We got Alyssa lagahino, MIKA, Yassi Benitez, Doll Makeeda, Kim Domingo and Kariz! DJ remix by our resident DJ--> Nathan J!
Car Clubs will Unite in Baguio for the Panagbenga Festival Celebration of Bumper to Bumper. Happening on March 1 and 2 in SM City Baguio. Special thanks to our official residence Baguio Burnham Suites.
See us go around Baguio on Feb 28 and March 1.
American footwear brand Pony is known for its rebel streak and fiercely unique character. Its name has become synonymous to freedom of expression, individuality, and living up to one’s potential. Its slogan, “Let’s get it on!” best embodies Pony’s brand image.
As the brand continues to grow, Pony’s roster of brand ambassadors does too; with character actor Alex Medina being the newest endorser.
Alex is part of the new generation of primetime style icons whose artistic chops earned him recognition in the world of indie films. He bagged his first Best Actor trophy for the movie “Palitan”, which coincidentally pays tribute to “Scorpio Nights” – a movie that actually starred his thespian-father Pen Medina.
His acting skills, described as fearless and with depth, paved the way for his entry into mainstream television. Alex worked alongside actresses Kim Chiu and Maja Salvador in ABS-CBN’s recently concluded primetime series “Ina, Kapatid, Anak” where he portrayed the revengeful character of Diego – the long-lost son of Cherry Pie Picache’s character.
The multi-talented 25-year-old actor is passionate about both music and acting. “Music is my first love, but I get more fulfillment in acting,” said Alex. “In acting kasi buong pagkatao mo required. It is not easy – masarap at masakit siya at the same time because you get into these characters, scenes, and emotions that you usually do not encounter in real life,” he shared.
Being one of the sons of a respected veteran actor is a challenge, according to Alex. Yet this does not faze him easily. His dad is very supportive of his career, and even coaches him through one-on-one acting workshops.
“As an actor, I am very serious about my craft. I see to it that I play my role based on what is required of me. As my dad would always say, di pwede kampante dahil maliit ang role, dapat lagi 100 percent at pag mas kinonte, gawing 150 percent. Besides, I need to learn from the tree,” said Alex. “Because the apple should not fall far from the tree, or should I say this time ‘the Pen is mightier than the sword.”
His steady realness, carefree attitude and free spirit best exemplify the ideals of a Pony ambassador. Donna Santos, marketing manager of Pony Philippines, believes that Alex represents the brand well.
“We think that he represents the brand – unpretentious, rock and roll, talented, and he is not afraid of letting others see the real him,” she said. “Pony is always on the lookout for upcoming stars, and we think that Alex has what it takes to be the next big star.”
Alex, meanwhile, is overjoyed to be part of Pony’s growing roster of celebrity endorsers that include Jinri Park, Glaiza de Castro and Carlo Aquino, among others.
“Pony complements my lifestyle well. I’m your usual jeans-and-shirt type of guy, and their sneakers are perfect for my everyday getup. Being named as an ambassador is a both a big break and blessing for me,” said Alex. “But more than that, I believe that Pony is perfect for me because the brand and I share the same attitude. I see to it that I always stay true to myself. In other words, what you see is what you get, just like Pony,” Alex concluded.
These shoes will be used for World Cup 2014 in Brazil. It uses Nike Flyknit technology which was incorporated in Nike running shoes in 2012 and again, in basketball this year with the Kobe 9. Now, Flyknit will be just one element of a boot that will redefine what is possible for football.
The video was shot at varying points along the testing process over the past year and the world’s best football players will be wearing them at the World Cup 2014.
The boot will be launched early March.
3M Philippines, a supporter of the Virlanie Foundation, a non-government organization helping street children, enabled Virlanie kids to learn NBA-style basketball at the Jr. NBA/Jr.WNBAPhilippines 2014 presented by Alaska at the San Andres Sports Complex last February 21, 2014. At the Clinic, the kids learned basketball fundamentals, new skills, the importance of hydration, nutrition and the Jr. NBA’s core S.T.A.R. Values of Sportsmanship, Teamwork, a positive Attitude, and Respect. The Manila school clinics of Jr. NBA Philippines 2014 presented by Alaska were conducted by Jr. NBA coaches led by PBA Legend Jojo Lastimosa.The Virlanie children were all smiles as they enjoyed a whole day of basketball fun. Above, the Virlanie Kids share a special moment with coaches, PBA Legends Jojo Lastimosa and Jerry Codiῆera.
What happens when a young gay man falls in love with a woman? That’s the central conceit behind Red Turnip Theater’s second offering, COCK by Mike Bartlett. A sold-out hit when it first premiered in London in 2009 and subsequently during its off-Broadway run a year later, COCK revolves around a gay couple whose rocky relationship derails when one of them sleeps (and falls in love) with a woman. Debates over one’s sexual identity explode when all three decide to sit down and “duke it out” over dinner. Hilarity ensues when another unexpected guest turns up and loyalties are put to the test. As one character puts it, “It’s the ultimate bitch fight”.
The New York Times calls COCK “a terrific, tense little comedy” while The Huffington Post hails it as “a terrific contemporary play that puts much of other theatre to shame”. This critical darling is the perfect bookend to Red Turnip’s maiden season.
Fresh off the success of their critically-acclaimed CLOSER last October at Whitespace, Red Turnip promises another unique, in your face theatrical experience with COCK. The vision of five estab-lished actors (Ana Abad Santos, Topper Fabregas, Jenny Jamora, Cris Villonco and Rem Zamora), Red Turnip aims to engage theatergoers with the sort of material that seems to be in short supply in the country—the straight play.
