Sabi Nila: Laplap at Ngasab sa Labi ni Carla_Manila Kingpin Asiong Salonga

December 25, opening day ng MMFF. Tinext ako ni Tikoy alias OGUM ARAVI para sabihing hindi nya yata kaya panoorin ang Producer’s Cut, kaya ikwento ko na lang ang ginawa nila. But I have yet to watch it tomorrow, Wednesday. Rizal project is my priority.

For those who have seen the film Manila Kingpin, and for those who haven’t—this blog is meant, to give you an idea or a macro example [in the absence of a Director’s Cut] how the Producer’s Cut differ from the Director’s Cut. How a film shapes and forms based on differences of purpose[s] of the filmmaker and his producers.

While netsurfing yesterday, I came across these tabloid and online blogs reported after the preview of the Producer’s Cut: “Grabe ang Laplapan nina ER at Carla sa “Asiong Salonga,” [Source: Bandera blogs_grabe-ang-laplapan], and “Lips ni Carla Abellana, nginasab-ngasab ni Gov. ER!” [ Ngasab – Source: ABANTE] — Papansin as titles or headlines, di ba? [Yun nga lang kahapon ko lang napansin dahil busy ako]. Indeed,  concrete examples of outright commercialism, or sensationalism — a marketing strategy using the AIDA principle:

A – Getting the ATTENTION to their PRODUCT [na-curious ang mga reporters]

I – Created INTEREST [kinilig at nagtanong]

D – Produced DESIRE [Para isulat at iulat para mabili –ang mga tabloid nila at pelikula]

A – Led to ACTION [Ibinandera sa sambayanang Pilipino at sa mundo para mas maraming manood sa masang Pilipino]

In this connection is a comment –  that I read in my blog today – funny but written with excitement : Carla deserves an award for this film. after enduring kissing scenes with Gov ER, she SHOULD get an award. She deserves it! She deserves it!!!! [See: i-edited-tikoys-directors-cut-of-manila-kingpin-slow-paced-daw-talaga]  It’s pretty obvious – that’s the only thing that stood out in the mind of this viewer. But no matter, to the producers, that shows the success of their strategy.

To continue — IF NO ADDITIONAL KISSING SCENES WERE ADDED, the laplapan scene referred to was the kissing scene in the wedding sequence, take note, Wedding Scene!! I am just assuming that as I haven’t seen the re-edited version. Pinagbabasihan ko lang ang existing footage noon. Teka, yung sa bed before Asiong leaves meron din dung kissing scene dun. It’s quite easy to imagine that although in real time the action was already pretty long, the Producers could have possibly extended the time further –  in slow motion – to get the Laplapan and Ngasab effect [mahaba pero hindi naman nakakaantok]. As you can see, EXcited ang male audience…O kaya, dinagdagan pa ng ganung eksena kaya “enduring” ang term na ginamit ng viewer. Hindi kataka-taka pag ganun nga ang nangyari.

In fact, this could be one of the main reasons why they did not like the Director’s Cut —  the Producers must have had the idea of exploiting that scenes to tickle the audience — or to start some intrigue perhaps. Because we treated the kissing scenes in such a way that they would NOT MERIT the descriptions: laplapan at pagngasab. Lengthening and exaggerating those would be senseless. I know that the producer reacted badly when they saw the “first cut” of the Director’s version showing the couple already leaving the church; actually in the final cut, I put  “the kiss” back. Tikoy gave no comment on both edits — which indicated approval, either way it was cut. Hindi kasi utak-prodyuser ang umandar sa kanya. For us, it was not important; for the producers, it probably was — because the exploitation of the image to tickle the masses was already possibly planted in their heads. They must be thinking of the KILIG factor. [But having been described as “enduring” by some was the reverse effect it achieved…]

The wedding scene was one of those I called APPENDIX scenes. It was not in the script that they earlier approved and gave us. I only later came to know that the Producers wanted additional sequences when the wedding scene was dumped in the editing room. Well, at least Tikoy was informed and had agreed to shoot it. That’s most important. But that was really one of the puzzles in my head then. Saan isasaksak ang eksena kasi nga wala sa orihinal na script? And there were several, not just one appendix scenes! Flashback was the saving device. I don’t know how they treated it.

Re the other woman, Paloma, I read somewhere that it was not included in the final Producer’s Cut anymore to keep the film short. If that is true, salamat naman kasi dapat lang! Hindi naka first base yun sa aming version. That’s one sequence I never considered including at all. I told both Tikoy and the line producer, Maylyn Enriquez, after having assembled the rough cut [2hr30mins], that it would be impossible to just trim sequences, that some must be deleted. She later told me that in deleting sequences, I must keep in mind, that a sequence thrown away is equivalent to half a million pesos, or P500K!!!! WOW! Ganun kalaki? E bakit kinailangan naming mag-abono ng meals noong nag-oovernight edit kami? [In fairness nareimburse naman after a week pa… but that should not happen. I never experienced that when we were working with Viva for ex, so there is something to compare them with. A big budgeted movie with no Post-Production Supervisor!!! Bakit?] At bakit walang bayad o budget allotment ang Assistant Editor? Bakit laging late ang payments sa amin kung ang budget ay P75M pala? That they later divulged: “Natutuwa ako dahil sulit ang P75-M, plus promotion ‘yun, ha, na nagastos ng aming producer.. Source: On P75M budget] Nevertheless, what she said didn’t budge me a bit. We could not retain it for that reason alone. Anyway, I thought, the Producer’s Cut was there. It could accommodate that scene if they really wanted to; but not in the Director’s Cut. It was one of the sequences I honestly did not know where to put — but in the bin! Dahil appendix, walang epekto maski tanggalin. Sumulpot lang naman na parang kabute!

I’ll be writing more on the differences between the two versions after watching the Producer’s Cut which needed four editors to re-edit. And why the story is jumpy and the scenes rushed, according to reviews. Para maging fast-paced??? Para hindi nakakaantok??? Kung mga espesyalista sila, bakit apat-apat ang kinailangang mag re-edit? Ganun ka major ang surgery na inabot ng first Producer’s Cut? Well, this is just to put on record that the Director’s Cut picture edit was already finished and approved by Tikoy, and just awaiting for the sound effects, mixing, and music production – BEFORE the Producer’s Cut was finished. The delay, it turned out was because of the hidden agenda planned — to shoot additional scenes, re-edit and mix Manila Kingpin without Tikoy’s knowledge…

[Sign the online petition: pinoy-cinephiles-release-the-directors-cut-of-manila-kingpin-the-asiong-salonga-story]

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