Working in movie industry that is dominated by glamorous
and famous, it would seem that bit players have their small enjoyment on their
bit of fame. Sentimentally speaking, that for every scene, there is a certain
story behind it.
Last December 31, 2015, an open letter addressed to renowned TV/movie director Cathy Garcia-Molina of ABS-CBN has gone viral on social media, particularly on Facebook page of Rosselyn Domingo, a freelance actress with a background in theater and television work by way of being an ‘extra’.
Recounting the alleged humiliation that she and her academe
professor boyfriend, Alvin Campomanes experienced from the director during
a location shooting in Baguio City last October 2014, for the hit television
series ‘Forevermore’ that casted
Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil into superstardom. The complainants, Domingo and
Campomanes, played the bit character roles of Makoy and Celia, married couple
villagers in La Presa.
Domingo
also posted the complaint letter that Campomanes sent to ABS-CBN channel
head Cory Vidanes two weeks after the incident. It was stated there that
Director Cathy Garcia-Molina’s alleged cruel behaviour towards bit players on
set. The
couple claims that they have witnessed how Direk Cathy treats the celebrities
like royalties while the extras as slaves—verbally abused and were humiliated
in front of everyone in the set.
As the open letter goes trending, we get a glimpse
of the truth in the ruling system of the entertainment business--swiping at the
harsh contrasting realities of the exploited marginalized laborers like this
couple and the privileged actors. Behind the lovable
scenes and lines in the Forevermore, strong labor relations issue permeates the
series. A vivid statement, emphasizing on the sufferings and of the bit
players, while some have agreed that this kind of behavior on set is hurtful to
others’ dignity and well-being and others have dismissed this as the norm in
the industry, which should not be taken personally.
This issue opens up to the macro
implications on the exploitative nature “system” of the local TV
and movie industry. It exposes how market forces and compels network executives
and directors to practice cost-effective measures, resulting in the unfair
treatment of talents, the lowest in the hierarchy of production staff. It
dissects commentary on the harsh realities of these unsung industry workers,
how the system exploits their willingness to work for meager pay under subhuman
conditions.
This case of the bit player couple can be even viewed as similitude for the larger society, that the ‘extras’ are the lower-class workers who barely makes for a living while being mistreated to the hilt. It boils down to the culture of lack of respect to people who perceived to be less by people who see themselves as superior. But no matter how pressured the work is and no matter how hard working or high position in anything, it will not be an excuse for maltreating, maligning, and harassing equally hard working people. Indeed, cursing is very normal in any stressful work premises but curses should never be hurled directly against any person. One can vent out frustrations and remain cordial and decent.
This event can be a learning experience and an opportunity for changes to be made. We should look at the talents’ capability first. Actors should be registered and supervised by a head or a licensed organization. In addition, every network should remind directors and their staffers to manage stress and good working relationship on the set. Some talents only get P300 for an overnight taping due to cuts from unscrupulous handlers. It is unfortunate that some workers of the film and television industry are not covered by labor laws.
There should be a strong union to establish some professionalized equal treatment among big actors and bit players to ensure that the rights of all workers will be observed. Unions should fight for fair rates, maximum number of working hours, similar food and holding area for all talents, regulated talent fees for bit players that are paid directly to them, royalties especially for reruns of our old shows, actors’ equity, insurance coverage, etc. In return, actors who belong to a union should be trained and professional. Both parties have to benefit for unions to sustain.
Abusive behavior like physical and verbal abuse or public humiliation should not be tolerated. Groups always need to fight for basic human rights aside from economic and political rights. Now is the better time to embed this gloomy fragment of our admired industry.
This case of the bit player couple can be even viewed as similitude for the larger society, that the ‘extras’ are the lower-class workers who barely makes for a living while being mistreated to the hilt. It boils down to the culture of lack of respect to people who perceived to be less by people who see themselves as superior. But no matter how pressured the work is and no matter how hard working or high position in anything, it will not be an excuse for maltreating, maligning, and harassing equally hard working people. Indeed, cursing is very normal in any stressful work premises but curses should never be hurled directly against any person. One can vent out frustrations and remain cordial and decent.
This event can be a learning experience and an opportunity for changes to be made. We should look at the talents’ capability first. Actors should be registered and supervised by a head or a licensed organization. In addition, every network should remind directors and their staffers to manage stress and good working relationship on the set. Some talents only get P300 for an overnight taping due to cuts from unscrupulous handlers. It is unfortunate that some workers of the film and television industry are not covered by labor laws.
There should be a strong union to establish some professionalized equal treatment among big actors and bit players to ensure that the rights of all workers will be observed. Unions should fight for fair rates, maximum number of working hours, similar food and holding area for all talents, regulated talent fees for bit players that are paid directly to them, royalties especially for reruns of our old shows, actors’ equity, insurance coverage, etc. In return, actors who belong to a union should be trained and professional. Both parties have to benefit for unions to sustain.
Abusive behavior like physical and verbal abuse or public humiliation should not be tolerated. Groups always need to fight for basic human rights aside from economic and political rights. Now is the better time to embed this gloomy fragment of our admired industry.
