Awards night etiquette

It’s the awards season once again – an exciting time for the local film industry. Unfortunately, even if we hold various awards presentations year in and out, most participants to these affairs still have yet to learn how to cooperate with the organizers during these awards ceremonies. Read on and you may learn a thing or two about awards night etiquette.

Come on time. Except for the veteran stars, no one among our local stars come on time in these awards ceremonies. Most awards organizations therefore put in 7 p.m. (or even 6:30) in the invitation cards when in truth, the ceremonies don’t start until 8 p.m. (for the delayed 9 p.m. telecast) – all because of the tardiness of these movie stars.

The unwritten rule here is that the bigger the star, the later the arrival. In most cases, most awards programs open to a half empty theater and the director cannot pan the cameras toward the audience because of the gawking empty seats. But little by little, these stars trickling in until all seats are taken and they give the organizers another problem: There are no more available seats for the stars – most of whom even insist on sitting side by side with their retinue of aides or alalay.

During the first Film Academy Awards in 1983, the organizers (among them, Marichu Maceda) succeeded in making everyone come on time by putting in the invitation cards: "All gates will be closed at 7 p.m." However, they were only able to do this because all the producers agreed to halt shooting on this day for all FAP members. The stars and other members of the movie industry therefore had no excuse to be late. I hope new FAP head Leo Martinez will be able to enforce this again in the forthcoming Film Academy Awards tentatively scheduled in June.

Unfortunately for the other award-giving bodies, they don’t have the power to do this and just have to learn to accept this culture of tardiness in show business.

Do not disrupt proceedings. It’s bad enough that stars come in late. Most of them also insist on coming into the theater in between production numbers or when somebody is making an acceptance speech on stage.

Don’t insist on getting inside in the middle of a production number because there’s a big chance that while getting to your seat you’ll block the camera that is usually situated along the aisle. Pity the TV director in his booth because you’ll be getting in the way of his shots and camera angles.

It is also rude to get inside the theater while somebody is making an acceptance speech because especially if you are a big star, the fans will scream their lungs out to announce your arrival and everybody will get distracted and you’ll be robbing the winner on stage of his moment of glory.

Turn off your mobile phones during the ceremonies. This is always announced in the beginning of the program. But do people care to follow and listen? NO. While the show is going on, you see everyone texting and you hear various ring tones permeating all over the theater.

The use of mobile phones during the show is discouraged because you can get in the way of communications among the technical people involved in the production. Or private conservation may be picked up and broadcast within the hall or worse, on television. This happened at the Manila Hotel at a FAMAS awards night a few years ago. I wasn’t there to witness it, but movie journalist Cora Calderon related me how one conversation between two young girls was picked up and was heard all over the Fiesta Pavilion. The topic of conversation: Armpit hair.

Dress appropriately. Organizers of awards presentations require their guests to come in formal attire. The problem here is the non-conformity to the dress code of the non-movie star guests who insist on coming in casual clothes – sometimes just plain white shirts and rubber slippers. Now, we are not being snooty here, but the organizers put in a lot of efforts to mount a good show. The least the guest can do is to cooperate and dress appropriately for the occasion. After all, tickets to these affairs are free. (I don’t know about the FAMAS though. I think they still sell tickets to the public). The organizers really don’t ask much. They don’t require the ladies to come in boa feathers and the gentlemen in tuxedo with coattails. A nice cocktail dress for the ladies will do and barong Tagalog or coat (not necessary with a tie) for the gentlemen.

One tip for the non-celebrity guests: Dress well and you’ll be given good seats near the front row.

As for the celebrity guests, they may dress up in any formal attire they want and it’s really up to them and their designers to use their imagination. But remember, Startalk’s Tigbakan fashion police are watching.