FILMS
I’ve had the unique experience of scoring four major films, all directed by Mike de Leon: Kakabakaba Ka Ba?, Kisapmata, Batch '81, and Bayaning Third World. Scoring music for films allowed me to explore my creativity without limits. The Urian ng Manunuri ng Pilipinas nominated me for best scoring for all four films, and I’m grateful to have won three of those Gawad Urian Award nominations.
KAKABAKABA KA BA? 1980
In 1980, film director MIKE DE LEON asked me to score his movie KAKABAKABA KA BA. It was my very first attempt at scoring music for film. I learned a lot about filmmaking. Timing music by measuring the 35mm footage at 24 frames per second, learning how to operate the noisy MOVIOLA machine, manually rewinding rolls of film, splicing, taping when needed, and a lot more in movie making.
I scored the music of KAKABAKABA KA BA against picture. I had a full orchestra on a sound stage at LVN Studios and recorded the score while the film was being projected on the screen. It was mixed straight to a tape recorder possibly a NAGRA as we had no portable multitrack machine during those days. In the final stages of mixing all the elements of the film, dialogue, live efx, and sound efx, I controlled the music levels, ensuring it was not under or overpowering the dialogue or scene.
I only had 3 playbacks, meaning pre-recorded materials done in a recording studio.
One was the 10-minute rock musical at the end which explains everything about the movie, the other was the scene in a club with CHRISTOPER DE LEON singing with his band and the last one was the singing/dancing nuns with NANETTE INVENTOR. (Note that Sister Act was made later in 1992).
My first venture in film scoring landed me my very first GAWAD URIAN AWARD from the MANUNURI NG PELIKULANG PILIPINO for BEST MUSICAL SCORING. The films that we were up against were AGUILA (EDDIE ROMERO, music score by RYAN CAYABYAB), CITY AFTER DARK (ISHMAEL BERNAL), BONA (LINO BROCKA), BRUTAL (MARILOU DIAZ ABAYA), THE MARRIAGE (LAURICE GUILLEN).
KAKABAKABA KA BA was featured this November 2022 at the MUSEUM OF MODERN ARTS in New York and at the NANTES FESTIVAL DES 3 CONTINENTS in France.
POSTER
My first Gawad Urian Award for Best Music Score
Kakaba.mp4Brief clip of the musical finale
Bigyan.mp4Fake Nuns singing. This was 10 years ahead of the movie Sister Act.
Kisapmata - 1981
The 1981 Filipino psychological horror film Kisapmata (In the Blink of an Eye) premiered at the 7th Metro Manila Film Festival and was later screened at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival during the Directors’ Fortnight.
This was my second film scoring project with director Mike de Leon, for which I received my second Gawad Urian Award for Best Music Score.
Kisapmata was directed by Mike de Leon and starred Vic Silayan, Charo Santos, Jay Ilagan, and Charito Solis. The film was based on the crime reportage The House on Zapote Street by Nick Joaquin.
The music was recorded at Greenhill Sounds Studio with sound engineer Jess Payumo. The film’s theme was played by Roger Herrera Jr. on an upright bass, with all music performed by a live orchestra.
As I reflect on the film, I remember those who have passed on: actress Charito Solis, actors Vic Silayan, Jay Ilagan, Ruben Rustia, and more recently, our production designer, Cesar Hernando.
KisapMata.mp4FilmTeaser
Scoring the film at Greenhill Recording Studio
Kisapmata Gawad Urian winners. Cesar Hernando, Rody Lacap, Vic Silayan & Lorrie Ilustre.
BATCH '81
Batch '81 was my third project with director Mike de Leon as a film composer, released in 1982. For this film, I used the Prophet 6 synthesizer, incorporating a classical-inspired musical approach to contrast the intense visuals, while also integrating more sound effects to enhance the score.
Batch '81 is a film directed by Mike de Leon that follows Sid Lucero, a college student subjected to brutal hazing rituals as he joins a fraternity. The film delves into themes of violence, power, and conformity, offering a sharp critique of fraternity culture and authoritarianism. It’s renowned for its intense psychological drama and its allegorical reflection of the Marcos dictatorship in the Philippines.
BATCH.mp4BAYANING 3RD WORLD (1999)
In 1999, nearly 18 years after my last film-scoring project, Batch ‘81, I received an unexpected call from director Mike de Leon. He mentioned that he was working on a new film and wanted me to check out some footage. Curious, I went to LVN Studios, where we screened a couple of scenes. At that point, I had only seen a snippet of the film—probably reel 5 or 6—without any context. I didn’t know what preceded or followed that particular scene, making it difficult to gauge the overall tone and direction of the film.
Mike, who had already approached a few film scorers without success, asked if I was interested. I returned with some studies and ideas, and that’s how I got involved in this film project. Working on Bayaning 3rd World was not just about composing the score; it also meant becoming part of the filmmaking process itself, something I truly enjoyed.
Looking back, I’m grateful to have experienced the old-school filmmaking process. There was something special about handling the physical 35mm film, calculating 24 frames per second to determine the length of the music, and composing while watching scenes on a noisy Moviola machine. Every time I wanted to replay a scene, I had to manually rewind the reel of film, hoping it wouldn't break. If it did, I had to splice and tape the film back together.
Today, technology makes everything much easier—just press a button, and you can view the entire film from start to finish. Back then, you only saw footage that was available and had already been filmed, typically around 10 minutes per reel. You had to compose music on the fly, hoping it would sync well with the rest of the film you hadn’t seen yet. That was the challenge, but it was also part of the magic of the process—the thrill of the unknown, the creativity sparked by limitations, and the satisfaction of overcoming obstacles.
Bayaning 3rd World is a film about two filmmakers struggling to create a movie about Dr. Jose Rizal, particularly focusing on the controversial question of whether Dr. Jose Rizal retracted his anti-Catholic Church stance in a supposed retraction letter before his execution during the Spanish regime.
The film went on to win six awards at the Gawad Urian Awards in 2000, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, and Best Music. Winning Best Music for this film earned me my third Gawad Urian award, and it remains one of my most cherished accomplishments.
Bayani.mp4My music score of the execution scene (silent movie) .
BAYANI TRAILER.mp4Trailer
My three Gawad Urian Trophies for Best Music Score.