STAR FOR ALL SEASONS: All About Ekstra (News and Video Links)

Never stop learning - "...More than half of my life I’ve been in the movie industry but still I’m in a learning process. No such thing as magaling ka na…pag huminto ka nang matuto, puwes, mamahinga ka na..." - Vilma Santos

Awards or Box-Office Success – “…Both are equally important. Winning an award is a prestige. It’s proof that you’re a legit actress. But you should also have drawing power. Let’s face it: Movie-making is a business. Producers should get back their investment…” – Vilma Santos

Not After Awards – “…Siyempre lahat naman ng pelikula ko ginagawa ko what I think is best. Pero hindi naman kami naghahabol ng award eh. Ang gusto naming mapatunayan this time ay maaaring kumita ang mga pelikulang indie. Na hindi naman lahat ng indie nilalangaw. Ang paniwala ko, ito ang future ng industriya, kaya kailangang simulan nang kumbinsihin ang mga tao na tangkilikin ang mga pelikulang ganito…” – Vilma Santos

Token ni Vi – “…Ang shooting ko, once a week, every Saturdays lang. Eh kaya naman pala kayang tapusin ng sampung araw, 17 hours din kayong magtatrabaho! Sabi ko, ‘Direk naman! Kaya pala kaya ninyong magtapos, 7 to 7 the next day!…Pag na-meet mo sila, iba silang mga tao. Hindi ‘yung the usual na nakikita mo, nakikilala mo, dun lang, malaking bagay na sa akin ‘yun…isang malaking education sa akin…Sabi nila, hindi makakagawa si Vilma ng indie film kasi mataas ang talent fee niyan. Para namang hindi ako maaaring gumawa ng pelikulang walang bayad? Hindi naman po. Kaya nga dito, ipinakita ko as an artist, hindi matatanggal sa puso ko yun. Why not? Hindi pag-uusapan ang pera. Kahit na singko (ang talent fee), okay lang, gagawin ko if as an artist, iyun ang fulfilment ko…At ang karamihang kasama ko dito ay talagang mga ekstra ng pelikula. Talagang nag seminar kami para mag blend ako sa kanila at hindi sila ma-starstruck sa set. Para magmukha rin akong isa sa kanila,…Maraming nagsasabing, ‘Ang dami namang artista niyan!’ Pero kung hindi po sa mga big stars na ito, hindi rin po kami lalabas na mukhang ekstra. So we need all these big stars…Wala silang bayad, hindi sila sumingil. At sinabi lang (sa kanila) na baka puwede silang mag- guesting sa film ni Ate V – at lahat sila ginawa ‘yun na they did not ask for anything in return!…Kaya naman ako in my own little way, kahit token man lang na regalo (binigyan ko sila). Kasi hindi man lang sila sumingil! Kaya naman nagpapasalamat ako ng sobra….” – Vilma Santos

Starstruck Director – “…I was so intimidated noong una, I really thought hindi ko makakaya. Siyempre, Vilma Santos ‘yan, e. Pero napakabait niya. Okay lang sa kanyang mura-murahin ko siya’t talakan, kagalitan, sigaw-sigawan. Pero akong na-starstruck sa kanya. Sa eksena, tumingin lang siya sa baba. Pag-angat ng mga mata niya, punumpuno na ng luha. Natulala ako. Nalimutan ko kung ano ang sasabihin ko. Pero siya, tuluy-tuloy lang ang emoting niya sa eksena. Hindi siya bumitaw. Napakahusay niya. Talagang sige lang siya hanggang sa maka-recover ako’t maalala ko ang mga linya ko. After that scene, nagkasakit ako. Pero talagang sobrang napabilib niya ako…” – Marlon Rivera

Down to Earth – “…She was very nice, very down to earth and ano talaga, kahit nga she’s such a big star, you won’t feel that way because she’s a very welcoming person…Of course. Nagpa-picture ako…She was very happy also kasi we both wanted to do a film together. Kahit maliit lang role ko, okay lang sa akin…” – Richard Yap

