Kingpin Asiong_Last Three Shooting Days

Yesterday, I got the footage of the six sequences shot in Muntinlupa Bilibid Jail. I reached Scenema Concept at 4 p.m. but I managed to start only at 8 p.m. Yuka had the hard drive so I had to wait. The footage had to be transferred too for security reasons — we needed a backup copy of said footage. I finished editing them before 4 a.m. Waited for the sun to rise to catch LRT 2. Today, they are scheduled to shoot more scenes in Bagac, Bataan. I haven’t slept properly up to this minute [9.13 a.m.] because of coordination work re meet with Deaf consultants and production staff of Project Rizal for [this time mine] re the last two shooting days of the Project. Writer Apolonio “Dok” Chua of the UP KAL – Filipino Dept. has agreed to read Sa Filipinas on September 30. I am still looking for two more readers of Rizal’s poems in Spanish. As I aim with CSB-SDEAS to launch the film in November…  I am aiming at finishing Kingpin Asiong next week before I leave for the Visayas for the scheduled showings of my docu on autism in Tacloban City and Ormoc City. ASP informed me of Laguna’s interest to show it there in October as well.

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Rikutitos ng Fine Cutting

Fine cutting is the last stage in picture editing. And for this work, we really have to give serious attention to a frame less, or a frame more to the juxtaposed shots. There are hundreds of footages reviewed and studied, and sometimes it does happen na may nakakalusot so to say. That is why, it is a must that a preview on big screen is needed to see the small details within the frame which our eyes may not have seen on a small computer screen, for  ex., shadows of a mic or the camera, an unhidden cable, a person peeping to watch the shoot, continuity problems in match cutting movements, lights, props position, etc.

FINAL CUT… I am in that stage now. By tomorrow or Monday, I will be done in checking all sequences to the frame, more than 80 by now. It is already long for a feature film. But since I have to do the rest of my pre-prod work for my next Friday’s shoot, and a few days more are to be spent to shoot remnants and additional sequences [met Tikoy and Yuka this pm], I will say goodbye to Kingpin Asiong by Monday… So, it is a must now for Tikoy to sit with us by then to view it. As I have earlier said, it is not Tikoy’s practice to sit beside me while I am editing. And I find that really cool!!! Walang amuyong! For the simple reason that he is confident and is trusting my editing judgements, and that it is our SOP — to view and brainstorm together after final cutting is done so if there are still adjustments and/or corrections to be made, they must be done, before sending the Final Cut to the Sound Department..

Editing Asiong Salonga 2011 at Scenema Concept

Serious film making needs commitment, determination and dedication to make one’s participation in it quite fulfilling. As a film editor, I have worked that way ever since I started to get involved in this. And much more, when I started doing my own documentaries.

Kingpin Edit Target for the Week

Target for the week: To finish minimum of 50 assembled, and first cut sequences of Kingpin Asiong…dere-derecho, which unfortunately is not possible because some of the sequences have not yet been shot [Typhoon Juaning caused the latest cancellation of the shooting sked]. Hopefully, all footage for the first 25 sequences are available. I will concentrate on them. I haven’t viewed all the rushes because most of the time the disks aren’t all with me. Besides, they are voluminous…over 150 cards are there by now. I work on what is only available so as not to lose time. What I normally do is to view what I have, and edit at once. No need for chronological editing of sequences. I want to finish this work asap so I can concentrate on Project Rizal. Time is of the essence.

Anyway, by the time NCCA’s second tranche is ready, my work on Asiong Salonga should be over. Rizal’s Flowers of Heidelberg with Romalito Mallari as Deaf interpreter follows.