Rem Zamora makes his directorial debut with COCK.“We’re excited to be back in Whitespace. A lot of people who came to CLOSER said they enjoyed the intimacy of the experience and the space. That was in Hall B. We’re going even more intimate this time in the smaller Hall A. COCK also plays in the round so it feels like you’re watching a fight in an arena—no frills: just words and pure conflict in the ring, and an intense involvement in the audience.”
Zamora has assembled a tight cast of theatrical heavyweights for COCK’s Manila premier: Topper Fabregas (Boeing Boeing, The Producers), Niccolo Manahan (Next Fall, Doubt), Jenny Jamora (Mind’s Eye, A Little Night Music), Audie Gemora (Sweeney Todd, Les Miserables) Fabregas is John, a young man caught between his gay lover and his growing attraction to an-other woman- W, played by Jamora.
Niccolo Manahan makes a theatrical comeback as M, John’s lover who isn’t about to let him go without a fight. “I feel ‘Cock’ will be a great experiment for me; an experiment in balancing my life with the things I enjoy doing, and an experiment in pushing my range. I don’t know where this ex-periment will lead but its an incredible opportunity that I’m thankful for.”
Rounding off this impressive cast is theatre stalwart Audie Gemora as F, M’s well-meaning father whose sudden appearance at dinner throws everyone for a loop. “The birth of a theater group is always exciting and eventful with fresh artistic vision and passion. I am thrilled to be part of Red Turnips 2nd offering, ‘Cock’. This is Rem Zamora's directorial debut and my first time to be acting opposite brilliant young actors Niccolo Manahan and Jenny Jamora, while Topper Fabregas takes on his most complex character yet. Together we jump into a crackling cock fight of personalities, emotions and words.”
COCK is a comedy… with bite. No props, scenery or furniture. Just actors, sharp dialogue and some clever staging. All essential. Absolutely Red Turnip.
COCK is supported by FILA through the kindness of its President and owner Cris Albert. Supporting the arts has become one of her numerous advocacies, a true testament to her gener-ous spirit and her commitment to giving back to the community.
Direction by Rem Zamora, technical direction and lighting design by John Batalla, set design by Denis Lagdameo and sound design by Jethro Joaquin.
Cock will be staged at Whitespace — 2314 Chino Roces Ave. Extension (formerly Pasong Tamo Extension), Makati — on March 7, 14, 21, 28 and April 4 (Friday, 9 p.m.); March 8, 15, 29 and April 5 (Saturday, 8 p.m.); April 5, Saturday at 4 p.m.; March 9, 16, 23 and April 6 (Sunday, 4 p.m.) and special closing gala on April 6, Sunday, 8 p.m.
Tickets are available through TicketWorld (891-9999 or www.ticketworld.com.ph) Or Red Turnip Theater (redturniptheater@gmail.com or https://www.facebook.com/RedTurnipTheater)
In this heart pounding action-thriller, Kevin Costner is a dangerous international spy, who is determined to give up his high stakes life to finally build a closer relationship with his estranged wife and daughter, whom he's previously kept at arm's length to keep out of danger. But first, he must complete one last mission – even if it means juggling the two toughest assignments yet: hunting down the world‟s most ruthless terrorist and looking after his teenage daughter for the first time in ten years, while his wife is out of town.
3 Days to Kill stars Kevin Costner as Ethan Renner, the CIA operative at the center of McG‟s new action, finds himself trying to save the world from Europe‟s most dangerous terrorists while trying to reconnect with his wife and daughter in Paris
The film discovers some universal truths about family and work that takes the story beyond its spy hero premise. Ethan finds himself in over his head when he is left alone with his teenage daughter Zooey, played by Hailee Steinfeld, for 3 days. Ethan knows exactly what to do when it comes to work, but keeping his career away from his increasingly curious teenager becomes his most challenging mission yet. Like many teens, Zooey feels like Ethan is constantly choosing work over her – even when she doesn‟t know exactly what “work” is. “I think that's a theme that many people can relate to in the real world.
Many of us spend too much time on things that matter less than that which matters the most to us, and that's what this film is ultimately all about,” said McG. McG sees Ethan‟s expert killing skills as counterintuitive to being a good father and it is that struggle that drives the film. “Ethan doesn‟t know much about contemporary teenage culture like Twitter or what‟s online. He is very analog in a digital world. You have a guy that‟s been out in the field with a very, very strong sense of duty who has now come home to try to reconnect with his daughter, and it‟s emotional.
In a film with several relationship dynamics at play, often simultaneously, it was important to find the right combination of talent to bring these characters to life. McG and Costner found their way to the project around the same time, which led to a number of discussions about the film and the character. McG jumped at the chance to work with Costner seeing it as a tremendous opportunity to work with an Academy Award® winning director and to elevate his own work.
“He is a beloved character who has had an established, long standing career.” McG saw Ethan as a strong American presence, much like Costner. “It is a tip of the cap to Kevin in regards to how much the global film audience appreciates him.” Filling out Ethan‟s family meant finding two women who would have unique chemistry with Costner. Ethan‟s daughter Zooey is your typical American teenager living in Paris, France.
The key for McG was finding an actress who could convey all of the conflicting emotions Zooey feels about not understanding her father‟s life and someone who would be able to match Costner‟s presence on screen. McG found that in Academy Award® nominee Hailee Steinfeld. “Hailee was absolutely my first and only choice. She is one of the most natural actors in her age group. She just completely owns the dialogue; she makes difficult scenes go down very easily.
It‟s not easy to emote and have it feel natural and she puts the audience at ease. That‟s a gift that can‟t be taught.” McG further said of Steinfeld, “She is an extraordinary screen presence who we are lucky to have in this place in her career. She understands what it means to be young and alive; but, at the same time, she has an emotional complexity which is beyond her years. So it was a joy to turn the camera on and just watch her work.”
