Inquirer News Service Thanks to Dan for this information! (from the Philippine Inquirer. This was written before the release dates were changed.) How 'American Adobo' was shot in the States Posted: 8:37 PM (Manila Time) | November 10, 2001 By Nestor U. Torre Inquirer News Service AFTER "Tanging Yaman," film director Laurice Guillen is showing her next film, "American Adobo," on Nov. 18. The new movie bids fair to become one of the best films of the year, and to point the way for other filmmakers and producers who want to penetrate the world market. That's because "American Adobo" was shot in the States (in New York City), and is a co-production of Filipino companies (Unitel Films and ABS-CBN) and Fil-American and American film people, including the executive producer of the indie sleeper hit, "The Blair Witch Project." With such multi-pronged backing, the film could do well not just locally but also in the United States. Indeed, early word from the US is good: when the movie was screened at the San Diego international filmfest last month, it got an enthusiastic reception from festival viewers. But we're getting ahead of our story: The film started out as a project titled "Magic Adobo" some five years ago. Unitel producer Tony Gloria was contacted by Vincent Nebrida, a former Unitel copywriter who was working with a distribution company in the States. They got to talking and wondered why the Taiwanese, Iranians and other foreigners were making their mark in the US with their movies, but Filipino and Fil-American filmmakers were still being left in the lurch. They decided to do something about it, so Nebrida wrote a script about a group of Fil-American friends who would occasionally get together in New York City to eat adobo. The script's references to its cast of expatriates' past centered around the ‘70s. Not quite so incidentally, one of Nebrida's friends was Kevin Fox, who executive-produced "The Blair Witch Project," and Fox was invited to join the "Magic Adobo" project because the unexpected mainstream success of "Blair Witch" had opened doors in Hollywood for him, which he could in turn open for the Fil-Am production. After Fox signed on as executive producer of the "Adobo" project, a Filipino based in the States was tapped to direct the film, but he revised the script almost completely, so his involvement in the movie didn't prosper. That was when Guillen was asked if she would consent to coming in as director. After she agreed to megging the project, ABS-CBN came in as co-producer. In addition, a cinematographer who worked with Ang Lee joined the production team, but he later dropped out because he had to work on another movie. Lee Meily, the cinematographer of "Tanging Yaman," was chosen to replace him. Guillen flew to the States for meetings on script revision and production matters. Then, on Sept. 17 last year, shooting began. The movie was shot like an American indie picture, with permits and a bigger budget than the usual Filipino production. Guillen and the other production people and actors who came from Manila lived in apartments in Greenwich Village in the Big Apple. Shooting the American indie way, they found themselves working really hard. Guillen auditioned the US-based members of the cast, and the auditions were open to all Screen Actors Guild members. Prospective members of the production team were also interviewed. The final shooting crew came from different ethnic origins, and many of them had not worked with Filipinos before. That didn't turn out to be a problem, however, as Guillen's multi-racial team worked harmoniously. In fact, says Guillen, her Italian assistant director was the best she'd ever had. "AMERICAN Adobo" started shooting on Oct. 2 last year in New York City. Director Laurice Guillen recalls that an early problem was refocusing and shortening Vince Nebrida's script, which could have otherwise resulted in a movie that was three and a half hour long! She finally convinced Nebrida that less was better. Next came the challenge of filming with a New York crew and its no-nonsense, work-work-work-way of doing things. She strove to master her material so well that, as shooting proceeded apace, she wouldn't even need to look at the script. She also instructed Ricky Davao and the other actors who flew to New York from Manila to appear in the film to memorize all of their lines before shooting started. They shot for only 12 hours each day, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.--unlike film work in the Philippines, which can go on and on and on, exhausting both cast and crew and affecting the quality of their work. What's "American Adobo" like? Its director informs us, "It's not a travelogue. You don't really see the scenic spots of New York, but you feel the city's essence. There's a lot of kuwentuhan about the lives and longings of Filipino expatriates in the States." A visual highlight of the film is a scene which was shot on Queensboro Bridge. Guillen proudly states that it was the first tracking shot allowed to be filmed on the historic bridge, except for the Julia Roberts starrer, "Conspiracy Theory." The authorities had to close one lane of the bridge for the shoot. It had turned really cold by October, so the Pinoys from tropical Manila had their work cut out for them keeping warm. Unlike Filipino productions that shoot on the sly abroad, "American Adobo" had all the requisite permits and technical support it needed. They had an NYPD escort, and a camera platform to which they were properly harnessed while shooting the actors in the traveling car. The crew was impressed with the competence of Manila "imports" Ricky Davao and Christopher de Leon, and asked if they were popular in the Philippines. Of course, the Manila delegation took advantage of the opportunity to brag a little, and described Boyet and Ricky as "the Robert de Niro and Tom Hanks of the Philippines" (!). Executive producer Kevin Fox was very happy about how the movie was turning out, and other sources inform us that the US film people were similarly impressed by director Guillen's competence and work ethic. For her part, Guillen says she learned a lot from Fox, especially when it came to creative editing. Even when they thought they lacked adequate coverage in terms of shots for a particular scene, he had the knack for finding footage from other scenes that could be used in the problem sequence that was being edited. In time, too, she developed a good working relationship with scriptwriter Nebrida, who was initially too "protective" about his "baby." After trust between them has been established, she convinced him to "let go—so I can give your script a life. After all, a movie is more than the written word." How do American film crews differ from the ones we have here? Laurice Guillen, director of "American Adobo," observes, "They're much more time-conscious than we are. They shoot for fewer hours (a maximum of 12 hours each day), but it's work-work-work from start to finish!" The US shoot was Laurice's chance to get away from the "direk" tag that all directors here are saddled with. She instructed the Filipino members of her team not to call her that, and the American component certainly wasn't about to call her anything of the sort! What happened was, the Filipinos felt so skittish about calling her by her name instead that, "in the end, they didn't call me anything at all!" One thing that Laurice liked was the complete equality of the sexes that held sway on the shoot of "American Adobo." The crew was made up of men and women, and they did the same amount of work. If something had to be lifted, everyone gave it the old-heave-ho, regardless of gender. She also appreciated the no-nonsense, no bullshit, no-sipsip atmosphere on the set. "Hindi na ako napapagod sa kakadiplomasya," she recalls with evident relief. Since everybody was expected to work hard