tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9096340525676672419.post3621439382901328643..comments2023-05-22T03:34:51.540-07:00Comments on SENTIMIYENTO: BUKAS NA LIHAMJEFFREY MARCELINO ONGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650866910925131434noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9096340525676672419.post-13592779666782204552008-01-26T02:32:00.000-08:002008-01-26T02:32:00.000-08:00Holy cow! Grabe na pala ngayon ang pag-aalipusta s...Holy cow! Grabe na pala ngayon ang pag-aalipusta sa mga writers sa TV?<BR/><BR/>Alam mo, Jeffrey, noong nasa TV ako, walang ganyanan. Sa bahay ko lang sinusulat ang script, at ako na rin ang pumipili ng cast. The studio gave me the leeway to do this. Walang nagdidikta kung ano ang gusto kong sulatin. Walang makikialam sa script ko kundi ako lang. Basta ang show, bago magsimula, nagme-meeting kami ng producer, director, mainstay actor/actress. Naka-set-up na kung tungkol sa ano ang show. Halimbawa, ALINDOG. Stories of modern Filipina. Mga babaing hindi pa-martir. Mga babaing akam kung ano ang gusto nila at kukunin nila ito kung gusto nila. Kung sa bandang huli ay nasaktan sila, responsable rin sila na harapin ang lahat objectively, squarely. Kaya nga itong show ni Alma Moreno ay risqué talaga ang mga episodes. Lots of kissing scenes and bed scenes. Ang lagi kong ka-team noon ay si Mario O'hara. At marami akong mga kaibigang mahilig mag-artista na isinulat ko sa script ang role para sa kanila at kapag recommended ng writer ang baguhan, tanggap agad sa role. Siyempre hindi ko naman ire-recommend kung hindi pa ready ang may hilig. Some of the people I had introduced were Dennis Roldan and Fanny Serrano. It was Fanny's first TV appearance and I gave him a lead role. A female impersonator being beaten up regularly by his father because the Dad can't accept his gay son. During the taping, the crew and the movie reporters who were present were all touched. Danny Vibas even told me: "Joe, napakalupit mo naman! I think this episode is so heart-rending and violent!"<BR/><BR/>Well, it was a smash hit episode when it aired. The highest rating ever. Inulan ng calls at sulat ang Channel 2, asking to make Fanny Serrano a regular performer in ULILA. Something that would not happen because it was Rosa Rosal's show. But I have written several more scripts for Fanny, and every time he was on, people just loved him. In an episode called WALANG HANGGAN ANG DILIM NG GABI, Fanny played the role of a beautician whose abusive step father played by Rolando Papasin ended up stabbed to death by Fanny. It made me laugh that the newspaper ads of the show went to say: "FANNY SERRANO is going to kill someone tonight". Naturally, another best selling episode.<BR/><BR/>At para lang mahalata ang kagurangan ko, aaminin kong sa aking show na ULILA unang na-introduce si Janice de Belen... when she was 6 years old. He-he. She played the role of the younger sister of Michael Sandico, in an episode about a 15 year-old male prostitute played by Sandico.<BR/><BR/>I like writing controversial themes. When the theme is controversial, rest assured it will be explosive when aired. The audience will be glued to their seats and the ratings will shoot up as well.<BR/><BR/>It is so sad that nowadays, it seems that the situation is not even close to what it was in the 70s. I was the mainstay writer for 7 weekly TV dramas. I even convinced VINCENT KUA that time to join me in Channel 2 because let's face it, having 7 TV shows running every week is not exactly RELAXING. But Vincent decided to stay in komiks (sabay kaming nag-umpisa sa Atlas. I was 14, he was 17 or 18 then, parang kahapon lamang kuya Eddie).<BR/><BR/>Now, itong mga asungot sa buhay mo, it is shocking how this thing can happen. During my time, I write my scripts at home. I hand a copy to my producer. The studio will make several copies to be distributed to actors & production people. Then taping day, we go to the studio and do it. My favorite mainstay actress was Rosa Rosal, because she had so many stories to tell me and some of these true to life stories became scripts as well (may pakawawalan ba ang isang writer kung may marinig na magandang story?). At hindi lang iyan. Ang kagandahan pa ng si Rosa Rosal ang artista ko noon, marami siyang kilala sa FAMILY COURT. Nagpupunta ako doon ay pinapayagan ng judge na mag-research ng mga tunay na pangyayari para isulat sa ULILA. Mina ng kasaysayn ang Family Court. Kung may kakilala ka diyan, hindi ka magkakamali sa paghanap ng story. Marami akong nasulat na episodes galing sa mga court transcripts at mga files ng social workers.