113,508 views for the `EKSTRA' trailer!!

Close Encounters of the 3D Kind - 26 JUNE 2013

Had my first visual of a 3D printer - the wave of the future in manufacturing technology. This small version has SRP = USD 2000. It was built by a company named (what else?)... `3D Printer'!

 

A 3D design using software like Solidworks or Autodesk can be actualized by feeding the raw material as it passes through the baseplate layer by layer.

 

Sample outputs of the 3D printer - gears, cams, cars, bracelets, and....Iron Man (made of plastic). The action figure takes 19 hours to print!

The wonders of technology! Now anyone can mass-produce guns that can slip through metal detectors. The progress of mankind. The evolution of destruction.

36th Gawad Urian Awards - 18 JUNE 2013 @ NBC Tent

The 36th Gawad Urian Awards were significant in that all films nominated were Indie Films, a testimony to the significant artistic contribution of diverse and high quality indie films emanating from today's filmmakers. Looking forward to another bumper crop of original pinoy indie films, especially with Cinemalaya 2013 lurking around the corner....

From www.manunuri.com, the awards went to the following:

Best Film - Ang Paglalakbay ng mga Bituin sa Dilim ng Gabi (Producers: Cinema One Originals, Skyweaver Productions, Red Motion Media, HYDEntertainment, Alchemy of Vision and Light Film and TV Productions and Conrad Cejoco)
Best Director - Adolfo Alix (Mater Dolorosa)
Best Screenplay - Mes De Guzman (Diablo)
Best Actor - Jericho Rosales (Alagwa)
Best Actress - Nora Aunor (Thy Womb)
Best Supporting Actor - Art Acuña (Posas)
Supporting Actress - Alessandra de Rossi (Mater Dolorosa)
Production Design - Dante Mendoza (Thy Womb)
Cinematography - Whammy Alcazaren (Colossal)
Editing - Aleks Castañeda (Kalayaan)
Music - Diwa de Leon (Baybayin)
Best Sound - Willy Fernandez, Bong Sungcang, Ferdinand Marcos Sabarongis(Florentina Hubaldo, CTE)
Best Documentary - Harana (Benito Bautista)
Best Short Film - Ritmo (Remton Siega Zuasola)
Natatanging Gawad Urian - Mila del Sol

Vilma Santos stars in her first indie film as a bit player

Vilma Santos stars in her first indie–as a bit player

By Rito P. Asilo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

June 21, 2013 | 8:37 pm 

 

SANTOS IN “EKSTRA.” “I’m still an artist who’s raring for a good challenge!”

“Crowd din ako dati, pero look at me now,” Vilma Santos proudly discloses to other bit players in the trailer of “Ekstra” that swiftly went viral shortly after it was posted on YouTube on June 6. It’s only been about two weeks since, but the one minute and 48 second trailer has already been viewed almost 80,000 times on the video-sharing website.

The buzzed-about Cinemalaya entry, Santos’ first foray into the indie scene, will be the movie queen’s 222nd entry in the IMDb online database! But, the irony of portraying perpetual bit player, Loida Malabanan, isn’t lost on Tinseltown’s Star for All Seasons—who spoke to us not long after she came home from her much deserved vacation in Los Angeles last Saturday.

“I have played so many roles in my lifetime—from Sister Stella L. and Dolzura Cortez to Darna and Dyesebel,” Ate Vi shares. “But, portraying a movie extra is a first for me. In fact, when I acted in my launching movie at age 9, I was already cast in the title role—as “Trudis Liit”!

Shot in 12 days, the film wrapped up its principal photography on Holy Monday, one week before Vilma went on the campaign trail. She says “Ekstra” was a learning and heart-warming experience—and her talent fee wasn’t even discussed: “It’s a personal contribution to the industry that has been good to me. Plus, I wanted to experience the experimental nature of indie filmmaking—nakakapanibago, because of the 12-hour shoots and the dynamic new talents you meet on set.