An Exposé – “…From my perspective, I’m not sure if I can now consider this film the parody it’s meant to be, or more of an “exposé” into our real world of soap operas. It reflects many truths of what these extras, or talents, face. I myself, despite my ranting, have softened up to their plight. On one taping day, lo and behold, the first sight that greeted me were some 20 talents sitting on cardboard on the ground, in the heat of the sun, right in front of the main actors’ air conditioned tent. Talk about rubbing the point in. All this for P1,000 a day or P1,500 if you had speaking lines, or if you played a nurse, police or doctor, you get P2,000 because you have to bring your own uniform. A day may mean 28 to 36 hours straight for many of them. I’m fortunate that after decades in the business, I’ve earned a cut-off time of 2 am (which in effect actually helps talents go home earlier, if they’re in my scenes). I realize minimum wage stands at under P500, but these seemingly good talent fees don’t go straight into their pockets. They too have agents or talent suppliers who whittle away their earnings. (Just like we do.) I could be putting myself on a limb here, but I’m going to say it anyway: isn’t it high time we make the working environment in the soap opera world better for all to enjoy the work and find dignity in our choice of profession?…” – Cherie Gil

Sampal ni Cherrie – “…Ikaw na lang yata ang hindi ko pa nasasampal sa showbiz!…” – Cherrie Gil

Christopher’s Ekstra Experience – “…Vilma Santos [“Ekstra (The Bit Player)”] obviously has a long history with my father. I used to watch her come to our house when I was a kid and then watched her on the set of ‘Burlesk Queen.’ I still remember going to that old theater where they filmed her dance scene…I did a movie with her entitled ‘Kailan Tama Ang Mali.’ My first day on the set, I had to act with her. So we rehearsed together and when it was time to shoot the scene and the director yelled ‘Action!,’ Vilma started acting and I just stood there and became a fan and totally forgot my lines. I forgot that I was supposed to act. Take two was worst, “I hit her on the nose with my hand gesture. I was just nervous acting with her for the first time. We both had a laugh about it…” – Christopher Castillo

The real extra of Ekstra - "...I got to act with Vilma Santos—in her tribute to bit players like me. There’s no one like Vi,” Villalobos said. “I’m afraid to approach other stars but with Vi, when she hugs you, you can really feel her sincerity...I had to faint in one scene and—I told my children and grandchildren—it was Vi who caught me!...We don’t have guilds or unions to protect us...Raquel Villavicencio told me that Direk Loy had asked her to write a script… with a character modeled after me..." - Erlinda Villalobos, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 01 Aug 2013, Bayani San Diego Jr.

Gaan ng Atmosphere – “…Ako naman, ginawa ko ito dahil gusto kong makasama si Gov. Vi and also for Atty. Joji Alonso…I really had a good time shooting for the movie kahit guest role lang ako. Nag-enjoy ako kasi ang gaan ng atmosphere sa set. Parang ‘di nagtatrabaho ang mga tao at ang saya ng lahat. Nakakahawa kasi si Gov. Vi. Low key lang and super professional, sa kabila ng stature niya. She just follows lahat ng direction ni Direk Jeffrey Jeturian…” – Marian Rivera

Heaven! – “…Vilma is every director’s dream actress…She’s very easy to work with. She’s very cooperative, she listens to and follows instructions, and she respects her co-workers. It has been my long-time dream to work with her. To borrow her favorite word, it’s ‘heaven’ to be working with Vilma…” – Jeffrey Jeturian

Sold Out in TIFF - "...At the sold-out premiere in Toronto, many in the long lineup awaiting the film’s start were excited to watch it given the critical acclaim at Cinemalaya. Arnold Manalac, a big Santos fan, organized about 20 of his friends to come watch the film. “These are all my college friends, friends here in Toronto, some of my relatives,” he said while pointing out the smiling faces with him, “so we organized and came up with a small group to support this film. The crowd of mostly Filipino-Canadians was abuzz with anticipation, including the very first people in the line, Danny Ong and Ricardo Obusan, who came to support independent Filipino films. Jeturian signed autographs before and after the film’s screening and took questions from the audience. The final showing of Ekstra at TIFF is Sept. 15, but the movie will have a theatrical release in eight Canadian cities including Mississauga and Scarborough from Sept. 13 to 26...” - Dyan Ruiz, The Philippine Reporter, 13 Sept 2013

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Wednesday, August 14, 2013

All About Ekstra (News and Video Links)

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