What a computer courtesy of Ricky Lee did for this once aspiring writer

Ricky Lee and the late Eddie Garcia (standing from left) and Mique (seated) on the set of “ML”

As a young aspiring filmmaker in the late 1990s, writer-director Benedict Mique used to draft and submit his scripts on yellow pad paper.

It seemed doable at first. But soon he realized that he needed a computer if he were to keep up with the workload and demands that come with being a creative assistant at ABS-CBN and Star Cinema.

A desktop unit at that time cost around P21,000, he recalled. And there was no way he could have afforded it with the P6,000 he earns monthly. That was when his mentor—the renowned screenwriter-novelist and now national artist for film—Ricky Lee stepped in.

“I was just starting out and I really wanted to get going with my writing. However, I couldn’t buy my own computer. So Ricky was like, ‘OK, I will lend you the money,’” he said in a recent group interview.

And it was that P21,000 that “kick-started” Benedict’s journey in television and film. “That’s when I began working for shows like ‘Maalaala Mo Kaya,’ ‘Tabing Ilog’ and other shows,” said Benedict, who currently works as one of the directors of ABS-CBN’s ongoing television adaptation of “Darna.”

On the set of “Darna” with Jane de Leon and Joshua Garcia

Own production company

“That money helped me build my career and provide for my family,” he said.

Benedict has since made the rounds of other networks, writing television series for GMA 7 from 2003 to 2008 and serving as a creative consultant from 2009 to 2014. These days he works freelance and runs his own production company called Lone Wolf Films.

Some of Benedict’s notable works include the hit ABS-CBN television series “On the Wings of Love” and his first feature film, the Cinemalaya entry, “ML,” which earned him a best director nod at the 2019 Gawad Urian Awards.

Now that he’s an established name in the entertainment industry, Benedict realizes that much of his success he owes to Ricky’s kindness and generosity. And he intends to pay it forward by pledging laptop computers to five aspiring scriptwriters who have the talent and passion, but not the resources. “I want to give back. If there’s a filmmaker or scriptwriter out there who can’t afford a computer, I will be willing to give them one. They just need to send me a sample of their work and tell me about their life story and background,” he said. Benedict can’t promise them livelihood; what he can offer is training. “I can help them develop what they’re working on. Who knows, I may be able to get them in [show biz], but no promises,” said Benedict, who goes out of his way to help young writers realize their potential.

Benedict Mique

Value of mentorship

“I have trained a lot of writers in the past 20 years. And I did my best to offer jobs … I used to work for TV5 as a creative consultant and handled lots of writers,” he related.

As someone who trained under and worked for people such as Ricky, Jerry Lopez-Sineneng, Rory Quintos and Olivia Lamasan, Benedict knows the value of mentorship, which, he doesn’t see often nowadays. “It was so much fun working for these people. Ricky, for instance, can also teach you about directing sensibilities, because he has worked with the masters,” he said.

“I didn’t have formal training with him, but I have worked with him. We used to watch movies as a group and have discussions afterwards,” he said. “He was also tough on me … When I was starting out I almost cried when he returned my script saying that it wasn’t good enough … because I was convinced it was!”

“But it’s better that he’s strict with you. If he just gives you nice, you won’t get the best of him,” he added.

What does an aspiring writer need to succeed in the industry? More than ambition, what really counts, Benedict said, is hunger for knowledge.

“There are many writers today, but a lot of them aren’t ripe yet and have yet to go through the steps and process of learning,” he said. “Some prioritize ambition—‘I want to be a director, I want to come up with a feature,’” they would say. But how can you produce great work if ambition is the only driving force?”

“I could have been a director 10 years earlier, but I opt to focus on scriptwriting first. I worked as a creative for 20 years before I directed my first film because I wanted to learn,” he said.

Meanwhile, as the founder of Lone Wolf, Benedict’s goal is to produce quality content for television networks, streaming sites and other platforms. He also hopes to pick up where the company left off prepandemic.

“Before the pandemic, we had about 10 projects in the pipeline—shows for iWant, Dreamscape, Viva, Solar, TBA, Regal. But we didn’t get to do all of them because of what happened,” he related. “But now we’re working on a new romantic film, as well as a sitcom for Net 25, which stars Ricky Davao, Ruby Ruiz, Gina Alajar and Soliman Cruz.”

Theatrical releases will be a challenge given the current climate in the industry. But the demand for content, he said, will always be there. “We have other platforms, like streaming, which is flourishing right now. Creative people will always have their space here,” Benedict said.