Fulfillment beyond the glamor

VANESS del Moral would make one headturner of a director.

GMA 7 actress Vaness del Moral has seen both sides of the movie industry, and the exposure, she believes, has helped her grow.

Vaness, who often plays the best friend or worst enemy of lead characters in Kapuso shows (most recently in the afternoon soap, “Kokak”), tried working behind the scenes, as assistant director in actor-turned-director Joey Paras’ indie horror flick, “Hantu” (ghost in Bahasa).

Behind the camera

Although she had a cameo in the film, Vaness, a “StarStruck” alumna, spent more time behind the camera than in front of it.

Along with Joey (who made waves in the Cinemalaya winner “Last Supper No. 3”), Floid Zulueta and lead actor Biboy Ramirez, Vaness also assumed the role of producer in “Hantu,” which likewise cast students from the director’s Teatro Expedicion de Filipinas workshops.

“I learned a lot,” she says of her experience as AD. “Now, I understand why shoots or tapings get delayed. I appreciate more the hard work the crew puts into a movie or TV show.”

Vaness confesses that when the film had a special screening recently, she ended up watching the audience more than what was unfolding onscreen. She recalls, “I had already seen the film at home, so I took note of the audience’s reaction. I am happy that they liked the film. They screamed during the scary scenes and I overheard some viewers debating about the story.”

Now, she’s hooked.

“When I am no longer active as an actress, I would like to work behind the camera,” she says. “I hope to act in more indie films, given the chance.”

She is eyeing the role of a contravida who is not glamorous, for a change: “I always play a bad girl who is sosyal and English-speaking. If ever I do another indie film, I would like to portray a villainess from the slums. Someone who is tactless and coarse.”

When Vaness met Joey on the set of the GMA 7 series “Ikaw Sana,” they hit it off instantly.

“He asked if I wanted to try theater. My boyfriend Biboy was able to join the cast of a play (‘Pepe’) that Joey directed,” she recounts.

She was so envious of Biboy’s stint onstage that when Joey decided to direct a film, she eagerly took on multiple duties in “Hantu.”

“I never thought I could do the job of an assistant director,” she quips. “On the set of my TV shows, I asked for tips from the ADs.”

They taught her to study the script carefully before each take.

Be prepared

“Some directors leave the blocking to the AD, so you should always report to the set prepared, with your script breakdown ready.”

Working with boyfriend Biboy in “Hantu” made things easier for her, despite the sleepless nights.

“We support each other. I would often act as his wake-up call. I would ring him up on his cell phone whenever he had an early shoot or meeting,” she said.

She says Biboy, who top-bills Will Fredo’s indie film “In Nomine Matris,” is “witty and patient. He seldom loses his cool, so if he gets mad, you’d better hide.”