An Interview with Paolo Dy
May 31, 2007
Paolo Dy is the mastermind behind the short film suspense-thriller titled "QWERTY" which is featured on the site "On the Lot"
Background and about yourself:
So what was your background like? Did you go to a film school? If so how did you like it?
I didn't start out in a full-time film school; I graduated with degrees that were just about as far from film as you can get (Management Engineering and Economics) haha. But my film education started in college, or rather, in the DORM of Ateneo. There was one summer when I borrowed my dad's video camera, and with the help of a bargain-basement rinky-dink editing card (that would only do 320×240 video at 15 frames per second) I and my friends would do our own little music videos and short films. We'd also do some small ads for the dorm resident's association and so on.
One of my friends was studying to be a priest at the time; he showed my work to Fr. Johnny Go of the Jesuit Communications Foundation, and that's how I got my first professional job as an editor.
Afterwards I sought out every chance to study the craft. I burned through every book about filmmaking that I could get my hands on. I soon moved up from editing to directing (I still believe that all directors should start out as editors!) and worked on a number of corporate and music videos.
I had a short stint as a director in one of the major networks, but I was frustrated by the experience — I had a pretty recalcitrant crew and they just wouldn't follow some of my instructions, claiming some technical issue or another. I don't know how much of that was motivated by the old-timers being stubborn and sticking to what's worked for them before, and how much was because I was a young wet-behind-the-ears whipper-snapper director who didn't know their jargon and thus couldn't communicate to them in their own language.
That's when I decided to study cinematography — I didn't want any cameramen or lighting crew giving me any more mumbo-jumbo excuses that I wouldn't be able to refute. I joined a workshop on film and commercial lighting given by renowned cinematographer Roberto "Boy" Yniguez, who later invited me to apprentice under him. It's safe to say that I'll always owe 98% of what I know about cinematography to this genius.
I was also fortunate enough to have been able to study under some world-famous cinematographers in New York and Rockport, Maine, under the International Cinematographers Guild and Rockport Film Workshops. The instructors were members of the prestigious American Society of Cinematographers (those guys who have "A.S.C." next to their name in Hollywood film credits) — Declan Quinn ASC, Fred Elmes ASC (Eraserhead, The Hulk), Freddie Murphy ASC, Barry Markowitz ASC (Sling Blade), Steven Fierberg ASC (Secretary, Entourage), and Jacek Laskus, ASC (The Whole Shebang). It was fascinating to see how they approached lighting challenges and learn about how they prep for a feature film.
Today I'm usually busy with a mix of projects: commercials, music videos, corporate work. I rarely do TV though.
What was your first film? (you have links for it?)
My first short film was 'MIKO', which starred Sam Concepcion and his dad Raymond. You can find it on my website, www.paolody.com 
'MIKO' was screened at the 2006 Cinemanila International Film Festival, and won First Place at the Bogen-Manfrotto Short Film Competition in New York
QWERTY - The film (On the Lot)
May 30, 2007Have you seen QWERTY? This film was made by Paolo Dy, one of the new breed of Filipino filmmakers out there.
Well On the Lot premiered but he was not included in one of the contestants, I was shocked and frustrated. Actually it’s surprising to see that most of the filmmakers are actually around the Americas, and Europe. Seems that Africa, Oceania and Asia were left out.
Nevertheless, Paolo Dy will have my full patronage for his works.
With 494+ ratings around the world with an average of 5 stars, the chance you will like QWERTY is pretty high.
Watch QWERTY:
Quicktime High RES (51 mb)
On the Lot
Youtube embed:
An interview with Paolo Dy, will be posted tomorrow!
And You Thought that Piracy is that Bad in the Philippines
May 29, 2007TV Networks in the Philippines are not really known for their creativity nor their originality to come up new ideas. This is one of the TV networks ripping-off several internationally known characters. Namely Lupin, Sailormoon, Indiana Jones and finally Lara Croft.
Video:
Well, the Chinese ripping off a whole theme park is another matter… and you thought that piracy is that bad in the Philippines.
Video:
Philippines - Was the Lauging Stock of Asia, Now Getting the Last Laugh
May 25, 2007Philippines - Was the Lauging Stock of Asia, Now Getting the Last Laugh
The tide is now turning…
The Philippines
Monday May 21 2007 14:20
The Philippines, the old joke went, is the country of the future – and always will be. Now, with the stock market at a 10-year high, a slew of equity offerings and an increasing number of investors boarding Manila-bound flights, the joke is looking a little dated.
