Looking from Behind... Day 2

Factory Location for Day 2 Shoot

Day 2 Shoot Pre-production Photos

Rianne and the production team at Seattles Best Coffee two days before the shoot. Initially we were at Latasia Fusion (a vegeterian resto in UP), but they were closing so we transferred to SBC Katips
Ocular after the preprod at SBC katips - Marikina River Park with Rianne, Karla, Gavin, and Marie

AD Karla
PM Gavin

PA Marie

Art Director Kiko
By the river
Walking towards the exhibit area
Checking out the river
Thinking... thinking... serious....
Ocular... ocular... serious...

St. Francis Xavier Parish Grand Choir

St. Francis Xavier Parish Grand Choir with Rodel Melad, Head of Music Ministry

A rehearsal night of the grand choir in preparation for the Simbang Gabi. They sang the original Christmas song "Sa Pagdating" composed by the film's musical scorer and sound engineer Philip Arvin Jarilla. Part of the said song was also used for the caroling scenes of the children.

Rianne explaining the concept, the story, and the film.


Philip's composition "Sa Pagdating."

Thanks to Kuya Del and the Grand Choir!!!

Church Location for Day 2 Shoot

St. Francis Xavier Parish Church, Greenheights Newtown I, Mayamot, Antipolo City, Rizal.

Special thanks to:

Parish Priest Father Jeffrey Quintela, Maree Magbanua, Mercy Sta. Brigida, and other church staff

Marikina and Antipolo Locations for Day 2 and 3 Shoots

How prouder can I get being a lahing Marikeno! :p
And also having my hometown in Antipolo! :)

Day 2 and 3 locations




Special thanks to:

City Hall of Marikina
Office of the Mayor (Mayor Marides Fernando)
Office of the City Administrator (Melvin Cruz)
Public Information Office (Millet Lorenzo, Chief; Ronald Ramido, Staff)
Marikina Cultural, Tourism, Trade, and Investment Promotions Office (Lea Astrud Santiago, Head)
Workers Affairs Office (Gil Munar, Officer-in-Charge)

Marikina Riverbanks
Ching Maipid, Marketing Manager
Phina Asutilla, Marketing Officer

Requelo and Juvy Alejo
Yobs Restaurant, Sumulong Highway, Antipolo City

After Day 2...

It has been the toughest shoot I ever had... to date... and now I'm hoping that nothing more than this could ever happen again. Talk about the concept of this film, talk about how things go beyond one's control and the days you become really lucky and the days you get the worst of things, turn of events the way they happen on films actually happening in real life... A taste of my own concept and story huh... And yeah all those involved in this film knows what I'm talking about. Thanks to everybody for bearing with all those... Above all things, after such a challenging day, we turned out happy amidst the chaos... And I'm so happy previewing our rushes, till day 3!!!

To the production staff and cast

It has been really tough having to resked our shoot and have sudden changes due to sked complications. And I would like to thank you all for understanding. And it means a lot hearing those words from you, not just those who are really my friends and close to me, but also those I just knew through this production - who have made this tough time much lighter to bear. Hearing words that show the concern and the passion for what we do makes it much better for everyone. And I am ultimately thankful. And with the positive energy of the production, I can rest assure you all that our new sked will be for the best of the film. And I am giving my 100% to make this project worthwhile for all. Once again, thanks everyone! It wouldn't be possible without you... Cya before Christmas! Merry Christmas and merry shoot to us!!! Hehe! =D

- Rianne

Day 2 and 3 Shoots Storyboarding

A graduate of De La Salle University, Che Bello is a core group member of Tuldok Animation Studios.

A graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts (Major in Visual Communication), Jeff Capili is the director of the 40-minute animated film "Pasintabi" produced by the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT).

They are both animators for Tuldok Animation's animated short films "Libingan" (produced by the NCCA) and "Pasintabi."

Abstract of the Film

“PERA-PERAHANG LATA” (Penny from the Tin Can) is a short film about the plight of a factory worker during the Christmas season.

“The Christmas season is a time of gift-giving and Christmas decors. And the film takes place at this supposedly happy season. Happy… mainly if you look into the margin up the poverty line… For Nilo, the idealism of a youthful man is slowly being succumbed by disillusionment. And this film traces the plight of this man who is trying to make up for his guilt, but he ends up seeing another tragedy from it.”

“Pera-Perahang Lata” explores the many facets of a struggling life in a world that is full of unpredictable moments – where some things are really beyond one’s control. And this film exposes both the rich culture of the able Filipinos and the struggle of lower-middle to lower-class Filipinos in the Manila commune set during the Pinoy Christmas season – amidst the exciting tradition of gift-giving, caroling, and the “Simbang Gabi.”

