mash, Kuya Edwin, Ate Jeanette, JR, Arian and Tito Moises. Hahaha, there was this one point in the conversation where we talked about Upe, this character that was only mentioned in the film, but never appears. Apparently Kuya Edwin had an Upe in mind in the shoot, and a bunch of them ranted about this person, which Mash caught on video, hahahaha. We were still there when the sun was already rising and breakfast had arrived, and to think that Mercedes had to be ready to be called by 6.30. So she ended up doing her make-up while we were all still drinking, and Kuya Edwin quickly fixed her hair with the extensions. When she had finally left, all of us finally decided to get some sleep.

Sunday, July 12

Woke up long enough to have breakfast, then tambay mode until lunch arrived. That afternoon, Roan was also called on set, so I was the only left in our room. Some of us had no idea if we were still needed for some additional sequences, so I finally got off my bum to get ready. I was getting really bored so I kept leaving my room for water and coffee, until Arian told me to join them in the other room, where he was hanging out with Ate Jeanette, Tita Gina, Kuya Edwin and JR. More chika ensued, and even quite a bit of bashing, which cannot be helped anyway.

By the time Mercedes had returned, there was no word from the thesis group about what time we'll finish. We were first told that we'll be leaving for Manila by 12 midnight, but from what I heard from some, it looked like we were leaving early. We were getting pretty bored, so Ate Jeanette, Kuya Edwin, Tita Gina, JR and I went to the other house (where Jayjay and Mash had a room with the Balikas people) to hang out with Jayjay. Mash (and Roan) had returned 15 minutes later, and we were informed that dinner had already arrived, so it was back to our own house.

After dinner, everyone had already packed their stuff and were hanging out in different rooms. Then there was suddenly a meeting in the common area with the thesis group regarding our progress and then finally accounts had to be settled before it was high time to go back home to Manila.

Once again, I was super grateful that I had that extra pillow with me, because my seat in the van didn't have a neck rest. I had turn to the side and lean so I could rest the pillow on the seat next to me so I could catch up on my sleep.

Everyone in our van decided to be dropped off at certain areas instead of our pick-up point at Edsa Central, and because I couldn't go home yet at that hour, I ended up being dropped off at Atlantis (thanks, Kuya John), hahaha. Spelling Bee had closed that night, so the office people and crew were taking a breather after the strike. I went back to the south with Lawyn, Mae and Mikki, and we hung out at Jollibee Madrigal until everyone got sleepy. I stayed an hour longer to eat then I headed back home.

One stupid thing, though. I had expected to injure myself during the shoot by tripping over my own skirt, or tripping over those uneven brick-lined streets on the set, or even on the stairs, but no. I ended up injuring my right wrist instead, on the way to the tricycle terminal, no less, because I lifted my huge bag the wrong way, hahaha. And I can't believe I actually managed to type this entire blog even with this lame wrist.

Closing the book on this one now. Even though it really tested my patience getting bored just waiting around, I still had a blast because of the company I had.