Realiti - Episode 7 notes
So, finally, the first elimination episode. This episode is special because I wrote it, and because it aired so close to my birthday - and because it's actually pretty good. Or at least, I think so. Of course, I am biased and am watching it with a very refracted sense of criticality, but I really do think it works as an episode. Of course, anybody out there who watched it and thought it sucked, I apologise profusely. But if any of you liked it - cool.
Missed it? Don't fret, say thanks to You Tube: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
- Because it's my episode, here's the script.
- Finally, the first elimination episode. It's taken so long to get here just because we love all our characters and didn't want them to disappear so early. We actually spent a fair amount of time trying to decide who would be eliminated when, and were changing it around even during the episode 9/episode 10 drafts. And the winner? Heck, there were three names in the air up to the very end. The rule of thumb is this: if a character still has a story to tell, he/she doesn't get eliminated. Or not really eliminated anyway, as the "Next Week..." clips demonstrate this week.
- Talking about the "Next Week..." clips, I feel that it spoils the surprises. My advice is to not watch it for the next few episodes.
- Notice how Baby's wound shifts from the center of her head to the side. And then later on disappears. This indeed is the magic of television.
- There are some problems in timing. When exactly is the showdown? Baby says it's in two more days. The next day, both Juliana and Mac say that it's in two more days. What they obviously mean, because the showdown is in the evening, they have two more days to prepare. Anyway, when they say "two days", what they mean is "tomorrow".
- I wish I had written a rehearsal scene for them, but this episode has so much story in it, there isn't really much space left for anything else. The dialogue that Mac has just before the show was initially meant to be during rehearsals, but it's all talk and no sing.
- Early on in the episode, as they are meeting the fans, Nickson says something like, "ikan kat pasar tu kan, dia potong dengan laser, tahu", which is definitely not something I had written. That's Alvin for you. Ad-libber. Scene-stealer.
- In the original draft, Burn palms the drugs when Mac barges into the bathroom. Mac then grabs hold of Burn's wrist, not Melody's. I still prefer the original version. But because I don't have the word 'Producer' next to my name, they went with the other one.
- I'm actually quite happy with how the Nickson storyline works in this episode. It's not so direct about Nickson's gayness, but I hope that it's clear that that is one of the sticking points in his relationship with his father. Anyway, it's a lot more obvious next episode.
- I like the scene where Mac, Jay and David argue about whether Melody should stay in. First draft by me, and then lots of rewrites, and Ping had a strong hand in the final version, I think. Does David want Melody to stay in because it's what's is best for her? I tried to at least make you believe that he thinks he's doing the right thing.
- The scene on the roof: classic. I have no idea whether it was Ping or me who first came up with it, but it's the big scene I was waiting to write. I'm going to say it was my idea, and that I set it on the roof. It's a classic love scene where two people say they love each other, without actually using those words.
- It's one of those few scenes that didn't actually change very much from the first to the final draft. Ironically, Ping changed the scene because it was too long at the beginning. (And maybe he thought the dialogue sucked, but he didn't really say that, and I don't think that was the case either.) It ended up running a little longer, split up across two scenes.
- The line about the Twin Towers? Originally came from Ping. It's okay to use cheese if you point out it's very Drama Minggu Ini-ish in the dialogue. And when you can get a rooftop with the Twin Towers in the background. It has my blessings anyway, and I edited to keep it in with full gusto. And relish.
- One thing that did change for the rooftop scene was the song that Melody sings. Originally it was All By Myself, and I wrote the dialogue so that the lyrics really fit in with what Melody wanted to say ("Hard to be sure / Sometimes I feel so insecure / And love so distant and obscure / Remains the cure"). When Ping switched songs, he paid scant attention to the words. Who can blame him, he's just the director. I pointed this out to him, but he didn't feel moved enough by my impassionate plea to change it back. Gah. Producers.
- You do realise that all the songs the kids perform are by local artists? The simple reason is because the license to use is much cheaper than for foreign artists. I did a fair amount of research, trying to get just the right song to fit a scene, and all of it - all of it - got thrown down the drain.
- SMS competition time: SMS 'real' to 33838 for a chance to win Swatch watches and a Phil Collins CD.
- The Jay/Amir scene is really long, and surprisingly holds up, I think. Basically, long scenes with long dialogue is Dzof, shorter scenes are from Ping. He says the actors get angry with me because my dialogue so tough to say. I like the West Wing and am living proof that without skill, wordy dialogue comes out less clever, and more difficult.
- A lot of the stage preparation shots came from season 2 Malaysian Idol grand final in Genting.
- I think that in one of my earlier drafts, the kids have to force their way through a swathe of fans, and we have Burn and Amir fans fighting each other. This boils over to Burn and Amir actually fighting themselves. But it's out, probably because of budget and because it's not directly relevant to the story.
- "Ingat lirik, ya Burn" - I don't remember writing it, but it's in one of my early drafts, so it must have been my line. It gets confusing sometimes remembering which work Ping did and which I did. I want the credit, but TV writing so much a collaboration. Even the actors ad-lib a lot of the time. At the end of the day, it's a huge messy ramli-burger like thing that you hope is still edible despite the irritating undigestible bits in them.
