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Subject: Stars for One Season ( Those Talent Shows )

Author:
NEWSBREAK Staff writer -Special Report
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Date Posted: 11:16:08 09/18/05 Sun

Subject title :
" Stars for One Season " ( Insider talk on Abunda & even Regine)

Stars for one season
By Carmela Fonbuena
NEWSBREAK Staff writer

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This is a good informative article about our showbiz
scene, Regine fans.. And in this article a strong point
about Regine's star rise is made. And how badly they are
picking untalented unknown-types without any skills or
actual talent to show besides good looks and some good
connections to the biz. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

IT'S 11 a.m. on a Saturday, and the gallery of ABS-CBN's Studio 3 is
packed with teenagers wearing superhero-inspired tops and carrying
cameras. The show "ASAP Fanatic" does not start until 2 p.m., but they
wait patiently, just to see their idols up close: Hero Angeles,
Sandara Park, and Christian Bautista, among them.

Once the young stars get on stage, cheers and screams erupt. Hero,
Sandara, and Christian are among the hottest matinee sensations that
have sprung from local talent search contests. There is no escaping
them. They're everywhere-on TV, magazines, newspapers, even on your
shopping bags and phone cards. Billboards flash their faces to
commuters; kids and their yaya talk about them endlessly. So that even
if you're not a fan, you must be living in a cave if you do not know
or have not heard about them.

The local entertainment industry doesn't deny that the hype about
these talent searches owes something to the reality-based shows in the
US. Imported shows like "The American Idol," "Survivors," "Amazing
Race," and "The Bachelor" have gained a loyal following among Filipino
audiences. Riding on the popularity of these shows, local networks
came up with their own versions like "Star for a Night," "Search for a
Star," "Star in a Million," "Starstruck," and "Star Circle Quest."

Power of the Mob
Talent searches, to be sure, are nothing new in Philippine television.
Nora Aunor is the most enduring product of such searches, bursting
onto the national scene after winning the grand finals of the "Tawag
ng Tanghalan" amateur singing contest in 1968. She went on to become
not only a good singer but a fine actress as well. Regine Velasquez, a
provincial lass from Bulacan, took a similar path to stardom two
decades later, in 1986, when she won the "Bagong Kampeon" talent
search.

In those years, talent managers discovered talents, built them into
stars, and peddled them to producers. The stars had to have real
talent, not to mention the stamina to stand the rigors of honing and
practice. Stardom was earned the hard way.

In today's fast lane, things have changed dramatically. Instant viewer
gratification begets instant stars. Technology has converted the TV
viewer-for a long time just a bystander who laughed or cried,
depending on what he was watching-into a judge who, through the power
of text messages, can make or break stars.

Some say that this is empowering the audience. Others say the
opposite, that viewers' direct participation in talent searches has
spoiled the process-like what a mob does to a public debate. Text
votes give the "illusion" that it is possible to make TV viewing
interactive, according to Ateneo Professor Andrew Ty. "That's
problematic...it strikes me as the trivialization of the democratic
process."

Network Rules
In the case of the many televised talent searches, even talent
managers now appear at risk of losing their position of influence.
Before, they were the ultimate power centers, dictating how much stars
should be paid and how they are to be packaged. Big names like Douglas
Quijano, Ethel Ramos, and Lolit Solis dominated the field.

In 1995, ABS-CBN, seeing the huge profits that "idols" could rake in,
changed course and launched Star Circle, a talent audition. "It came
to a point that studios realized they should not be dependent on the
whims and caprice of talent managers," said writer and director Jose
Javier Reyes, who teaches film at the University of the Philippines.
Among Star Circle's more popular alumni are Piolo Pascual, who has
bagged a best actor award, Kristine Hermosa, Diether Ocampo, and the
late Rico Yan.

Star Circle was not televised at the time. But came "American Idol,"
and the networks had to reformat. Auditions are now televised, judges
spew venom on hapless contestants, and text-savvy viewers are given a
say in selecting winners. Star Circle became "Star Circle Quest," or
SCQ.

