GORGY RULA
Noong in-announce ng TV5 na si Mr. Johnny Manahan o Mr. M na ang hahawak ng kanilang talent management arm na Media Quest Artist Agency, iniwasang itanong sa starmaker ang dahilan ng pag-alis niya sa GMA-7.
Pahapyaw lang ang sagot niya.
Meron pang nabanggit na "masusungit na katrabaho." Hindi naman tinukoy kung sino.
Pero sa grand launch ng Star Worx (dating Media Quest Artist Agency) noong Martes, May 5, 202, diretsahan siyang tinanong ni Nestor Cuartero kung bakit siya umalis ng GMA-7.
Sinagot na ito ni Mr. M.
Saad niya: “I had a contract with 7 for three years. And for the most part, they treated me very well.
“I got along with Jimmy Duavit, and si Mr. [Felipe] Yalong, yeah, some of the executives there.
“Of course, Atty. [Felipe L.] Gozon and… but after three years, you know, they probably thought, and with very good reason, that they could handle things.
“They just wanted to find out if I could teach them something or deliver something in addition… already in addition to what they had there.
"And siguro, tapos na yun.”
Nagbiro pa si Mr. M na bakit hindi siya tinanong kung bakit siya umalis sa isa pang channel, na siyempre ang tinutukoy ay ang ABS-CBN.
Read: Johnny Manahan signs with TV5; leads new artist center
MR. M ON HELPING TV5 HOMEGROWN STARS
Dito sa TV5 ay positibo ang mga taga-Singko na malaki ang maitutulong ni Mr. M para sa homegrown stars ng Kapatid Network.
Maganda ang mensahe ng MediaQuest Holdings President & CEO na si Victorico “Ricky” Vargas.
Bahagi ng kanyang talumpati: “It takes a whole production to support a star. Not only from the manager to his PR person, his designer, and all that promotion comes with it.
“So, we are committed to such opportunity to give our stars.
“To our artists here, and now we are introducing, let this opportunity be your space to evolve. To take risk and to become the best person of yourself.
“Ask the artists that came before you, they will tell you, your journey will not always be easy. But hopefully, it can be meaningful.
“As we will be here, MediaQuest, TV5, and the whole network, grow with you every step of the way.
“We are not perfect, but at least we will try.”
Read: TV5 launches premiere talent arm Star Worx under Mr. M
NOEL FERRER
With social media and all its platforms creating, launching stars, gaano ka-relevant na maglunsad ng stars sa traditional na television medium?
“I still believe with TV as a medium of entertainment, and of creating stars,” pagtatapat ni Mr. M.
“The challenge now is to accommodate and share the process of finding people that excite the imagination of, you know, the people everywhere.
“Ang mga sa social media, they have their own platforms. They can do it by themselves.
“But I would call what they do, mga short form, you know. Very short range.
“Sabi nga ni Andy Warhol, ‘In the future, everybody will be famous for 15 seconds.’ So, ganun ang nangyayari ngayon, 15 seconds.”
Ang bantog na quotation ascribed kay Andy Warhol ay, “In the future everyone will be famous for 15 minutes.”
Pagpapatuloy ni Mr. M: “We hope to do traditional dramas, comedies, and maybe make new waves, so that we don’t bore the audience.
“But months ago, my daughter said that her kids are watching Buco Channel. Yung mga comedy namin na Richard Gomez, mga batuhan ng tubig.
“Gusto nila yun, e. Somehow, saka yung mga Panchito, Dolphy, hanggang dun.
“So, baka nga may resurgence of ganun ano, that, sense of comedy and maybe drama. I still think we can contribute to the larger audience.”
Read: Vico Sotto wins $1M grant at Bloomberg's Mayors Challenge
JERRY OLEA
Labing-anim ang kasama sa Block 1 ng Star Worx.
Ang seven boys ay sina Adam Buck, Amo Wilding, Chan Martin, Nico Matugas, Patrick Ballesteros, Spencer Capistrano, at Wayne Leonard.
Ang nine girls ay sina Carmela Lorzano, Celyn David, Kaitlyn King, Keisha Serna, Marthena Jickain, Nathalie Apollo, Rahil Gatali, Selina Griffin, at Steph Razon.
HOW STAR WORX ARTISTS WERE CHOSEN
Paano sila pinili? Anu-anong factor ang ikinunsidera?
“We choose people, siyempre, yung X-factor. Di mawawala yun, e. The X-factor, I don’t know what it is,” tugon ni Mr. M.
“Pero andoon. Sure, kayo rin, alam niyo yan, pag nakita ninyo ang X-factor to be your partner, may X-factor yon.
“Unless ano, nagko-collect ka lang, ano. May range na lang yon. But yon, X-factor.
“Then, youth, 'no. Because we want them to grow. To grow with us. So we can grow together over a span of five, ten years.
“Dati ganun. Ahh sina Piolo, John Lloyd, Bea Alonzo — we grew up together. Twenty, thirty years.
“So ngayon, ikakasal na si Bea. Si Lloydie, hinahanap pa namin si Lloydie. Ha! Ha! Ha! Lloydie, where are you?
“Si Piolo, pogi pa rin ngayon. Papa P, Papa P pa yon up to now.”
Yung mga nasa Block 1 ng Star Worx, bibigyan ba ng kani-kanyang project? O sama-sama lahat sa isang bagong TV show?
“Yeah, some of them will be given individual roles. But we already have a couple of shows,” sey ni Mr. M.
“Some of them earmarked already for individual shows.”
Malamang daw na itampok ang ilan sa kanila sa isang horror-drama series.
Read: Cita Astals regrets telling public about mental health disorder