A director is creative and a producer is pragmatic, and never the twain shall meet. That is what we used to believe, until Perci Intalan came along.
The acclaimed producer is fast gaining ground also as a director, with two projects recently released and more in the offing.
The co-founder and president of The IdeaFirst Company, a thriving content creation company in the Philippines, has made his mark as a director in full-length Filipino films Unforgettable, Distance, Born Beautiful, My Fairy Tail Love Story, and Dementia.
Before his foray into directing, Perci was always known for being a producer, launching the popular YouTube and Netflix series Gameboys; the international award-winning films Bwakaw, Barber's Tales, Shadow Behind the Moon, Kalel, and Big Night! and the box-office hits The Panti Sisters, Ang Dalawang Mrs Reyes (The Two Mrs Reyeses), and Die Beautiful.
To say he has a keen eye for content is an understatement. But to create the content that sells for today's market?
That takes real talent and genius.
"You know those tests to figure out if you're right brained or a left brained? Sa gitna talaga ako (I really am in the middle)," Intalan laughed. "So I really have to be a director and producer every now and then."
"I think… I guess the role of producers is to be realistic with their ambitions. Like me, as a producer, I know in streaming I don't need to water down my ideas. When you show in cinemas, you have to go through the MTRCB. I have to edit myself. You already know what kind of scenes will be removed so you do that. That somehow makes all output seem the same. Now, with streaming, you can be more creative," he added.
Two new films directed by Intalan were released this month — the sado-horror movie LiveScream (9 November) and the flamboyant romcom Mahal Kita, Beksman (16 November) — which he describes as "polar opposites."
Intalan has fully embraced his dual filmmaking personality, enthusing about upcoming projects in 2023.
It wasn't always like this for the filmmaker. Before he and award-winning director Jun Lana decided to separate after 18 years as a couple, Perci was better known as the producer. "The dynamics was he was the director, I was the producer," he told the Daily Tribune.
Admitting that the breakup was "rocky," Intalan added that they have managed to stay friends and business partners, even as they navigate the world of co-parenting.
"So we decided to separate because we did not want it to reach a point where we would be fighting in front of our kids and that we would resent each other. We were fighting about the small things, but I think the pandemic hastened it. Was it because we lived under one roof? Because aside from the usual marital problems, we had issues at work. We were working together. We were always working," he said in a mix of Filipino and English.
All's well that ends well, however, as Intalan is enjoying his directorial chair to the hilt just as Lana is busy working on a project abroad.
Before co-founding The IdeaFirst Company and producing over 27 films and 10 series in partnership with major studios in the country, Intalan learned the ropes of the industry through his full-circle journey in corporate broadcast settings here and abroad.
He started with GMA Network Inc., working as a promo producer before moving to the Walt Disney Company in 1998 where he became an executive producer and production manager. He returned to the Philippines and joined TV5 (Associated Broadcasting Company) as VP for Creative Services and eventually as the network's Head of Entertainment.
Though he has been recognized for his work as producer, director, writer, editor, and sound designer, Perci Intalan is eager to explore more of what he can do.
For more information and updates on Intalan's projects, visit www.theideafirstcompany.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
