In Living Color (emphasis on the color)...
Ever wondered what happens at a Live Results Show? Last night, I got the chance to find out. It was an especially exciting event last night, because all of the Top 24 were present, all eager to find out if there would be Wild Cards, and more importantly - if they would be one of them. The tension and excitement in the air was palpable, and was immediately apparent in the faces of the 18 who were still wondering what their fate was.
In one of my earlier columns, I wondered if the show was in need of a professional audience-prepper. Turns out, they do indeed have one. The prepper's job is to get the audience excited and energetic, and he did a pretty good job of getting every one on their feet and having fun. I haven't seen last night's show on TV yet, so I don't know if there was any difference in studio energy, but if there wasn't then I'll fully retract my statements that the audience is lacking enthusiasm. Part of the problem, it seems, might stem from the fact that so far, the size of the audience itself isn't that large. It looks larger on TV than it is in person. I think as they pack up and move into the Hippodrome at Gold Reef City, there will be larger audiences, and even more energy and enthusiasm.
After the prepper has gotten the audience suitably wound up, a producer runs down the list of what the audience should do - when to applaud, when to wait, etc. There's no applause sign that goes off telling people when they should clap, so the applause is fairly authentic; the point is more to make sure that applause doesn't interfere with the actual show, such as when someone is talking. And while all the previous shows I've seen on TV have made the audience seem sleepy and uninterested, the audience last night was energetic and excited. Doubly so, of course, during the announcements of last night's Top 2 and the Wild Cards. I happened to be sitting behind who I believe was Kesha's mother and other family members, and seeing their reactions to the announcement that she was going through was even better than watching Kesha react on stage. I think they should include more shots of family reactions in the show; it lends a more personal feeling to the show, and drives home the fact that these Idols are every day people that we otherwise might have just run into on the street. And in the end, isn't that the key to the Idols phenomenon?
It also feels a little more personal to see the unlucky 12 smiling gamely as they walk offstage after learning that they were not going to go any further. However, I got the chance to see and speak with a few of them afterwards, and I have to say, they all seemed to take it in stride, and don't seem to have any regrets about not making the cut. And to their credit, making it into the Top 24 is no small accomplishment, and they've already gotten excellent exposure that they might not otherwise have gotten outside of Idols.
Speaking of which, Deidre displayed her characteristic optimism and charm during the press conference after the show. When asked whether people might think that the Top 12 had only gotten so far because they were in Idols, Deidre pointed out that if the contestants were honestly serious about pursuing singing careers, they'd have gotten what they worked for whether they did it on their own or through Idols. If anything, in my opinion, Idols is the harder route to take. If you want to pursue a singing career on your own, generally you only have to convince some people at a recording label that you have what it takes. To make it on Idols, you have to convince an entire country of viewers, some very critical judges, and then you have to live up to that name. Idols is no guarantee of prolonged success, and it's no short cut. In the end, anyone participating in Idols has to work extremely hard to live up to the reputation of being an Idol, and to ensure a long and successful career. No matter which of the 12 goes through, though, I think this year's Idol is going to be a force to be reckoned with, and will do for South African music what Charlize Theron is doing for South African actors - showing that talent with global appeal does exist here.
What about the 11 who don't make it? I asked them whether they'd try again next year. The general consensus seems to be that if it doesn't happen this year, they won't try again. V Lalouette said she didn't think she could put herself through this again, and Kesha said that the exposure that comes from being in The Top 12 is remarkable already. And I agree; I think that most of the Top 12 will definitely see some action in their careers regardless of whether they win. And with that kind of talent being showcased, South Africa is already a winner. 12 highly talented, charismatic people hitting the music scene - be it Pop, Jazz, R&B or whatever else they decide to pursue - will do wonders for South Africa's musical reputation, and if they all work really hard, I think the world is going to sit up and take notice.
To cap off the evening, I was able to take some photographs of the Top 12 after the press conference. I did my best to stay out of the way, but I was able to capture some candid shots, as well as taking advantage of the poses being arranged by the Idols photographer. I'll be creating a blog dedicated to these photos later today and will add a link to the sidebar. Be sure to check them out - these people are just as photogenic when they don't even know they're being photographed as they are when they're hamming it up for the camera.
