‘AnVee’ sees digital series as a stepping stone
A primetime soap may still be the goal for many actors as far as mainstream presence is concerned, but over the past few years, digital series have become more than just a lesser alternative. Sure, they may lack traditional prestige, but they make up for it in agility and intimacy. And for up-and-coming talents, that environment may well be good for growth.
True enough, young actors Shuvee Etrata and Anthony Constantino, who say they’re still “in the season of introducing ourselves,” consider their first lead roles in the YouTube series “From Vlog to Love” a “stepping stone.”
“Every start is a good start. A door opened and we went there,” Etrata tells Lifestyle Inquirer. “I’m happy we were given a platform to test and showcase our talents, and see how we can still push ourselves.”
Still a big deal
Etrata may have attracted a large following after “Pinoy Big Brother” and had supporting roles in high-profile series like “The Master Cutter,” but she isn’t so unrealistic as to expect to headline her own mainstream series so early in her career. Still, she knows that precious slots, even in digital series, “aren’t just handed out to anyone.”
“‘Di pa naman po kami gano’n kakilalang artista. Hindi pa kami sikat na sikat o beterano para basta bigyan ng [malaking] trabaho,” she says.
Constantino has been in the industry for only a year, so anything that helps ease him into the craft—and gives him some taping experience at all—is already a big deal.
“I have done mostly modeling and transitioning to acting isn’t the easiest. It’s an opportunity for me to hone my acting and make it my main thing,” he says, adding that he also sees the digital format as a practical way to reach audiences as viewing habits shift toward it.
“It’s gonna be accessible to a lot of people,” he adds.
Playing themselves
In “From Vlog to Love”—which drops new episodes every Friday and Saturday on GMA Network’s YouTube channel—Etrata and Constantino practically play themselves in what’s described as an “AFAM meets Bisdak” story.
Angge (Etrata) is a quick-witted college intern determined to build a better life for herself and her beloved grandmother. Bullet (Anthony) is a charming Filipino American boy who’s disgraced by a spliced viral video showing him making a racist remark. Cut off by his father, he’s sent to the Philippines to manage the family resort, where he crosses paths with Angge through content creation and promotional shoots for the property.
“Angge is from the province na nakipagsapalaran, so she’s very similar to me,” says Etrata, who tried her luck in Manila—auditioning and pursuing modeling gigs—after gaining a following in Cebu as a content creator and beauty pageant kontesera. “We have the same values and experiences.”
She also resonates with Angge being a lola’s girl. But while her own grandmother has already passed away, she had the honor of calling the internationally acclaimed actress Ruby Ruiz her lola—and mentor—in the series.
“She’s a very, very talented actress, and I’m so lucky just to be able to work with her,” she says. “If my lola were still alive, I would probably shower her with the same, if not more, love than Angge does.”
Constantino has been courting Etrata since even before she entered “Bahay ni Kuya”—and it shows. The challenge, then, is bringing that chemistry onscreen. “It makes the job easier, I think, because other people have to do a chemistry test. Ours is already there off camera, so it’s just a matter of translating that to the camera,” he says.
No beating around the bush
While that’s for the audience to judge, one thing they know they were able to bring from real life to reel is the directness with which they deal with each other. If Constantino isn’t giving the right expression, he wants Etrata to tell him as it is.
“We don’t beat around the bush or say something looks good when it doesn’t,” Constantino says. “If I have to change my emotions or expressions, I need to know. We have learned to be very straightforward with each other. We’re comfortable being completely honest with each other.”
Etrata agrees, adding that, in real life, it’s Constantino who often leads. But on set is where she flips the dynamic a little. With four years in showbiz under her belt, Etrata is still, in many ways, a newbie—but hey, that’s still more experience than Constantino.
“I lead more in the show. I have more ideas because I have been doing this longer. It’s not a lot but mas natutulungan ko siya,” Etrata says.
Both actors are determined to make the most out of this project. Doing a romantic comedy series is a dream come true for Etrata, and doing it with someone like Constantino is “such a blessing.” And if they do their best and it’s good enough, she surmises, perhaps this experience will open bigger doors in the future.
“Pwedeng ito ang magbigay sa ‘min ng mas maraming trabaho in the future,” Etrata says.
