Saw the film Manila Kingpin yesterday afternoon! The expert cutters turned Tikoy’s opening scene [Viray-Asiong] into a trailer spoiling the whole thing by intercutting with the preparations being undertaken by Asiong’s gang vs Viray himself. Obviously, they just looked at the images and edited the scene without understanding the script or without feeling it. They do not know what parallel or simultaneous editing is. By intercutting two scenes NOT happening at the same time, they completely destroyed our original intention, even the use of silence at the end of it. They do not know what silence in cinema means. They cut the whole film as if they were cutting an MTV. In lighting, mood and treatment the opening scene is reminiscent of Bagong Bayani, if they did not spoil it…Some of my edits were left quite intact though.

Jump Cut to the Ending Scene. Horrendous with all the senseless fade ins and fade outs.. what for? To say that the film was re-edited? Or you, I mean the producers, were still in the trailer cutting mode because of the 100+K viewers the trailers got from Youtube? Or, because the espesyalistas could not have done any better? Come on!! Your work had just been to put those damn transitions, insert Amay Bisaya, and deleting the shots that helped in building up the “calm before the storm” effect [to make the pacing fast?]; Worst is using inappropriate music that tremendously reduced the impact of the scene. That’s the Producer’s call I suppose.

More later….on the Producer’s Cut that was based on the film’s first or rough cut. I am busy preparing for the launch this afternoon of my slow-paced, quiet short film ULTIMO ADIOS at the most appropriate place, the Rizal Shrine in Fort Santiago.

By the way, Tikoy watched the film too almost at the same as I watched it but in another cinema house. I only came to know when he texted to say that I must see the film and what they did to his baby. He later called me up … mad of course, very mad. What do you expect? Seeing footage we did not want. Deleting sequences deemed necessary. He made the right decision: to have his name removed from Manila Kingpin.

Teka—tama ba nabasa ko?:

“Manila Kingpin” bagged 10 awards last night, including Best Production Design, Best Editing, Best Sound Recording, Best Original Theme Song, Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay, Gatpuno Villegas Cultural Award, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director and Best Festival Picture. Article.aspx?articleId=763092&publicationSubCategoryId=200