NYOBG out to make a mark

About a year ago, Backroom launched talents collectively known as NYOBG (Not Your Ordinary Boys and Girl). They were introduced as a group, but the members work individually and each one has a career path to follow. Since being formally launched, the eight new artists — Maui Lumba, Benj Bolivar, Bonjovi Osorio, Carlo Sawit, PJ Go, Avery Paraiso, Ian Batherson and the lone girl Kaye Chua — have been working hard while waiting for that elusive big break to come along, in the process learning a lot of things about the industry they’re now in.

The most important lesson they’ve learned is that success is not an overnight thing. Signing up with Backroom was just the first step, and while most of them have already scored cameo roles in teleseryes like Maria Mercedes, and a few movies (Ian had an interesting role in Kung Fu Divas), others have done commercials, appeared in music videos and have been featured on billboards, in fashion shows and in some TV guestings, they still have a long way to go.

Ian, who has been in showbiz the longest, says the past year taught him the value of humility. He knows now that there are no short cuts to stardom; it is the result of a constant process of reinvention and learning. “’Pag artist ka, may responsibility ka. I’ve been in the industry for two years already. When I started, hindi ako nag-workshop, so all the jobs I could have had, nawala lahat. I wasn’t prepared or ready,” he reflects. “Now thanks to Backroom and Mercator (which handles Ian’s advertising gigs), I have the tools to excel in whatever it is I want to do.”

Avery sums it up this way: “Pag sobrang bilis ang angat, mas mabilis ang bagsak.” He would rather take his time and build up his career the slow but sure way. “We were told that — and it’s true — yung mga sikat ngayon, ilang years din bago sumikat, di naman biglaan. It takes time also.”

Kaye, who is being groomed to be a beauty queen-actress, admits that there were expectations on her part and that of her family, thinking that as soon as she signed up, things would start happening and offers would pour in. Instead, she had to learn patience. “We thought after the workshops, ‘yun na, pero na-open ang eyes namin na that’s how it is in showbiz pala. Yun ang pinaka-unang natutunan namin, that we have to wait and we have to work really hard kasi maraming nangangarap din; hindi lang kami ang may goal na ganoon.”

She was also given some advice by one of her mentors that she has taken to heart: “I was told that when it comes to pageants, ‘If you lose, don’t lose hope, it means it’s not for you. I know what you can do, just wait and pray.”

As part of their training, Backroom has been putting them through acting workshops with mentors like Rahyan Carlos, who handles the ABS-CBN workshops; Laurice Guillen; and Pen Medina. The whole group has also been appearing in special shows for PAGCOR (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation). The shows are patterned after variety shows on TV, where they do a little of everything — hosting, singing, dancing and acting. The shows are staged in different PAGCOR Casino branches around the country and were initially planned to end last December but after seeing how the audience received them, were extended, first until March this year, then now, until June.

Maui, Benj, Bonjovi, Carlo, PJ, Avery, Ian and Kaye realize that just because they do the shows as a group, it doesn’t guarantee that they will all get the same breaks at the same time, or be picked up as a group. There is always the chance that one person will push ahead of the others or get that dream of big break before anyone else does.

This won’t be a problem, assures PJ. “If ever one gets the go-see, kung sino ang pasok sa hinahanap, or sa role, siyempre susuportahan namin. That’s another thing we learned, that the industry is all about rejection. The faster you accept it, the happier and less stressed you’ll be. You just have to learn how to be content with what you have. If you’re always complaining, you’re just killing yourself rather than excelling,” he says.

“We’re in NYOBG as individuals,” says Carlo. “We are in the same batch and all of us have equal chances and equal opportunities. The networks can choose (from among the eight of us) kasi iba-iba ang look, iba-iba ang personality.”

“That’s one of the things we learned, that in this industry, nothing is guaranteed,” says Bonjovi. “Hindi madali itong pinasok namin. Kailangan mo talagang paghirapan.”

But they are not impatient. “I guess what’s important is believing in yourself, and having that passion for what you do. Without that, I think you won’t succeed.” It’s also important, he says, to stay positive. “Kung magpapatalo ka agad sa mindset na mas marami na mas deserving sa iyo, wala talaga. The fact that we’re here, the advantage is already there, so why quit now?”

Benj says the eight of them have only one wish for this 2014 — and that is to keep moving forward. As their group’s name puts it, this year, they will prove that they are not your ordinary boys and girl.

“This is our year!” he says enthusiastically. “As long as we stay positive, we can get the networks to trust us, to trust that we won’t disappoint them, that they will give us a chance to showcase our talents. We want each one of us to succeed because we’re like a family already. The success of one of us is the success of the whole group.”