The need for actors who can act<\/p>\n
By Agni Amorita<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Oliver Stone reportedly wants to direct an
\nIndonesian script based on one of Pramudya Ananta Toer's books, a
\nproject many local actors would no doubt want to take part in.<\/p>\n
Finding the right people to fill roles, however, is a
\ndifficult job as there are relatively few professionals here who
\ncan handle the task.<\/p>\n
And our film industry itself is to blame for being unable to
\ncreate a healthy and conducive system to grow our own Willem
\nDafoe, Robert De Niro or gray-haired Sean Connery. The biggest
\nparts in our local wide-screen and television films are given to
\nbeautiful and young faces, without the least consideration for
\ntheir abilities. Exceptions -- of course --do exist, but the
\nnumber of good actors who get the opportunity to star in films is
\nvery small.<\/p>\n
When Joanne Brough, the executive producer of Dallas and
\nFalcon Crest, was invited to Indonesia a few years ago, she saw
\nDynasty copies dominating the local soap operas, or sinetron, on
\nalmost all the TV stations. The theme of wealthy families with
\ncontinuous adulterous problems was adapted in various ways. The
\nplot of wars among the bold and beautiful was localized with
\nhyperbolic conflicts in the more than 25 episodes of those
\nserialized TV dramas. But what Brough could not find here was a
\nlocal Joan Collins or any other stunning character who had more
\nthan a beautiful face.<\/p>\n
Joanne Brough, who taught serialized drama scriptwriting for
\nsome local writers in 1996, reminded her class to create at least
\none strong character who could steal the show not because of
\nbreathtaking physical appearance but by the character itself.<\/p>\n
"This stunning character can be a wheelchair-bound grandmother
\nwho talks with a deep regional dialect on every occasion, but her
\ncharacter is strongly shown on the screen so even by her cough
\nshe can draw the viewers' attention," explained one of Brough's
\nformer students, Winny Rosalina, who now works as a staff writer
\nfor RCTI's Ketoprak Humor.<\/p>\n
"By having this character, not only will we enrich the story
\nbut also give our own very special identity to the show," she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
With such a strong character, a show is more likely to appeal
\nto the audience.<\/p>\n
"I can't leave home on Saturday night before finding out what
\nPak Misdi's going to say," said 32-year-old Yenny Subrata, a bank
\nmanager from Bandung.<\/p>\n
Pak Misdi is a retired tea plantation worker played by
\n55-year-old actor Bambang Suryo on Aku Ingin Pulang (I Want to Go
\nHome), aired on SCTV every Saturday night.<\/p>\n
"The way Pak Misdi reacts is very unpredictable, but he always
\ncomforts me with his Sundanese philosophy of life. And I find his
\nWest Java dialect quite entertaining, even though he is not
\nSundanese," she said about the actor, who is from Central Java.<\/p>\n
Aku Ingin Pulang is now entering its 70th episode and is quite
\npopular.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, not many television shows have such stunning
\ncharacters as soap producers do not think that viewers can see
\n"real people" as their heroes. Which explains why TV series
\nalways feature A-list actors such as Ayu Azhari, Paramitha Rusady
\nand Bella Saphira.<\/p>\n
Miscasting is a common occurrence. Famous actress Bella
\nSaphira, for example, dons a gray wig to play a middle-aged woman
\non SCTV's Dewi Fortuna.<\/p>\n
"I think it's realistic because I am portraying an established
\nbig city woman. I wear chic outfits and different makeup, just
\nthe way those mature woman in Jakarta do," the 27-year-old
\nactress said in an interview.<\/p>\n
Harry Capri, the producer of Aku Ingin Pulang, emphasized that
\nhis show is not a Dynasty copy.<\/p>\n
"Of course we still need the portrayal of a jet-set family in
\nthe serialized drama to match the viewers' dreams, but
\nconsidering that the audience is not dominated by middle-upper
\nincome people, I prefer to have a common person as the hero in my
\nproductions," Harry said.<\/p>\n
Another director, Dedi Setiadi, said there was no need to cast
\nyoung and beautiful faces, even though this meant it was more
\ndifficult to sell the show.<\/p>\n
"We must start this hard work anyway," Dedi stated. "The
\nsystem is still against us but I just go on and on."<\/p>\n
Dedi, whose Cermin (Mirror) was named Best Dramatic Show at
\nlast year's Indonesian Sinetron Festival, knows well the
\nchallenges. He is still trying to sell Cermin, but there have
\nbeen no takers. The film, made in 1997 and 1998, is about people
\nliving in a slum area.<\/p>\n
A perfect mirror to reflect our poor film industry.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-need-for-actors-who-can-act-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }