<sup>Phil. Daily Inquirer, Nov. 20, 1999

Making Regine's Music Video is a Breeze
by Jocelyn Valle

IF record companies regard music videos simply as a marketing tool in
selling an album, what do artists think about these filmed versions of
their songs?

"They do more than help sell the album," replies Regine Velasquez when we
visit her at RS Video in Parañaque City, where she's shooting the video for
"On the Wings of Love," a cut in her forthcoming album under Viva Records,
"R2K." In fact, she adds, a limited edition VCD containing six music videos
will complement her millennial recording.

Visual Interpretations

Aside from "On the Wings of Love," the songbird has visual interpretations
for "For the Love of You," (which was shown last Sunday on Channel 7's
"SOP," where she's one of the hosts), "In Your Eyes," One Love" and "Lost
Without Your Love."

"Making a music video is also artistic expression," Regine points out,
adding that with the help of the director, the artist is able to make a
narrative out of the song. "But most of the time, it's the director's
vision. I only give suggestions and I make it a point to meet with him a
few times before we shoot the video," she says.

The artist has a hand in choosing the director, says Regine, who is also
"R2K's" producer. Her choice is Louie Ignacio, an ad megman and "SOP's"
director, who's also known for his glossy music videos (Check out Jaya's
"Honesty," Jaya and Janno Gibbs' "Ikaw Lamang," and Gary Valenciano's
"Everybody Get Down").

Louie is at the helm of all of the music videos for "R2K," except for
"Fallen," which Regine directs herself.

Winged Creatures

For "On the Wings of Love," Louie focused on friendly winged creatures that
make flying akin to loving. Something like Geronimo, meaning love gives you
wings!

The music video begins with Regine dreaming of a man-angel dressed in blue
jeans visiting her in her room. Then she becomes a butterfly, a dragonfly,
an angel, a giant flower whose petals look like overlapping wings, a big
green leaf that float on air, and a fairy dancing in mid-air with the same
man-angel, who becomes something like an elemental deity.

"It's a fantasy," justifies Louie. And that's why the pervading atmosphere
in the studio is dreamy, surreal and at the same time, romantic and fun.
The production design, which is also done by Louie, is largely responsible
for this. He uses a fog machine, a lot of flowers, and in one scene, pink
feathers.

Crown of White Flowers

In the scene where Regine becomes an angel, for instance, she is made to
lie on the floor with outlined wings. She wears a white slip dress and a
crown of white flowers over her two layers of wavy wigs that cascade down
her almost bare shoulders.

"I-play mo ang music para may inspiration," direk Louie tells the
technician, and as he yells, "Action!" the opening strains of "On the Wings
of Love" is heard. Regine starts emoting before the camera, her hands
gracefully sway like an angel gently flapping her wings.

At the song's final refrain, Louie says, "Cut!" and right away, his
assistant gives directions to the two boys and two girls who will join
Regine in the next shot. Apparently satisfied with what the monitor has
played back, the director moves on. He reminds the kids of their blocking
and they're ready to shoot.

Pre-drawn Circles

The song is played from the top once more, and as direk Louie says, "Go,
mga bagets," the youngsters, armed with a bucket of paint and a paintbrush
each, enter the picture and surround Regine. They then color the pre-drawn
circles on the floor,emitting vibrant green, red, yellow and blue on the
screen that the director is closely monitoring. He beams and as the song
ends, applauds his performers. The adults then join the children in
finishing the coloring chore as direk Louie paints more circles around
Regine's head. Perfect for her close-up shots, Louie grins.

Shooting a music video, we observe, is akin to making a TV commercial, but
with a few touches of cinema. There is much attention to detail, and to
budgetary limitations. Rolls of film are of limited, for instance, so
retakes are avoided as much as possible.

Except for the first scene, "On the Wings of Love" is filmed
chronologically. During takes, complete silence isn't a requirement, unlike
shooting for a movie or taping for a TV show. This is beneficial to the
artist, who can clearly hear the director's instructions and the production
staff's comments. She can then make adjustments in her "acting" on the
spot.

Louie has no problem with his star. When Regine emerges from her dressing
room, she's completely prepared for the take. She has the right costumes (a
pale colored ball gown for the flower scene, a green long dress with
matching yellow false eyelashes for the leaf shot, a white cloth used a
blanket wrapped around her for the bedroom setting, and the fairy outfit)
and gives the right performance in every one of her scenes.

Final Scene

And there's nary a complaint heard from her, even in the final scene that
is similar to the ethereal scenario in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Here,
Regine and her love interest, the man-angel-deity played by model Ariel
Atendido, are suspended in mid-air with harnesses (obscured by vines and
leaves made of foam) attached to their bodies. While Ariel is visibly
pained by the set-up, Regine doesn't show any sign of discomfort. She even
jokes about how the stunt has made her legs bowed, eliciting giggles from
the production staff.

The director gives Regine a hearty response before telling her that she has
to go back into the harness because they have to shoot the scene again.
It's 3 a.m. and the unfinished "In Your Eyes" video is next in line, but
nobody's complaining. Regine's sense of humor and Louie's genial
directorial style make shooting the videos a breeze.</sup>

" Ha! Nothing to it! Another 'piece of cake' for the songbird. "

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