Café Comedy: Short and Sweet

Bearwin Meily is known for magic and slapstick comedy, but with 'Camera Café,' he’s moving onto a different territory of the hardest genre: situational comedy. Text and Photos by Jason John S. Lim. An introduction The first thing to know about Camera Café is that it’s not like the traditional Filipino sitcom. It’s not slapstick, and it doesn’t last for more than three minutes and thirty seconds. Time it—from the first static to the end credits—and you’ll see! “Malaking-malaking difference niya kasi unang-una, mabilis lang ‘to,” Bearwin says, known for his slapstick roles and magic tricks. He finds challenge in sticking with the script and delivering his lines without the usual Bearwin flair: “Meron [kasi] kayong limit na kailangan maintindihan ng audience kung ano ‘yung gusto niyong iparating. It [has] to be clear. I mean very, very clear—dapat mabitawan mo ‘yung punch line. And ‘yung 3 minutes na punch after punch—hindi siya ordinaring comedy na napapanood mo. Tapos one camera lang!” The biggest challenges to this type of sitcom, Bearwin reveals, are the single camera and their time limit. He says that if they don’t manage to deliver the punch line perfectly and at the proper time, they would have to do their scene over—and not just the part where someone messed up. “We do it again from the top, ‘yun ang malaking difference [from the usual Filipino sitcom shoot],” he explains. The coffee experience Right now, GMA-7 and Q Channel 11 are simultaneously airing the third season of Camera Café. But throughout its run, there have been many cast changes. Bearwin is one of those who have been with the show from the start. “Nung una, medyo talagang nakakakaba,” the comedian reveals, saying everyone was really nervous as to how they would do the show. “Even ‘yung mga guests naming mga pro talaga, minsan kinakabahan. Because wala kang segundong pwedeng itapon eh.” As they went on with their tapings, though, Bearwin says that the nerves become more manageable: “Second season, medyo hindi na ako nag-alala. Third season, wala na talaga.” He does admit that he constantly checks himself and that he’s not too relaxed with his character. “Kasi pag masyadong relaxed na, nakakalimutan mo na ‘yung concept nung show eh—so dapat ire-refresh ko ‘yun sa sarili ko,” he says. This is Harvey “Ang pinaka-peg ko talaga dito is ‘yung sa original [French show],” Bearwin says. His character is a single guy who loves to have flings—but is very weak when it comes to picking girls up. “[So] you won’t see the ordinary Bearwin na squatter or jologs. Dito, maririnig mo ako nag-i-English. Pero nandoon pa rin ‘yung comedy side of Bearwin siyempre.” With his necktie and his position with the union, Harvey usually plays liaison between the employees and their boss. It’s a character that’s usually positioned at the heart of all office trouble. And just to make his life more colorful, he is saddled with a best friend, JC (Jaycee in the third season) who puts him into more trouble. For his craft, Bearwin says he’ll do anything: “Kung gaano kalayo ang itotodo ko, ibibigay ko. In everything, I do my best.” Camera Café continues to air weekdays after Unang Hirit and right after Serbisyong Totoo Overtime. Talk about the show at the iGMA Forums! Get to know Bearwin more through Fanatxt! Just key in BEARWIN on your mobile phones, and send to 4627 for all telcos. (Each Fanatxt message costs PhP2.50 for GLOBE, SMART, and TALK 'N TEXT, and PhP2.00 for Sun subscribers. This service is exclusively for the Philippines only.)