What adds spice and controversy to these contests is how the judges
react to a contestant's performance. In "Star Circle Quest," you hear
Boy Abunda, sitting as judge, tell a hopeful, "Alam mo, hijo, you're
very good looking, but I'm bored," or "Para kang iced tea na walang
ice."

To Reyes, this is the height of pseudo-masochism disguised as
constructive criticism. "We discovered Regine [Velasquez] without
having to bitch and humiliate her." But he's the first to acknowledge
that a "Bagong Kampeon" format, where the audience can participate
only by giving their choices the loudest applause, is now outdated.

To some people, Ty said, "it's the judges who are really the
entertaining part of the show rather than the contestants."

TV director Rowell Santiago told Newsbreak, "The viewers have
changed.... Everybody has his or her own opinion."

Viewer Power
It was hard in the beginning for Abunda. "Our culture, I thought, was
not ready for public bashing," he said. "It's about the dynamics
between the relationship of the contestant and the judges. Is it
barbaric? Are we back to our primeval practices of enjoying blood and
gore? I don't know."

Unlike "American Idol," which gives 100 percent of the decision power
to its audience, judges in SCQ account for 50 percent of the outcome.
As a judge, Abunda looks for charisma and the X-factor. "There are no
formulas. You would know when you see one."

There are occasions, however, when judges and the viewers disagree.
Despite her poor performance in the workshops, SCQ's Korean finalist
Sandara Park made it as the Texter's Choice. She accumulated total
text votes of 1.7 million, a far cry from winner Hero Angeles's
700,000.

"I was not very fond of the girl. Most of the time she wasn't showing
anything," Abunda said. "But every time we would comment adversely on
her performance, she would get hundreds of thousands of text votes to
save her. That's why there were times we would say, 'I don't want to
say anything.'"

Does that put aside talent?

"I'd say yes. But who are we to say that the opinion of many Filipinos
is wrong?" Abunda said.

According to Reyes, Sandara had two things working for her. She seems
vulnerable and she looks like a chinovela star. Filipinos have been
known to have a soft heart for the underdog. The rise in the
popularity of Chinese soaps, on the other hand, may be traced to the
phenomenal "Meteor Garden" mania. Rainier Castillo of "Starstruck" and
SCQ's Angeles are prototypes of these Chinese stars, Reyes said. "They
all look alike."

Holy Grail
Abunda has been touted as the Philippine version of "American Idol's"
Simon Cowell, who made a career out of making biting comments on the
performances of aspiring American stars. Cowell ranked 54 in the Top
100 Most Powerful People in the Music Industry worldwide. Doesn't this
style turn off contestants and viewers? Obviously not, based on the
continuing popularity of this kind of televised audition. For money
and fame, Reyes said, contestants would go through anything-including
humiliation and degradation. "It's part and parcel of the quest for
the Holy Grail, going through obstacle courses."

SCQ started with pre-auditioned 400 contestants. It took a two-week
show for the judges to come up with the 10 finalists. The top five
winners of SCQ are assured of a P1-million contract with the ABS-CBN
Talent Center, which farms out shows and guest appearances to the new
stars. The top winner (like Angeles) receives P2 million worth of cash
and contracts.

"Star in a Million," a purely singing talent search show of ABS-CBN,
offers its top winner P1 million in cash, a house and lot, and a
management contract with the ABS-CBN Talent Center.

Although there are contestants like Christian Bautista who come from
the middle class, most of them join in the hope of earning enough so
as to the help the family and put siblings to school, said Reyes, who
conducted a workshop for the finalists. Angeles, for one, touched the
viewers when he recalled one noche buena he had with his family, which
consisted only of champorado.

Shotgun Mentality
Winners don't take everything. After the contest, even non-winners get
to start showbiz careers because of the exposure. GMA-7's
"Starstruck," for example, was aired from October last year until
February this year. The 10 finalists now have their regular Saturday
show, "The Starstruck Playhouse." The last four finalists joined
another show, "Click," and are often seen on other shows as guests.
Some of them have joined soaps, too.

