Telenovela Interviews

The past few weeks in class, we have had Skype or FaceTime interviews with many writers and actors from various telenovelas. As we have watched many different telenovelas in class and learned about the production process, we have learned about the process the writers go through while writing the telenovelas, the way the actors feel about the telenovelas and the people they become while performing, and the way they all feel about the production companies and/or the government’s control of telenovelas in their country. Just like American movies and shows, there are many aspects that play into writing the story, choosing the characters, and filming the actual show.

For me, it is very hard to imagine the difficulties that writers and actors go through when writing and producing these shows as I’m not a writer nor an actor and have never had any experience with that field. Also, living in America where very few things are censored makes it hard for me to understand what other countries must endure when wanting to write, film, and produce stories they want. I read someone else’s blog in our class that discussed their home country, Vietnam, and the struggles they have with their government as far as movies and TV shows goes. They remember specific shows that were imported from another country that needed to be censored because their words and pictures were not compliant with the country’s rules and regulations. I think that because countries have different types of governments that it is difficult for us in America to realize all of the struggles and restrains that the people living there, the writers, the producers, and the actors feel.

In America, we would never have the opportunity to interview directors or actors from our most loved Netflix series or TV shows. It would be like interviewing John Stamos from Full House or Sophia Bush from One Tree Hill—crazy! It was very interesting to see times when our thoughts and opinions about a telenovela differed from the producer or actor. Asking them personal questions was also very intriguing as sometimes they had answers that were unexpected. Being able to ask them questions about themselves and their life before, during, and after the telenovela was a very special treat to end our semester and allowed us to really connect with the telenovelas. The interviewers were quite entertaining at times and allowed us to see the heart and why behind every show that is produced. To be able to discuss these aspects on such a personal level is something I may never get the chance to do again with any writers or actors! Thank you, Dr. A for allowing us to do that, and thank you for all you’ve done for our class!