The tin can is the film’s binding factor. More than just costing the main character his living and another person’s death, the utilizing of the tin can on asking for alms and the children transforming them into musical instruments for their Christmas carols, the it represents a very frequent element that Filipinos use everyday.

The setting is during the Christmas season where the needy, middle class, and rich people come together sharing gifts, giving and receiving alms, adorning their homes, offices, and other establishments with Christmas decors, and attending the “Simbang Gabi.” The various city streets really live up to the season.

Life is a collaboration of journeys – with every person met along the way – there is a totally new effect to the person’s path, and to the other people he comes across with.

While journeying around everyday, come to think of it… If you tend to become more observant and more critical about the things you see, hear, and experience, you’ll get certain realizations, or even more questions about life and the society. And that’s how this film came to be.

PR for the film Pera-perahang Lata

PR for the film Pera-perahang Lata (2008)

After the success of her first two short films “Aninag” (New York International Independent Film and Video Festival 2005, Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival 2006, New York Filipino Film Festival 2005, UNESCO Audio-Visual E-Platform, 3rd Place at Viva’s PBO Digitales Film Competition 2006) and “Karsel” (Kodak Film Award 2003 and Best Production Thesis 2003 of the UP Film Institute, International Women’s Film Festival 2006 and Nominee for the Gawad Urian Best Short Film 2003), writer-director Rianne Hill Soriano saw an opportunity to make a third film with “Pera-perahang Lata,” a film that explores the journey of a young factory worker during the Christmas season.

She worked on the screenplay of “Pera-perahang Lata,” initially for almost a month, then kept it in her “baul of concepts,” made final revisions three years after, and pitched the project to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) last April 2007 after resigning from her day job and going back to freelance work as a production artist.

The cast is led by a talented newcomer for an independent film production, singer-actor Von Arroyo, making his film debut. The challenge of the casting process was to find a believable and realistic character around which the events of the story evolve. To play the main character ‘Nilo,’ Rianne looked for someone who could not just deliver well with his acting skills, but also carry the film with a certain look and way of thinking reflecting his moves, words, and expressions.

The setting is during the Christmas season where the needy, middle class, and rich people come together sharing gifts, giving and receiving alms, adorning their homes, offices and other establishments with Christmas decors, and attending the “Simbang Gabi.” The film’s look is a combination of: the dark and gritty; and the light and Yuletide. The realistic treatment mainly shows the dark alleys, tall buildings, and different kinds of people travailing public places. The film intends to bring a fresh perspective for a film with a common theme and story. The treatment upped the ante on the bits of drama, comedy, action, and suspense elements.

The film has many firsts: the writer-director’s first time to have a look at the world through a man’s eyes with male characters on major roles (her first film had a feminist theme and her second film, a children’s film, mostly had female characters as well); her first time to shoot a film pegged on realism (her previous films were generally dark, surreal, expressionist, and had tinges of magic realism); and her first time to assemble such a larger sphere of key players both behind the scenes and in front of the camera.

Rianne worked in a very free style way as she believes of bringing out the best of the film by having many brilliant and creative minds at work. With film being a collaborative medium, she lives up to the idea that all the people working in the filmmaking process are filmmakers – from the producer to the utilityman – as they all play significant roles in making things work effectively to finally come up with a film.

She was fortunate enough to bring back some members of her production team from her first and second films. This new film was shot primarily in Marikina City, and some scenes in Antipolo City and Pasig City as well, under the photographic aegis of cinematographer Wowie Hao and the knack for excellent visual design of production designer Joy Puntawe. Completing the major members of the production staff include: production manager Gavin Herrera, art director Armi Cacanindin, assistant director Karla Pambid, musical scorer/sound engineer Philip Arvin Jarilla, field sound recordist Mark Locsin, and casting by Gigi Pirote.

The film stars Von Arroyo, Arnold Reyes, Paul Sy, Judith Soriao, Dante Balois, Jocel Vergel de Dios, Loida Petalio, Henrex Alduezo, Gio Respall, Dido dela Paz, Marnie Lapus, Ces Aldaba, Karl Moro, Rommel Buenaventura, Ellen Estrada, and a number of other talented character actors and actresses in film, TV, and theater.

The film is produced by the NCCA and Colorwheel Media Studios. The production was blessed by the support of major production houses including Unitel Pictures for camera equipment, FILMEX for lighting equipment, Engine Room for offline editing requirements, Outpost Digital Frontier for online editing requirements, Optima for colorgrading requirements, and Hit Productions for sound production requirements. The city government of Marikina, Marikina Riverbanks, St. Francis Xavier Parish Church, Streetpark Productions and Brass Knuckles also gave support for the production.

The film is set to premiere on the first quarter of 2009. You can also visit HYPERLINK "http://www.peraperahanglata.blogspot.com" www.peraperahanglata.blogspot.com for more information about the film.