Christian Bautista was the first monthly winner of "Star in a Million"
in April last year when the singing talent search was only a segment
of ABS-CBN's Sunday noontime show, "ASAP." After being named the
month's winner, he was invited every so often to take part in the
noontime show. "I always got excited every time I got a call from
'ASAP.' I would get to sing with other singers like Lea Salonga,
Martin Nievera, Nora Aunor, Kuh Ledesma, and Gary Valenciano." For his
choice of songs, Bautista made a name for himself as the local Josh
Groban.

He ended only fourth in the grand finals of "Star in a Million," but
he eventually signed a contract with Warner Music Philippines and came
out with an album before the winner, Erik Santos, did. His single,
"The Way You Look at Me," topped the charts, and the album is now
moving toward a platinum award. His July 30 concert was sold out, too.
He is often seen in "ASAP" and a regular in "ASAP Fanatic." His
manager, Carlo Orosa, said Bautista has a schedule of performances and
show appearances until next year. All of these happened in 15 months.

"It would definitely be more difficult if I didn't join 'Star in a
Million,'" Bautista admitted.

Seize the Moment Obviously, the best way to get to stardom now is
through these contests. And once stardom is within reach, the talents
work themselves to the bones. In a fickle industry, the rule is:
strike while the iron is hot.

"You pity them because every day of their lives, they are working,"
Santiago said. "They are so hot everyone wants a piece of them. They
don't even have time to rehearse."

Reyes isn't too happy with the way things are. "It gives a wrong
impression of what being an actor or an actress is all about. They
think screaming fans make good actors. It takes precedence over
improvement and dedication to the craft. Acting is a Gina Alajar,
Jaclyn Jose, Jean Garcia, Ricky Davao, Paolo Contis, Carlo Aquino.
These guys don't get screaming fans."

In the past, talents were discovered and nurtured until they blossom
and become a sensation. Today, Reyes said, "you don't foresee them to
have a long life span. You saturate the market [with them] until the
next idols come along." Their popularity is founded on kilig factor
and fan mentality, which can be very fickle if you have so many
choices, Reyes said. By the time the new stars learn some acting,
their careers are over.

Talent manager Lolit Solis observed that the crowd of GMA-7's
"Starstruck" thinned when ABS-CBN came out with its new winners in
SCQ. "Ang bilis ng turnover. Kapapanalo lang ni Mark [Herras in
'Starstruck'], may nanalo na sa kabila." This is the price one has to
pay for instant success: people get tired of you easily, too. They
always want a new idol. (The next season of "Starstruck" will be aired
in October.)

Reyes attributes this to the "shotgun mentality." The networks produce
so many "idols," then "matira ang matibay." Let the fittest survive.
Stars can't afford to relax now because they can be replaced anytime,
which in a way is good for competition, Reyes said.

Of the Star Circle batches, only few of the members were able to last
in the industry. The rest faded back to oblivion. "There's nothing
wrong with that. It's all part of the game," Reyes said.

In any case, TV networks will continue to repackage stars and
programs-selling dreams to various audiences. "Young people make
attempts to make their dreams come true even if these dreams seem to
be a consequence of messages they receive from the media," Ty
explained.

So is the hype about all these talent searches good or bad? People
need entertainment but it is another matter to use this as a standard
to judge other things, Ty said.

"When this happens, when we, for example, demand that our educators
and politicians be entertaining, then we might have a problem."

Send us your feedback: letters@...

http://www.inq7.net/nwsbrk/2004/aug/16/nbk_7-1.htm

---------------- > good article on showbiz!

Now that was an excellect informative showbiz scenes article.