‘3 DAYS TO KILL’ is released and distributed by CAPTIVE CINEMA.
SHOWING ON FEBRUARY 21. NATIONWIDE
Now, Director Altarejos film Unfriend, which took the Berlin film festival by storm, takes viewers on a nightmarish journey with the film’s principal character David, jilted by his lover just before Christmas, to turn to the screens of his mobile phone, iPad and computer in a desperate attempt to extend his affair with his 17-year old love, Jonathan.
Altarejos masterfully relates a gay teenager’s heartbreak and obsession with the social media and makes for a grappling tale of how the Internet can drive fragile minds into a dangerous world. As David’s phone calls, text messages and Skype calls go unanswered, he becomes more and more detached from reality and wanders through the crowds and chaos of Manila with a fatal plan forming in his head.
The film Unfriend vividly portrays life in the Philippines, where poverty forces millions to work abroad, and cheap phones and free WiFi make social media all-pervasive. It has a universal message in showing the perils that the ready availability of unfiltered information online can hold for young people-putting them in touch with shady characters and online materials instructing them how to commit suicide, assemble bombs or commit crimes, and an infinite variety of self-destructive topics.
Unfriend boasts of a mixture of veteran and upcoming actors in the persons of Ms. Boots Anson Roa, Sandino Martin and Angelo Ilagan. It is distributed by Solar Entertainment Corporation. Showing on February 26, 2014 at your favorite theaters.
The world’s most prestigious smarter mobility competition, Shell Eco-marathon (SEM), begins today as Asia’s most fuel-efficient student designed vehicles take to the tracks for the first time in the Philippines. Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada kicks off the annual mobility competition, which challenges the region’s aspiring young engineers to build vehicles of the future that can go the farthest on the least amount of energy.
The Shell Eco-marathon Asia 2014 brings together 109 student teams from 15 countries across Asia and the Middle East to showcase their innovations in sustainable mobility. This year, 15 Filipino teams are competing against the best of the best in Asia Pacific. In its 5th year, the SEM in Manila is different from previous competition staged in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. For the first time, student-designed cars compete in a street circuit in Rizal Park, Manila as compared with the SEM Malaysia which was held in the Sepang International Circuit. Alongside Mayor Estrada, Simon Henry, Shell’s Chief Financial Officer, and Edgar Chua, Country Chairman for Shell Philippines, kicks off the competition during the flag-off ceremony.
“Every year the students amaze the judges with their passion, creativity and ingenuity as they push the boundaries of fuel efficiency and energy conservation,” said Shell’s Chief Financial Officer Simon Henry, at the flag off. “These teams represent the next generation of leaders, designers and engineers, and their commitment to finding sustainable solutions makes me confident we can together tackle the ongoing mobility and energy challenges.”
Shell FuelSave celebrity driving challenge
Happening alongside the Shell Eco-marathon is the Shell FuelSave celebrity driving challenge. During this event, four celebrities from Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines compete in the final leg of the Shell FuelSave Celebrity Driving Challenge, after previously holding their individual challenges in their home countries.
Philippine representative Bianca Gonzalez, together with actor Alex Simon Rendell of Thailand; model and TV host Lisa Surihani of Malaysia; and celebrity DJ Jean Danker of Singapore take on the ultra energy-efficient Shell Eco-marathon prototype car, in a collective feat to drive the farthest using the least amount of fuel. Learning fuel efficient driving tips from the Shell Eco-marathon teams from their respective countries, the celebrities showcase how a few simple changes to driving habits, can help drivers be more fuel efficient.
Shell Energy Lab launched
Visitors at the Shell Eco-marathon Asia also join the opening of the Shell Energy Lab, an engaging (not appropriate adjective) and educational adventure that explores the future of energy, technology and mobility. The first of its kind in Asia, the Shell Energy Lab features a number of interactive displays and activities that spark reflection on the growing stresses on the world’s resources. Guests of all ages can experience a variety of activities such as the Kinetic Energy Dance Floor, Energy Generators, Kinetic Energy Dance Floor and Mini Shell Eco-marathon competition.
To commemorate Shell’s 100 years in the Philippines, the Shell Energy Lab also takes visitors to a journey of Shell’s history in the country - starting from a small trading office in Manila to a major refinery and exploration hub.
Shell Eco-marathon has four Global Partners:
HP: Official Global Information Technology (IT) Partner
Michelin: Official Global Paddock Partner and Tyre Supplier
The Linde Group: Official Global Paddock Partner
Southwest Research Institute: Official Global Paddock Partner
Shell Eco-marathon Asia 2014 is held in partnership with the Philippine Government: Department of Tourism, Department of Energy and the City of Manila. Private sector partners are Unilever Philippines, Solane, Coca-Cola, Globe, Lego and Hyundai.
For more information on all Shell Eco-marathon events across the globe, including official rules, instructions for registration and details on prizes, please visit the Shell Eco-marathon website at www.shell.com/ecomarathon.
Full list of teams:
| No. | Country/Territory | No. of Teams |
| 1 | Brunei Darussalam | 5 |
| 2 | China | 3 |
| 3 | Egypt | 2 |
| 4 | India | 13 |
| 5 | Indonesia | 18 |
| 6 | Lebanon | 2 |
| 7 | Malaysia | 16 |
| 8 | Pakistan | 8 |
| 9 | Philippines | 15 |
| 10 | Qatar | 3 |
| 11 | Singapore | 4 |
| 12 | South Korea | 2 |
| 13 | Thailand | 11 |
| 14 | United Arab Emirates | 2 |
| 15 | Vietnam | 5 |
| Total | 109 |
There is nothing more overpowering, reckless and all-consuming than the rush that accompanies first love…in all of its intensity and obsession, possibility and promise. It is a timeless theme in modern storytelling, dating back to Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers, but one that remains urgently current because it serves as a rite of passage for everyone in every generation.
