IF record companies regard music videos simply as a marketing tool in selling an album, what do artists think about these filmed versions of their songs?

"They do more than help sell the album," replies Regine Velasquez when we visit her at RS Video in Parañaque City, where she's shooting the video for "On the Wings of Love," a cut in her forthcoming album under Viva Records, "R2K." In fact, she adds, a limited edition VCD containing six music videos will complement her millennial recording.

Aside from "On the Wings of Love," the songbird has visual interpretations for "For the Love of You," (which was shown last Sunday on Channel 7's "SOP," where she's one of the hosts), "In Your Eyes," One Love" and "Lost Without Your Love."

"Making a music video is also artistic expression," Regine points out, adding that with the help of the director, the artist is able to make a narrative out of the song. "But most of the time, it's the director's vision. I only give suggestions and I make it a point to meet with him a few times before we shoot the video," she says.

The artist has a hand in choosing the director, says Regine, who is also "R2K's" producer. Her choice is Louie Ignacio, an ad megman and "SOP's" director, who's also known for his glossy music videos (Check out Jaya's "Honesty," Jaya and Janno Gibbs' "Ikaw Lamang," and Gary Valenciano's "Everybody Get Down").

Louie is at the helm of all of the music videos for "R2K," except for "Fallen," which Regine directs herself.

For "On the Wings of Love," Louie focused on friendly winged creatures that make flying akin to loving. Something like Geronimo, meaning love gives you wings!

The music video begins with Regine dreaming of a man-angel dressed in blue jeans visiting her in her room. Then she becomes a butterfly, a dragonfly, an angel, a giant flower whose petals look like overlapping wings, a big green leaf that float on air, and a fairy dancing in mid-air with the same man-angel, who becomes something like an elemental deity.

"It's a fantasy," justifies Louie. And that's why the pervading atmosphere in the studio is dreamy, surreal and at the same time, romantic and fun. The production design, which is also done by Louie, is largely responsible for this. He uses a fog machine, a lot of flowers, and in one scene, pink feathers.

In the scene where Regine becomes an angel, for instance, she is made to lie on the floor with outlined wings. She wears a white slip dress and a crown of white flowers over her two layers of wavy wigs that cascade down her almost bare shoulders.

"I-play mo ang music para may inspiration," direk Louie tells the technician, and as he yells, "Action!" the opening strains of "On the Wings of Love" is heard. Regine starts emoting before the camera, her hands gracefully sway like an angel gently flapping her wings.

At the song's final refrain, Louie says, "Cut!" and right away, his assistant gives directions to the two boys and two girls who will join Regine in the next shot. Apparently satisfied with what the monitor has played back, the director moves on. He reminds the kids of their blocking and they're ready to shoot.

The song is played from the top once more, and as direk Louie says, "Go, mga bagets," the youngsters, armed with a bucket of paint and a paintbrush each, enter the picture and surround Regine. They then color the pre-drawn circles on the floor, emitting vibrant green, red, yellow and blue on the screen that the director is closely monitoring. He beams and as the song ends, applauds his performers. The adults then join the children in finishing the coloring chore as direk Louie paints more circles around Regine's head. Perfect for her close-up shots, Louie grins.

Shooting a music video, we observe, is akin to making a TV commercial, but with a few touches of cinema. There is much attention to detail, and to budgetary limitations. Rolls of film are of limited, for instance, so retakes are avoided as much as possible.

Except for the first scene, "On the Wings of Love" is filmed chronologically. During takes, complete silence isn't a requirement, unlike shooting for a movie or taping for a TV show. This is beneficial to the artist, who can clearly hear the director's instructions and the production staff's comments. She can then make adjustments in her "acting" on the spot.

Louie has no problem with his star. When Regine emerges from her dressing room, she's completely prepared for the take. She has the right costumes (a pale colored ball gown for the flower scene, a green long dress with matching yellow false eyelashes for the leaf shot, a white cloth used a blanket wrapped around her for the bedroom setting, and the fairy outfit) and gives the right performance in every one of her scenes.

And there's nary a complaint heard from her, even in the final scene that is similar to the ethereal scenario in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Here, Regine and her love interest, the man-angel-deity played by model Ariel Atendido, are suspended in mid-air with harnesses (obscured by vines and leaves made of foam) attached to their bodies. While Ariel is visibly pained by the set-up, Regine doesn't show any sign of discomfort. She even jokes about how the stunt has made her legs bowed, eliciting giggles from the production staff.