Working alongside an international TV production crew, Filipino stars like Ces Quesada and Arthur Acuña noticed something different with how Americans do things.
In the virtual press conference for the series, Almost Paradise, a show created by ABS-CBN and American TV producer, Electric Entertainment, actress Quesada appreciated how serious the casting was for the show.
“Isa sa mga naappreciate ko na process na dinaanan namin sa proyektong ito is the process of the audition,” she said.
With ABS-CBN and its Hollywood counterpart making sure that everyone underwent heavy auditioning, Quesada knew from that moment that the cast of the series can carry their own weight.
“Kasi you make sure the right people get the roles. Even dun sa bit players, inaudition nilang lahat. Which is why, pagdating dun sa mismong shooting, you are confident na kung pumasa sa audition, kaya gawin yung trabaho,” she confidently shared.
She then compared how different the casting process between the Philippines and the Americans.
In the actress’s experience, Filipinos tend to cast the artists first before the material needed for a show or movie. One thing she observed, Americans are dedicated to their craft.
“It is something na unlike dito satin, iba yung casting. Usually, nauuna ang artista kesa dun sa material mismo. At isa pa siguro sa mga bagay na napick-up ko, na yung tipong pag trabaho, walang ungguyan na nangyayari,” Quesada said.
She recalled a time when lead actor, Christian Kane got annoyed in the slightest noise. The actress admitted that there were good and bad sides to this partnership, but towards the middle of their taping, the Hollywood actor got to pick up the humor of Filipinos.
“There are pros and cons here. Kasi sila pag nagtatrabaho, gusto nila walang nagsasalita, lahat nakafocus. Pero ang edge naman natin, minsan yung pagsasaya habang nasa set, nakakatulong din yun para pag pagod ka na.
“There was a time si Christian, medyo naano sya pag may ingay na nagaganap. Pero towards the middle of the shoot, nakikita ko na nakikipag-ungguyan na rin siya minsan,” she said.
On the other hand, Quesada’s co-actor, Arthur Acuña had to re-learn his skills in fighting to make the portrayal of his character suited for the series.
“I dabbled lalo na sa Western boxing.
“Pero pagdating sa choreo, sa stunt scenes, and sa fight scenes, I had to re-learn start from scratch. Kasi it has to adapt to what’s called for in the scene. You don’t just fight, you have to fight knowing where the camera is, you have to fight knowing not to hit scene partners or your stunt partners,” he explained.
Also, the actor praised the stuntmen for their professionalism and dedication. Acuña recalled that he accidentally hit two of the stuntmen while performing an action scene.
“I just want to give a shoutout sa mga stunt guys and the fighters in Almost Paradise. Bilib ako sa kanila. They really knew what they were doing. Hindi sila takot matamaan.
“May natamaan ako, dalawa actually eh. Nag-sorry na lang ako. It was accidental. But that just comes from the heat of the moment,” he shared.
Meanwhile, the show’s co-producer Hannah Kreger noticed how Filipinos focus a lot on dramas and stories about families.
By making Almost Paradise, Kreger pointed that it is different due to its “universal themes,” thus catering to a wider audience.
“Feeling ko, ‘yung Almost Paradise is very different because medyo matagal na tayong walang action-comedy. And it is something fresh these days. Kasi we focus on Filipino audience who like drama, stories about families. But the thing about Almost Paradise is the themes are very universal. Madaming nakaloob na genres. So it speaks to a wider audience,” Kreger pointed out.
Almost Paradise is a 2020 action-drama series produced by ABS-CBN, in partnership with Electric Entertainment. It first aired in the US cable company WGN America, marking the Kapamilya Network’s first venture into HollywoodTV production.