Sentiment has improved on several fronts. The economy is expected to grow by more than 6 per cent this year, bolstered by foreign businesses moving more of their operations to the country. Business process outsourcing is a $3.6bn industry that the local trade body expects to top $12bn in four years. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has pushed through sales tax increases so that the country – once Asia's biggest borrower outside Japan – is no longer reliant on foreign debt. The political landscape appears stable. All this has impressed foreigners. This month, Texas Instruments (NYSE:TXN) of the US announced plans for a $1bn assembly test site, while Saudi Arabia's Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is to plough $153m into a Manila hotel complex.
Less wealthy investors have been piling in, too. Net foreign buying on the $160bn stock market rose 73 per cent year-on-year in the first four months of 2007. Real estate is on the up. Office prices rose 6 per cent in the first quarter, compared with the previous three months, according to Colliers International, slightly ahead of luxury condominiums. Given low vacancy rates, minimal new supply in the central business district and increasing rents (which are still at a 25 per cent discount to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur), there is scope for further appreciation. At the grittier end of the investment spectrum, there are opportunities in infrastructure and mining: the Philippines has extractable mineral wealth worth $840bn, or 10 times gross domestic product, says the government. Only a fraction of this is being tapped, reflecting past, botched liberalisation plans. Snags remain, including corruption. But the country no longer looks like a bad joke
Source: Financial Times
$4-Billion Investment to the PI by the Japanese
May 23, 2007After Texas Instruments investing $1-Billion in the Philippines, here comes the Japanese investing $4-Billion into the Philippines
Arroyo: RP economic turnaround, political stability to stay
By Lira Dalangin-Fernandez
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 06:13pm (Mla time) 05/22/2007MANILA, Philippines — Buoyed by the results of the election, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has said that political stability and economic turnaround were here to stay and rallied all political parties to work with her administration.
Eight days after the election, Arroyo left for Japan in her first foreign trip to attend the 13th Nikkei Conference and meet with investors.
Arroyo left at 2:40 p.m. via Philippine Airlines flight PR432 for Narita.
"On this trip to Japan, we will be meeting with business and financial leaders from around the region to again tell the Philippine story and encourage them that the Philippine turnaround is here to stay. That our politics have stabilities and that we are the best value in Asia," she said in a departure statement issued by her spokesman Ignacio Bunye.
"Philippine democracy has been renewed after a vigorous by-election, Now it is time to come together to forge a common path forward together among all parties and all political leaders here at home," she said.
Foreign relations play a vital role in the vision towards a modern Philippines, she said.
"Our trip to Japan is another step in our quest to further cement our ties and bring more investments, economic growth and peace and stability to our nation," she said.
After the billion-dollar investment of Texas Instruments in the country, Arroyo said Tokyo Electric and Marubeni were also making a $4-billion dollar investment, the largest Japanese investment in Philippine history.
Thailand v Philippines
May 20, 2007 Interesting article about Thailand vs Philippines. Hope to keep this momentum going
I am sitting in Liverpool in the UK writing this, having been travelling almost non-stop for the whole of April and all of May so far. I am almost over the shock of having bought the world’s most expensive kebab in a wealthy area of London at a posh kebab shop (which sounds like an oxymoron to me). The price – EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTY BAHT (12.50 GBP!)
Dolphins
since my last column I have been to the Philippines, France, Italy, Dubai, the island of Zanzibar, off the coast of East Africa, where I was able to swim with (and photograph – see pic) a pod of wild dolphins, which was a superb experience, and I’m finally now back in the UK. I was impressed by my time in the Philippines, which, after the recent travails of Thailand actually appears to be an increasingly attractive alternative destination in which to live and invest, if you select your destination carefully. No sooner had I decided to write about it, than a big article appeared in the Wall Street Journal echoing my own increasingly favourable impressions of the Philippines from this trip. It gave the recent example of Texas Instruments building a second, 1 billion US$ assembly plant there, in preference to China which has seen land prices, rents and salaries soar on the east coast, and because they don’t want to put all their eggs in the China basket.
Deck of WW2 ShipwreckThey were also swayed by the prevalence of a highly educated and fluent English-speaking population, which is why Vietnam didn’t get it. The same considerations are moving Intel towards locating a 2.5 billion US$ plant in the Philippines, where new tax legislation and greater investment brought about by a stabilizing political and economic landscape have breathed new life into the wider economy and boosted annual GDP figures which in turn attract even more investment though favourable publicity. I don’t think Thailand was ever in the running, but it goes to show what factors influence business decisions in the region. I spent a few days in Subic Bay, scuba diving on World War 2 shipwrecks, and I had a great time there. I also looked at the strong, well-run local economy and liked what I saw. Subic used to be a big US navy base, and is now a Freeport and a preferential economic zone which is attracting increasing business, and is expanding fast, with ongoing land reclamation projects and companies queuing up to build factories there.