This Valentine’s Day, one young couple will fight against all odds for love.
Endless Love stars ALEX PETTYFER (Magic Mike, I Am Number Four) and GABRIELLA WILDE (The Three Musketeers, Carrie) in the story of Jade Butterfield and David Elliot, a privileged girl and a charismatic boy whose instant desire sparks a love affair made only more reckless by parents trying to keep them apart. Although separated by class boundaries, their gravitational pull is undeniable and unstoppable.
During the months following their high school graduation, Jade, a sheltered young woman with a limitless future, becomes enthralled with David, a working-class boy with a troubled past who in turn falls head over heels for her. Their romance collides with Jade’s controlling father’s attempts to steer her clear of David, while her mother encourages the relationship to thrive and his father advises clear-eyed caution. Over the course of one unforgettable summer, two young lovers will defy logic and allow their all-consuming passion to determine their future together.
Directed by SHANA FESTE (Country Strong, The Greatest), the romantic drama co-stars a cast of seasoned and up-and-coming performers, led by BRUCE GREENWOOD (Star Trek, Flight) as Hugh, Jade’s overbearing father who never lets her out of his sight; JOELY RICHARDSON (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Vampire Academy) as Anne, Jade’s romantic and idealistic mother who has the heart of a poet; and ROBERT PATRICK (Safe House, upcoming Kill the Messenger) as David’s father, Harry, a mechanic who wants his son to have the life he never did.
They are joined by young talents RHYS WAKEFIELD (The Purge, Sanctum) as Keith, Jade’s loving, yet rebellious, older brother; DAYO OKENIYI (The Hunger Games, The Spectacular Now) as Mace, David’s fantastically reckless best friend; and EMMA RIGBY (The Counselor, television’s Once Upon a Time in Wonderland) as Jenny, David’s formidable ex-girlfriend who refuses to give up on him so easily.
To produce the film, SCOTT STUBER (Ted, Safe House) of Bluegrass Films and producer PAMELA ABDY (Identity Thief, 47 Ronin) of New Regency are joined by JOSH SCHWARTZ (TV’s Gossip Girl, The O.C.) and STEPHANIE SAVAGE (TV’s Gossip Girl, Hart of Dixie) of Fake Empire.
For Endless Love, Feste commands a behind-the-scenes team that is led by director of photography ANDREW DUNN (Precious, The Perks of Being a Wallflower), production designer CLAY GRIFFITH (We Bought a Zoo, Sweet Home Alabama), editor MARYANN BRANDON (Star Trek, Super 8), costume designer STACEY BATTAT (The Bling Ring, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby) and composer CHRISTOPHE BECK (The Hangover trilogy, The Muppets).
Based on the book by SCOTT SPENCER, Endless Love is from a screenplay by Shana Feste and JOSHUA SAFRAN (Gossip Girl). J. MILES DALE (The Vow) and TRACY FALCO (Lions for Lambs) serve as the romantic drama’s executive producers.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
Fight for Love: The Production Begins
The idea to draw inspiration from Scott Spencer’s 1979 best-selling novel about teenage lovers and bring those themes to young moviegoers in the 21st century originated with Scott Stuber and Pamela Abdy, who, early on, attracted a pair of ideal collaborators. Although this all-consuming territory has been explored in films for much older audiences, they were interested in taking an exploration of a love so intense that nothing will stand in its way and making it relatable for a “PG-13” audience.
Abdy shares the film’s inception: “When Scott and I talked about doing Endless Love as a film, we thought it would be a good idea to approach Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, who are the king and queen of the teen genre. They have created such wonderful, smart work that speaks to that generation: The O.C. and Gossip Girl and now The Carrie Diaries. At that point, the development process began and we worked to make the best, most contemporary version of a teenage first-love story.”
Stuber shared his fellow producers’ interest in developing the material. He notes: “I thought this was a great way to explore two people who have the ups and downs of their first love. The first time that you feel those emotions, there’s euphoria to them, and this great love expands who you are. As well, there’s a great sadness when it goes wrong. You feel it on such a level that you can’t again, as there is only one first time.”
For Schwartz, the challenge was to ensure that the film would both honor the classic movie melodrama and feel like a current, relevant romance. “Stephanie and I have worked together for a long time, and we love classic teen drama,” he says. “When you’re telling a story about teenagers, everything seems so heightened and feels like life and death. We wanted to create a modern-day epic love story that still feels grounded, believable and has a bit of a ‘Romeo and Juliet’ quality to it.”
With this telling of the classic story, the producers believed that their Jade Butterfield and David Elliot should discover the beautiful abandonment and repercussions of falling into your first love. They knew that the intended audience would see and experience a great deal of their own first relationships in this drama.
“I love romantic movies and love stories,” offers Savage, “and something that is always a huge part in the TV shows that Josh and I do is the theme of young people falling in love for the first time—losing themselves, making good and bad decisions and going on a journey—which is relatable for everybody. You’ve either been in love and had your heart broken or you want to be in love. Even when you get older, you often think about that teenage love and the first time that you fell.”
Schwartz and Savage developed the script for Endless Love with Joshua Safran, one of the duo’s Gossip Girl writers, with whom they had worked for years. Whereas Spencer’s novel has somewhat more political and darker elements than this film, the producers remain grateful for its inspiration and took liberties with his characters and narrative. Commends Savage: “Josh is smart and is a terrific emotional writer; we love his voice. We knew he would understand the elevated world of Jade’s family and bring to this original script the story of a family that had suffered and hadn’t recovered from the loss of their son. As well, he could help the audience understand how David, this scrappy kid from the other side of the tracks, comes into their lives and ignites Jade’s heart.”
