Not just a kid on set
Student filmmaker Coby Rosario sometimes worries that people on set won’t take him seriously. Working with professional actors can be intimidating, he says. Because how do you give notes to someone who has been in the industry longer than you have?
“There’s always that pressure. I don’t want them to feel like, ‘Why am I doing this with my time? Why am I working with a 17-year-old?’” says Rosario, who turned 18 two days before our interview last October.
When actress Phoebe Walker’s boyfriend dropped her off on the set of the short film “Meurdona,” he looked at Rosario and said, “Oh wow, you’re really young!”
“I feel like some people saw me just as a kid who happens to be there,” Rosario says.
Attachment issues
In “Meurdona,” starring Walker and Andrew Gan, Rosario follows an adult couple through the stages of a three-year relationship. It begins with the honeymoon phase, when everything feels exciting. But as the relationship progresses, a sense of disconnect creeps in, and the gravity of an unexpected turn only sinks in for them at the very end.
Among the themes he tackles in the short are disillusionment and codependency. He recalls observing the latter in high school.
“It’s a prevalent thing for high schoolers,” he says. “Because it’s your formative years and you might not have a base or a fleshed-out identity yet. So a lot of the love you desire you wind up manifesting in the form of being in a relationship with another person.”
That kind of attachment, he points out, can put pressure on the relationship. “I also drew from stories I have heard or the things I have seen, even among adults I know,” says Rosario, who describes himself as naturally introspective and observant, which he feels translates to his filmmaking. “There’s always something to take away from every encounter.”
Indeed, working with actors like Walker and Gan proved to be an instructive experience. “During breaks, we would just chat about their passion, goals, and what inspired them to take up acting. I gained so much insight from them, and I’m grateful for that.”
Stepping stone
“Meurdona” earned Rosario a finalist spot in the Best Student Director–Short category at the Oniros Film Awards in New York. It was also an official selection at the Independent Shorts Awards in Los Angeles. Someone’s taking him seriously.
“It was my first to receive recognition. I’m happy and proud of that, but I’m always working, looking forward to the next one. It’s a great stepping stone,” he says.
Growing up, Rosario was inspired by his brother, whose stop-motion work had gone viral. However, it was watching Damien Chazelle films like “La La Land” and “Whiplash” that made him fall in love with movies and how much of the complexity of human emotion they could capture in two hours.
Among local films, “Filipiñana” is a favorite. It reminded him that films can entertain and draw attention to issues in society. “Film as a medium is powerful because it interweaves literature, visual arts, social realities, and music, all in one thing. It’s astounding,” he says.
Rosario plans to study filmmaking in college. And what an exciting time to be a young filmmaker, he says, with so many platforms and formats to experiment with. He takes inspiration from Curry Barker, who started out making comedy sketches and horror shorts online before directing the box-office horror hit “Obsession.” With more people able to put their work out there, Rosario says, there’s also more competition for attention. “But I’m grateful there are these gateways for us.”
But whatever the medium, he hopes to keep making films that let him speak openly about different subjects and explore them in unconventional ways. “That’s what I gravitate toward,” he says.
