Direk Laurice on working with young actors

MANILA, Philippines - In the grand presscon teeming with screaming fans, direk Laurice Guillen keeps her cool and every inch looking like she has learned the art of dealing with assorted characters in the showbiz world.

She is not rattled by screaming fans rooting for Erich Gonzales and Enchong Dee. Early in her film life, she has seen all these things and this latest get-together with the media will confirm what she thought of the old and young generation of showbiz personalities.

On the side, she admits she accepted directing Star Cinema and Skylight Films’ Once A Princess to test herself whether she can still communicate with young audiences. “I have worked with young actors before but this film is geared for very young audiences who followed the novel. It is a given that they expect everything in the book to come to life in the film as well.”

She says this is the first time she will deal with young loveteams but she expected a smooth working relationship with the cast.

Erich describes the director as “cool” although she had proverbial butterflies in her stomach the first time she would face the camera under her. “I was prepared to do everything to make a good impression on her. I made sure I was prepared on the set. It wasn’t easy, of course, but the fact that she knows what she wants and can guide young actors all the way, my experience with direk Laurice was, indeed, highly memorable.”

While he knew of the director’s credentials, as these were common knowledge in the industry, Enchong says he instantly felt at home with direk Laurice. “I made sure I was ready all the time. But the way she guided me, like a mother who can only wish the best for her son, I had to deliver as well.”

As director, the first thing she did was to re-immerse herself into the world of the young generation. This was easy because she shares the room with her youngest daughter, Anna.

She found the project a welcome relief from her usual output of heavy dramas. She chuckles as she admits she used to read those so-called romantic novels when she was a teenager herself. “What I like about the story is that the love affair started when they were still teenagers and then they parted ways. After seven years, they see each other again with them figuring out if love was still there to be savored at this mature phase of their lives.”

Present in the presscon is Angel Bautista, the author of the Precious Hearts Romances novel, who expressed delight that her work fell on the lap of Laurice. “I earlier saw direk portray a role in The Glass Menagerie at the Ateneo and I would say I became her instant theater fan.”

When she learned direk Laurice would be on top of it, she had no doubts her work would be in good hands.

Angel says her story teaches readers that in life, their idea of happy endings lies in their hands, and that a happy ending is not merely destined. “Sometimes, the choices that you make really affect what you will become and what the future will be. Like in the book for instance, she (Erin) started out with having everything but just because of one decision that she thought would never affect her entire life, she lost everything. Our idea of ‘happy-ever-after’ doesn’t necessarily come just because you were born with everything.”

Translating the story from book to film was a totally new challenge for the director. “When you read a book, sometimes you pause and imagine how the characters would eventually evolve. In that sense, you contribute your own input as director. We always try to keep the essence of the book but the director must also make the best of those scenes and make them cinematically interesting. In the film medium, you have to intensify some of the scenes indicated in the book. You have to dramatize certain scenes mentioned only in one sentence in the book. On the whole, you have to highlight the crucial scenes without losing the essence of the story.”

While she realizes that the lead stars are associated with youth, beauty and glamour, she points out she needs to achieve certain things while working with young actors.

“Since they are actors portraying fictional people in the book, I see to it that in the film, their characters look real and believable. I will not, of course, deglamorize them at a certain point but on the whole, they should look real and part of a real life.”

What direk Laurice is probably saying is that she is all for romantic love and romantic stories.

But in her book, even characters from a teen novel should come to life with true-to-life incandescent portrayal.

Once a Princess opens tomorrow, Aug. 6, in all theaters.