After organizing the core team and commissioning a draft, the producers approached Country Strong’s Shana Feste to direct. As Schwartz notes: “Shana came in with such a great sensibility about the material. She has an acute understanding of character and love stories. Most importantly, she vividly remembers being a teenager and tapped into many of the things that appealed to the rest of us about the story.”
Savage agrees with her fellow producer’s assessment: “Shana had directed two previous movies that had amazing performances, especially from young actors. We knew that if we could get Shana to direct the movie it would feel authentic. Her belief in love and the theme of the movie is imbued in every scene; lightness, warmth and hopefulness permeate through everything.”
Once Feste signed on to the project, she tailored the script to her sensibilities. Abdy explains: “The life of each character is important to Shana, and she’s thought through every stage—from working through the story and writing the script to figuring out the characters’ relationships and how they were intertwined.”
The writers imagined Jade as a sheltered and inexperienced high-school senior who falls for David, a dangerous young man with a dark history. Her father strongly objects to the passionate relationship that’s blossoming and the newfound freedom that Jade’s discovering with a guy he is certain is wrong for her. There’s little he can do about her evolution or David’s increasing presence and influence upon her. In fact, Jade’s intense feelings for David are a constant, thorny reminder to both her father and mother of what has slowly died in their marriage. As Jade consciously says goodbye to her innocent past, she has an awakening that will change both of them forever.
Stuber found soulfulness to Feste’s approach to the material, one that echoed a classic fairy tale. He explains: “In the way that Jade is articulated, she’s Rapunzel. She’s a girl who had a brother who died of cancer, which inevitably made her mother and father that much more of helicopter parents. The loss of a child is the worst thing that could happen to anyone, and that loss manifests itself in different ways. In the case of Jade’s father, it turned him into an overbearing man who has limited his daughter’s ability to be a real person in high school. She’s lost out on those years and is a girl in a gilded cage until David breaks her out of it. He can see her for who she really is.”
Feste elaborates upon her interest in the project: “I wanted to direct this film because I wanted to make a contemporary love story. I was immediately drawn to the idea of making a movie about falling in love and exploring themes that are important to me—being brave and putting love first. To have that message reach hundreds of thousands of people in this generation is an amazing opportunity.”
The writer/director aimed to create an experience that would have the audience rooting for our couple. Her goal was to expose the intensity and passion of first love, and she was determined to put that into each frame of the movie. The director shares: “I wanted a happy ending for this story. I wanted our characters to win, and I wanted love to win. That’s the story that I wanted to tell: that real love, your first love, can be the most powerful.”
She continues: “I thought a lot about ‘Romeo and Juliet’ when I was writing and was also inspired by the photography of Ryan McGinley. The connection to teenagers in his work feels inclusive, fun and young and sexy. I didn’t want the characters’ love to feel portrayed from a distance. I wanted it to feel like we were experiencing it. McGinley’s photography lets you be in the world of his subjects, and that’s how I wanted to feel when I was watching Jade and David. David is a brooding, yet charming, guy who awakens this wonderful, ethereal girl for the first time.”
The self-described romantic admits that what also drew her to the project was her personal experience of seeing a love story told on screen for the first time. “I want what I experienced when I saw my first love story,” she says. “I walked away from that theater thinking, ‘I cannot wait to fall in love. I can’t wait to meet that guy and have all of that.’ That’s what I want every girl in the audience to think when they watch this movie.”
Abdy was moved by how Feste and Safran had so beautifully captured the intimacy and explosiveness of first love. She offers: “The script gave us a Jade and David who were feeling something they’ve never felt before: this love and passion and desire to be happy. But there are other people that don’t understand that feeling, who may have once found that feeling with someone but have lost it now, so David and Jade have to be brave and fight for it.” Agreeing with her director’s sentiment, Abdy sums: “The movie is about embracing that love again, believing that no matter what age you are, everyone can feel love and passion.”
Instant Connection: Casting the Drama
Finding talented young actors who could provide the essential chemistry of David and Jade was the filmmakers’ top priority. They found the ideal performers in Alex Pettyfer and Gabriella Wilde. Shares Schwartz: “In a love story, this is the whole ball game. The first time we saw Alex and Gabriella on screen, everyone was very aware of their chemistry. You just felt it was there. Beyond the fact that they are both very attractive people, you felt this real connection between them.”
Schwartz admired his director’s knack with the talent. “Shana is wonderful working with young actors and getting them to open up to one another and letting the audience into that love story,” she says. “She spent so much time in rehearsal with Alex and Gabriella helping them forge that connection and open up not only to each other, but to the camera as well. It’s such a challenge for an actor to be exposed, and her patience and guidance have resulted in terrific performances.”
As part of the rehearsal and bonding process, Feste says Pettyfer and Wilde spent a good deal of time together off set and did a lot of fun exercises, including dancing to loud music. As filming started, the director felt inspired by the talent and commitment of her young actors. She shares: “They came to respect each other so much. When you’re doing a love story, you have to know that the other person has your back.”
When they meet, the temperaments of the soon-to-be young lovers are as different as their cultural and economic status. Feste praises her leading man, who plays David as a young man you root for: “Alex is a total romantic. What struck me the first time I met him is how open he was talking about the love he wants to find. Most 23-year-old guys are not talking openly about love! David believes that he deserves love and Alex believes that he deserves love, and that translates in the movie.”
Pettyfer discusses his director’s process: “We did some interesting rehearsing, and that helped. Shana guided us along the path. She comes from such an interesting place of wanting people to relate and connect. It’s not so much about a sole performance; it’s about collaboration. She’s given me a new look into how to connect with who I’m playing and where I’m going in the story.”
