Adventures in the Philippine Entertainment Industry

Philippine Showbiz is very colorful. Same as its politics. The changing of faces, bright lights, and cameras is quite amusing to my eyes. Beautiful and Handsome women and men, who perform during the wee hours of the morning, is totally a great feat.

I saw Kuya Germs once and he was talking with my mother. My mother is quite bitchy at times as he wants those new 'fresh' guys at 'That's Entertainment'. But sometimes they fight each other on how to keep things running (or the term broadcasting is more proper) and to generate more income through sponsors.

I was almost to be put on the show too but my mother told, '..don't put him, he is camera-shy.' yes she is correct.

I was more focused on how things work, how does the camera takes a video, how it is transferred to tape, how do they mix audio and do a transition on the videos, how do they set up the lights, the speakers, the special effects. I have this idea now that maybe I can do this on my own. I want to be a director that entertains people, make them laugh, cry or be inspired. With all of these equipment. Maybe I can have my own channel.

In the early days of entertainment, we all knew that it was simple. We get all the 'canned' (these are term for video cassettes, a durable one that contains one week of the series episodes) from abroad and just show it here. No interaction, no viewer input. Only in news reports that we get some live feeds. Very few have the knowledge and resources that they have to perform and broadcast an episode LIVE.

My mom always went out with Sharon and Vilma. I have seen them once or twice at home. They are big stars  but still they are people. They went out shopping and sometimes drinking, and crying. Especially when it comes to their husbands. I was just listening and all. So I thought that they put up a big smile on the screen, but in their personal lives they are really miserable. Very few stars have been happy on both on and off camera. Maybe it is a way of life for the, They entered in this world and this is the risk they have to take.

Some actors/actresses are so naive that I do not know why they deserve such adulation from the viewers.

There was this one early budding host which shouted at me and my companion while we are fixing a pipe on one of the lavatory (we thought there was no one there and the attendant told there was nobody inside).

She shouted so hard that we must get out. She even called my companion and asked if he has seen her naked or something. then she looked for me as well, luckily it was my day off. Then they called back on the leaking pipe again and told my people never fix their pipe there because you might be mistaken as a peeping-Tom.

Some actors actresses are so, i dont know, dumb perhaps. I was working once in a cooling tower in one of the biggest networks in QC,  I saw someone fighting near the studio, then I came to know it was RP, and his boyfriend who looks like an ex-convict. Why such a pretty face will have a bf like that? I talked to her manager and told about what I saw. She just shrugged it off and told that 'she's dumb maybe. she was treated like shit and all, but she still loves him.' Sad but true.

There was this funny thing I will share with you, I have met many actors and actresses, local and foreign, but I did not get their autographs. During one of our maintenance schedules, I was asked to ask for an autograph to any actor/actress that pass by.

"C'mon, you are the most handsome guy we have around!"

Then I saw an open dressing room, I saw one pretty face, It was Jolina Magdangal. Then quickly I went inside and asked for her autograph. Quite embarrassing as my pen didn't work, so she used her own pen.

My colleagues are quite happy with what I did but was teased heavily at home with my sisters.

Good quality movies fascinates me. I am not swayed into special effects and stuff like that. A good movie requires good quality story telling. Simple as that. Whether it gathered awards or not, if the movie is good. I give my recommendations to the director, staff and actors.