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Thursday, February 05, 2004
Cebu: Hollywood of the future
By Jo Magsaysay
Whatever
Ambitious, aren’t you? I kidded Johnny Kawa when he called about a film school to be set up in Cebu. Actually, I don’t really know him well enough to sound patronizing, even if only teasingly, but he identified himself… Jinggay Pido is my wife.. so I reached out for bonding.
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“He’s the greatest DJ!” my daughters used to wax ecstatic. I had been a radio fanatic when Bob Garcia, Moning Almario, Greg Mercado and Penggoy Pengson dominated the airlanes some 50 years ago… oh dear, that sure dates me! But the generation gap has widened and no way am I going to turn on the radio to listen to all that thumping, screeching noise and such drivel as yeah-yeah-baby-baby-give-it-me! However the easy patter, unaffected diction and mellow voice of Johnny Kawa oozed, osmosis-like, through my senses. Now, seeing and meeting ‘Kawa,’ no has-been he, but a pleasing young gentleman as it turns out, Caesar Alpuerto Ditan no less the marketing director of the management team of the International Academy of Film and Television (IAFTV).
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Why Cebu? Why not Cebu? The hum of commerce, the core of industry, geographically perfect, ideal weather conditions, beautiful women, smart and savvy businessmen, warm and friendly people. Why not Cebu indeed. Actually, Mactan Island where the IAFTV campus will rise on a 8,2000 sq. m. complex with facilities that will include a Dolby surround sound-equipped movie theater, recording studio, Foley stage, digital-editing suites, a computer lab with animation and sound designs, software and a 600 sq. m sound stage. Ground-breaking on schedule this month on the Academy’s Mactan Island campus with a three-story building where classes in directing, screenwriting, lighting designs, cinematography, animation, producing, digital editing, acting, film appreciation, Adobe after-effects, Adobe Photoshop, underwater photography, family video production, documentary production will be offered among many others. Ambitious? You better believe it!
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Noting that Hollywood is hungry for cheaper locations, but why isn’t the English-speaking Philippines routinely used for locations outside the now-dated Apocalypse Now? Kacy Andrews, president of IAFTV says: “There is a basic lack of resources. For a large production to be shot here, it would require facilities, equipment and a skilled labor force. IAFTV hopes to fulfill all of those needs.” Kacy has outstanding credentials, being 16 years in the entertainment industry, having been involved in the production and project development at Hyperion Studios, and having produced on Miramax’s Playing by Heart starring Sean Connery and Angelina Jolie, projects for MGM, Disney and Sony. Cebu will now have a chance to attract Hollywood filmmakers and create more projects with IAFTV offering a staple of what the Academy will become known for: hands-on training, state-of-the-art equipment, and skilled mentors from Hollywood and other film capitals of the world.
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Media hype generated so much excitement that already 300 students have logged in where the Academy expected only a mere 100 initial registration. Jaime Picornell is quick to enroll his son, Jimmy, whose performance as Scrooge in his school play had been much-acclaimed. Summer workshops and classes will launch this April at Bigfoot Center on Ramos Street. Ownership of the Academy? Michael Gleisner. Isn’t he the Big One of Bigfoot? You bet! Chuckled Mayen Tan over our Caesar Salad at La Gondola. He has so much money he doesn’t know what to do with it! I say, he knows exactly where to put his money, he makes so much of it!
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Theresians in Cebu will be pleased to know that Bien E. Fernandez, Jr. is the dean of the International Academy of Film and Television. Dean Fernandez created the Mass Communication department at STC, the first school to offer MassCom in Cebu city.
He served as professor of broadcast communication and also chairman of the MassCom department for eight years; worked as ad director of a supermarket chain and launched his own ad agency. He has produced more than 85 TV commercials, 50 documentaries and sales videos. A veteran of the MassCom industry for over 25 years, Dean Fernandez has helped shape the future of MassCom in the Philippines.
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Expensive state-of-the-art equipment has bogged down the enthusiastic plans of local film makers; universities; colleges; tour operators; business companies have simply settled for worn-out and makeshift equipment, amateur technicians. No longer. Now that IAFTV is offering hands-on training on hi-tech equipment by mentors who are working industry professionals from Hollywood and other film capitals of the world in short workshops and non-degree courses in small classes at a fraction of the cost, expect Cebu to become the capital of film and television industry in Asia. The Hollywood of the future.
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Hey! Fatsoy! You talking to me? Pardon the paranoia but the Chinese New Year greeting had been all around me, I was beginning to feel suspicious and self-conscious. No matter. I had perfectly delightful evening at the Waterfront Hotel and celebrated the Chinese New Year with surprising enjoyment. Renee Villasin, PR manager, can lift up any dour spirit with her smile, she and her bevy of lovelies with their toothpaste–ad smiles, swinging hair-shampoo ads, glowing skin-cream ads and petite slim-exercise ads should make anyone feel she had wandered into a commercial advertising studio. Waterfront’s gentle giant, Chef Dietmar in his white toque and apron lorded over the salads and desserts as mind-boggling an array as they were mouth-watering. The buffet was just as abundant with, I am told, Tin Gow (the neighboring resto to Café Uno) which provided fish, chicken, pork beef, duck, shrimp laced with so much oyster sauce I sympathized with the thousand clams that gave up their lives for the sauce! Entertainment was a fiesta! Students from various local Chinese schools presented traditional dances: pretty girls in colorful garb twirling parasols and waving fans, sturdy boys making like Jet Li and Jackie Chan kick-boxing to their hearts content. A gorgeous golden dragon coiling and snaking around the hall, a couple of lions beautifully shaggy were ceremoniously fed with Chinese goodies...dikiam? kiamoy?… by Marco Protacio, the Waterfront’s High Grace and Margot Osmeña, Tommy’s saving grace. Speaking of grace an extremely graceful OJ Hofer went through the fluid movements of Tai Chi. Stealing the whole show I think was darling little chubbikins who crept stealthily across the carpet to touch a crouching lion to see if it was alive. Fireworks lit up the sky in myriad colors and glorious explosions, oodles of money going up in smoke to drive evil spirits away. To take home, tikoy, for good luck and prosperity. Kung Hei Fat Choi! Meaning good luck and prosperity to you, too!
(February 5, 2004 issue)
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