#DAPAW
Way back in 2013, I attended a month-long film making crash course in Davao City on my junior year in college. Amidst of multiple course works, media projects, and a grooming research proposal at hand, I squeezed my entirety and remaining energies in the workshop in a pursuit of becoming a filmmaker. I still remember the time when our course professor/program head popped this particular question into the class at the start of that semester - " What legacy would you leave in the university after graduation?"
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Suddenly, my surname was called. I faintly recalled standing on my shaky legs and spoke with a surprisingly loud and clear tone. My answer is yet to be proved.
I signed up because I am still not confident. And my knowledge on film that time were bound only on the books I've read in the library, searchable film blogs, and flipping some pages of how-to-do-film dummies on thrift bookstores.
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We were separated into groups of three to four. I was part of the team composed of Sherwin Manual (IG @supermanual) and Jean Marie Ferraris (IG @saidthesky.74). We followed Sir Manual's proposed script about a newly licensed teacher having her first teaching gig on one of the remote areas in a fictional city called Barangay Dapaw.
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After finishing the lectures, the workshop organizers set out all teams to complete their films. We had preparatory meetings before production including finding our possible casts, in-depth research of teachers assigned to faraway and secluded areas, talking to people who had first-hand knowledge about the rebels visibility in these areas, film's finance, future promotions and other stuff viewers wouldn't really want to know about instead just watching the film itself (for free, most of the time).
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The team scheduled a two-part shoot - one in the protagonist's house and the other location was somewhere in Mandug area.. We have to make into an account the casts' schedules and availability especially the ones who will be with us in the other location wherein we would have to stay for a night or possibly two, in order to have the evening and morning scenes. The first scheduled shoot was inside the house of one of our main casts. There, we shot several of our opening scenes with our protagonist. I also brought some of my personal props to add authenticity. Direk Sherwin and Ma'am Jean did their camera blockings while I guide our actress with her lines and making sure the setting was aligned to our storyline. Ma'am Jean would also try to take our BTS pictures for memories.
Along the journey to the next location, we shot the protagonist's first trip alongside with a supporting male actor who also acts as a veteran teacher on the field, kept her company to her destination. We also brought with us the other casts into the location, whom will be acting as locals in the area. It was a liberating experience for me, to go further in the upper parts of the city with people I've only met for less than a month but already felt like I've been traveling and working with them for years. Our director, Sherwin, guided me how to prepare for the next scenes, including the lines of our ensemble and other elements that needed to be in sync on our sequences.
As a script supervisor, it is my role to make sure to follow through the script's storyline and keep in mind what must be or to not be included in every scene. There could be a time that one actor could forget a particular line that might be vital to the story's plot, so it's the script supervisor's job to note that the actors' follow their script and notify the director for any insertions or revisions.
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As we arrived, we have to descend from our rented jeep and take turns in riding the habal-habal or single motor towards our main location. It suddenly rained when we arrived so we settled for awhile under the roof of a somewhat sari-sari store while waiting for the rain to drizzle out. Under these circumstances, the team would try to take advantage of the waiting time to improvise scenes and strategize for possible insertions. We've also come into a hanging bridge in which we have shot a few scenes with our actors to bring more imagery to the film. It is a well-known fact, that even though you might have a premeditated look of your film, it will always be different when you see the actual location and conditions. It is always best to adapt to what you currently have and make use of the available resources.​
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When we finally got into the main location, we immediately have in mind to start setting up the makeshift classroom. But first, we need to find our Boboy. Boboy was a pupil of the protagonist in the remote area where she will be assigned to teach and the main plot will revolved around this child. It actually didn't take too long before we found him. Direk Sherwin gave him a few of his lines, and Louie Jay (his real name) delivered. We asked permission to his parents and after several verbal agreement, we took Louie Jay to our next location - not too faraway from his home since it was just close to a small, primary school where we will have our next sequence.
Everything went fast - from carrying the chairs, coordinating with possible pupils and guardians to participate in the scene, Direk Sherwin hammering to the classroom's flimsy wood wall, Ma'am Jean arranging the chairs and taking our photos, me assisting our actress and actors - almost everyone is doing their part to make the scene possible. Direk Sherwin would also let me take over the camera and do the recording and every once in awhile, provide my own input to the cinematography.
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Aside from assisting the actors and working with the script, I also happen to be in charged with the film's sound. We used an external audio recorder and record necessary background noises and actors' dialogue.
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We shot a few more scenes in the river and went back to the house where we will stay for the night. We still shot a couple of scene in the house. before taking a break to have our evening meal. But our day was still not done. We still have to shoot we believe the most poignant scene in the film. That scene must be free from any unnecessary background noise except of the sound of night crickets and riveting silence of the moon. We did a few more takes and finally, we call it a night.
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At dawn, I woke up early to put our recorder outside to record the morning sound. We had some coffee and cooked our breakfast. I remembered it to be filling and homey. It was one of those moments wherein I actually feel belong, even though I'm one of the youngest in the team (we had our child actors with us), I felt like my existence was validated and my role was deeply appreciated.
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We prepared for our remaining sequences, did several takes, said our gratitude to each other, and took photos. We bid goodbye to Louie Jay, for being such a professional even on his age, and to his mom, for her generosity and letting her child get casted on our film. Without Louie Jay as our Boboy, I believed our film would be incomplete.
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Direk Sherwin, Ma'am Jean, and I met again in the editing phase. Direk Sherwin took care most of the editing of the film and would ask us occasionally for our opinion and input. We finally met again in the premiere night where I saw the full film for the first time. I'm happy with our final product and felt proud to part of Direk Sherwin and Mam Jean's team. We also saw the films of our other colleagues in the workshop and really enjoyed theirs as well.
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In the award's night, we were actually surprised to be nominated for the following awards in the festival: Best in Sound, Best Film in Guerrilla Filmmaking Workshop, and Best Guerrilla Film. Though we haven't won any awards that night, we were just happy to be nominated. We also got our certificates from the workshop.
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Definitely a filmmaking experience I would treasure for years.
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Photos credited to Direk Sherwin Manual and Ma'am Jean Ferraris :))
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If I remembered correctly, I took this shot of our director and casts while we were riding the jeepney towards Mandug, where we will shoot the school and local area scenes.
We had a stopover due to an impending rain and Direk Sherwin directing us to our next sequences.
The hanging bridge.
One of my favorite BTS shot that Ma'am Jean took of me and the rest of the cast and crew. Direk Sherwin guides our actress, Janine, in her next scene which will be crossing the river.
Above. Direk helping to carry stuff from our setup. Below. A happy atmosphere in our between takes.
Direk Sherwin helping out to create our makeshift classroom for our next sequence.
Ma'am Jean doing her camera blocking.
Me assisting our actors to the next location.
Me reading out loud the next sequence, next to me were our child actors in the film, listening attentively.
Me setting up the recorder behind the grass and adjusting the night light.
The three of us in the premiere night, making our 'Hunger Games' salute. From left, Arami (me), Jean Marie Ferraris, and Direk Sherwin Manual.
Here's the final cut of our film, #DAPAW. Enjoy!