`EKSTRA' theatrical trailer for Cinemalaya 2013

The Official Trailer of Cinemalaya 2013's Vilma Santos starrer - `EKSTRA'. Watch closely at 0:32 and 0:50.  =)

Article from the Philippine Star which featured a photo of me with Vilma Santos in a scene from `Ekstra'.   =)

http://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2013/02/20/910834/vilma-plays-extra-1st-indie-starrer

 Vilma plays extra in 1st indie starrer

FUNFARE By Ricky Lo (The Philippine Star) | Updated February 20, 2013 - 12:00am

Maybe curious about stars of her stature going indie, Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos was finally lured into doing one, but only when she was offered a script that touched her heart. Ekstra is “it,” produced by lawyer Joji Alonso and directed by Jeffrey Jeturian (who’s behind the hit Kapamilya soap Be Careful With My Heart).
“The truth,” Jeffrey told Funfare, “is that Joji and I submitted several scripts to Vilma for consideration. We knew that other people have also sent her scripts. We were honored that Vilma chose one that she liked so much.”
Of course, Vilma has never experienced how it is to be an extra because she played the titular role in her first movie as a child actress, Ging (by Premiere Productions), followed by Trudis Liit (by Sampaguita Pictures).
But she knows the life of an extra (bit player).
“I feel for them,” said Vilma who has only seven shooting days more to wrap up. “They earn very little compared to the talent fee of the stars. ‘Yung mga bida get star treatment samantalang karamihan sa mga extra karaniwan nasa tabi-tabi lang. Sometimes, nauubusan sila ng pagkain sa set, and they have to commute to the set and back home. Kapag nagkakamali sila, kung minsan nasisigawan pa sila.”
In the movie, Vilma plays a bit player in soaps, cast as one of the sakadas in one of them.

 

Ekstra is therefore Vilma’s tribute to extras without whom a film will not be complete.

“Vilma is every director’s dream actress,” said Jeffrey. “She’s very easy to work with. She’s very cooperative, she listens to and follows instructions, and she respects her co-workers. It has been my long-time dream to work with her. To borrow her favorite word, it’s ‘heaven’ to be working with Vilma.”
Jeffrey recalled that during the story conference, Vilma reminded the so-called “small” actors in the movie, “Kayo na ang bahala sa akin ha. Okey lang na masapawan ninyo ako, kasi ganoon naman talaga ang mga esktra, di ba? Palaging nasasapawan.”
On the set, the usually unmade-up Vilma easily blends with the rest of the real extras.
“Before we started shooting,” said Vilma, “we got together, parang nag-workshop kami. Joji and Jeffrey did that para on the set walang mai-starstruck sa akin, so that we would all be comfortable with one another at walang maiilang sa akin — you know, lahat kami extra, walang star.”
The only “stars” in the movie are those who are appearing in cameo roles as themselves, including Piolo Pascual, Cherie Gil, Eula Valdez, Pilar Pilapil, Marian Rivera and Richard “Sir Chief” Yap.
A lieutenant-colonel in real life, Vilma shoots only on weekends, preoccupied as she is with her main duty as Governor of Batangas. By end of next month, she will start to campaign for re-election.
Joji plans to enter Ekstra in this year’s Cinemalaya (in July), Directors’ Showcase Category.
(E-mail reactions at entphilstar@yahoo.com. You may also send your questions to askrickylo@gmail.com. For more updates, photos and videos visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on www.twitter/therealrickylo.)

Welcome Remarks

I just created my own blogsite upon the advice of my friends who believe I have some very interesting stories to tell. I hope I don't disappoint them!

So firstly, why did I choose `celebrityrunner' as the name of the blogsite? Firstly, I'm an avid runner, doing 10km in 60 minutes on average. Next February, I plan to run a full marathon (42.195km), so please wish me success. As for the celebrity part.... umm... I'm a bit player in indie films as well, and the notion of being a celebrity is just a fantasy. Don't take it seriously. Hehe... Mahirap kaya ang buhay ng sikat.

So what can one expect from this blog?

I reckon I'll be writing about running events, insights and experiences in the indie film industry, news/video clips with some commentary, personal photos, travelogues, and basically anything of interest that I come across in life's journey.

This will be open to the public 24/7, unlike my Facebook page, so feel free to recommend it to anyone. Stalkers are welcome.