With over three decades’ worth of award-winning work in producing ads for the largest corporations in the country, the OG of Philippine prod houses has no plans of slowing down. Neither are they kicking back and basking in the familiar, as one might expect from such an industry behemoth as Production Village. Why not stick to their guns, their tried-and-tested ways, the formula that’s worked for an industry pioneer, you might ask.
Because if there’s anything the-company-also-known-as-Provill understands about creativity and staying ahead in the ruthless worlds of advertising and film production, it’s the mere fact that it doesn’t exist in the comfortable and the familiar. Sure, there will always be something (or someone) pitching with a hat full of new tricks and a lower price tag. And that’s not always a bad thing. While some traditional companies are fighting to keep up in an ever-so-fickle industry, to stay as new and shiny as the next game changer, there are those who understand where innovation thrives—which is not necessarily born in everything new, nor is it merely nesting in the familiar. The truly successful, the one that has set the bar and endured decades and trend cycles, isn’t busy competing with every industry disruptor; it’s busy competing with itself.
A company of Provill’s caliber understands that quality defines the value it promises to bring its clients and stakeholders, and that the road to achieve that level of excellence is paved by relentless self-improvement and recalibration. Hammering out the key components of its own expertise, whether it’s strategy, technology, structure, or skill, it’s crucial to constantly evolve and rebuild in order to constantly deliver top notch quality and surpass all competition—including itself.
So what lies ahead in the roadmap for Provill 3.0? adobo magazine had the privilege of getting a sneak peek into the OG’s ongoing overhaul. But first—here’s an exclusive introduction to Provill’s new roster of esteemed filmmakers and directors.
LUIS DANIEL TABUENA
“My sister’s wedding video—which is actually the only wedding video I ever did and will ever do—is the closest to what I feel I probably am as a filmmaker.”
When asked which among his robust body of work is he most proud of, Luis Daniel Tabuena’s answer is more personal: his sister’s wedding video. “There’s a lot of this emotional quotient that I don’t really get to explore in the thirty seconds or so of beautiful-looking ads, and you don’t really always get to explore that in the way that Filipinos typically do films and ads. It’s something I want to explore and do more of.”
Direk Luis is at the helm of Provill’s total overhaul and roadmap to v3.0, serving as the company’s Vice President and among its veteran film directors. As one would expect from someone who was practically raised in advertising and film production, Direk Luis always knew he wanted to be a filmmaker. Anyone who’s asked him about that would probably be familiar with his childhood memories of wanting to animate his action toy figures and how this sparked an early interest for animated storytelling. He would then grow up with this passion for the craft and go on to pursue a film degree at the Art Center College in Pasadena, California and return home to build an award-winning repertoire of directing commercial ads for nearly two decades.
However, while his work in the ad business may have garnered accolades and recognition (His notable projects include a Cannes entry titled “Runner” for Mr. Quickie, and an Adfest finalist called “Ligo” for La Mesa Ecopark), he’s always felt limited in the ways he could potentially stretch and explore as a filmmaker, and has recognized this echoing sentiment amongst his contemporaries. He currently divides his time leading Provill’s creative strategy and production and traveling to cities like Los Angeles to continuously keep his and the team’s knowledge and technology up to speed.
“I grew up around filmmakers, a lot of advertising directors and DOPs. The late Trevor Hone, director and DOP who worked with Provill for years, taught me that sometimes nature lights better than lights.”
“To be really creative? Extreme boredom or extreme pressure. There’s nothing for me in the middle.”
ATO BAUTISTA
About a decade in the industry, with work ranging from commercial and independent movies, hit franchise reality TV shows, drama TV shows, live noontime TV shows, TVC’s, AVP’s to music videos, Ato Bautista is considered one of the most versatile filmmakers around—literally proving he can be a one-man film production team.
The graduate of Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts from the University of Santo Tomas is also a MowelFund Film Institute alumnus. His practice has taken him through mainstream and independent filmmaking, and extended training in Paris, France on European Co-production and Project Markets in Bucheon, South Korea.
