Ian Veneracion in “One Good Day”
Ian Veneracion said he enjoyed the improvements resulting from technology when he shot his most recent film project, the Lester Pimentel action flick “One Good Day,” which will be streamed exclusively on Amazon Prime Video starting on Nov. 17.
“With the technology today, it’s possible to do many shots that were impossible back then, when we still used [celluloid] film,” said Ian, who started acting at age 7. “Back then, we had to use helicopters to get aerial shots. Now we can just use drones. There are so many options now, even when you shoot in low-light conditions. We were able to utilize all that. I think Direk Lester did a good job in maximizing those aspects. From the nonlinear storytelling to the color grading, to the sound and image quality. He used good lenses. The cameras, the setups, they aren’t what we normally use locally.”
Ian said that while he enjoys technology, he doesn’t take it too seriously. “It’s one way for me to express stuff to the audience who aren’t moviegoers or aren’t into TV but prefer the social media platform, pero hindi ko kinakarir ang social media,” he pointed out.
In “One Good Day,” Ian plays Dale, a businessman who came from a gangster lifestyle. He has gone through so much in life and now he wants out, and he just wants this one good peaceful day. “But in order to get there,” explained Ian, “he has to go through so much violence. His past is catching up with him. That’s his endgoal, basically.”
Veneracion (right) with Joel Torre
‘Kingtown’
The story takes place in a fictitious progressive city called Kingtown. “We turned Iloilo into Kingtown,” Ian reported. “Our basis for the storytelling is that, when most foreigners say Philippines, they imagine it to be a coastal place, or that it has poor communities. What Direk Lester wanted to show was the other side of the Philippines—the old rich, the farms and its modern architecture.”
Ian said they shot the film in Iloilo for five weeks. “The people there were so excited. Most of the local businesses there would invite us to shoot in their bars or use some of the houses there. The [local government] was also very supportive. We felt the excitement of everyone there when we were filming.”
As to why he agreed to work on the film, Ian said: “I did my first action movie when I was 15 and worked on around 25 action movies after that. Eventually, I did TV work, and later did films in the horror and romantic-drama genres. I got to experience a lot as an actor. Of course, when this was pitched to me, an action film, I was interested. This is my home court. I was very comfortable because I love martial arts, guns and motorcycles—all the stuff this film wants to show.”
Ian said another goal was to show the other side of the Filipino as a filmmaker and an artist. “We’re very proud of the Filipino talent. Hopefully, this opens doors not just for us but also for other artists. We want to show them how we make action films using Filipino martial arts. Our cameramen, all trained by Direk Lester, are part of the choreography. Our peg here is ‘The Godfather’ meets ‘John Wick.’ We will show the glamor part of gangster life but also the dance of the fight scenes. I think we did a great job,” Ian declared.
Veneracion (right) with Rabiya Mateo
‘No such thing as hierarchy’
The 47-year-old actor also shared that he has learned to embrace social media for what it is, “but at the same time, because I’m old school, I still live in the real world.”
He explained: “For example, I share on Instagram the things I do, but not the private, personal stuff. Also, I don’t waste my time reading comments. I don’t want my self-respect to depend on that. I always take things with a grain of salt, especially now when there are so many fake accounts and bots.”
When Inquirer Entertainment asked him about his thoughts on social media influencers becoming rivals of show biz celebrities when it comes to getting endorsement deals, Ian replied: “Good for them! They don’t need to become movie actors to have influence and to be able to endorse products.”
“That’s life. There’s no such thing as hierarchy. A TV actor and a singer share the same industry. So whether you call yourself an influencer or a celebrity photographer or a celebrity chef, it doesn’t matter. What about athletes? They are merely an addition to the other industries. If people start calling you a “celebrity something,” then you can be an endorser. We shouldn’t limit this. We should encourage this instead.”
He continued: “I see everything as a web. Social media is a good thing because we now have more platforms to creatively express ourselves. There was a time when movie actors were separated from TV actors. Today, we have so many ways to tell our story, and that’s always a good thing.” INQ