- Aishah Sinclair (Ashraf's sister) is the host for the showdown. The judges are Fat Fabes, Carmen Soo and Fly Guy. I had a chance to watch the Carmen Soo shoot, but somebody forced me to go floating in the Klang harbour instead. (He obviously isn't a fan of Carmen Soo.)
- Songs this week: Baby by Douglas Lim (specially written for Baby), Detik Bersamamu by VE (Nickson), Venusia by OAG (Amir), Ratu Hati by Innuendo (Melody), Tiada Lagi Cinta by Ruffedge (Burn).
- The thing is, I have absolutely no idea how the kids will sing when I write the script. So, I put in the judges to make comments, so you'd have a clue of how well or badly they perform. After that, it's out of my hands, baby. Pun intended.
- One thing I almost forgot: Ping and I had a loooong discussion/argument about how Burn was going to exit the studio. I originally had him storming out before the announcer finished speaking, and then he got violent in the lobby, punching out Mac, and ended up on the back of a big black motorbike driven by Joe. And then, in the next draft, I had him punching out David. And then Amir. And then Mac again (I think). And the bike turned into a car. But, all the while, Ping kept cutting all the good stuff now, so all you get is Burn pushing away the camera in disgust. I still think a good fight would have been better.
- So Melody has a stash of drugs in her diary, and a big one at that. I liked the idea that something so personal, would also be where she hid her sin. Makes you think again why she was angry when Burn read her diary in episode 5.
Realiti. 10pm Sundays on 8TV, starring Azizan Nin, Ashraf Sinclair, Melissa Maureen, Alvin Wong, Chelsia Ng, Radhi Khalid. With Nazrudin Rahman, Juliana Ibrahim, Lydia Ibtisam, Nell Ng, Kee Thuan Chye, Cheyenne Stutzriem, Aishah Sinclair. Special appearances by Fat Fabes, Carmen Soo and Fly Guy. What would you do to become a star?
Comments:
what happened to Baby's "abductor"? did he get the money? or was the money still in the bag when Mac found her in the car boot? what was their connection?
maybe 8tv should stop showing spoilers.... potong stim only... :)
maybe 8tv should stop showing spoilers.... potong stim only... :)
The money is gone, the abductor is gone, and you're not meant to know who the abductor is yet (as in why he's after Baby, etc.). Sorry that wasn't made clear in the episode. I didn't really do very much on the Baby storyline, so it was a low priority for me in the script.
ya agreed with ladida..
erm 1 question....why dont u get baby to lip-sync??(sorry mel)
love aishah sinclair. dont like the other girl who interviews everybody sorry but abit too overdone
overall i kinda like this episode.
erm 1 question....why dont u get baby to lip-sync??(sorry mel)
love aishah sinclair. dont like the other girl who interviews everybody sorry but abit too overdone
overall i kinda like this episode.
the show keeps getting better by the week....i was pretty sad that Burn was eliminated but it kinda makes the story more interesting!
well, this episode is great but i was kinda confused bout what actually happened to Baby?
well, this episode is great but i was kinda confused bout what actually happened to Baby?
fashionasia: Technically everybody is lip-synching, if only to their own voices. The decision as to whether to dub or to use the actor's original voice was at Douglas Lim's feet. He said that if they used other vocals, there would have been a problem matching it up with their practice voices, or something like that. I not technical audio guy, don't understand this much-much.
blushpal: Last episode, Baby was going to pay off the ransom, and the police were ready to jump the bad guy. Unfortunately, he got away with the money. Baby was rescued, and despite Mac's advice to take it easy, she insisted on carrying on with the show. She's a real trooper, that girl.
blushpal: Last episode, Baby was going to pay off the ransom, and the police were ready to jump the bad guy. Unfortunately, he got away with the money. Baby was rescued, and despite Mac's advice to take it easy, she insisted on carrying on with the show. She's a real trooper, that girl.
One of the best episodes so far (I love 2 & 3 and this one).
The argument scene btwn Jay, mac ngn bapak Melody I rasa macam bukan menonton drama local. HAts off to you guys.
The argument scene btwn Jay, mac ngn bapak Melody I rasa macam bukan menonton drama local. HAts off to you guys.
Thanks artyfeelhome. That scene's is pretty much Ping's baby, and there was a lot of growth (read: editing) to it. He'll be happy you liked it - he's proud of it too!
I loved Realiti!! Really enjoyed watching it... :)
When I know that Amir is still in the competition despite his poor performance, I kinda feel that he might win the Malaysian Star.. hmm..
When I know that Amir is still in the competition despite his poor performance, I kinda feel that he might win the Malaysian Star.. hmm..