Apart from his honorable jury duties for local and foreign film festival competitions and speaking engagements here and abroad, his films have also competed and screened in film festivals across Europe, Asia, North and South America. Some of his most notable films include Sa Aking Pagkakagising Mula Sa Kamulatan (2005); Blackout (2007); Carnivore (2008); Expressway (2016).
Recently, he was among the Filipino filmmakers to be featured in NY MoMA’s A New Golden Age: Contemporary Philippine Cinema, a collection of definitive Filipino film classics spanning from year 2000 to present.
“My most cherished memories are binge-watching Betamax and VHS tapes and the double-billed movies in the three movie theatres in my hometown back then.”
“After my entire team for a film project I wrote in college ditched me, I had to learn how to use a video camera (with friends as my willing actors) and produce a film literally overnight. It eventually won Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Picture, and a Screenwriting Scholarship sponsored by my mentor, Ricky Lee. So, I figured filmmaking could be my life’s calling.”
FIFTH SOLOMON
A familiar face that has had its time in front of the camera, some might recognize him for his work in the television show, Pinoy Big Brother. But there are those who’ve followed Fifth Solomon’s journey behind the camera, as a filmmaker, from his early years as a Mass Communication student at Far Eastern University. His first short film Manibela (2012) was awarded Best Screenplay in the Asia Pacific College Film Festival and Most Gender Sensitive Film in the 39th Metro Manila Film Festival. He wrote and directed his first full length film, Nakalimutan Ko Nang Kalimutan Ka (2018) while he was homesick.
“My first big break was my first full length film “Nakalimutan Ko Nang Kalimutan Ka,” which I wrote while I was studying film in Australia and recovering from a painful relationship.”
“The “Kalbo” short film advertisement I did for Forest Lake Memorial Park is one of my favorite projects. It tackles the relevant issue of judging and shaming tendencies in our generation, and sheds some light on how each one of us is battling something we do not know about.”
“The short film ad “Forever” is close to my heart because it was an opportunity to work with local film legends Eddie Garcia and Boots Anson-Roa.”
“If I weren’t a film director, I would probably be a fashion designer.”
TOBY CONCEPCION
Awkward in front of the camera, but a genius in commanding and directing a set. Toby’s reel shows off a variety of projects for big brands, but his directing career had more humbling beginnings. His interest in creative work really started with visual effects, but he soon realized he had a passion for directing and so began his training by watching videos online and getting tips from artists on YouTube as well as other online resources. He also experimented with stop motion using Lego toys. With a flourishing career now, he also proudly runs a YouTube channel reviewing toys with his 5-year-old nephew.
“I always enjoyed computers since I was young, so I got into editing videos in school and people would go to me if they needed a video project for school.”
“My first job was as a VFX video editor at Provill back in 2011. Later I eventually started working on low budget projects with a DSLR and I guess it just took off from there eight years later.”
“When I’m in a creative rut, I’ll basically get myself into this half-awake snooze state. I set my alarm a bit earlier and then I’ll hit snooze—this is when I come up with random nuggets of creativity. (Of course, this means getting up to work and not falling back asleep.)”
VICTOR MANGGUNIO
A former Chief Creative Officer of Leo Burnett China and a 24 years veteran of the Hong Kong and SE Asia advertising scene adds to his ability to see through the line from the client’s needs, the agency’s perspective, and the final end point—the viewer.
His portfolio is well decorated with accolades and recognition in the industry, having been awarded in in most of the prestigious international award shows such as Cannes Advertising Festival, One Show, D&AD, AdFest, Spikes, London Festival, New York Festival. His most recent win was a Silver Cannes in film direction for Branded Entertainment Category.
He is currently the founder and Film Director of Noodle Films based out of HK and Singapore, writing and directing high quality content for both clients and agencies. His forte lies at building the right teams for the right situation, with an exceptional track record of winning and running major high-profile businesses, both local and multinational, including: Proctor & Gamble, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Philips, Heineken, AIA, HKCSL to name a few.
