I MET THE hunky teenager Charles Laza.
Noe introduced me as the filmmaker and writer Peter Solis Nery.
Charles said he has heard of my name, but only met me then.
Little flatterer.
And then, he smiled.
What a beautiful smile!
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To keep him talking to me for a while, I talked about a possible film project.
Would he be interested?
He wasn’t opposed to the idea, so I asked him to check with his parents.
He is a minor!
We exchanged Facebook information, and became Facebook friends.
We shook hands, and promised to talk again soon.
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Will I really make the movie?
Or was that just a pretext to talk to the boy?
Noe asked after the boys left.
With friends like that, who needs enemies?
I will, if you will commit to makeup, I told him.
And Noe said, Of course. You only have to say.
And with friends like that, how can I not move heaven and earth?
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Noe is in my beauty team.
Now, I also have a tech team.
They call themselves Group One Media.
And we made the notorious #idecided video which I released on Facebook on September 19.
Watch it, if you haven’t already.
Search: #idecided.
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Aldrin “Samboy” Detablan and Efren “Toto” Bustamante, Jr. are my directors of photography.
Toto doubles as editor.
Toto started as an actor in my full-length Bakunawa movie. He was also contravida in my short film Ikapito nga Adlaw.
For a small fee, will they make another short film with me?
Of course. You only have to say.
That’s what they all say.
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I really don’t have a budget for a film because I didn’t plan this.
I came to the Philippines for the purpose of overseeing the construction of my building Casa Dom Pedro.
But I also want to do something creative.
And now, I feel that people are offering their services just for the chance of working with me.
*
I called Ronelo again, I’m seriously thinking of making this film.
And Ronelo was like, I told you already, Go, go, go!
I will be supporting you.
And soon, my fingers were texting friends, co-conspirators, possible producers.
Over dinner at a turo-turo restaurant, I got a pledge for P25,000.
Super typhoon Ompong was about to landfall.
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I mean that, Ompong was about to landfall in Luzon.
There was no moon in the sky.
And still, Noe, my PA and road manager Irv Salvation, and I tracked Charles Laza.
Because we didn’t really exchange numbers, it was one of the hardest hunt for a star that I’ve experienced.
We went in the storm not knowing where Charles lives, so we actually looked for him in two barangays.
But I think Charles is totally worth it.
I met his mom, and explained my intentions.
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The mom, of course, has heard of my renown.
So it was kind of easy.
I told him, I might ask Charles to strip a little bit in the movie.
She said she trusts me.
She knew I could do no wrong.
(I wish I knew that, too!)
We agreed on nothing too sexy.
*
So I took Charles with me to Guimaras on September 23 to meet Jannah.
It was just an overnight because I had a talk in Bacolod the day before, and I didn’t come home to Iloilo until about midnight.
Charles, Jannah, and I talked, and walked, and played tag a little bit.
No serious workshop.
But I got the two excited for the storyline.
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Wait, I actually went to Guimaras to write the screenplay.
To check on Jannah’s available clothes.
To check on possible locations, and Plan B locations.
Because for a no-budget movie, I can’t write without seeing first what I can shoot.
You see, I’m also the production designer for most of my films. (To be continued) (500tinaga@gmail.com/PN)
