Remember "Ligo na U, Lapit na Me"?
It was that surprisingly successful Cinemalaya entry last year, veteran TV director Erick Salud's first venture into filmmaking. It was 2nd at the festival's box-office returns, was picked up for distribution by Regal Films, had a theatrical run and got exhibited at the Hawaii International Film Festival. The formula for success: the chemisty of the film's actors.
Sure the book from where the film was adapted had a cult following and Jerry Gracio's brilliant script were a winning combination. Given these factors, it was understandable that some members of the Cinemalaya Committee urged us to get an actress who was already popular to draw the audience in. Otherwise, the adaptation would be put to naught.
'Jenny' as a character would be hard to pull off, the actress that would play it had to possess an infinite fountain of sexuality, has perfect comic timing without even trying to be funny and must have a chemistry with Edgar (Allan Guzman) who would play Intoy. Noel (Ferrer) the Producer and I as was Line Producer, wanted Cinemalaya staple Mercedes Cabral to play Jenny because one, she had no qualms about doing sexy scenes. Two, she hasn't done comedy before and I know she could pull it off. Three, because she was born to play Jenny. But the Festival Committee was skeptical. I totally understood why for them Mercedes couldn't be Jenny but Noel and I knew she was tailored for that role.
So we tried to consider other actresses who were, given the benefit of the doubt, more well-known. I tried to contact Star Magic for Kaye Abad but they didn't bother to give a feedback. Valeen Montenegro was kind of up for it but someone close to her wasn't. I had to go to beauty queen Danielle Castano's place to let her audition er, read some lines but it was blah. Several other actresses who I already forgot were considered but it just wouldn't work out simply beca.
Noel and I agreed to ask Mercedes to audition, meet up with Erick (the director) and throw some lines with Edgar, tape it and send it to the Committee. We insisted she had to play Jenny. Here's the video:
As soon as they got to watch this, the casting was approved. I know we made a good decision to fight for her.
It was that surprisingly successful Cinemalaya entry last year, veteran TV director Erick Salud's first venture into filmmaking. It was 2nd at the festival's box-office returns, was picked up for distribution by Regal Films, had a theatrical run and got exhibited at the Hawaii International Film Festival. The formula for success: the chemisty of the film's actors.
Sure the book from where the film was adapted had a cult following and Jerry Gracio's brilliant script were a winning combination. Given these factors, it was understandable that some members of the Cinemalaya Committee urged us to get an actress who was already popular to draw the audience in. Otherwise, the adaptation would be put to naught.
'Jenny' as a character would be hard to pull off, the actress that would play it had to possess an infinite fountain of sexuality, has perfect comic timing without even trying to be funny and must have a chemistry with Edgar (Allan Guzman) who would play Intoy. Noel (Ferrer) the Producer and I as was Line Producer, wanted Cinemalaya staple Mercedes Cabral to play Jenny because one, she had no qualms about doing sexy scenes. Two, she hasn't done comedy before and I know she could pull it off. Three, because she was born to play Jenny. But the Festival Committee was skeptical. I totally understood why for them Mercedes couldn't be Jenny but Noel and I knew she was tailored for that role.
So we tried to consider other actresses who were, given the benefit of the doubt, more well-known. I tried to contact Star Magic for Kaye Abad but they didn't bother to give a feedback. Valeen Montenegro was kind of up for it but someone close to her wasn't. I had to go to beauty queen Danielle Castano's place to let her audition er, read some lines but it was blah. Several other actresses who I already forgot were considered but it just wouldn't work out simply beca.
Noel and I agreed to ask Mercedes to audition, meet up with Erick (the director) and throw some lines with Edgar, tape it and send it to the Committee. We insisted she had to play Jenny. Here's the video:
As soon as they got to watch this, the casting was approved. I know we made a good decision to fight for her.
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