Chapter 42: (making of) The Seed

‘and I… I am your slave.’ imaginative and passionate, indecisive and spontaneous, Guillermo (Willy) Martin Maceiras Gomez has everything he needs to be a genius artist, except perhaps, money, time and the organized crew


Carlos has talked to me about Willy on the first night we met in Luang Prabang ‘We need some international professionals to help him making this short film’


so here we go… gather all your brains and connections, we are making a no-budget short film in Bangkok


‘NO PAY, food, transportation, screen credit provided’ I thought I graduated from this long time ago…


for me this is the very last thing to do in Rice Farm Tour 2008. after all the experiences of Vipasanna meditation, life in Pai, Traveling thorugh Laos and teaching English, playing Music and cleaning the beach all for this?


‘…but I never worked on a film shoot in Bangkok, which I have always wanted to, and probably it’s good to build some connections here.’ Toshiro reasons himself during the first official gathering. ‘Carlos, when are we starting the meeting?’ asks Lek


another day, another 'meeting' after our location scouting. While Lek, the line producer is busy on a phone, the director and the actress Rebecca are having a good time on couple of Singha, and off course I, the cinematographer, photographs it. Such a typical scene!


Joy arrives, with a huge shopping bag and the perfect make-up. ‘We want you to be the producer’


let’s go to my favorite ice cream shop and talk about this. finally some useful production meeting


crew, costume, location, food and transportation, budget! lots of concerns run through Lek’s head







Spanish director and Thai producers talk all the details to the bones, the meeting lasted until midnight!


‘Sorry I wish I could help you guys out all the way.’ May 10th, our trusted general, our moral support, our left-handed right-hand man with his flute and the brushes, Miguel Aflalo leaves Asia for the vast land of Australia. Travel well my friend, see you again somewhere




Another meeting welcomes Patavee ‘Art’ Viranuvat (above photo back row 2nd from Right) experienced in independent filmmaking in Bangkok (three photos taken by Art’s iPhone)



May 14th, 2 more days until the shoot our preparation continues. Lek takes Rebecca to Samyod, Bangkok’s central spot for fabrics and costumes


and May 15th, we have final meeting at our beloved cute café On Art on Phra Arthit. Joy goes through all our plans twice, once in English then in Thai


Duangz (far Left) is an award winning short film maker, knows all the pros and cons of shooting guerilla style on the streets of Bangkok


‘Let’s do this shot first, then this, then this. Okay what else do we need?’ Art (Right) watches Toshiro and Willy as they mark down camera positions on their floor plan (such last minutes!) trying to catch up. We have a tremendous confidence in him as our AD


and the morning of May 16th comes around and ready or not, we are shooting this. in the middle of Siam Square



in front of the Art Museum under construction we set up the first shot. All the worker from the Museum come out to see what’s going on


inside the Museum, infinity goes up on a trial, as Rebecca gets all whitened out


right goes thus, left goes thus, her steps are ever slow and steady, unlike those of Bangkok commuters in Siam Square







first set up done! piece of cake


camera rental house in Bangkok required us to have an in-house camera tech attending their equipment all the time. So here’s P’Boy, far more experienced in Thailand’s leading commercial and feature filmmaking, babysitting his little Panasonic DVX 100. Thank you so much!





Are you sure we have enough behind-the-scene cameras?



Camera’s on one skywalk, Rebecca’s on another. requires a bit of coordination


Art steps in to demonstrate his AD skill using walkie-talkies that were timely brought by Duangz


having gone to a film school in Australia, he himself made one short film with an international crew. Smart, quick, present and easy to work with. Currently developing a new documentary film about Pai, as well as marketing his previous short film ‘Takeshi’ a story of a Japanese boy in a traditional noodle restaurant. Visit www.takeshifilm.tk


for P’ Pop this must look like a bunch of children screaming in a playground. Senior of all of us, ex-advertisement photographer quietly observes us until we need his help. This location of the Art Museum is found two days before the shoot through him when Willy met him at On-Art café. Thank you so much for your experience, kindness and patience



last set-up here, with the director’s cameo appearance


then we take a break for touch up on the actress, perhaps we shouldn’t have


for it slows down the pace and dulls the air


‘bad news, we’re getting kicked out.’ that’s no surprise, when a girl in all white make up stroll around in the Central World shopping center with five cameras following her to ‘steal the shot’


so now we are back in Museum again


it’s actually better than Central World I think, and it’s quite symbolic. This is the first art museum in Bangkok, and it’s cool that they are trying to build it in the middle of commercial district (imagine what if Met was in Times Square?) after all the political controversy. And this could be the very first film ever shot here


a couple of more shots and we’re done








Rebecca, thank you for all your hard work. you are such a sport


Joy, thank you for stepping in, and stepping up


‘I didn’t do anything.’ just like she is only a ‘camera user’ Lek keeps a low profile. But we all know you brought us all together


‘I’m not a producer I’m Bruskowh.’ good heart, easy mind, truly enjoyed working, playing and panicking with you Carlos


Perhaps the best part of this project ‘The Seed’ is the making of the seed, which requires the plant to grow into a tree, to fruit and to ripe. Thank you Willy, for the chance for all of us to bring this together. good luck planting this seed, watering it to sprout and to growing it up to plant again

*photos contributed from collective crew personel of production The Seed, many by Lek. if you have more please e-mail me!