How direk makes stars look beautiful

His breakthrough projects elevated television commercials into great filmworks with the same epic values as movies. He brought Hollywood into Philippine advertising and changed the look and feel of television commercials forever. Celebrities entrusted their advertising careers to him. Vittorio Romero has the enviable privilege of immortalizing their moments of beauty – Sharon Cuneta’s ecstacy while feasting on dessert, Aga Muhlach’s lustful encounter with a cherry, Freddie Aguilar’s tearful reminiscing while drinking beer, Maricel Soriano’s dignified stance as queen of labanderas.

His 30-second cinematic masterpiece speak of a man whose obsession for excellence has not only sent product sales skyrocketing. His heart-wrenching storylines and spectacular epics not only entertained. They’ve won awards.

He staged a grand production where Dante Varona exulted beer power with a cast of hundreds of arnis experts pumping and sweating their muscled bodies in a thrilling martial arts routine. He glamorized Donita Rose’s bathing scenes much like Elizabeth Taylor’s romantic encounters with explosions of luxurious soapy water. Hair finally deserved to be called a woman’s crowning glory as he transformed Mikee Cojuangco’s long hair into silky and shiny locks and swirled, twirled and somersaulted it before our unbelieving eyes. And while glamorizing and transforming celebrities into lovely screen dieties a la Hollywood, he also discerned the need to search for new faces. If he can launch nobodies into stardom, he can also unmake careers. Cruel, perhaps. But, some say, it is simply courage in action to teach the proud and the stubborn.

Today, with over a hundred television commercials to his name (in the recent ABS-CBN’s magnificent tribute to Unilever’s 75th anniversary, a retrospect of his creme de la creme ads was a memorable climax), Romero is at it again – making great contributions to society.

From a successful 30-second "breaking of the bottle" Extra Joss ad (which mothers thought was harmful to kids), Romero and TBWA-SMP’s advertising hotshots were inspired by a spark of creative genius to use the controversy it caused to deliver yet another message through a 15-second infomercial. Its urgent and clever message – the danger of driving while having too much of a drink (from a bottle, of course). It won the Araw Creative Guild’s Public Service Ad of the month. An important recognition, Romero says, because it was a classic case of art directly contributing to the appreciation and preservation of life.

The same team (Romero with Melvin Mangada, Jimmy Santiago, Tong Puno, Joey Campillo, Billy Samson, Sunny Lucero from the agency which also developed Philippine Star’s TV campaign), are influencing lifestyle choices again. This time, by breaking another myth and telling mature women that, even at forty and beyond, they can be healthy, beautiful and glamorous just like the popular contravida La Vina – Cherie Gil. Didn’t you gush at how Cherie was photographed and looked almost half her age in Alaska Hi-Cal’s sensually and visually poetic ad of self-love, self-care? The magic of Romero’s camera did it again (with no digital retouches). So no cheap copycats of glamorous goddesses, please!

Being an Atenean, and after being educated in the best film schools of the world, you’d think Romero would not have a firm grasp of the different nuances of Philippine culture. But, hey, look at what his execution of 30-second stories have made us do: laugh as Obang brought her laundry to the heights of a lamp post; cry as a young boy kept calling for the Mommy he couldn’t find to buy his favorite frozen delight; proud as we witnessed a dramatic reenactment of the declaration of our independence at Kawit; kilig as Aga professed his love for model Phoemela (or was that ice-cream he was pining for?); feel young as Bianca (Maritess Revilla’s unica hija) and her barkada bounced to the playful rhythm of the "ang gaan ng feeling" song; and even provoked us to engage in friendly debates to defend the merits of his "kiskis sa pilapil" woman-in-the-fields ad.

Now how did he do all that?

"I didn’t," replies Romero.

His latest (and perhaps the greatest) breakthrough is now on-line – www.vittromero.com. It will set the record straight and give credit where credit is also due. Finally, this personal website will do what has been long overdue – pay tribute to the great advertising men and women with whom he has worked with, the likes of Jimenez, Saatchi, Lowe, JWT, McCann and TBWA-SMP.

Go to the Collaborators Section, double click a name (any creative director, director of photography, production designer, food stylist and numerous other production specialist) and voila – a list of their works and some candid photos, carefully compiled by Romero through the years, will pop up.

Visit the TVC (television commercial) Section and you’ll see thumbnail scenes grabbed from more than sixty of his great 30-seconders. Read its synopsis, his collaborators, click the commercial’s code name and you’ll hear, for example, Sharon singing "You gotta live a little... that’s the story of, that’s the glory of love" and see her serving her favorite ice-cream with her young fans.

Want to know a few filmmaking secrets? You may double click the Behind-the-Scenes icon of code name Remembrance and guess what? You’ll see photos of how the beautiful Lucy Torres shampooed her shimmering tresses as though she were a goddess.

