Thursday, October 13, 2016

Behind the Cameras

While discussing all the various jobs that are behind the scenes, I envisioned what success would be like; where I would excell. There's no way any prolific creativity would come in a room so cold.   Being on the set of my chosen telenovela,Celia, would be great. All the shots outside of the studio would be so pleasant and luxurious. The only people who would be uptight would be make-up crew trying to keep the sweat off.  

Production for Celia is certainly an art craft. I like to call my telenovela a “ruptura de epoca” because it shows history through such a different lens. It breaks traditional models by being biographical and musical, joining with the telenovela format to create drama and magnetic attraction. It is distant from the traditional telenovela, but adapted to the platform. It gives time and place to the story by producing scenes and characters that are part of the military regime or the rebellion in Cuba.

The props to this telenovela are so top-notch, it may even be romanticized. There is a type of abundance in color that is always happening. Things are so clean-pressed and tidy, in personal style and also interior design. The floral designs and clothing is meticulous. Even though everything is so handsome, I wonder if the Cubans looked a little rougher at the time. Celia Cruz grew up in a pretty poor neighborhood – a hard conclusion to make from all of the abundance. The props are an orchestration, from all of the bundles of tropical fruit resting in courtyard oasis, to recreating a 1950’s train station, or a realistic Cuban kitchen.

I am not surprised that the actors have to deal with big cameras and lights in their faces. I have gotten the jist of the difficulties that take place while shooting film. It is disenchanting to see production in a way. What is more appalling to me is the way everything is placed with purpose. When the actors walk past an old Chevrolet, I can imagine the Cubanos patching parts together from household items – something they are famous for – keeping cars running forever with such minimal resources. 

1 comment:

  1. Charles- That's definitely an interesting point because in order to accurately portray all the time periods, you have to set the scene very delicately and perfectly. I'm sure the team that gathers all of these items have to do a lot of research, watch a lot of movies and old shows to see how Cubans were portrayed in the early 1950s. Setting the scene for shows that take place in any other era has a lot of planning on their part because the audience is probably quick to comment if something looks fake and unrealistic. The actors definitely have to quickly adapt to the fast paced environment and really live in the time period they're displaying

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