Meeting the Master (or How I Finally Got to Meet Romy Vitug)

Old School Cool – Tata Romy always uses his light meter when lighting his sets, even when he’s shooting digital.

Ever since I found out that my friend, TV and Film Director Rahyan Carlos, has been working regularly with award-winning cinematographer Romy Vitug, I’ve been scrambling for a chance to finally meet him. Yesterday, on the set of Rahyan’s newest suspense opus, I finally got to shake hands with the maestro whose work has been winning at the FAMAS and the Gawad Urian since the 70s (As a bonus, I also met veteran actress Perla Bautista as well). Any words of wisdom from the old lighting wizard? To become a good cinematographer, you first have to be a great photographer. Ain’t that the truth.