No,
this is not about nebulas, nuclear fusions, or astronomy. This is about movies and actors and what
makes them shine brighter.
Whenever
we see a movie and find it to our liking, we remember the actors. We remember
the characters they play. And we even remember their lines. Sometimes we like a
movie for the visual effects, the vibrance and brilliance of colors. But most
of the time, we do not even realize this.
And even when we do, we don’t care to know who’s responsible for such
spectacular feast for the eyes. Yes, we
sometimes credit it to the director and make a mental note of the name. But the
director is but one among the other directors involved in making one film. Yes,
he’s the captain of the ship but the ship won’t sail smoothly without the leadership
of others in the different aspects of a movie.
Have
you ever wondered why the stars look so perfect in movies? Perfect skin tones,
perfect face, perfect bodies? That’s because they mix the colors and take only the
good angles. And have you ever asked who is responsible for these? Camera shots, framings, lightings, and color
grading are the responsibilities of the Director of Photography, a.k.a.
Cinematographer. Okay, can you name one cinematographer that you know? Or can
you tell me a movie that you liked and cared to know who the cinematographer
is?
Truth
be told, even as a Mass Communication graduate that I am (which doesn’t say
much because I have never really put it into practice), I never really cared
about cinematographers before. That is until I met one, got to know him and saw
him work. That’s when I realized how
much his contribution is to the greatness of a film, which is not known or
recognized by many. Yes, they get awards for their hard work…blah…blah… But common
people, like me, don’t know much about them.
So I thought I should write about one of them. A cinematographer I met – and somehow worked
with, one way or another – in one of the motley of jobs I have had. And he is… Tada! CarloMen! As in David Carlo Mendoza.
I
had the great opportunity to meet this guy in the movie project “Rosario” – an
official entry to the 36th Metro Manila Film Festival 2010. It was a period film, spanning three decades.
So it required a lot of aesthetic details such as the costume, make up, and of
course, the different film colors for the different eras. Anyway, I’m not an expert to go into details
of the production. And this article is
not about that particular movie but about CarloMen, whom I fondly call CarlitosJ So I’ll just sum it up
by saying that the movie received the Best Cinematography Award from several
award-giving bodies namely: 2010 MMFF (Metro Manila Film Festival), 2011 FAMAS
AWARDS (Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences), 2011 Luna Awards (Film
Academy of the Philippines) and 2011 PASADO Awards. I guess those awards would speak for the
ingenuity that I have seen in Carlo Mendoza as the cinematographer of
“Rosario”. He made each dramatic scene even more dramatic and intense by
setting the mood through perfect lighting. He guided the viewers’ eyes to see
the story in the way it is supposed to unfold. He made the movie and the actors come alive in
vivid colors, in perfect angles. He is
like a light that made the stars in this movie shine even brighter.
Yes,
I guess that’s a perfect description for this budding film genius – a light
that makes the stars shine brighter. And
I consider myself very lucky to have known him before he got famous. I guess had the tongue of an angel when I
took a picture with him at the MMFF press conference weeks before the awards
night, and told him I wanted to have it so I’d have a proof that I have known
him before he wins the Best Cinematography award and become famous. And he did win! Several times… and now,
becoming famous.
His
Rosario triumph was succeeded just a year after by another one in “MANILA
KINGPIN: The Asiong Salong Story”, which also won Best Cinematography from four
different award-giving bodies – 2012 Golden Screen Awards, 2012 Gawad Tanglaw,
2012 PMPC Star Awards, and the 2012 Metro Manila Film Festival.
Right
now, I think he is busy with three promising films. Two of them are indie films
slated to compete at the 2012 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival: Jun Lana’s “BWAKAW”,
starring Eddie Garcia; and Aloy Adlawan’s “ANG KATIWALA”, starring Dennis
Trillo. The third is a movie by director Mark Meily, “EL PRESIDENTE”, which is
about the life story of General Emilio Aguinaldo. Laguna Governor George “ER”
Ejercito will play the title role while superstar Nora Aunor will grace this
movie as Maria Agoncillo, the second wife of Emilio Aguinaldo. Judging by the directors,
casts and plots of these three films, I’m sure that they are already great
films. But I’m betting that CarloMen
would once again set his magic light on fire and take these films into even
greater heights!
For CarloMen’s full bio and filmography, you
may visit www.carlomen.com.
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