While volunteering for the Student World Impact Film Festival for their 2023 edition, I had the pleasure of watching “Contrary to Destiny,” a short film by young Filipino filmmaker Karl Cedrick Marquez. The film instantly clicked with its theme of unrequited love between platonic friends, and also appealed to the musical aficionado in me. In this interview, the budding filmmaker shares with readers his fascination with the musical genre as well as about his creative process and learning on the job.
Vidal Dcosta for The Movie Buff: I really enjoyed how campy the songs of your short film “Contrary to Destiny” were, and its storytelling and overall tone were simple, very whimsical, and yet engaging. Were you inspired by any other movies/musicals in a similar tone or genre while making this film?
Karl Cedrick Marquez: As an artist, I am really into musicals, be it in theatre or in film. I grew up involved in various theatrical productions — mostly musicals, and this led to me majoring in film in college. I’ve always been interested in combining what I’ve learned in theatre and film, ranging from the variety of storytelling techniques, styles, and more. “Contrary to Destiny” is a project for our film directing class and a collaboration with Francis, my project partner. We both wanted to use the opportunity to create a musical film with a simple premise.
However given that we only had a month to produce it, this was truly a challenge! We not only needed to develop the script, but also had to produce music, shoot, and edit the film in just a month.
Many musicals (both film and theater) influenced me to create my own. I was especially inspired by “Dear Evan Hansen,” “Tick, Tick, Boom!,” “Hamilton,” as well as my biggest inspiration, my favorite, “Wicked.” I learnt that we can tell a story in a more creative way from all of the above. Also, in my opinion, musical films in the Philippines are not yet standardized, or we rarely see one, especially in our local film festivals. So my ambition is also to share with the film community and public the notion that the musical genre is still unexplored yet highly enjoyable, immersive and profitable too if given a chance.
VD: Did you undergo any hardships while filming and if so, how did you overcome them?
KCM: Time became a major struggle during the production. Having only two days to shoot, we needed to make every second count and not waste a moment since our limited budget didn’t allow for retakes. Me and my co-director/partner Francis Aben shared all the expenses of the production. We also reworked the material so it required only a few cast members in the end.
VD: Could you share with readers a bit about your creative process?
KCM: Every production begins with conceptualization, and after agreeing on the final storyline, me and Francis started developing the material. Then we proceeded to work on the lyrics and music. Francis is an experienced scriptwriter and songwriter, and with his drafts for the music, I further helped him enhance the musical score by integrating elements from theatre that would make the songs fit the scene.
Also, I am very proud of my band “Raelight” who assisted in recording, arranging, and mixing the music. I’ve known the band members Gian Ciriaco, Tia Pallones, and Joshua Orcino since my school days and they were thorough professionals and brought the movie to life with their music capabilities.
For the casting, me and Francis are both part of ‘Dulaang Filipino,’ the resident theatre company at our school. We cast Theo Gaspar, a freshman who recently joined our group. And for the other lead, we invited Ynna Raffa, my former colleague from a theatre group in Senior High. Since both actors hailed from a film and theatre background, we also knew that directing them would be less of a challenge. In addition, Francis specializes in scriptwriting, and I specialize in post production, and due to our combined similar experiences in the field of music, film, and theatre, this final project gradually transformed more into a learning ground for us to improve on these skills, and test how can we could utilize all the resources at hand to the fullest.
VD: Are there any filmmakers whom you look up to for inspiration?
KCM: I primarily focus on theatre productions, so when a film, music, or a movie I’ve watched or experienced inspires me in some way, I try and bring that same essence to help me produce my original work in my own style. I highly recommend the following filmmakers for their films: John Lazatin and his film “A Mother’s Story,” which inspired me a lot. Next is Richard LaGravenese’s “Freedom Writers.” The list is of course incomplete without Lin Manuel Miranda’s “Tick Tick Boom!,” “Hamilton,” and “21 Chump Street.”
VD: While the short film itself is very fun, was the overall set atmosphere just as fun? What did you learn as a filmmaker from your actors and did they also have any creative input during filming?
KCM: Yes!! It was very fun. With our closest friends as our production crew and team, the film shooting was easily executed. Suggestions were always welcome, and as one of the directors, if I feel that something isn’t going to work, we’ll still make it work. Even before the filming commenced, we coordinated with all our crew. From our director of photography, Timothy Ocampo, and one of our camera operators Vincent Cenon, we received ideas on visuals especially .
As a filmmaker, I’ve also learned that the creative process isn’t perfect, so not every project is flawless, and you have to accept it, because what matters ultimately is that you can produce something that you know you will be proud of in the future and also take pride in the hard work that your team put into executing your vision. Personally speaking, I know that “Contrary to Destiny” is not without flaws, but given the circumstances of the production, it was the best that we could produce, and I’m extremely proud of it.
VD: Lastly, could you share with readers about any upcoming projects you might be working on or whether you’re looking to experiment with other genres as well in the future?
KCM: Readers can look forward to our thesis film, coming this December 2023. Me and Francis, along with one of our thesis group mate, Jeremi Quetua, are also working on yet another original musical. It’s a challenge because musicals are rarely presented/accepted for our institution’s previous thesis film defenses. We are now in our preproduction stages and are planning to start filming by October 2023.
Lastly, I am planning to work on another short film this June which is a passion project and not a musical, and I’ve already contacted most of my friends in film and theatre. We are all very excited to develop new material that will challenge us — execution wise. Regardless of what challenges may arise, I’m confident with the casting and am looking forward to putting their skills to the test as well in this future venture.
We at The Movie Buff thank Karl Cedrick Marquez for his time. We wish him luck with this thesis project and “Contrary to Destiny.”