Stuber adds that the care his director put into the on-screen couple finding comfort in one another was one of the virtues of the production: “There’s a complete and utter believability to all of their interactions. Gabriella and Alex are natural and organic; they have chemistry and feel like people in love. That’s a testament to their work as actors, as well as Shana and the time she put in so that they could talk through the places that they were going to have to go with each other.”
When David connects with Jade, he finds a girl who has suffered a loss in her family that has taken her out of the social world of school. Even though she’s beautiful and bright, she’s not outgoing and hasn’t become a part of the high school. While he encourages her to see that she is a free spirit and that someone could fall in love with her, she gives him the confidence to believe in himself.
The filmmakers found that the British-born Wilde embodies many of Jade’s traits. Feste explains: “I pictured Jade as gorgeous, and Gabriella definitely is that. But how Gabriella wears her beauty is her strongest suit. She has no idea how gorgeous she is. As we were starting to rehearse, I saw Gabriella open up. She is close to the character of Jade: aware of what people think of her and quite shy. She’s an introvert, and I imagined that Jade would be an introvert. Seeing Gabriella as Jade let love change and inspire her has been fun to watch. Her arc is so strong in this movie, and that’s when you forget how beautiful Gabriella is and just realize that she is an amazing actress.”
Wilde walks us through the story’s beats: “David awakens Jade to her own voice and to her youth. At the beginning, she’s quite serious and burdened by a sense of guilt toward her family following the death of her brother Chris. She’s someone who’s trying to make it all okay all of the time, and this is where David gives her license to be herself. She finds her voice in the movie as she’s falling in love. Jade goes from being suppressed to putting everything aside to fight for love and what she believes in.”
Feste wasn’t the only one impressed with Wilde’s demeanor. “Gabriella is amazing,” praises Pettyfer. “She has this beauty that takes you aback. She looks like a supermodel, but she also is grounded and actually quite shy—the most beautiful girl mixed with the quiet girl. She was perfect for Jade.”
To play Jade’s parents, the production cast the accomplished veteran actors Bruce Greenwood as Hugh Butterfield, a father whose desire to protect his daughter leads to awful results, and Joely Richardson as Anne Butterfield, Jade’s sympathetic mother who is just as romantic as her only daughter.
Greenwood, an award-winning actor who has starred in such acclaimed films as Star Trek Into Darkness and Flight, brings to life Jade’s menacing, if well-meaning, father. Discussing the part, the actor offers: “One of the foremost things that interested me about the character was that he was a father learning to let go of a child that he loves beyond all measure, after having lost a child. Trying to keep her from harm, but at the same time guide her is a tremendous struggle for him; he begins to overreact and becomes rigid in the way he looks at his daughter’s aspirations.”
Hugh is a successful surgeon in Atlanta who strongly objects to the relationship that’s blossoming between Jade and David. It was important to Feste to have the audience also see the warmth of his character, so as to not have Hugh appear as a clichéd villain. His on-screen daughter reflects on Greenwood’s talent. “Bruce is a brilliant actor,” lauds Wilde. “There’s a danger that Hugh could have just been a villain, but Bruce has kept the humanity in Hugh. While he is a villain—what he does is frightening and wrong—you can understand where it all comes from; he’s done that brilliantly.
Producer Schwartz was taken with Greenwood’s performance and ability to bring an incredible humanity to stoic Hugh. Schwartz shares: “When you see Bruce on screen, you sense a strength and integrity to him. This makes the fact that he’s the antagonist of the movie very interesting. Hugh will go to great lengths to keep his daughter from David in ways that the audience may not agree with, but can always understand.”
Feste shares that they conceived of the parents by seeing them in shades of gray. Both Hugh and Harry protect their children the best way they can. The director explains: “Do either one of them understand the love that David and Jade have? I don’t think so. I think maybe toward the end of the film they start to. Are they afraid of it? Yes, sure, because that intensity is frightening to see because it’s all-consuming. Anne is the one character who is not afraid of that love, but is drawn to it and wants to celebrate it.”
Anne is a published author who hasn’t written in years. Like Hugh, she mourns the loss of their eldest child, but while her husband’s grief pushes her away, she wants to hold on to their marriage. Stuber explains why this character is so pivotal to Jade and David’s arc: “Anne has a husband who’s cheating on her, and she’s aware of it. She’s living a lie. But seeing this young man who’s being honest with who he is and authentic in his love for her daughter…that’s a big deal to Anne. That’s something she respects to the point that she gives David information she likely shouldn’t.”
For her part, Richardson was impressed with Feste’s directorial style, one that allowed her to play Anne as a forgiving character who operates from a base of love for others—as well as a woman who has lost herself to a controlling husband. Richardson shares: “Shana is precise, thinks outside the box and knows exactly what she wants. As an actor, you can be used to self-directing. With Shana, she thinks of these imaginative scenarios to get you to do the scene the way she’d like.”
While Greenwood’s Hugh feels immediate disdain for David, Richardson’s Anne feels drawn to the young man’s spirit from the beginning. Richardson explains: “She has that mother’s instinct that picks up that he’s a good guy. But the big thing that wins her over is that David has this enormous love for her daughter, and that melts her heart.”
Savage compares the character of Anne to Richardson’s real-life persona, a woman inspired by love. She notes: “Joely is elegance personified. Anne is a character who is very observant. She is the glue that holds her family together and Joely is great at playing all those small moments, the looks, the gestures. She’s always taking care of her family, concerned about where everybody is emotionally and how to keep them together. Joely is tuned into that in a great way.”
On the other side of the tracks, David’s father Harry, an automotive mechanic who works in the shop he owns, hasn’t considered love in a long time. His wife walked out on him a few years earlier, and he’s closed his heart. Unlike his co-stars (Pettyfer, Wilde, Richardson) who are British and Canadian (Greenwood), veteran actor Robert Patrick is from Georgia. “With his Southern roots,” says Savage, “Robert brings texture and a completely different flavor. The Butterfields are a very refined family, and Harry represents this whole other aspect of David’s world.”