And, most importantly in my mind, it's clear that they're all having fun, they're all doing what they love, and they really are amazingly talented people. There's nothing like hearing them break out into spontaneous song, a cappella, just enjoying being together, and being themselves.
That's it for this report. Hopefully there will be more to come!
In one of my earlier columns, I wondered if the show was in need of a professional audience-prepper. Turns out, they do indeed have one. The prepper's job is to get the audience excited and energetic, and he did a pretty good job of getting every one on their feet and having fun. I haven't seen last night's show on TV yet, so I don't know if there was any difference in studio energy, but if there wasn't then I'll fully retract my statements that the audience is lacking enthusiasm. Part of the problem, it seems, might stem from the fact that so far, the size of the audience itself isn't that large. It looks larger on TV than it is in person. I think as they pack up and move into the Hippodrome at Gold Reef City, there will be larger audiences, and even more energy and enthusiasm.
After the prepper has gotten the audience suitably wound up, a producer runs down the list of what the audience should do - when to applaud, when to wait, etc. There's no applause sign that goes off telling people when they should clap, so the applause is fairly authentic; the point is more to make sure that applause doesn't interfere with the actual show, such as when someone is talking. And while all the previous shows I've seen on TV have made the audience seem sleepy and uninterested, the audience last night was energetic and excited. Doubly so, of course, during the announcements of last night's Top 2 and the Wild Cards. I happened to be sitting behind who I believe was Kesha's mother and other family members, and seeing their reactions to the announcement that she was going through was even better than watching Kesha react on stage. I think they should include more shots of family reactions in the show; it lends a more personal feeling to the show, and drives home the fact that these Idols are every day people that we otherwise might have just run into on the street. And in the end, isn't that the key to the Idols phenomenon?
It also feels a little more personal to see the unlucky 12 smiling gamely as they walk offstage after learning that they were not going to go any further. However, I got the chance to see and speak with a few of them afterwards, and I have to say, they all seemed to take it in stride, and don't seem to have any regrets about not making the cut. And to their credit, making it into the Top 24 is no small accomplishment, and they've already gotten excellent exposure that they might not otherwise have gotten outside of Idols.
Speaking of which, Deidre displayed her characteristic optimism and charm during the press conference after the show. When asked whether people might think that the Top 12 had only gotten so far because they were in Idols, Deidre pointed out that if the contestants were honestly serious about pursuing singing careers, they'd have gotten what they worked for whether they did it on their own or through Idols. If anything, in my opinion, Idols is the harder route to take. If you want to pursue a singing career on your own, generally you only have to convince some people at a recording label that you have what it takes. To make it on Idols, you have to convince an entire country of viewers, some very critical judges, and then you have to live up to that name. Idols is no guarantee of prolonged success, and it's no short cut. In the end, anyone participating in Idols has to work extremely hard to live up to the reputation of being an Idol, and to ensure a long and successful career. No matter which of the 12 goes through, though, I think this year's Idol is going to be a force to be reckoned with, and will do for South African music what Charlize Theron is doing for South African actors - showing that talent with global appeal does exist here.
What about the 11 who don't make it? I asked them whether they'd try again next year. The general consensus seems to be that if it doesn't happen this year, they won't try again. V Lalouette said she didn't think she could put herself through this again, and Kesha said that the exposure that comes from being in The Top 12 is remarkable already. And I agree; I think that most of the Top 12 will definitely see some action in their careers regardless of whether they win. And with that kind of talent being showcased, South Africa is already a winner. 12 highly talented, charismatic people hitting the music scene - be it Pop, Jazz, R&B or whatever else they decide to pursue - will do wonders for South Africa's musical reputation, and if they all work really hard, I think the world is going to sit up and take notice.
To cap off the evening, I was able to take some photographs of the Top 12 after the press conference. I did my best to stay out of the way, but I was able to capture some candid shots, as well as taking advantage of the poses being arranged by the Idols photographer. I'll be creating a blog dedicated to these photos later today and will add a link to the sidebar. Be sure to check them out - these people are just as photogenic when they don't even know they're being photographed as they are when they're hamming it up for the camera.
And, most importantly in my mind, it's clear that they're all having fun, they're all doing what they love, and they really are amazingly talented people. There's nothing like hearing them break out into spontaneous song, a cappella, just enjoying being together, and being themselves.
That's it for this report. Hopefully there will be more to come!
posted by Julie at
4:32 AM