'relaiti' is actually my 1st malaysian tv series i've watch =p.& i kinda like it.even my frens love it.so anyways.i juz wanna request u guyz 2 upload 'realiti episode 1' in you tube. pls? i wanna c how it starts.like y do dey need 2 find a 5th contestant & blah blah blah..oh yea, im reali upset dat Burn was voted off d competition.reali wasn't expectin dat 2 happened.well, i juz wan 2 say dat dis is a great show & i hope it gets more interesting.cheers.
i understand the reason to use the actors real voices, but baby really cannot sing to save her life. wasn't that aspect taken into consideration during the casting sessions? to at least put some realism in the show when some of the judges actually praised baby for her singing..
fur.: You can actually find the first part of episode 1 here, and I'll trust you'll know how to find the rest (it's all on my Realiti page on this site anyway).
anon: Not trying to defend Baby, but I hope you noticed that the judges were saying she moved well, not that she sang well. And based on the (admittedly unscientific) poll above, Baby would have been voted in to the next round.
anon: Not trying to defend Baby, but I hope you noticed that the judges were saying she moved well, not that she sang well. And based on the (admittedly unscientific) poll above, Baby would have been voted in to the next round.
baby REALLY can't sing to save her life! ha ha ha ha! and i know it. ya la, all ping's fault. blame ping. ha ha ha!
actually....the only person who can sing is melody=chels (they kept calling her mel and i just got confused with the real mel=baby)
dont be sad peeps....burn will still be there...the next episode trailer gave it away....:)
Thanks for the insight info dzof! *clap clap*
Oh and also kudos to Ping. Love em all (his shows) ever since the good ol' kopitiam days.
dont be sad peeps....burn will still be there...the next episode trailer gave it away....:)
Thanks for the insight info dzof! *clap clap*
Oh and also kudos to Ping. Love em all (his shows) ever since the good ol' kopitiam days.
Dat nervous laughter of yours sounded, or rather seemed quite disturbing Mel. it sounded like you're holding a screw driver, with eyes wide open and saying "ha ha ha, yeah, i can't sing to save my life, *stab* *stab* ha ha ha ha yeah, i can't sing *stab* *stab* *stab* ha ha *stab* *stab* *stab* *stab* anyway, dat "ikan kat pasar tu kan? dia orang potong dengan laser tau?" line actually came out? i missed dat episode lah! ha ha ha ha, i'm jumping with joy! ha ha ha ha! i can't believe it actually got through! woo hoo! *pats my own back*
Hi Alvin, long time no talk one. Yah-loh, hentam your own lines only. Actually you did something similar in episode 1. Cheh. Remind me to give you very complicated dialogue next time.
As for Mel stabbing... don't you get that feeling anyway when she a little kooky on set? Why do you think I never sit so close to her?
As for Mel stabbing... don't you get that feeling anyway when she a little kooky on set? Why do you think I never sit so close to her?
actually kan, alvin...it should be our show la. i mean yeah yeah, melody can sing, bla bla bla, la di da....but we...aha. we're ENTERTAINING. appparenly ping didn't think it should be an ENTERTAINING show so he left out our ENTERTAINING bits and concentrated on melody's drug-induced singing. ha ha ha! *stab*
lol...alvin u're so funny about what mel said.. hahaha *stab* *stab*
"ikan kat pasar tu kan? dia orang potong dengan laser tau?"
LOL...which part.. i'm gonna watch some repeats now...hahaha
"ikan kat pasar tu kan? dia orang potong dengan laser tau?"
LOL...which part.. i'm gonna watch some repeats now...hahaha
hahah the first episode one is about... "Nampaknya Lembu tu ditelan oleh burung hantu!"
hahahaha....
now still search for the ikan dipasar mereka potong dgn laser!
hahahaha....
now still search for the ikan dipasar mereka potong dgn laser!
I absolutely love Mac and Jay's face off. really cool. both good actors. this is by far the best episode. fast paced and lots of drama. ;) nickson's character is starting to shine a bit more. and i'm finding him quite likeable. ;D
ya lah Mel, our brilliant ideas all buried in Gag Cemetery by Ping... sigh. Da deadliest rejection by him by far was when i asked him what he thought of the idea and he pulled a seemingly acknowledging smile and said "...you think leh??" dun even get me started on what Mel and I wrote on da prop whiteboard in da background of da rehearsal hall.
anyway, in da undercover reporter episode, when we all walked to da lift and Burn wanted to explain to Melody what really happened in dat room, without anyone's anticipation and out of da blue, i said "...itu kambing kan? kalau tak mengandung pun boleh keluar susu..." then i heard Ashraf chuckled through his nose and gave me da most puzzled "what da hell?" look. we couldn't continue dat scene of course. we had to do it again, with me maintaining da same kambing story... hahahah!!!
anyway, in da undercover reporter episode, when we all walked to da lift and Burn wanted to explain to Melody what really happened in dat room, without anyone's anticipation and out of da blue, i said "...itu kambing kan? kalau tak mengandung pun boleh keluar susu..." then i heard Ashraf chuckled through his nose and gave me da most puzzled "what da hell?" look. we couldn't continue dat scene of course. we had to do it again, with me maintaining da same kambing story... hahahah!!!
i know this has nothing to do with realiti. but since i've got alvin's attention...have you read the nonsense that douglas writes in the frankenstein in love blog? frankenstein-in-love.blogspot.com. god, i miss you guys. we're reduced to chatting in posts on DZOF's page. mamak time!
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