Jack Of Arts

February 3, 2012 – Friday 2 pm – Pucnas, Clambu City

"So. You can't do it?" Tayaw is on his phone talking with the head of the set design company he hired. "We can. But we'll go over-budget." The head designer explained. "Alright. I'll transfer some funds and do it." Tayaw said. "Okay. I just don't understand, why pay attention to these details?" The head designer asked, confused at why Tayaw wants the sets to look realistic. "Don't worry about it." Tayaw didn't bother to explain.

Tayaw was not lying when he said 'Don't worry about it' as he indeed has no problems currently with money. His books are still selling well as evidenced by the report sent by Topaz for the January sales. Just as expected, Tayaw's two volumes of fairy tales, both the children and a.d.u.l.t versions, sold a total of 2.7 million copies that earned him 5.5 million BGC.

'The Halfling' on the other hand, is still hot and sold 9.1 million copies worldwide which netted him 43.4 million BGC. Unlike the November and December sales that came mostly from Teungeb, January showed signs that his book are very popular internationally. The Hindi and Chinese releasing last January also contributed a lot in the sales.

For the month of January, he earned 49 million BGC in solid cash, or 25M USD. So far, Tayaw has only spent 4 million BGC in the movie so far. This includes the actors' salary, renting of filming locations, filming equipment like the cameras and microphones, and the set design.

While waiting for the sets to be built, Tayaw also started shooting as soon as he hired the required actors. Aside from Iliene and Uranto as the main actors, the supporting cast was also hired by Tayaw from the auditions. Two days ago, Tayaw started shooting the scenes at locations that are easily rented and don't require too much setting - up.

Today, Tayaw was just wrapping up shooting the scenes at Steven's house when the set designer called him. Jouny and Ongki actually volunteered their house as the location for Steven's house. And because Uranto and Iliene doing a great job playing Steven and Diwaya, it did not take too many takes, so Jouny and Ongki are getting their house back after only two days.

"CUT! GOOD! Now, Mr. VIrenza, Ms. Partros, that wasn't so hard, now, was it?" Tayaw said to the two actors who were just sharing a bed for the implied bed scene, which they finally succeeded completing. The bed scene actually was not even that s.e.x.u.a.l. The actors had a lot of kissing to do, however.

"Yeah. It gets technical." Iliene replied, which Uranto chuckled at. All extra emotions they felt were thrown out of the window once they saw Tayaw and the crew's professionalism.

"Alright! Ms. Partros, you're done for today. Go home, and rest." Tayaw said to Ilene as she has no scenes in the next filming location. Iliene who had a lot adjusting, memorizing, and sleepless nights due to pressure, almost cried in joy hearing Tayaw's words.

"Men, let's move!" Tayaw then ordered the 7-man filming crew with him.

The 7 man crew is composed by three camera men, a lighting director, a lighting technician, a sound engineer, and a boom mic operator. Aside from the camera men, the remaining members of the crew did not have much adjusting to Tayaw's style as their contributions are not that apparent to the movie screen.

The three cameramen, however, who are so used to shooting in wide-angles, had a lot of adapting to Tayaw's preference of closer shots. They even almost argued with Tayaw. But with Tayaw's promise of increased salary, they had no choice but to follow what Tayaw wanted. They also get to use Tayaw's newly purchased high-end cameras only used in sporting events.

Tayaw is currently using four digital cameras, operated by him and the three camera men, to shoot different angles of the scenes. The cameramen are shooting in different angles as instructed by Tayaw, and Tayaw operates the last camera that shoots full or wide shots. He chose to operate this camera as it has the best view to the scene.

While en-route to the filming location, Tayaw provided the camera men and Uranto more instructions on what they will do. He also showed them his storyboard for visual reference. A few minutes later, they arrived at Clambu City's branch office of Teungeb's Writers' Guild where a few interns and assistants are already waiting.

"Alright! Is the office set ready?" Tayaw asked one of the assistants he hired. "Yeah. The office workers are ready. We also prepared the fake files." The assistant replied.

Again, with the help of Jouny, Tayaw was able to convince the managers of Writers' Guild office in Clambu to be used in filming. The main character, Steven, is an office worker so Tayaw needed a place for office scenes. The Writers' Guild's office in Clambu looks vague in what business they are in to an outsider's perspective, so Tayaw found it perfect to shoot the movie's office scenes.

Tayaw had the signs in the office changed and added some fake equipment to follow Steven's workplace in the script. This did not require the services of the set design company.

Tayaw also hired the actual co-workers of Jouny as background actors the day the office manager agreed to the shoot. Tayaw instructed the office workers to just get on their day and not mind the shooting, to make the shoot as realistic as possible. Tayaw paid the office workers 20 BGC per hour in accordance to the minimum wage of an actor. The office workers were happy to take what basically is free money.

