“Tragic Theater” – Will the Film Scare Me???

Finally!
I had last-minute involvement in the making of TRAGIC THEATER, a film by Tikoy Aguiluz.

For the first time, I intentionally did not join colleague Tikoy Aguiluz in the making of his film. The reason? I dislike horror movies… As an editor, my mind operates even after I leave the editing room. Footage keep on playing and replaying, winding and rewinding, assembling and cutting in my mind during the editing stage. Not until am I satisfied with my edit do I find myself at peace [and especially so after the director finally approves of it]. Until then, the visuals follow me anywhere and everywhere I go. Though I know that everything in film is make-believe, I do not want to think and dwell on images that I am sure would take my sleep away. Perhaps because I believe in the other world; in spirits, presence and ghosts!!!

I just had a peek for a few minutes while they were shooting the first visit of the questors supposedly at Manila Film Center… that’s all. [Actual shooting venue was at Camp Aguinaldo Theater]

Well, until a few days before Christmas…when I was asked…and saw the necessity to join the band again!!!

After watching the footage without the suspenseful sound effects, thrilling music and corrected images, my apprehensions went away…I treated the materials like any other of Tikoy’s drama films.

Tonight, the completed film will be premiered. And I am planning to watch it.
Will I be scared????
Maybe NOT anymore… but with appropriate sound effects and powerful music, maybe YES! Well, I really don’t know how I would react…

I just hope everything Tikoy imagined for the film would be realized. He has surrealist Luis Bunuel and Thomas Edison in mind as part of the film’s subliminal backbone. He has ideas I hope the audience would absorb and understand as they are layers beyond what the film is. Anyway, it was fun after all despite a few days of sleepless nights at Outpost. [Ang layo!!!]

The Post-production Team – Zombies by Dawn, December 31, 2014
[L-R]: Me, Editor Yuka, Direk Tikoy, Viva’s Post-Prod Manager Nonoy,
Outpost Studio Post- Production Supervisor Jeff 

After everything, what I know is that I still do not want to edit horror movies. Tragic Theater just turned out to be an exception.

Watch “Tragic Theater” based on a book by G.M. Coronel starting tomorrow, January 8! It stars Andi Eigenmann, Christopher de Leon and John Estrada. Editor colleague Yuka Eucasion’s daughter Aca has cameo role in the film.