From Pattaya Today
The Philippines is like the Galapagos Islands X 10
May 17, 2007"The Philippines is like the Galapagos Islands X 10"
An audio interview with Professor Eric Rickart see Mysteries of Life in the Philippines?
(17:39)
Revive Philippine Culture and it’s National Heritage
May 16, 2007Cultural tourism: a win-win proposition
Cultural tourism has come of age. Countries with exciting histories, beautiful architecture, well pre-served ethnic art traditions, untrammeled natural beauty and a famous cuisine are cashing in on a new generation of sophisticated global travelers.
The countries of mainland Southeast Asia and China have seen a dramatic growth in quality tourists and revenues over the last 10 years. Thailand is welcoming over 10 million tourist a year and Communist Vietnam is now even with the Philippines with approximately two million arrivals a year. Promoting culture and national heritage has been the key to success throughout the region.
There will always be tourists who are only looking for fun, the hedonistic pleasures of beaches, spas, casinos and exotic playmates, or simply for well-earned rest and physical recreation.
However, increasing numbers of well educated and affluent tourists are looking for serious intellectual stimulation. These are the Westerners and a growing number of Asians who have come to take world travel as an integral part of their lifestyle. Travel helps define who they are socially and is a source of pleasure and personal enrichment. These travelers are happy to spend thousands of dollars on recreational junkets if there is genuine educational content to justify the trip. In the 1960s and 1970s they flocked to the cathedrals, art galleries and national museums of Europe. In the 1980s and 1990s they discovered Russia, China, Japan and Australia. Now they have set their sites on the national treasures and landmarks of South and Southeast Asia.
Although slow to pick up on this trend, the Philippines is beginning to come alive. The country has wonderful cultural assets waiting to be discovered by discerning visitors. These cultivated folk can bring in the greatest revenue and create the fewest problems. What they look for are major historic and geographic landmarks; museums, galleries and theaters that can give them quick yet meaningful glimpses into a nation’s, a people’s or a region’s history and culture. The Philippines is fortunate to have numerous historic sites set in a beautiful archipelago, with high mountains and tropical rain forests. With proper planning, cultural tourism can bring in significant new revenues and at the same time boost national pride and help preserve the Philippines unique culture.
Fix Crappy Philippine TV part 1: Lighting
May 10, 2007I started helping out a subbing group for the show “Rounin” by ABS-CBN and realize the standard of Philippine television is very, very low (Note: I also saw “Lupin” by GMA). Yet, they dare call it “world class,” they should watch more television shows from around the world.
Philippine TV directors have low standard themselves and thus it is reflected by the show, by the shows actors, photography, sets, stunts, visual effects, and post production. Ultimately it is reflected by the studio to the public. This is unacceptable. The new generation of Filipino film makers are hard at work in making their names heard around the world, showcasing their talents and yet this is the standard Philippine TV. Laughable and sad at best.
First of all let’s talk about the lighting of the set. It seems like the Philippines is trying to set their lighting as if it’s an American set. Watch any Philippine TV, program compare it to other shows around the world. The problem here lies that most countries i.e. China, USA, Korea, Japan where we import TV shows from are relatively north of us. And the Philippines is nearer to the equator. How you light a scene will differ substantially. Another thing is that the tone of skin of Philippine actors is different, this also affects the lighting of the scene.
This also makes me wonder if they even adjust their NTSC reference television on their sets. Possibly they also shoot their stuff in video too, instead of film.
If you know anyone who works of Philippine TV, Rounin please let them read this and I would like to know their input.
The only positive thing I can say about "Rouin" right now are the music, intro in the 1st episode (thanks to the motion designers) and the website
Surprised by the Philippines
May 9, 2007This is an old article in 2004 by a Nigerian journalist. Sometimes it's hard to imagine what's worse about the lives of people living in other countries.
THE GUARDIAN CONSCIENCE, NURTURED BY TRUTH
LAGOS, NIGERIA.
Thursday, February 12 2004Surprised by the Philippines
By Okey NdibeRATHER than head for Nigeria during the last Christmas vacation, my family and I decided to visit the south-east Asian nation of the Philippines. We had planned a two-week stay, but ended up spending four days shy of a month. In the turns and twists of its national drama, that archipelagic nation of more than eighty million people became an education in several ways.
Why the Philippines, so many friends have asked? Why endure a twenty- hour flight to spend a vacation in Asia? The short answer is that we went to visit my wife's immediate younger brother. In 1999, he left his job with a major U.S. telecommunications company to accept a challenge as a top executive with a Filipino-owned telecommunications firm. Ever since adopting Manila as his residential address, he'd asked us to be their guests. We thought that last December was as good a time as any to him up on the invitation.
