Vegetable vendor grows up to run an indie film outfit in Dubai

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – At 12, he was selling vegetables at a marketplace.  He went through college with support from an older brother and subsequently got a job in the field of supply chain management.

But life indeed has its odd moments of serendipity. So, one day, bent on going back to the Philippines at the height of the 2020 COVID pandemic, Elvin Mark Santos, then 33 years old, thought he’d pass away time dabbling with videography. And voila, an independent film production house was born!

“I wanted to go home as I had lost my job. The money I had was the last payment from the company I was working at.  I was just trying to survive at the time,  searching for happiness, and it led me to photography and videography,” said Santos in a mix of English and the vernacular.

Dubbed “Project Manok,” which follows after Santos’ nickname, the oufit officially kicked off on April 8, 2022 with three employees and five contributors. It has since grown to approximately 70 members, having produced more than 700 “inspirational content” videos with 1.3 million followers and 700 million views on Facebook. It also has 21,000 YouTube subscribers.

Among films so far produced include the story of a father who became remiss of his responsibilities to his child after his wife left him; a mother who passes judgment on her daughter’s boyfriend because he came from an orphanage; a husband, who tries to seduce his wife’s younger sister; and a father who finally returns home after working for years abroad, but whose daughter doesn’t accept him anymore.

Birth pains

“Project Manok” was not without birth pains.

“I became a professional photographer and videographer using borrowed, or sometimes rented, gears. I struggled, especially in getting clients. I managed to have retainer clients, I think, because of my creative skills and customer service skills. That made me who I am today,” said Santos, whose first job upon arriving in Dubai in 2015 on a visit visa was as waiter at a restaurant in the touristy Dubai Mall.

He was promoted to a managerial post six months later before finally landing a job as supply chain analyst, owing to previous employments elsewhere and to a college degree on supply chain management from the Technological Institute of the Philippines in Quezon City (TIP-QC).

Content

“Our content is mostly about life lessons shared by friends and acquaintances that we pass on through film production. We are open to anyone with a story to give or is interested to be part of the production process – be it video, script or acting, anyone who wants to collaborate with us,” said Santos.

The feedback from the Filipino community has been overwhelming.  “People send us messages. Then we chat with and interview them. Then we ask them to visit us in our studio so we can explain what ‘Project Manok’ is all about and they can be part of our family,” Santos, second from a brood of 12 children, said.

Aside from Santos, other members in the collective of creatives include Vincent August, production head and the youngest director at 21 with more than 300 content films done.

Also in the group are Erisgill Ryan Santos, director of photography; Dawn Julius Bleza, cinematographer; Angelo Manglicmot Jr., head writer; and Karla Camille Danielle Sualog Santos, art production manager.

So, why “Project Manok”? “My nick name is ‘Manok’ (chicken). And this is my lifelong project that will be a legacy for all of us in the family,” explained Santos.—LDF, GMA Integrated News