THE telecast of “Bilangin ang Bituin sa Langit” fresh new episodes started this week and we ask Mylene Dizon, one of its lead stars, about her experience taping it on a lock-in basis in a resort-hotel in San Mateo, Rizal.
“There are advantages and also some disadvantages,” she says. “The advantage is that I don’t have to travel every other day for our taping from my home in Silang, Cavite. And since hindi na kayo umaalis sa same location, you get to stay in character every day. You’re always in tune with the story. At dahil lagi kaming magkakasama nina Ate Guy (Nora Aunor), Kyline Alcantara, Zoren Legaspi, Yasser Marta and the rest of the cast, along with our director, Laurice Guillen, we’re all able to grow closer as one family.”
And what is the disadvantage? “The drawback, of course, is you’re away from your own family. Siyempre, I miss my two sons, Tom and Lucas, and my partner (Jason Webb.) And when the taping ended and I returned home, I cannot hug them right away kasi I have to quarantine myself muna.”
It’s good that before the lock-in taping, they were together everyday due to the pandemic.
“Yes, in a way, the lockdown became enjoyable because I was able to spend a lot of time with my children, which we seldom did before kasi sobrang busy nga ako with work and they’re busy naman with school. So it’s a wonderful experience for all of us being together, with me cooking for them and just keeping them company. So tamang-tama lang na before we did lock in taping, nakapag-recharge na ako in the company of my sons.”
Because of the pandemic, there were many changes made in the original script. “Inayos nila in such a way that we could use the entire location ng hotel and its surrounding areas for the different locations needed in the story. Also, they had to revise the scenes to make sure there would be no physical contact among us stars. No hugging or kissing. Intimate scenes are just implied to make sure we practice social distancing.”
Since we have yet to really rout the virus, Mylene believes that this set up in lock in tapings will be the new norm in doing TV shows. “I really believe it’s going to be like this for a while to insure everyone’s safety. It’s not really easy, but we just have to embrace it and get used to it.”
Mylene is one versatile actress who can do both bida and kontrabida roles with equal ease. Last year, she was impressive playing the lead role in the Cinemalaya movie, “Belle Douleur”. She had several quiet but emotional scenes in her role as a spinster who falls in love and has an affair with a much younger man. Too bad award-giving bodies ignored her performance and she didn’t even get a nomination.
