MARCO GUMABAO says he had to adjust to the working style of Direk Brillante Mendoza while they’re shooting the horror flick “Bahay na Pula” on location in Mindoro.
“I was quite intimidated kasi first time kong magtrabaho na wala kaming script,” he says.
“Direk just tells us what we’ll do sa set na. So we just trusted si Direk totally. Kung ano ang instructions niya, we followed him.
"He also gave us the freedom to do what the character would do, so you just react according to what the scene requires. It’s a collaboration.”
So how is it doing a horror movie? “We shot this in Pola, Oriental Mindoro in an old house that is creepy talaga.
"Nang mapunta kami sa silong, yung ilalim ng bahay, tumayo talaga ang balahibo ko kasi I really felt na merong kakaibang presence in it.
"Nung pumipili pa lang kami ng kuwarto, may mga naramdaman na ako, pero hindi ko na lang pinapansin.”
He says it’s hard to act in a horror film where you are required to react to things you don’t really see.
“Mahirap umacting kasi you have to act like you’re really scared of something na idadagdag lang nila later sa special effects. So make believe lang talaga, pero dapat very convincing ang acting mo para maging believable.”
Did he have fun during the shoot?
“Yes, kasi nga, magkakasama kaming lahat sa isang resort hotel where we are all booked together during the shoot, kaya marami kaming bonding moments nina Julia Barretto and Xian Lim during the shooting.”
In the story, Julia and Xian play husband and wife who return to Mindoro to sell the ancestral home that Julia inherited from her grandmother.
Marco plays her former boyfriend and their feelings for each other are renewed when they meet again, but soon, mysterious incidents start happening that will terrorize them all.
“I’ve worked with both of them on TV so kilala ko na sila. But si Xian, inaasar namin ni Julia kasi it’s said na hindi marunong makipag-bonding with his co-stars. But it is not true naman pala.
"We always try to eat together kasi magkakatabi lang ang rooms namin, para may kasama kaming kumain. Mahilig ako sa ketchup when I eat, kaso wala silang ketchup doon sa resort. It’s good may baon si Julia na isang bote ng ketchup at ako ang umubos noon.
"Pinatikim ko sa kanila ang favorite kong sinigang with ketchup. Nawiwirduhan sila but I recommend it. I-try nyo, masarap siya. All in all, it’s a fun shoot, kasi lalabas ka lang ng kuwarto mo, the beach is there na, so parang nagbababakasyon lang kayo.”
