Studio Cut

The two independent short films “Pera-perahang Lata” (30 mins., Philippines) and “Technophilia” (7 mins., Korea-Philippines-Iraq) was successfully projected in high definition (HD) during the film premiere at the Cinema 5 (Dolby Super Digital Cinema) of Gateway Cineplex 10 last June 3, 2009. These films by director Rianne Hill Soriano are the first ever successfully projected independent films in the country in HD format – with privilege of using one of the country’s top digital cinemas (following the feat of the 2008 Metro Manila Film Festival animated film entry “Dayo”).

The film premiere event entitled “Indie HD” proved that independent short films have a steadily increasing audience as validated by the diversity of attendees of the premiere which generally included filmmakers, artists, producers, entertainment industry executives, advertising industry workers, guests from government offices, guests from private institutions, students, media guests, film enthusiasts, and other friends from the various creative industries. VIPs included Minister and Consul General Ohm Ki-sung and Consul Hwang Soon-sung of the Korean Embassy in Manila, Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista (Quezon City), Mr. Tony Gloria of Unitel Productions, Mr. Pete Jimenez of Optima Digital, Mr. Ferdinand Isleta of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and 2000 Cannes Film Festival Palm D’or Winner (Best Short Film) Director Raymond Red. Representatives from the Marikina Cultural Affairs Office attending in behalf of Mayor Marides Fernando also graced the event.

The cocktails at the Gateway Cineplex 10 lobby was graced by musicians jamming with classical guitar and native and modern percussion instruments. The event at Cinema 5 was hosted by filmmaker and thespian Karla Pambid. P. O. L. led by frontman Paul Arroyo also sang the “Pera-perahang Lata” theme song “Kaibigan” prior to the screening.

Recently, the Philippines has four digital cinemas: two at Gateway Cineplex 10, one at SM City The Block, and one at SM Megamall. Another two are on bidding stage/being constructed on two other malls, one in Quezon City and one in Makati City.

The success of the premiere reflects how Filipinos can now go a notch higher in improving the playing field of Filipino films, both mainstream and independent, by exploring what the new technology can offer – projecting films in HD. Gateway Cineplex 10 has opened the door to Pinoy filmmakers, producers, and distributors that they don’t just cater to Hollywood films to be shown in their digital cinemas. After screenings of “Wolverine,” “Startrek,” and other Hollywood flicks at their digital cinemas, and the soon showing of “Transformers,” “Ice Age,” and “Harry Potter,” Filipino films can also have a place in their digital cinemas – both for commercial and artistic endeavors.

The new legacy in digital filmmaking in HD format is a history in the making. And it can further show how Philippine cinema is now evolving and developing. In a realistic sense, the utilizing of digital cinemas is very much favorable to the Philippine film industry. Why and how? Shooting in HD, which cuts the production cost with such a significant amount as compared to shooting on film, can go two preferable routes for cinema projection: 1) blowing up to the standard 35mm prints for nationwide release of bigger film projects; and/or 2) projecting in HD which is file-based and needs no film prints anymore which can further cut the production cost especially to those films only catering to a specific audience like film buffs and people who are into watching art films. It may be a smaller market, but it doesn’t mean that it can’t make its own decent way into the box office especially if it is shown in a digital cinema where the saturation of its audience can be found in proximity with it. And in its case right now, tapping areas like Quezon City, Ortigas, and Makati (where the recent digital cinemas in the country are situated) are truly formidable grounds to the audience of art and independent films. And in the future, it will also be wise to start investing on digital cinemas in other key cities around the country as Cebu, Bacolod, Davao, Ilocos, etc. to further cater to the decent market of such films all around the country.

The high resolution and mostly file-based filming in HD cameras make it easier for the footages to be utilized for post-production work. The file-based showing of films becomes a real advantage to film theaters as there are no more scratches and noises due to wear and tear of a 35mm print and there are no more possibilities for human error in rewinding and queuing up prints. All these, in the long-term, entails lower cost than using film-based projections; thus making it more feasible for the Philippines to catch up with the technology in the global perspective. And as more and more digital cinemas come into the picture, the opportunities are getting bigger and bigger for Filipino filmmakers, producers, distributors, and cinema-goers.

Gateway Cineplex 10 is a pioneer in digital cinema in the Philippines. And with its support for artistic and cultural projects as the Cinemanila International Film Festival, the Australian Film Festival in Manila, and this film premiere event Indie HD, there is truly a spark of hope for the Filipino films of today and the future. Indeed, through the support from private companies and institutions willing to extend a helping hand for such projects, the country is slowly but surely, keeping up with what the digital technology can offer amidst economic limitations by extending collaborative efforts and maximizing all possible resources.

“Pera-perahang Lata” is topbilled by Von Arroyo and Arnold Reyes and also features Gio Respall, Paul Sy, Dante Balois, Rey Solo, Dido dela Paz, Marnie Lapus, Noemi Oineza, Ellen Estrada, Ces Aldaba, Karl Moro, Rommel Buenaventura, Via Antonio, and other talented character actors and actresses in film, TV, and theater. Completing the list of the major filmmakers in the film are: director/writer/editor Rianne Hill Soriano, director of photography Wowie Hao, production designer Joy Puntawe, production manager Gavin Herrera, assistant director Karla Pambid, art directors Armi Cacanindin and Kiko Tolentino, musical scorer/sound engineer Philip Arvin Jarilla, associate producer Ayeen Pineda, field sound recordists Mark Locsin and Joseph Santos, and casting by Gigi Pirote.

“Technophilia” features Korean talents Lee Jong-jin and Lee Saekyung, along with supporting Korean, Japanese, American, Indonesian, and Filipino talents. The members of the production staff include: director/editor/production designer Rianne Hill Soriano, director of photography Mohammed Jano, art director Stephen Kochenash, field sound recordists Choi Junghan and Minei Katsudo, musical scorer/sound engineer Philip Arvin Jarilla, and production coordinators Seo Miya, Chung Yoo-sun, and Moon Kyung-min.

The event is also made possible by the Gateway Cineplex 10, NCCA, Colorwheel Media Studios, Outpost Digital Frontier, Innovasia, Korean Embassy, Marikina Cultural Affairs Office, Mamma Mia, Jingleman, NU 107, and the official music channel MTV Philippines.

You may visit peraperahanglata.blogspot.com, technophiliafilm.blogspot.com, and www.riannehillsoriano.com/blog for more information about the films.