Veteran director Joel Lamangan firmly believes that there should be etiquette when an intimate scene is being executed in a film.

Lamangan also shared that he has not yet experienced seeing an actor or an actress get carried away when shooting love scenes.

“Wala pa akong nakikita na physically aroused ‘yung gumagawa ng eksena. Wala pa akong nakikitang ganoon sa tagal ko na sa [industryang ito]. Marami na akong ginawa na ganitong eksena. Wala akong naranasan na ganoon,” he said during the online press conference for the film “Moonlight Butterfly” last Friday, March 11.

(I have not yet seen any actor physically aroused while doing the scene. I have not yet ever seen such in my many years in this industry. I have directed so many daring scenes. I have not yet experienced any such incident.)

And should the actor get carried away, the veteran director will do something to stop it.

“Sasabihan ko siya, ‘hoy, maraming taong nakakakita sa iyo. Hindi puwedeng ganyan. Ayusin natin. Ito’y sine lang, ito’y shooting lang. Hindi ito totohanang bagay. Hindi pupuwedeng gawin ‘yan. Sasabihan ko siya,” he explained.

(I will tell him,’Hey, there are many people looking at you. It should not be this way. Let’s fix this. This is just cinema. You cannot do that. I will tell him that.)

When told by a writer that sometimes some directors don’t stop filming even when the actors get carried away, Lamangan stressed: “Mali ‘yun. Hindi uubra sa akin dahil mali ‘yun. Dapat hindi ginagawa ’yun. Porno ba itong ginagawa natin? Hindi naman, ah. Hindi dapat ganoon. Mali ‘yun.”

(That’s wrong. That won’t be the case when I direct because it’s wrong. That should not be done. Are doing porno? No, we’re not. It should not be like that. That’s wrong.)

joel lamangan viva yt — Veteran director Joel Lamangan. Image: screengrab from “Moonlight Butterfly” digital media conference via YouTube/Viva Films

Aside from director’s intervention being necessary, Lamangan also pointed out that both female and male actors are put in harm’s way when someone gets carried away in the scene.

“Moonlight Butterfly” starring Christine Bermas, Albie Casiño and Kit Thompson will premier via Vivamax on March 18. JB

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