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By Rome Jorge, Lifestyle Editor
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Onyl
Reyes, center, auditions
before Cinemalaya directors
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They came to the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) on a
Sunday, braving horrible traffic jams caused by a parade of Santo Niños
on February 1, for a chance to play a role at this year’s
Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.
If the enormous lines that snake throughout the
CCP during yearly Cinemalaya attest to its power in revitalizing the
interest of today’s generation in local movies, then the
Cinemalaya Casting Fair is proof that people don’t just want to
watch as a Filipino cinematic renaissance unfolds; they want to be
part of it. “This year’s audition had more than 400
hopefuls—around 340 adults and 60 children,” attests Ed Cabagnot,
festival programmer of Cinemalaya.
The open auditions, instituted since 2006, allow
competing filmmakers access to the same pool of talent and does away
with redundant auditions. Cabagnot, explains, “We noticed that
since the Cinemalaya grantees were mostly ‘fresh.’ Some needed
help regarding the casting of their roles, major and otherwise. Thus
the auditions were created to help these new directors find their
ideal cast.”
“There is usually an audition facilitator.
Since the first year, it has been Flor Salanga, a veteran
advertising and movie caster and known more for her roles in last
year’s Jay and Brutus. The hopefuls are called in by batches and
given a brief interview. If the directors see faces that fit their
requirements, they are asked to memorize a few lines from the script
and read from them. Often, we find directors eyeing the same
hopefuls for their films. If a hopeful manages to impress a director
by fitting their ‘type’ and by their acting prowess, then they
are given a call back,” he says.
“The directors all come with their casting
list that contains all the info regarding the parts they are
casting. This is posted outside so hopefuls can target certain
roles,” he says. This year’s requirements included: someone who
knows sign language, several Bisaya speakers, brawny treasure
hunters willing to work on location in Mindanao for a days, etc.
Despite the increasing participation of the
biggest showbiz celebrities—Angel Aquino, Mylene Dizon, Baron
Geisler, Rosanna Roces and Piolo Pascual to name a few—theater
thespians still comprise the bulk of independent cinema actors. Many
of the legendary actors who often star in independent films such as
Ronnie Lazaro, Ping Medina, Ricky Davao and Nonie Buencamino have
their roots in theater and continue to hone themselves in stage
productions.
Unlearning theater
Mayen Estañero—27 years of age, lead actress
in Tanghalang Pilipino’s theatrical interpretation of Mulan (2007)
and cast member in Lav Diaz’s award-winning film Heremia
(2006)—shares that even for seasoned actors, getting a role at
Cinemalaya can be tough: “Since I started auditioning here, I’ve
never been selected.”
Theater thespians benefit from work ethic,
experience and training in techniques such as method acting and
improvisation. Onyl Torres, currently involved in Repertory
Philippines’ upcoming production of I Love You Because and with
numerous television commercials stints, reveals, “You’re more
confident in yourself. You can bring out all the possible emotions
that the director might want.”
However, Estañero notes the difference between
acting for a live audience and acting for a camera: “Acting for TV
and film is simpler. In theater you need to use your body.” “For
the screen, your acting is ‘smaller.’ Theater is ‘big’
acting,” explains Carlon Matobato, 25-year-old actor, dancer and
choreographer of the Philippine Educational Theater Association and
cast member of Manolito Sulit and Emman Pascual’s Barako (2007).
Screen actors benefit from close up shots.
Theater actors need to compensate for the distance of audiences from
the stage with bigger gestures, more emphatic facial expressions and
stronger voice projection as well as makeup and costume that is more
theatrical. What may make for a powerful performance on stage can be
overacting on camera.
Estañero confesses having to unlearn some of
their theater training: “It’s so hard. You can’t fake it.”
For his part, Torres says, “Personally speaking, it’s not hard
to unlearn.” Matobato observes, “You have to trim down your
acting for the screen.” The axiom remains: on camera, you don’t
act; you become the character.
Explaining the preponderance of theater actors
in independent films, Torres observes, “I feel an actor has more
freedom to freely express himself because it’s not mainstream. It
doesn’t cater to what the masses want.” Matobato opines, “This
is art, unlike mainstream films.” Estañero simply says, “It’s
work.”
Indie exploitation
Estañero cautions, “You’ll get paid—if
you’re not stupid. There are issues: friends who can’t pay and
productions that are ‘for the love of.’ But we’ve arrived at a
time when theater actors have now learned their lesson.” Torres
says, “They do pay. But since it’s independent, it’s not
really a big amount. Satisfaction comes more from your artistry.”
Landing the role is the easiest part. Matobato
notes, “The people you work with in films are different. While in
theater we go straight to work, with films there’s a lot of
waiting, people sometimes aren’t friendly, you go hungry, etc.”
Nonetheless they come back for more, braving
both rejection and acceptance. Torres notes, “It’s the best
entry level if you want to be an actor. First, with indie films, the
material is great. Second, it’s a good steppingstone if you want
to venture into international productions. Many independent films
are screened in film festival abroad. Independent films are more
prestigious than those shown in the Metro Manila Film Festival.”
They all want to play their part for Cinemalaya—make it, act in it
and watch it.
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