“The actual moment I wanted to film something was when I started watching music videos like Ah-ha’s Take On Me, Van Halen’s Hot for Teacher, Twisted Sister’s We’re Not Gonna Take It, and Peter Gabriel’s Sledge Hammer. Spielberg movies like Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind were also huge influences on me. The biggest influence is Ridley Scott’s Alien and Blade Runner, and David Lynch’s Dune. All these films and directors inspired me creatively and showed me the power of exceptional storytelling.”
“Before working in film, I lucked into advertising by taking a temp job as a storyboard visualiser. (I was terrible but the head visualiser was patient.) I was hired into the creative department and have ‘faked it until I made it’ for 20 years. I’m still close friends with my first boss and ’til today, he still collaborates with me on my shoot boards.”
Wriggly’s Orbit spot with Raine Yang was a big step for my career. Filming outdoor with crowds, a hugely popular movie and singing star and working with world-class post house like The Mill on a global brand with an established and highly recognisable campaign was a dream come true.
The Petronas CNY spot for Malaysia was a big step towards doing drama and dialogue with strong emotional storytelling, which wasn’t present in my reel at the time.
Most recently, my three-film campaign for Shipping Cart Philippines allowed me to showcase another side of my range by working with dance and motion, beauty and style. I loved the collaborative aspects of that project from start to finish. Strong partnerships and trust between the client, agency and production teams are paramount to success and this project had it all.
Every person I’ve worked with has added something to the film and creative director I am today. I learn from both those who worked for me and from those I worked for. The person I confide in most with my work is my wife. From my crazy whims to grand ideas, she’s either my first sounding board or my final one.
ERIN PASCUAL
He is currently sought for his proficiency in CGI, special effects, and motion graphics, but Erin Pascual credits his journey in advertising and film to the friends that helped him get his foot in the door when he was starting out in the early 2000s. He was barely out of college when his friend Sid Maderazo, who had just embarked on the path of film directing after his tenure at McCann, referred him as a CG artist to various firms and prod houses. The help of various mentors including Maddi Reyes would propel him towards more gigs and projects that needed his expertise in CG and visual effects, and expanding his creative portfolio and network in the film and advertising industries. He joined stop motion animation workshops in NHK Japan before returning to the Philippines to finish his thesis in the University of the Philippines and eventually won best thesis for his short film.
His foray in directing began as a music video director for Star Records, and as a TV show director for ABS-CBN’s “Feel at Home with Charlene” in the early naughts.
His keenness for motion graphics and special effects developed his forte for making VFX and “food porn” and propelled his career forward in advertising. He has produced countless commercial ads for multinational brands such as Jollibee, San Miguel Corporation, Asia Brewery, Unilever, Mondeléz, Security Bank, Century Food Pacific, Nestlé, Jollibee Food Corporation (Mang Inasal, Jollibee, Chowking, Red Ribbon), Lady’s Choice, Petron Corporations, Smart Telecommunications, Century Tuna, Argentina Corned Beef, Shakey’s, Goldilocks, Max’s, Nutri-Asia, Samsung, Morris Garages, Clear, Dove, Myra-E a and among others.
“I’ve really enjoyed working on our our the recent commercials, which is a mix of CGI and a live action sequences that involved breaking real glass, working with stuntmen, riding horses in the city, and more.
“I walk around a lot, I jog a lot, I work out, I go boxing and jiu jitsu. After those physical activities is when the creativity juice kicks in. For example, If I get to jog or work out in the morning, it’ll be easier and faster for me to story board in the afternoon than if I wasn’t able to.
“I’ll work out enough so I can crane up. There are a lot of shots I want to do and I don’t want to be limited by technology, or the lack of. I realized that I could still make those shots possible by using my body, by moving as though I were equipment. I do a lot of rigging by myself; but it does entail being really physically strong and fit, which is also another reason why I exercise and work out a lot for this task.
“It’s just a derivative of having to work with technological limitations, in which I just say, “Let’s all have fun with this and hopefully make something amazing.”
Get in touch with Provill’s producers:
Weng Marcelino
09189145834
weng.marcelino@gmail.com
Ina Lagman
09189039673
lagman.ina@gmail.com
Franny Omampo
09173289561
franny.ye@gmail.com
Photographs by Sonny Thakur
