Direk Darryl Yap’s films banner launch of Vivamax Middle East
Three of director Darryl Yap’s works — from 2019’s Jowable to the more recent and controversial Tililing and the rant-serye, Kung
Pwede Lang — bannered the recent launch for Vivamax Middle East that is expected to cater to the huge Filipino community in the region.
Particularly the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), as well as foreign fans of Philippine movies, can now have easy access to the biggest collection of local entertainment through the years, including films, TV series, music specials, concerts, documentaries and genre-bending exclusives.
The chief executive officer of Vivamax Middle East, Zain Mirza, acknowledged the strong following of Viva all over the world, including the region. “With advance technology platform, you’ll see that we have much more to offer than just a streaming app as we also grow,” Mirza said. “With the arrival of Vivamax Middle East, subscribers in the region will be able to access a wide range of content from all genre.
“We have delivered this platform for Filipino workers with a goal to provide an affordable and accessible content for all ages, either at the UAE (United Arab Emirates), Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain or Saudi Arabia. Our goal is to redefine the audience viewing experience by making sure the products that we turn out are not your usual cinema and free TV fare.”
Two years ago, direk Darryl joined the local film industry and made his directorial debut with Jowable. He has not stopped since. Apparently, that’s the secret of success of content creation for someone who successfully made the shift from social media to film.
“You just have to start,” direk Darryl quipped. “That’s No. 1. Sometimes, you will be discouraged because it doesn’t pick up or you are not getting enough views. That’s disheartening. At the end of the day, when you just upload and upload, people will not mind the content but the perseverance and diligence.
“No. 2, don’t stop. When people try to relate to your story, that’s success. But when people are relating to your story, that’s beyond success. That is legacy already. I want all my contents to not only be a legacy, but an inspiration to all content creators.”
Direk Darryl laments that despite the streaming platforms coming out now like Vivamax, piracy still proliferates and his films have become easy targets. Admittedly, that saddens him, especially since he just joined this industry two years ago. “I patronized film uploads sa Facebook before,”
direk Darryl unabashedly disclosed. “At the time of Jowable, there were not too many film pirates. But when Pornstar and Tililing came out, that really hurts. Feeling ko, that was karma to me.
“When I wasn’t in the industry yet, I watched pirated films on Facebook. That’s what I’m just thinking now. How many more movies pa kaya ‘yun? My reaction was always very violent. I messaged each and every uploader. I would beg them to remove the film. They sell it in exchange for G-cash money.
“Before, I readily got mad, but after a while, it was the Viva legal counsel who actually handled it. Even Netflix films, they also get pirated. Vivamax is still very new. If the giants like HBO and Netflix become victims of piracy, I should not be complaining too much. I think it’s a matter of decency and maybe their conscience calling when they do these things.”
Despite piracy, direk Darryl is proud that his more recent Paglaki Ko Gusto Kong Maging
Pornstar, shown only last January, did well on Vivamax. “I’m so happy to be the bridge of the four actresses to act again,” he said referring to his lead stars Alma Moreno, Rosanna Roces, Ara Mina and Maui Taylor. “They got their second chance in mainstream movies.
“I’m thankful to Viva for giving me the chance to work with really good and intelligent actors, who know how to deliver what is needed in the story that I also wrote. Not only to Viva, but to all those who patronized my movies.”
Surprisingly, creating meaningful and impactful content doesn’t require direk Darryl to undergo any creative process for writing and directing films. “I just talk to people who don’t have social media,” he explained.
“The success of one content creator is not for those who are already in social media to still go and watch him. It’s very easy for influencers and content creators to fish or magnet viewers. It’s already there. My goal primarily is to get people into social media.”
“For me, the best creative channel will be relatability. In order for you to be appreciated by the masses, they have to relate to your story. That’s the grade of (my official YouTube channel) Vincentiments — bravery, relatability and, of course, the truth.
“I always go for the truth. It doesn’t get old and never goes out of style. It doesn’t have limitation and expiration. As long as you’re telling the truth, no matter how crass and irreverent your device is, people will watch you no matter what their purpose is. As long as you’re showing the truth, truth is universal.”