Secrets from ‘Game of Thrones’ and Tarantino sets shared in PH workshop

FEST Film Lab 2025 mentors (left to right) production designers Gemma Jackson and Andrew McAlpine, sound editors Patrushka Mierzwa and Mark Ulano, film producer Paul Miller, with FDCP education division head Rica Arevalo (center) and FEST founder Filipe Pereira (Photo by Marinel Cruz)

A “Game of Thrones” production designer, Quentin Tarantino’s longtime sound mixer, and a Cannes-recognized producer were among five internationally acclaimed creatives who mentored Filipino filmmakers at FEST Film Lab 2025—a six-day workshop that brought world-class filmmaking expertise to the local industry.

Hosted by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), this marked the first time the prestigious FEST Film Lab was held in Manila. It offered not just technical training, but valuable insights from veterans of Hollywood and beyond.

Mark Ulano: Tarantino’s sound guy

If you’ve ever flinched at a gunshot in “Kill Bill,” Mark Ulano’s sound design was likely behind it. A frequent collaborator of Quentin Tarantino for nearly 30 years, Ulano led the “Telling the Story with Sound” workshop alongside fellow sound expert—and wife—Patrushka Mierzwa.

“It’s a friendship but also a collaboration,” he said of working with Tarantino. “There’s a singularity in the authorship of the process… You’re always in a state of invitation to contribute ideas.”

Mark Ulano (right) on the set of “Django Unchained” with director Quentin Tarantino(Photo from Mark Ulano)

Ulano, who’s worked on “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” “Inglourious Basterds,” and “Django Unchained,” emphasized the importance of staying open: “There’s always room for discovery,” he said. “It’s predictable, but in an open kind of way.”

At the heart of his work is passion. “We love making movies,” he said, referring to a ritual he and his team repeat on set. “And a place to have that happen and have it really mean something—it’s not a cliché.”

Gemma Jackson: Building Westeros and beyond

Emmy-winning production designer Gemma Jackson is best known for helping bring Westeros to life in “Game of Thrones.” She shared how she drew from real-world architecture, especially Italy’s, to build the fantasy capital of King’s Landing.

“I have a weakness for Italian architecture,” she said. “All things King’s Landing and hot were sort of Italian… We made gorgeous arches and it worked really well.”

She described the scale of the show’s production as “huge,” recalling that some sets were even used for weddings between takes. Asked about the “House of the Dragon” aesthetic, Jackson didn’t mince words: “I think it’s a little disappointing, if you really want to know. It lacks a certain subtlety.”

Gemma Jackson on the set of “Game of Thrones” (Photo Game of Thrones YouTube)

At the Lab, she coached local designers on world-building with emotional depth. “It wasn’t just about scale—it was about making the world feel lived in and emotionally real.”

Paul Miller: Turning ideas into funded films

Paul Miller, a seasoned producer with a Cannes-vetted track record, led the session “Film Financing in an Entrepreneurial Age,” where he tackled one of indie cinema’s toughest challenges: getting financed.

“What I found out from speaking with the producers in my booth… is that they face the same issues that producers face all over the world—not enough money, not a lot of resources,” he said.

Still, he was impressed by the innovation of Filipino filmmakers. “At some point, it became an exchange of ideas. They were also very innovative in how they found money and audiences.”

Miller stressed the need for collective action. “There’s a role for independent producers to gather collectively and sort out a few things within the industry,” he said. Among his recommendations: improve transparency in box-office reporting and establish stronger IP protection.

“These are simple policies that an organization like FDCP can support,” he added. “Because I think that’s the backbone of the industry.”

A full roster of film experts

Their sessions were part of a six-day series under the FEST Film Lab banner, held in collaboration with FDCP. For the first time, Filipino filmmakers had direct access to experts across editing, casting, sound, design, and financing—among them Oscar-nominated editor Alex Rodriguez (“Children of Men”), Emmy-nominated casting director Nancy Bishop, acclaimed production designer Andrew McAlpine (“The Piano”) who co-led with wife Jackson, and sound editor Patrushka Mierzwa.

“The goal of FEST Film Lab is to upskill the entire ecosystem—not just directors and producers, but also designers, sound professionals, storyboard artists, and actors,” said Filipe Pereira, FEST Film Lab founder. “We bring in experts at the top of their game, not to say what’s right or wrong, but to show how they work—so others can elevate their own craft.”

As Ulano put it, “This is how I work. This is my method that makes me special. You can take bits and pieces into your method… it’s about adapting to your own craft.”

The event was more than just a workshop—it showed that the Philippine film industry is ready to grow and compete globally. From production design and sound to financing, FEST Film Lab 2025 gave Filipino filmmakers practical tools and valuable insights from some of the best in the business. For those who took part, it could be the beginning of even bigger opportunities ahead. INQ