Distinguished filmmakers and producers from different backgrounds, Black Sheep Creative Director Kriz Gazmen, director, writer, producer, and consultant Jade Castro, and Malaysian book publisher, writer, and moviemaker Amir Muhammad, shared their experiences and insights on storytelling and script development through their answers on the query “Is story really the king?”
Speaking before student-artists at the School of Design and Arts (SDA) Cinema of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB), CEO and President of multi-media production house Unitel Production and Straightshooters Media Inc. Madonna Tarrayo, and currently the festival director of CineFilipino, moderated the session.
Gazmen, formerly the creative director and writer of the production outfit Star Cinema, stated that even though the Filipino audience watch movies mainly due to stars, it is still crucial to tell a beautiful story. “Story is really king because it is not just about the script – it is the cinematography, lighting, music, sound, editing, and everything else that tells a story,” he suggested.
Muhammad, a partner of Da Huang Pictures in Kuala Lumpur who recently launched his production house Kuman Pictures, maintained that story is important but doesn’t necessarily have to be original. “It has to be a mixture of things that you are very familiar with and things that seem very different,” he opined.
On the contrary, Castro, who is behind the award-winning film Zombadings I: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington, and whose UFO Pictures produced the popular Cinemalaya film Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros, discussed that as much as story is a vital element in film, it is not really the king.
“Cinema is not just story, there is always something more than that. It is totally possible for a film to have no story,” he stated. “You do not have to push for a story to be in the forefront. It is a good guide for filmmakers who are doing narratives but for the audience, they can enjoy a film for its music and visuals even if the story is ridiculous.”
The producers shared hints with aspiring filmmakers on what they look for in a story. “I want to be moved,” Gazmen insisted. “I don’t believe in genres that much, I only believe in a beautiful story with emotions.”
Castro, on the other hand, looked for the freshness of the voice and perception in the narrative. “If it has been done before, what is the point of giving money to that project?” he stated. “I want to watch something that I have not yet seen before.”
Tarrayo proclaimed that film is a very collaborative medium, wherein a filmmaker would need assistance from other people.
“For the script, it is really difficult to get from point A to point B because the more people who give feedback the more it could develop better or go the other way around,” she said.
Muhammad, however, believed that following feedbacks word per word usually results to an unsatisfactory film. “You have lots of feedback from special groups, including people who do not watch films, but are investors who have a say. If I were to produce, I prefer to just trust the filmmaker,” he proclaimed.
Story is King is made possible by the Viddsee Juree awards competition, in partnership with the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), Cinematheque Center Manila, Benilde Film, and Benilde Film Works.