Week One (an ironically boring title)

We just wrapped Day 7 of our 4-week shoot for the new indie film project. Not a bad week--shoot normally starts at 7 am everyday and pack up at sundown. That and the fact that we're actually ahead of our projected schedule makes it somekinduva miracle in my eyes; I've been used to the gruelling, ngaragan schedules of local movie shoots.

But these past seven days were amazingly light. Knock on wood. It even cured me of my insomnia. Now I wake up at 3 in the morning and go to bed at 9. Wonderful, huh. Never thought I could ever turn into a lark again. Now I'm usually up even before the sun rises.

It's one of those blessings, and more. Knock on wood, and thank God. If I weren't so tired right now I might even be tempted to say I'm happy. Maybe I am, but it really is too early to judge the experience. Sana lang talaga things will remain the way they are, or even better. I will never tire of saying that.

After three movies (one and two "halves", actually--one full movie as script continuiy supervisor trainee and then flying solo for the latter part of two movies--it's only now that I'm getting to concentrate on the nature of my job. It's kinda technical for the non-film worker so I won't go into details of those (or maybe I will...later) but it should suffice for me to say that it's basically about concentration and memory. Well, probably too vague, but believe me, it really is all about that, and it's kinda funny that I would only come to understand its very essence AFTER the first three movies. Guess I was unwisely dispersing my energies on so many different roles in my past three projects (assistant director, crowd director, heck even crowd control!) Halleluiah, if there's one basic thing I've learned from the past seven days it's about mastering your main function first before dabbling in that of others. That's why you're there and that's what you're getting paid for.

So while I would've opted playing "director to the extras" or even shouting "quiet please" in my last three projects, now I leave those tasks to others who are getting paid for it. At least that's fair enough--for me, the others, and MY main function. Ah, how beautiful it is, knowing what you're meant to do. And how to do it.

We've been shooting the film in one of the most beautiful milieus I've seen--the Sta. Mesa Railway area. The place is so rich when it comes to local texture. So full of character, screams out Third World Poverty. If I weren't so tired I would've attempted to describe it as vividly as I had seen it. Maybe next time. I'm actually so tired right now I'd rather end this entry here, even if there's so much to tell.

So much to tell, and I've only been there for seven days. I pray that the next twenty days would see me telling only happy, wonderful things. I believe I will.