Shoot!

Out of the blue I get an SMS from my good friend Katski, she the writer-director of the indie film Still Life and one of the guiding forces behind the uber-super-duper-mega-ng-over hit indi movie Kimmy Dora. She needed talents to act gratis for a project she’s directing. What for? I asked. “It’s for a client, some kinda sales AVP,” she replied offhandedly. What will I play? I asked. “Either a salesman or a customer,” she texted.

Well why not, chocnut? For years I’ve always been behind the camera, in shoots for commercials and for TV shows. Never had I wandered in front of the camera, even as extra for crowd scenes. At least now I get to experience what it’s like to do a take over and over again.

So off I went to the location, a car showroom along Quezon Avenue. When I got there I was handed the script, and was told I’d play the customer. Changed into wardrobe (provided by yours truly, of course) and sat down for make-up (feeling ta-artits). I met my co-actors in the scene, the guy playing the salesman and the guy playing the security guard. While waiting I also saw this girl, very Japanese-looking and quite familiar though I couldn’t place where I saw her.

I was handed the script and was told to read through and line-throw with my co-actors. I glanced at the top of the page: “by Raymond Lee”. I nearly fell of my seat. I glanced at the Japanese girl again. OMG, it’s Michiko Yamamoto, award-winning writer of Pagdadalaga Ni Maximo Olivero! She was there as producer.

And so, even if it’s just a mere sales AVP that will be seen by just an exclusive few, I can now proudly say that on my first oncam acting job I was speaking the lines of an award-winning writer, in a project produced and directed by a star-studded, award-winning team.

Bwhahaha. One takes one’s kicks wherever one can.