Coco Martin did it again! The action virtuoso went to great lengths in giving us viewers lots of adrenaline and a fantastic visual experience in the opening scenes of his newest teleserye FPJ’s Batang Quiapo.
But it wasn’t just Coco who did an amazing job. The show’s historic premiere was crafted with teamwork and more. In these behind-the-scenes photos and videos, we dissect the magic behind FPJ’s Batang Quiapo’s gorgeously put-together pilot episode.
An ideal filming location is a must! Based on the title and plot, majority of the scenes, of course, are shot in Quiapo. The team maximized the place in mounting the opening sequences, making sure that there was enough room for action especially since it involved a lot of running and chasing.
From the shootout with recognizable streets in Manila as backdrop to the intricate chase on the roofs of a slum neighborhood, Coco’s team made everything realistic and thrilling.
Coco had to be extra hands-on at the helm of each scene. In the photos, he is shown guiding his co-actors about their lines and the sequences. Forget about the script – he can improvise!
Watch him demonstrate Miles Ocampo’s trending ‘Anak ko ‘yan!’ acting moment:
In the next reel, he’s seen directing Ejay Falcon in their chase scene:
While he’s on command as the director (and even one of the writers!) and visualizes every detail including camera angles, he also obtains helpful ideas from his crew.
Here’s Coco reviewing the shots with Ryza Cenon:
His co-director Malu Sevilla shows the same amount of dedication. Talk about teamwork!
Just on the first episode, we have seen how the characters were built with depth and individuality. Clearly, the actors did their assignments well. Didn’t you see Charo Santos’ mannerisms in Lara Quigaman who played her younger version? We give props to Karl Medina, too, as the young Lou Veloso; and Ejay Falcon as the young John Estrada.
The opening shots involved crowds showing their devotion to the Black Nazarene and Coco managed them well.
Here are more behind-the-scenes snaps of the Primetime King weaving magic as FPJ’s Batang Quiapo’s lead actor and director:
His co-actors say that he can be their production designer, too, as he makes sure every detail is perfect including the props.
Collaboration and dedication are truly the secret formula to the success of Batang Quiapo’s pilot week. Catch more action in the next episodes, weeknights, on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, and A2Z.
*Photos credit to cocomartin_ph IG