Patrick sheds some light on the background of his character: “Harry is raising his son the best way he knows how. It’s a loving environment. When you meet Harry, you know that he’s a good, salt-of-the-earth guy. He’s a man’s man who is used to getting dirty, and he’s raised his son that way—to stand up for himself and be who he is.”
The actor recalls his first meeting with his new son: “When I met Alex, it just felt great; we had an instantaneous chemistry. He even looks like my son, which was funny to me, Alex and my son. They’re so similar that we actually used pictures of my little boy as David when he was younger.”
The energy and versatility that Patrick brought to the story and his role was put to good use. Pettyfer felt that in spades: “It was so crazy. Robert came on set, I hadn’t met him yet, and I wanted to seem very professional and I’m nervous: ‘I’m...I’m Alex. Very nice to meet you. I play your son.’ And he gives me a massive hug and says, ‘This is my son, everybody.’ It was exciting to work with him.”
After assembling the two leads and their parents, the team got to work building a stellar up-and-coming supporting cast. As there is darkness in Jade’s past and David’s background, there was a potential of making the film too serious. The talented young actors brought humor and liveliness to the project.
Filmmakers encouraged the entire cast to hang out and get to know each other off camera, which helped to enhance each relationship on camera. Abdy offers: “In rehearsals, they got to know one another, become friends and learn to tell truths about each other so that you feel that there’s a life behind the movie. We encouraged them to go do fun things by themselves. Shana brought all that to the table as a director who is very character-driven. Because she’s a writer, too, she’s very much into the context and the life of each character.”
Australian Rhys Wakefield plays Keith, Jade’s flippant, charming and protective older brother. “What I like about Keith,” says Wakefield, “is that he has this deep-seated pain within him. There’s this history of a father-son relationship gone awry. His purpose in this film is to help Jade along in her journey and to welcome David into the household, acting as a bridge between the parent and this outsider. David represents healing to Keith as well, coming in as he does and mixing things up, which is something that the whole family is in great need of.”
It was important to Feste that Keith and Jade’s relationship was based on support for each other. She shares: “Rhys is an incredible actor. He’s mischievous and has this wonderful smile. The minute Rhys and Gabriella got together, I knew they would be perfect because they genuinely support each other as actors. I feel incredibly lucky to have cast Rhys because he adds so much to Keith that the audience will be celebrating when he embraces this message to be brave and fight for love.”
David’s best friend, Mace, is played by Nigerian-born Dayo Okeniyi, who is best known for his role in The Hunger Games. “Dayo is incredibly charismatic,” says Feste. “Mace represents David’s old world—peaking in high school. Dayo is one of those actors who brings such a fresh, fun energy to the film. Most of what he does is all improvised. I love his improvisation—he’s so clever and so funny.”
Okeniyi shares what drew him to the role of Mace: “Before Endless Love, I’d come off projects where I was sci-fi intense, with a lot of death and destruction, and for the first time, a character came my way that was down to earth, if a bit on the wild side. When I was testing for the role, Shana said that he should be the light of the movie. Whenever Mace comes on screen, he should just be that breath of fresh air, the reaffirming friend. At the same time, she didn’t want him to be a caricature.”
When David meets Jade, he has just broken up with his girlfriend, Jenny, played by British actress Emma Rigby in her first American feature-film role. Jenny and Jade are complete opposites: she’s overtly sexual and flirtatious with David, which makes us understand why Jade feels threatened. As David and Jade’s relationship develops, Jenny refuses to watch passively. Her act of revenge succeeds in separating them—possibly forever.
Feste wanted to explore the character of Jade by contrasting her with Jenny, while also making sure that there was a genuine relationship between Jenny and David. “Emma has a tough role,” says the director, “because Jenny is the girl that you want to hate. Still, there were takes where I said, ‘Emma, it’s just making me too sad, you are too good right now; just do less, because I’m feeling too much for you. You look too heartbroken that David has chosen someone else and we always have to be thinking that Jade and David have the strongest bond.’ But Emma is such a strong actress that sometimes you can’t help but have your heart go out to her.”
Capturing the Passion: Design and Locations
The paths of David and Jade’s story are reflected in the design of the film. Feste assembled a stellar behind-the-scenes team—led by cinematographer Andrew Dunn, production designer Clay Griffith and costume designer Stacey Battat—to bring her vision from script to screen. For Griffith, the inspiration for the colors of the production began by sitting down with Dunn, Battat and Feste, and pulling photographs that would reflect their shared, desired palette. Griffith recalls: “It’s not often that the director, director of photography, costume designer and production designer sit down and conjure up the look of the film. But we did, and it was fantastic.”
Because they were on location in Atlanta for 34 of the 37 shooting days, and not on a soundstage, the color palette was more difficult to control. But Griffith worked with costume designer Battat to create the film’s signature look. The costume designer describes the style evolution of Jade’s character progressing from girl to woman: “We wanted Jade to be more of a little girl at the beginning and then progress into being a woman. The fact that she’s still a kid means she might want to wear her dresses with Converse high-tops. Jade’s color scheme is what I like to call a ‘1920s color palette’—soft, muted pale pinks, peaches and minty greens with occasional reds when she’s being defiant of her father. When she chooses David, she’s in red.”
On the opposite end, it was important that David’s wardrobe reflect his demeanor of little change. Shares Battat: “David is a stable force in the movie, so his wardrobe always remains constant; his look remains consistent, like a James Dean-type character.”