Or click MTV and you’ll experience Romero’s depth, soul and rhythm in an 11-minute montage of the best of his mini-movies. Sure, the bottom line of advertising is to sell. But while watching this, you’ll realize that his is really a compelling work of art. It doesn’t just share his vision. It goes beyond that. It engages your mind and invites you to ask yourself: Am I living my life to the fullest? No wonder a film enthusiast believes Romero is a true artist who comes close to being the Di Vinci or the Michaelangelo of the advertising world.

Amazing? I guess not. Many believe he has a third eye – being able to bring to life what is invisible to the eye. That he saw the inner beauty and catapulted to fame VJs Belinda Panelo, Sarah Meier, Derek Ramsey, Bianca Araneta, KC Montero, Ryan Agoncillo, Edmund Feist and reinvented Donita and Angel Jacob, therefore, comes as no surprise. That he was able to execute storyboards of mortal enemies and successfully engage in the fierce battles of Magnolia and Selecta, Breeze and Ariel, Surf and Mr. Clean, Sunsilk and Palmolive, Lux and Ivory, Pantene and Creamsilk, Ginebra and Tanduay, Fundador and Gilbey’s, PLDT and Bayantel without compromising brilliance is an unsurpassed feat.

Reminisce, laugh, daydream, admire or simply wonder about the power of advertising when you visit Romero’s website. But before you do that, discover a few more intriguing secrets from multinational giant Procter & Gamble’s premium filmmaker who has propelled Safeguard to being the no.1 bath soap and P&G’s crown jewel.

You are called the Director of Stars. How do you make them look so beautiful on screen?

The secret is to bring out the radiance of their womanhood. So I make them feel like goddesses. I talk to them like I worship them. Sina Sharon, Lea Salonga, Maricel, Donita, Dawn Zulueta, Mikee, Lucy, Tweety, Bianca – lahat sila alagang-alaga. From their dietary requirements to their dressing rooms. If the scene is in the open air and it’s very hot, but they have to look so cool, I have mobile airconditioners full blast at them.

Why do you do all these?

Filmmaking is capturing moments of loveliness. So I need to create an environment where the beauty of the stars can flourish. When they’re treated as very beautiful women, they’re like flowers blossoming in front of the camera.

Are there any particular requirements for talents in advertising?

Definitely. No dandruff and split ends for hair talents. And they must also have a good backbone for the acrobatic blockings.

What for?

Hair commercials require a lot of movements. Tulad ng pinagawa ko kay Mikee years back. We wanted the feeling of freedom to move with long, shiny hair. So I had her tied up and swirled her all over the place. Difficult to do. And Tingting Cojuangco was shocked. But it came out so beautifully and got the exhilarating hair effects we wanted. Advertising kasi must also be entertaining.

Does a commercial have to tell a story?

Yes, Oprah Winfrey said it well: "The best way to connect with people is to understand that everybody has a story. A story that is as painful, confused, and as hopeful as your own." Commercials try to connect with people through stories about lifestyles. We can sell soy sauce by showing how the whole clan loves lola’s recipe. Or sell a deodorant by showing how a wife meets her husband’s ex with confidence. Really, different stories for different products.

What then is your job?

To tell the story beautifully in 30 seconds and create such a dramatic impact.

Are there projects you’ve refused to do?

Yeah, commercials for medicines.

Why?

Their claims are very dramatic, almost unbelievable. They make it appear as if it’s a sure cure. Why, if you have a bad cough and have lots of phlegm, ganoon ba kabilis mawawala ’yon? Alam mo namang hindi, di ba?

But the purpose of advertising is to show the benefits of the products.

But medicines are different. Before you drink it, you have to be sure about its efficacy and safety. Clinical studies prove that. Kapag sa TV na ipinakita, parang wala nang ganoon. Besides, how can I effectively film the ad if I don’t take the medicine? If I don’t believe in it?

Does that mean that you believe in all the products you filmed?

Of course. I patronize all of them. They’re part of my life. Lahat ng fast-food na ginawa ko, I eat there. Kaya nga ako tumaba noon.

Do your commercials promote the values you believe in?

Definitely. Ako, I believe in the family. I respect women. That’s evident in my films. I also believe in the power of imagination and vision. I consciously come out with films which I hope will inspire viewers to be in contact with their inner vision and help make them happen.

Like Cherie’s ad – I wanted the mature women to confront their real selves and ask, ‘Am I happy with my body, with my spirit?’ If not, how can they be loved and be desired by their man?

What is a dream ad campaign for you?

Something inspirational for parents. They have an enormous task of bringing up great men and women. Someone told me that Gandhi once said that the seven great social sins are wealth without work, commerce without morality, science without humanity, politics without principle, religion without sacrifice, pleasure without conscience and education without character. Beautiful thoughts. But alas, they’re invisible. What the young can’t see and feel, they won’t imitate and live out. So, I’d love to develop storyboards and film ads that will show families how to make them a reality. After all, as the Little Prince said – What is essential is invisible to the eye.