Armando Lao's Scriptwriting Workshops Presented by ufo Workshops
Words from Bing Lao’s past students
He was my teacher, and I immediately hated him for his insistence on a strictly Filipino approach to screenwriting. And then I understood. And then I loved it. Now I wouldn’t have it any other way. His continually evolving discipline keeps me wanting to better my craft.
Jade Castro Director, Endo
I struggled, for years, to write a decent screenplay. Then, I enrolled in Armando Lao’s scriptwriting class in UP, at a time he was developing Found Storytelling, we found each other. I was ready. My mind was exploding with hundreds of concepts and he taught me how to exploit these impulses and journalistic experiences. He told me: “When the student is ready, the teacher arrives.” The rest is, well, Tribu history. Looking for a mentor, I found a friend.
I always advise aspiring filmmakers, if you want to be good at anything: first, know thyself; second, find a mentor. If you want to be a good filmmaker and scriptwriter, the best mentor working in the Philippines today is Armando “Bing” Lao. I would not be where I am right now if not for his mentoring. He is the most progressive, yet the most humble writer-director-teacher working in the Philippines today.
Francis Xavier Pasion Director, Jay Best Screenplay, 32nd Gawad Urian
Bing’s introduction to me of the concept of ‘real time’ storytelling not only help me to make more compelling queer life stories but made my independent movie production portable and manageable as well. “Real time” is a very affordable, practical, realistic and just as aesthetically sound filmmaking technique.
Jim Libiran
Crisaldo Pablo
I’ve read a lot of screenplay writing books all telling me the same thing- McKee, Seger, Syd Field etc. Bing’s workshop however, taught me a totally different way to approach writing—a whole new paradigm.
Bing Lao has been a major influence in my approach to film making. I am not a writer but I attended his workshop because I wanted to be able to work with writers in developing screenplays. His workshops exceeded my expectations. Bing has helped me understand the writing process in a way that I feel I am now better equipped to tell my stories.
Broadcast journalist; Director, Tribu
Mark Meily
Two-time Palanca Literary Award winner, Director, Crying Ladies and La Visa Loca CEO of Spark* , one of the first digital and interactive production companies in the Philippines.
The “Bing Lao Training” has revolutionized the way I enjoy films and the way I appreciate filmmaking.
Lex Bonife
Screenwriter, Ang Lalake sa Parola and Ang Lihim ni Antonio
Director, Duda/Doubt
Sockie Fernandez Director, Gulong
Excerpt from
The ‘Real’ Thing by Ewong Martinez
The Philippines has definitely become a focal point in world
cinema in the last five years or so, and in the current flair for the often-misunderstood “real-time mode” of filmmaking, Armando “Bing” Lao figures as the creative conscience behind this cinematic movement. “But what some would now call as the ‘Bing Lao school’ is not exactly just the ‘real time mode,’” Bing clarifies. “What I have espoused in the films I have written and supervised is more properly referred to as the ‘found story code’ because it is derived from objects or phenomena found in real life.” He derived the term from the arts wherein “found sculpture” and “found music” are those made from ordinary objects like tin cans, plastics, wood, or even debris. “But in writing,” he adds, “these ‘neutral objects’ still need to be converted into a story using a narrative code.” Bing explains that the real-time mode (which marks Kubrador, Foster Child, Serbis, Kinatay, Engkwentro, among many others) is only one demonstration of the found story code, though it has become the best-known representation since it is the most applicable and practical for our filmmakers because of the available digital technology and its low production cost. (The other modalities under the code are the “dramatic time” which is governed by the ego, therefore, psychological; and the “poetic time” which is governed by the universe, often dictated by destiny, hence, philosophical. Bing then asserts that the real time mode works for us because it is governed by the place, thus, sociological—the kind of stories that perfectly represents and resonates well with our Filipino culture.)
Aside from championing the monumental ‘found story’ tradition in our current independent cinema, Bing wants to address the silent plight of the screenwriter who should be credited just as much authorship as the film director. The writer, especially whom he calls the “auteur writer,” is actually the “first actor, first production designer, first cinematographer, first editor” of a film because he already “creates” all the foremost aspects of film production while writing every word, every scene, every sequence in his script. “De facto,” Bing stresses, “the auteur writer is the ‘first director’ of the film.” “I didn’t intend to lead a movement. But now I try to be ever more careful in putting up the writing manual and in making my films since it looks like my works are bound to inspire future filmmakers,” he concludes. Indeed, Bing Lao, the former banking and insurance employee with an enormous passion for film and the Filipino, has undeniably made his mark as an influential force and a unique voice in Philippine cinema. Bing Lao is currently conducting the third pioneering batch of The Found Story: Advanced Screenwriting Seminar in cooperation with the ufo Workshops. He intends to tour the workshop in different Philippine regions and schools in the coming year, together with the publication of the screenwriting manual based on the workshop series. A Teachers' Training module is being developed to propagate and develop this system for formal classes in schools.
Found Story Regional Tours
For the first time ever, Bing will be bringing the Found Story workshop on tour, thereby giving the opportunity to those in different regions of the country to hone and develop their writing skills, learn the techniques, while interacting with the master himself.
