As a new actress, Rob Guinto is just amazed at how award-winning director Brillante Mendoza leads his stars and helms his films.

Guinto who was not aware that director Mendoza does not follow a script on the set, shared what the experience was like during the online press conference for “Virgin Forest,” May 27. The movie is streaming on Vivamax on June 24.

“First, kinabahan talaga kami kasi hindi namin alam kung saan namin huhugutin o gagawin ‘yung lines,” Guinto said. (At first, we were really nervous because we did not know where to draw our lines from or how we would create them.)

To make their work easy, Guinto said that Brillante made them work on a scene and gave them leeway on what lines they could deliver.

rob guinto ig — Rob Guinto. Image: Instagram/@rblyngnt

“Pero since si direk Brillante, binigyan kami ng isang pangyayari, ‘okay, ganito, ito ‘yung nangyari so ikaw na ang magde-deliver kung paano mo sasabihin ‘yung mga words. Binigyan kami ng key lines, ng keywords doon na kami humuhugot ng idea kung paano namin ide-deliver ‘yung lines,” she explained.

(But since director Brillante gave us a scenario, “Okay, it’s like this, this is what happened,” so you will be in charge of how you will deliver the words. We were given key lines, keywords, where we draw ideas from on how to deliver our lines.)

Guinto admitted it was challenging but they were able to pull it off with the guidance of Mendoza.

“Naging mahirap din po sa una pero dahil nandiyan naman si direk Brillante, hindi niya kami pinabayaan,” she said. (It was difficult at first but since director Brillante was there, he looked after us.)

“Virgin Forest” also stars Angeli Khang, Vince Rillon, Sid Lucero and Katrina Dovey. It is the story of a photographer (Lucero) mesmerized by a forest’s beauty. He will get more than what he bargained for when he eventually discovers that the forest is not just lush, but is also full of humans with lustful greed. JB

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