Four aggressive filmmakers fulfill a dream to share their expertise in the many facets of filmmaking.

US-bred Blake Sarion, Philosphy graduate Ivan Togonon, Russian-trained Ariel Reyes and poultry owner Trox Salazar, all accomplished filmmakers, will lecture on Digital Filmmaking workshop organized by Plusiminus Film Camp from April 7 until May 10.

Blake Sarion went at great lengths to be able to fulfill his insatiable craving to pen stories. Against the wishes of his family, Sarion returned to the country to pursue his behind-the-camera dream. Living in the US for most of his young life, he sold his car and HD camera and took up Literature in De La Salle. When he finished, he took his masters in Creative Writing.  

A mentor-friend was instrumental in Sarion’s going into filmmaking.

“Actually, when I came to the Philippines, I wanted to be a writer. One of my mentors, the deputy director of NCAA, kind of influenced me. I wrote two ten-minute plays and that was it. I guess it’s where it all began,” Sarion shared in a media briefing organized by the film camp's office. “Basically, because of her I started to pursue filmmaking.”

Sarion studied at the prestigious International Academy of Film and Television in Cebu.

Going to school and into filmmaking is not a guarantee that one becomes a filmmaker in the end. This, Sarion learned while studying.

“You go in there, thinking I’m gonna be directing someday. No [not necessarily]. You learn everything. And what was really great with that school is that it’s hands on, and you start from the beginning until the time you do your thesis. Either you’re doing cinematography work or a director’s work. You start from the bottom,” he explained.

Sarion has finished an indie film “Idlip,” which he hopes to be included in the forthcoming Cinemalaya festival. It stars Baron Geisler and Pen Medina.

Sarion will teach acting and directing in the workshop.

The youngest of the group, Togonon, had his first brush in filmmaking when he shot a short film when he was 16. It was for his high school project. His short films about two delinquent guys won 9 awards out of 11 categories.

Togonon is a Philosophy degree holder. He later pursued filmmaking and studied at the International Academy of Film and Television in Cebu. He is a producer of commercials, a job he has learned to love with so much passion.

“It’s difficult but someone’s got to do it. As producer, he owns the project, siya ang answerable sa lahat,” he said. Producers, he says, occupy the most difficult part in the production.

"Directors, they’re being spoiled by producers. But producers, no one spoils them. Sometimes you have to be the bad guy. Sometimes people love you.”

“Producing is about taking the film from concept to realization. Iyon lang iyon and everything in between,” he described his job in a capsule. He will teach screen writing and producing during the workshop.

The most seasoned in the group is Ariel Reyes, a CCP scholar who took up Cinematography in Russia. This master of Fine Arts took another scholarship to further hone his filmmaking skills. He was able to clinch a Mowelfund scholarship grant for filmmaking.

Another manifestation of his love for artistry came when he took up Photography. For a time, he worked as official photographer for two public officials.

Togonon also worked in an advertising company but the call of making films was bugging him incessantly. With this, he finally dipped his artistic fingers in movie making. Among his credits were “Kriminal sa Barrio Concepcion,” “Batang PX,” “Seventeen” and “Behind Enemy Lines.”

A poultry owner, Salazar is also a product of IAFT. He took up filmmaking after completing his Political Science studies at Southwestern University in Tacloban, Leyte. He sold his car and put all his savings into pursuing his dream.

A man with a foresight, Salazar had already penned his script for his thesis—a story about a woman’s obsession. But Salazar nearly got booted out of the school. 

“The catch was, I shot it in Tagalog. When I was in film school, there was this strict rule about shooting films in English. I almost got kicked out,” he shared.

While he was still in film school, Salazar was already working for Big Foot. “I was working for MTV, I was editing for MTV. I was an editor for them. I was working for feature films. I was also helping students, new students, teaching them editing, cinematography, directing. It took me another year for Big Foot. Before graduating, I started writing feature scripts.”

Currently, Salazar shoots documentaries for the European market. He will lecture about cinematography and editing in the workshop.

The workshop has the support of Paranaque Mayor Florencio Bernabe Jr. It is geared towards enlivening the entertainment industry, particularly the filmmaking sector. The city media bureau will provide venue, demo equipment and film scholarships to deserving students. For inquiries, email plusiminus25@yahoo.com and Paranaque City Media Bureau, Eduardop Blanco/Nelson Lacambra, tel. no. 8277279.