Course Syllabus
For inquiries, contact Monchito Nocon +63 0920 283 6393 ufoworkshops2010@gmail.com
Writing the Found Story Narrative Basic Grammar
Writing the Found Story Narrative Advanced Grammar
Target Participants
Program
Target Participants
Program
Interested college students, professionals and film buffs who have no background on screenwriting and film production.
DAY 1. Conjugating the found object
Film teachers, film practitioners, graduates of creative writing.
DAY 1. Law of Collocation
Objectives • To introduce to the participants a school of writing that is derived from real-life experience. • To introduce to the participants the basic grammar of writing a found story narrative.
Exercise: Collocate the object Exercise: Inflect the object
DAY 2. Predicating the found subject
Exercise: Instantiate the subject Exercise: Predicate the subject
DAY 3. Writing the found scene
Exercise: Instantiate the scene Exercise: Compound the scene
DAY 4. Structuring the scenes
Exercise: Phrase the scenes Exercise: Hook the scenes
DAY 5. Declaring the found voices
Exercise: Abstracting the dramatic voice Exercise: Abducting the narrative voice
2010 tour dates: April 12 to 16, April 19-23, April 26-30, May 2-6.
Objectives • To introduce to the participants a school of writing that is derived from meaningful reallife accounts. • To ground the participants in the grammar by which a real-life account is commuted into a film narrative.
Conjugating an object Conjugating a type
DAY 2. Principle of Determinacy
Diegetic predication Rhetorical predication
DAY 3. Principle of Photographability
Framing and focality Perceptual channels Continuity hooks
DAY 4. Principle of Transitivity
Horizontal mapping Lateral mapping Structural design
DAY 5. Principle of Uncertainty
Dramatic voice Narrative voice
(Optional) DAY 6. Principle of Spontaneity
Functions of speech Dialogue inflections
Without a doubt,
the name Armado “Bing” Lao easily stands out as one of the most criticallyacclaimed and respected scriptwriters in Philippine Cinema today. Having had his break writing for a television series produced by Armida Siguion-Reyna in the seventies, Bing has since written over twenty screenplays, the most notable ones being Pila Balde, Tuhog and Kubrador for Jeffrey Jeturian; La Vida Rosa for Chito Roño; as well as Serbis and Kinatay for Brillante Mendoza, both of which were screened at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Apart from writing for TV and film where he has garnered numerous awards (FAP, PMPC and Gawad Urian among others), Bing is also a creative consultant—thereby imparting his positive creative influence and artistic inputs—to indie film productions. These include In Da Red Korner (Dado C. Lumibao, 2006), Tribu (Jim Libiran, 2007), Bakal Boys (Royston Jover, 2008) and Jay (Francis Xavier Pasion, 2008). He has also collaborated with and mentored, among other big names: Ellen Ongkeko, (Boses, 2008) Auraeus Solito, (Boy, 2009) Mark Meily, (La Visa Loca, 2005) Emman Dela Cruz, (Sarong Banggi, 2005), Jade Castro, (Endo, 2007) Sherad Sanchez, (Imburnal, 2008) Cris Pablo, (Quicktrip, 2008) Jay Altarejos, (Ang Laro ng Buhay ni Juan, 2009) Pepe Diokno (Engkwentro, 2009) and Veronica Velasco (Last Supper No. 3, 2009). In 2009, Bing added another feather to his cap through his directorial debut in Biyaheng Lupa (Soliloquy) which premiered to much success at the 11th Cinemanila International Film Festival, winning the Grand Jury Prize in the Digital Lokal section.
about ufo Workshops
ufo Workshops started in 2009, the brainchild of writer/director Emman Dela Cruz (Sarong Banggi), who was inspired by the pioneering success of their independent movie company ufo Pictures (Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros, Sarong Banggi, Endo) and the ufo Gallery (the baby of fellow creative Raymond Lee). The project brought together a diverse community of artists, filmmakers, creative Filipinos into the realm of indie filmmaking and art-making, crosscollaborations and cross-training, all towards a multi-disciplinary approach to working together. Offering various creative disciplines for those who want to master their art or rekindle that creative spark, the Workshops' longest-running series so far is Bing Lao's Found Story (now on its third batch and gearing up for a regional tour). Whether its directing, short filmmaking, cinematography, writing, painting, dancing, a masterclass in acting—you ask for it, we'll find the right mentor for you. When ufo picks mentors, they're looking for the kind of people who still foster professional relationships with their students beyond the classroom walls, helping them get a leg up in the industry or getting them to snap out of a creative rut. Open to everyone, and we really mean everyone because Emman has offered senior discounts, student discounts, early bird discounts and even installment plans to deserving workshoppers, the pay-it-forward mentality that rules the ufo Workshops means that we hope that one day you too will help elevate the arts community/film industry, recognizing that our differences can be our strengths, when tapped productively. True to his personal advocacy for the "Filipino Creativity," Emman Dela Cruz believes in the power of an alternative mentorship program as a driving force in creating the next generation of open-minded, big-hearted and communitybased Filipino Creatives. For more information on how you can enroll in the workshop or be a mentor, email ufoworkshops2010@gmail.com
ufo Workshops
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