One of Feste’s priorities was to find a romantic to shoot the film. Enter BAFTA Award-winning director of photography Andrew Dunn, who allowed for specific spacing of the characters to reflect Feste’s vision. “We initially created a tightness of space around Jade,” notes Dunn. “As she becomes a woman, develops her own point of view and finds her place in life and in love, we created more freedom of space around her. She becomes more the mistress of her environment and her space becomes freer.”
Something of critical importance to Feste was having a team that was very open to love. Reflecting on Dunn, she compliments: “He is so incredibly generous and calm and his spirit is so giving that I knew he would be perfect to shoot a love story. It’s great that he’s so open and not cynical. When I explained what I wanted in a scene or how I wanted a kiss to go and he said, ‘Oh, that’s beautiful,’ I knew that he meant it. On top of that, he’s made the actors feel so free with their emotions.”
The camaraderie was felt between Dunn and Feste. “Working with Shana was an energizing and uplifting experience for me. She has such a special view,” notes Dunn. “She is wonderful with the actors, understands the story so well—and it all comes from her heart. Shana is very inspiring. She’s a writer, she understands her subjects and what she is trying to get from the story, which has inspired me to go on a journey with her and draw out that story through the images, through the lighting, camera placement, movement that we created together.”
Endless Love’s set was located almost entirely in and around Atlanta, from May to July 2013. “Josh and I had never shot in Georgia before,” says Savage, “so this was our first time here. There are so many different places to shoot—from the beautiful Atlanta neighborhood of Buckhead, where the Butterfield house is, to the more urban spot where we found an amazing old garage for Harry’s place, to the gorgeous lake house on Lake Jackson outside of the city. From the diversity of looks, the great local crews and the good restaurants—we really enjoyed our time here.”
Sounds of Romance: Building the Soundtrack
Little is more important in a romantic drama about the fight to keep the one you love than the music that encapsulates those intense emotions. To create a soundtrack that incorporated each mood experienced by Jade and David, Feste worked closely with producer Schwartz. She shares: “Josh and I wanted a young, fun soundtrack for this film, but it was also important to utilize music that takes us through the ups and downs of David and Jade’s relationship and their intense growth.”
To compose the film, Feste sought out award-winning artist Christophe Beck, who has scored such beloved teen movies as Pitch Perfect and Crazy, Stupid, Love., not to mention drafted the signature sounds for the teen series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Of his interest in the project, Beck shares: “What made Endless Love fun was the challenge of scale. Young love isn’t a soaring, operatic adventure; it’s a much more intimate experience. So in approaching the music, Shana and I had to find balance between keeping the size of the musical ideas appropriate for the self-discovery and introspection that are central to the story, but still evoke the timelessness that people feel when they reflect on their earliest experiences of falling in love.”
Brought aboard to perform the film’s theme was a beloved duo. Over the past 13 years, twin sisters TEGAN and SARA QUIN have built an avid global fan base with songs such as “Walking With a Ghost” and “Alligator.” The duo’s hit singles have been covered by the likes of The White Stripes and Passion Pit. Intimately familiar with teenage angst and the power of falling in love for the first time, Tegan and Sara have appeared on The CW’s 90210. Schwartz, however, became a big fan of the duo after seeing them perform at Coachella in 2005.
Discussing the filmmakers’ choice, Schwartz enthuses: “Coming from Gossip Girl and The O.C., I knew the importance of courting musicians that speak intimately to our core audience. Tegan and Sara understood the tone we were going for with the music and delivered in a manner that knocked us out.”
In addition to the contributions of Beck and Tegan and Sara, the soundtrack—brought together by accomplished music supervisor RANDALL POSTER—features fun-loving songs including FRANZ FERDINAND’s “Right Action,” NONONO’s “Pumpin Blood (The Jane Doze Remix)” and CULT’s “Go Outside,” and such romantic ballads as LORD HURON’s “Ends of the Earth,” ECHOSMITH’s “Surround You” and THE BIRD AND THE BEE’s “All Our Endless Love,” featuring MATT BERNINGER.
Feste sums up the contributions of the multiple artists who brought to life Endless Love’s soundtrack and themes: “Our goal with this movie was to seamlessly merge David and Jade’s feelings for one another into a cohesive soundtrack. From the incredible talents of Randall and Christophe to Tegan and Sara’s recording of our theme song, ‘Don’t Find Another Love,’ I know that we have taken the audience along the gamut of the emotions felt by our hero and heroine, especially faith, hope and love.”
With production wrapped, the cast and crew reflect on lessons learned from the shoot. Concludes Stuber: “In the film, there’s a beginning love story between Jade and David, who are figuring out who they’re going to be in the world. Then there is this decaying love story between Jade’s parents, and we wonder if they can possibly figure it out. Love is a complex thing; it’s a muscle that has to be worked out. Shana has shared so much of the complexity of love in this film. It’s not just about the people you meet here….it’s about love in its broadest terms.”
Universal Pictures presents a Bluegrass Films/Fake Empire production: Endless Love, starring Alex Pettyfer, Gabriella Wilde, Bruce Greenwood, Joely Richardson and Robert Patrick. The film’s music is by Christophe Beck, and the music supervisor is Randall Poster. The costumes are designed by Stacey Battat. Endless Love is edited by Maryann Brandon, ACE, and the production designer is Clay Griffith. The film’s director of photography is Andrew Dunn, BSC. The executive producers are J. Miles Dale, Tracy Falco. The romantic drama is produced by Scott Stuber, p.g.a., Pamela Abdy, p.g.a., Josh Schwartz, p.g.a., Stephanie Savage, p.g.a. Endless Love is based on the book by Scott Spencer, and its screenplay is by Shana Feste and Joshua Safran. The film is directed by Shana Feste. ©2014 Universal Pictures. www.endlesslovemovie.com