<BR/><BR/>Dito ka makakapulot ng mga ginintuang materyales, na kung minsan ay hindi kapani-paniwala, pero kapag naging script na, gripping talaga ang resulta.<BR/><BR/>I'll give you an example. One case I wrote was that of a 7 year old boy who accidentally shot to death his best friend while playing. Napulot nito ang baril sa may basurahan sa Tondo at naglaro ng baril-barilan at napatay nga nito ang kanyang kalaro.Dahil sa kahirapan ng pamilya, inalis sa Tondo ang bata at dinala sa foster home. When I read the transcript of the case, one particular dialog from the mother really touched me at talagang hindi maaring isulat ko ang script na hindi ko gagamitin ang sinabi niya sa social worker:<BR/><BR/>"Kung maari siyang tumira sa tahanan ng ibang tao... bakit sa akin ay hindi? Ako na tunay niyang ina?"<BR/><BR/>The mother was played by Rosa Rosal and the Social worker was played by Alicia Alonzo. The child was Romnick Sarmenta (na noon ay nakakarga ko pa. He-he). I was the writer of most of Romnick's TV show when he was a child. There was BATA, PEPING ANG MUNTING ANGHEL (Spin-off ng Gulong ng Palad), SENYOR SANTO NIño and True Story. Noon nga pala, kapag hindi available sa taping si Alma Moreno sa Alindog ay si Charro Santos ang aming ipinapalit.<BR/><BR/>Now, I am 48 years old, tunay nang gurang. Nagbalik ako sa pagsurat digdi sa Canada. May project ako sa Cable TV tungkol sa buhay ng mga Filipino sa north America. One is called LUNA ROSSA (REFLECTIONS OF THE PALE MOON) and one simply called LUHA. I will be directing them myself. In English with tagalog subtitles. Pero hinuhugakan na akong marhay. Mas gusto ko pa magpara-pamasyar na sana ta 14 anyos pa lang ako, fresh from High school, nagsurat na ako sa Atlas. Habang nasa university ako, nagsusurat/drawing ako sa Atlas. Pag edad ki 16, inapudan ako kan Channel 2 ta nabasa ninda an mga sinurat ko at in-offer sacuya an magsurat sa TV. Arog sana kaini kadali kaitong panahong bata pa si Sabel. Dai lamang ako ki kulog ki payo. <BR/><BR/>Walang sinumang maaaring makialam sa trabaho ko as writer. Masaya noon ang magtrabaho as writer sa TV. Of course, you become close to the actors and they become your friends. Isa sa naging memorable sa akin ay si RUFFY MENDOZA. Baka ni hindi mo na ito naalala, but he was 19 years old and a very good actor. He played opposite DIDITH REYES in NANANABIK and BAKIT AKO MAHIHIYA. I watched these films and saw his amazing talent. Naturally, the next episode of Alindog, I wrote something for him. We just became friends quickly and during our taping, he told me his problem about his best friend who is also his business associate. Dino-double-cross siya nito sa kanilang business at sinabi niya sa akin na i-ko-confront niya ito para maayos ang problema. Instantly, I felt a bad vibe deep inside and I told him to be careful. Tumawa lang siya nang sabihin ko ito, and reassured me that everything will be fine. After all, the guy was his best friend. The next day, Ruffy was on the headlines. He was shot to death by his best friend and business associate. It took me a while to overcome the shock and the loss. He was such a nice person and his death was just too senseless.<BR/><BR/>My advice to you is this. Kapag nagsulat ka ng script, kung ano ang mga sinusulat ng karamihan, ay huwag mong gagawin. Kung ang sinulat nila ay patungo sa right, ang sa iyo, gawin mong patungo sa left. Make sure your characters are strong. Strong characters become like a magnet to the viewers. Weak characters turn off the audience.<BR/><BR/>And most of all... BE ASSERTIVE. Kapag trabaho, hindi ka nila dapat pakialaman. Huwag moing payagang ganito nang ganito ang mangyayari dahil lalo ka nilang tatapakan. <BR/><BR/>Though such attitudes of other people happen because of poor management. If the management is weak, you have to assert your right. Tell those smart alecs to FUCK OFF!<BR/><BR/>Iyan ang maipapayo ko sa iyo and good luck to your writing. Sabi nga ni Erap, WEATHER-WEATHER LANG IYAN. Huwag kang mag-alala. Darating din ang WEATHER MO at humanda sila. He-he.TheCoolCanadianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01196452866916000202noreply@blogger.com