A Geekery Interview: 'Saving Sally' Cast

Last December 8, a press con was held at Victorino’s Restaurant, Quezon City, for the upcoming indie film, Saving Sally. Present during the press con were Enzo Marcos (Marty), Rhian Ramos (Sally), and TJ Trinidad (Nick). Director Avid Liongoren and Ms. Charlene Chawit-Esguerra were also there to answer questions and to promote the movie.

From left to right: Ms. Charlene Sawit-Esguerra, TJ Trinidad (Nick), Enzo Marcos (Marty), Rhian Ramos (Sally), and Director Avid Liongoren

The Geekery got the chance to meet and interview the main cast about their characters and their experiences in the film.

How would you relate yourself with your character? Are there any similarities?

Rhian: I think I’m a lot like Sally. I think her sense of humor, I’m just kind of being myself, so I think pareho yung sense of humor namin. Parang the way also siguro, the way she’s friends people is the way I’m friends with people. Just a lot of her is very much like me in real life. So far she’s the only character that I could really say, “Oh yeah! I’m so like the character in this movie.”

Enzo: I could relate very much relate to Marty, so when Avid would approach and set up us off, kunwari in love ka sa best friend mo pero di mo masabi. Oh yeah I’ve experienced that. Yun. So medyo awkward ako with girls so medyo nakaka-relate ako.

TJ: For me, everyone naman here, any point in your life, you’ve made mistakes, something that not to be proud of. But in terms of relating to my character, I actually watched a lot of 80’s movies, love stories like Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful, Sixteen Candles, specially the character of James Spader in Pretty in Pink. So it was really parang more patterned after that. That’s what I tried to bring into the film, to the character of Nick the Dick.

What’s your favorite part in shooting for the film?

Rhian: I really enjoyed using the chroma. I’ve done it before because I was in things na I would be a damsel in distress na kunwari lumilipad, mga ganun. But I never had to rely on it so much the way this film was shot, so parang it was really a test for the strength of your imagination. If you can really go back to your childhood and just imagine everything around you na kunwari may lumipad, and you have to duck, and parang may dadaan and you have to really believe that things are happening or that the person you’re making out with is actually there yun pala wala kang ka-make-out. Parang stuff like that. So yeah I think it was a fun excersice on your imagination.

Enzo: That. That was fun. The action scenes were all fun. But another fun thing for me was showing up on set and seeing all the production design. So cool na parang I wish I have that talent so I show up and all these drawings will be there and all these great art pieces will be on set and it’s just great. Shout to the artists.

TJ: Just the whole process for me, because I worked with great people, the staff, the crew. It was kakaibang experience. I love every minute of it.

How did you prepare for the role for you to get into character?

Rhian: Well, I just felt like when I was preparing for the audition, binigyan kasi ako ng konting backgrounder ni TJ about the movie nga at kung ano yung vibe niya. So ayun, I was just trying to get into Sally mode. She’s very quirky, kinda geeky, doesn’t really enjoy things that people enjoy like the more blockbuster the movie is, mas hindi niya pinapanuod. Gusto niya comics, ganun. You know, her past times are very unique also. Ayun, so parang when she was described to me in that way, I just thought na parang I’m sure she has her own way of talking, she has her own way of moving, and parang di gaanong ka-poise. Siguro kasi dapat wala siyang pakielam, di ba? So ayun, I just got into character in that way.

In the movie, Sally is a gadget inventor. How about Rhian Ramos? Are there some things that you have invented or tried to invent?

Rhian: When I was a kid, I was an inventor. I wasn’t kasi the kind of kid dati na parang I really wanted the toy. Sometimes if you give me a cardboard box I’m a completely happy person. It changes into a car. It changes into a robot. I used to get you know those little Mini M&Ms. Di ba they have small ones, the tiny ones. I used to invent like different dispensers for those. I just like to make my own toys. That was the kind of person that I was. And then parang bringing that into my life as more of an adult, I like to make my furniture that does things na para bang “It’s not a bed. It’s a bed but it has a desk”. Parang ganun. So yun. That’s the kind of stuff. So parang I can relate to Sally na parang when you’re an inventor kasi gagawa ka ng isang bagay na dahil sa needs mo, di ba? So yung mga ginagawa, siya yung laging nauutusan sa bahay, so gagawa siya ng pang-hang ng clothes, pang dry ng dishes. So those are her inventions.

You’ve been known in the mainstream. Are you planning to continue shooting for more indie films?

Rhian: Ako kasi dati akala ko may pinagkaiba yung mainstream sa indie. Parang iniisip ko pag indie parang arthouse na movie yan. Parang malalim na di natin masyadong maiintindihan na may part na disturbing siya or depressing. Akala ko ganun yung ibig sabihin nung indie. Di ko alam na yung indie kasi at yung mainstream pareho lang na kung ano yung taste mo, mahahanap mo din. So me as an actor kasi, oo, minsan naeenjoy ko naman yung dark. Pero most of the time kasi mahilig ako sa happy stories, love stories, bright things. Ako kasi pag nanunuod ako ng movie mahilig ako sa happy ending. Pag sad yung ending parang may hindi kumpleto para sakin, pag viewer ako. So ayun, parang ako naman, now that I’ve realized na wala palang difference na I can go find yung mga movie na trip ko with indie productions, I’m in to make more indie films. Lalo na’t pagkatapos nung nangyari this year, this project kasi was the most impossible project that I’ve ever done na parang inisip na naming na “guys, mukang di lalabas yung movie natin, posibleng tayo lang nakakaalam na may pelikula tayo”.  It’s just the most impossible thing and then the MMFF picked it and made it possible, so now I feel like, andami kong pwedeng gawin na movie. Na parang di porket hindi mo alam na kung pano ka magpropromote or stuff like that. Ibig sabihin na pwede parin lumabas. May mga tao parin na pwedeng magconnect dun sa mga art na ginawa mo. Ayun parang that’s all artists want naman talaga, they put out things that was inspired by emotions and if just a few people can relate to those emotions and say “I completely get what this person is going through” or “I completely understand the feeling” or “nararamdaman ko din to”. Then that’s all we want. It’s like that in songs. It’s like that with paintings. It’s like that with books it’s also like that with movies. Parang I’m so inspired when the movie comes out it means “Wow! May makakapanuod nito at makaka-connect”. Yun lang. I just hope I can do more indies and all of them come out.

We at The Geekery, and maybe many other geek fans, are just curious. Would Rhian Ramos date a geek?

Rhian: Just like Sally in the movie, she would notice the geeky guy and so will I.

The movie focuses on an aspiring comic book artist, Marty who has deep feelings for his best friend, Sally, a gadget inventor. Sally however, has monsters for parents and an inconsiderate boyfriend. In Marty’s fantasies, he must find ways to save his best friend and love of his life from the big bad world.

The movie is part of the Metro Manila Film Festival 2016 lineup, and received an A rating from The Cinema Evaluation Board. It will be released this Christmas, December 25, in cinemas nationwide.