"Okay. Have you instructed the background actors what to do?" Tayaw asked the assistant. "Yes, director. As one of the office workers' said 'We just don't mind them, right?'" The assistant replied. Tayaw nodded and the crew finally entered the office building to set-up.

While waiting for the crew to finish setting up, Tayaw brought Uranto to what would be Steven's office cubicle. "Alright. Sit down, Mr. Virenza and close your eyes. Feel this table. Steven has been working here for 17 years now. What does he do every day? He sits here every day for the past 17 years." Tayaw started to help Uranto get into character.

"For the past 17 years, he's done nothing but type on the keyboard, flip papers, and talk to the boss. But think about it, has he really lived?" Tayaw continued. Uranto's face is also solemn, absorbing his character. "For seventeen years, he had to read the same reports from the same warehouses. Aside from summarizing them and making graphs, has he really achieved something?" Tayaw continued to set in the character's frustration.

"Has he really contributed to society?" Tayaw's final question made Uranto clench his fists. Seeing this, Tayaw smiled and nodded. "Bottle that feeling up, Mr. Virenza. That is what Steven feels." Tayaw said as he patted Uranto's shoulder and left.

-

Tayaw then went to the actors' tents in the parking lot to talk to the supporting actors that will be on the office scenes.

"Hello." Tayaw pulled away the first supporting actor that will be shooting today. Nielg, the actor plays Steven's best friend and office neighbor, is also a comedic actor, a troupe mate of Uranto and Iliena. Tayaw chose Nielg for the role of the best friend as he is also a close friend of Uranto in the troupe for a long time.

"Hello, director." The actor greeted. "Have you memorized your lines?" Tayaw asked. "Yes, director. Thank you for giving me the role." The actor said, excited to begin.

"Now. Just because you're hired does not mean it will be easy, okay?" Tayaw said seriously. "I understand, director." The actor said, getting Tayaw's meaning. "Now. You know the type of acting I want, right?" Tayaw asked. "Well. From the auditions, you want me to act like how a real person would talk." The actor said.

"Good. You get the gist. I want more, though." Tayaw started instructing Nielg. "Just like how you spent years with Uranto in the theater, your role also spent just as long as Steven in the office. I know, that it's not in the script, but I want you to appear just like an office worker." Tayaw said.

"This.. I don't know how to act like an office worker." Nielg scratched his head at this. "I understand. Come with me." Tayaw said and walked back inside the office. Nielg does not know what Tayaw wants but he followed anyway.

Shortly, they arrived at the office. "Alright. Let's be quiet. Now. Look at them." Tayaw whispered to Nielg and pointed at the busy office workers. "A good start will be to copy what they're doing. I want you to watch their emotions. I want you to feel why they're feeling it." Tayaw said. "That's hard…" Nielg sighed.

"It will get easy. You will not ACTUALLY have to figure out what they feel. Just IMAGINE what they're feeling." Tayaw said. Nielg, who is slowly getting what Tayaw is saying, nodded. "So I have to copy what they're also feeling." Nielg said. "Yes. But the appropriate emotion to the lines is still the priority. This will just help you appear on the screen as an actual office worker." Tayaw said. "Stay here and watch. An intern will come pick you up when we're ready to shoot." Tayaw said.

Tayaw then left and quickly thought about how to coach the other supporting actors. His advice to Nielg, after all, would not work with all the actors and their characters.

-

Throughout the rest of the production, it was not only the production crew that adjusted to Tayaw, but Tayaw had to adjust as well to speed up the production process. Tayaw, with his enhanced body, can go working 20 hours straight without breaks aside from taking meals, but the crew cannot do the same.

This led to Tayaw doubling the number of members for the production crew to keep up with him. The crew was divided into two groups and worked in 10 hour shifts. Due to this change, the crew was also forced to change their sleeping patterns as Tayaw made the first shift run from 2am to 12nn, and the second shift from 12nn to 10pm.

He divided the shifts for the two crews accordingly so the two groups were able to share the sunlight. The first shift crew was able to shoot night scenes from 2am to 6am and day scenes from 6am to 12nn. The second shift was able to shoot day scenes from 12nn to 6pm and night scenes from 6pm to 10 in the evening. And finally, 10 pm to 2 am is Tayaw's bedtime.

Tayaw also continued to talk to the main and supporting actors to help them immerse in the appropriate emotions of their characters to a specific scene. The purpose of him doing this is not only for these actors to act believably for the sake of the film, but he's also planning on hiring these actors again for his next films.

He also hired costume designers and make-up artists to give the actors the look he wanted them to have.

Even though Tayaw himself, and the cast and crew were unsure whether the movie will be received well by the world, they still worked tirelessly after they slowly understood Tayaw's vision for the movie.