Of Luck And Of Grit: Director Paul Soriano On Pursuing And Succeeding In Passion

From one storyteller to another, Paul Soriano talks to Tatler Philippines about the silver screen and its silver linings

It’s not true what they say, you know. “Find a job you enjoy, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” That’s unrealistic: there are too many late nights and early mornings, stressful meetings and unreasonable arguments. There is plenty of work to be done, in any sort of work that you have to do — the only difference is whether it’s all worth it.

In my quick exchange with Paul Soriano, he discussed filmmaking with me — me of all people, a complete amateur in production, film, and movie-making. Yet despite my naiveté, I still understood: that one, speaking to Paul about film is like igniting a fire. It’s a passion that he is quick to defend and excited to discuss. Second, that despite our differences — his successful movie career versus my young start at publishing — we are, at heart, storytellers. And we love what we do.

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Paul, as a matter of fact, falls in love with film every day. His next project is always his favourite. But perhaps, he reminisces, he truly realised he had such a passion as a young man in high school.

“I had access to a Video8 camera [at that time and began shooting with it]. My brothers were my actors [and] I was just shooting using my imagination. There really was no story; I just wanted to capture life. I clearly remember mounting a shot where one of my brothers was going from his room to outside the house [and] since I had [only] one camera I [asked] him to do it multiple times so I could cover it from different angles. Then, when I edited it together, it looked like one clean shot [but] told from different perspectives. To be able to shoot this simple scene in multiple angles and edit it to look like one clean shot was amazing and [that’s when] I fell in love with film. [This feeling never left and it’s] the same feeling I get over and over again up to this day [and] with every film I'm a part of.”

Before this however, before Paul had felt the thrill of shooting and editing, he had wanted to be a professional golfer. Yet, he says: “I couldn't get the camera out of my mind. [I couldn’t forget] how much I loved movies. I would constantly write, shoot short films and then when I was around 24 years old, I finally told myself: ‘Let's give this a try’. And thankfully, it worked out pretty well for me.”

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But that’s perhaps an understatement. With multiple titles produced and directed, not to mention a hefty list of awards won (both locally and abroad), I can safely say that it’s turned out more than just “pretty well” for him. In this case, however, it’s more than just luck, because luck can only get you so far. Given opportunity, he’s also shown his grit and his perseverance.

The mentality should be simple: work hard, no excuses, never stop learning, sacrifice, and get it done no matter what. If you're able to do all that then good for you. [Now], do it again.

- Paul Soriano -

His constant devotion to the art — all the aspects of it — is mind-boggling. As any artist will attest: not everything about the creative process is fun nor is it glamorous. But as a seasoned director, Paul tells me that he’s learned to love it.

It's basically doing the things that you don't love to do in order to do the things you love to do. [To end up] doing what you love is the reward.

- Paul Soriano -

When he writes, he doesn’t sleep, doesn’t relax. The vision, as it births itself onto paper and then later onto film, keeps him awake through the wee hours of the morning. The Eastern sun will greet him in the coming day as he sits in his office surrounded by the quiet. There, he talks to himself, meets the characters he’s created, refines them, listens to his thoughts. As he says: “Producing and directing are 24/7. You can’t predict when inspiration hits you, so whatever time of the day [it is], you need to be ready to react and to create.”

Onward, as Paul explains his schedule to me, I start to realise that what he says is true. To do what you love is the reward. The sleepless nights, the days spent away from home, the eventual tedium of the creative slump — these all come with the territory. But Paul, as well as many other fellow creatives out there, myself included, are willing to go through all that. Because to have all that is luck: a chance to reap our reward, to do what we love and continue to do so.

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paul soriano film

Tatler Asia

Of Luck And Of Grit: Director Paul Soriano On Pursuing And Succeeding In Passion