++++++++++++++++++
Music Inside Buzz
http://insidebuzz.tripod.com
rv_thebirdnest · REgInE VeLasQueZ - ThE FaNs BiRd'S nEsT!
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/rv_thebirdnest/
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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>Subject title : >" Stars for One Season " ( Insider talk on Abunda & >even Regine) > >Stars for one season >By Carmela Fonbuena >NEWSBREAK Staff writer > >++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ >This is a good informative article about our showbiz >scene, Regine fans.. And in this article a strong point >about Regine's star rise is made. And how badly they >are >picking untalented unknown-types without any skills or >actual talent to show besides good looks and some good >connections to the biz. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > >IT'S 11 a.m. on a Saturday, and the gallery of >ABS-CBN's Studio 3 is >packed with teenagers wearing superhero-inspired tops >and carrying >cameras. The show "ASAP Fanatic" does not start until >2 p.m., but they >wait patiently, just to see their idols up close: Hero >Angeles, >Sandara Park, and Christian Bautista, among them. > >Once the young stars get on stage, cheers and screams >erupt. Hero, >Sandara, and Christian are among the hottest matinee >sensations that >have sprung from local talent search contests. There >is no escaping >them. They're everywhere-on TV, magazines, newspapers, >even on your >shopping bags and phone cards. Billboards flash their >faces to >commuters; kids and their yaya talk about them >endlessly. So that even >if you're not a fan, you must be living in a cave if >you do not know >or have not heard about them. > >The local entertainment industry doesn't deny that the >hype about >these talent searches owes something to the >reality-based shows in the >US. Imported shows like "The American Idol," >"Survivors," "Amazing >Race," and "The Bachelor" have gained a loyal >following among Filipino >audiences. Riding on the popularity of these shows, >local networks >came up with their own versions like "Star for a >Night," "Search for a >Star," "Star in a Million," "Starstruck," and "Star >Circle Quest." > >Power of the Mob >Talent searches, to be sure, are nothing new in >Philippine television. >Nora Aunor is the most enduring product of such >searches, bursting >onto the national scene after winning the grand finals >of the "Tawag >ng Tanghalan" amateur singing contest in 1968. She >went on to become >not only a good singer but a fine actress as well. >Regine Velasquez, a >provincial lass from Bulacan, took a similar path to >stardom two >decades later, in 1986, when she won the "Bagong >Kampeon" talent >search. > >In those years, talent managers discovered talents, >built them into >stars, and peddled them to producers. The stars had to >have real >talent, not to mention the stamina to stand the rigors >of honing and >practice. Stardom was earned the hard way. > >In today's fast lane, things have changed >dramatically. Instant viewer >gratification begets instant stars. Technology has >converted the TV >viewer-for a long time just a bystander who laughed or >cried, >depending on what he was watching-into a judge who, >through the power >of text messages, can make or break stars. > >Some say that this is empowering the audience. Others >say the >opposite, that viewers' direct participation in talent >searches has >spoiled the process-like what a mob does to a public >debate. Text >votes give the "illusion" that it is possible to make >TV viewing >interactive, according to Ateneo Professor Andrew Ty. >"That's >problematic...it strikes me as the trivialization of >the democratic >process." > >Network Rules >In the case of the many televised talent searches, >even talent >managers now appear at risk of losing their position >of influence. >Before, they were the ultimate power centers, >dictating how much stars >should be paid and how they are to be packaged. Big >names like Douglas >Quijano, Ethel Ramos, and Lolit Solis dominated the >field. > >In 1995, ABS-CBN, seeing the huge profits that "idols" >could rake in, >changed course and launched Star Circle, a talent >audition. "It came >to a point that studios realized they should not be >dependent on the >whims and caprice of talent managers," said writer and >director Jose >Javier Reyes, who teaches film at the University of >the Philippines. >Among Star Circle's more popular alumni are Piolo >Pascual, who has >bagged a best actor award, Kristine Hermosa, Diether >Ocampo, and the >late Rico Yan. > >Star Circle was not televised at the time. But came >"American Idol," >and the networks had to reformat. Auditions are now >televised, judges >spew venom on hapless contestants, and text-savvy >viewers are given a >say in selecting winners. Star Circle became "Star >Circle Quest," or >SCQ. > >What adds spice and controversy to these contests is >how the judges >react to a contestant's performance. In "Star Circle >Quest," you hear >Boy Abunda, sitting as judge, tell a hopeful, "Alam >mo, hijo, you're >very good looking, but I'm bored," or "Para kang iced >tea na walang >ice." > >To Reyes, this is the height of pseudo-masochism >disguised as >constructive criticism. "We discovered Regine >[Velasquez] without >having to bitch and humiliate her." But he's the first >to acknowledge >that a "Bagong Kampeon" format, where the audience can >participate >only by giving their choices the loudest applause, is >now outdated. > >To some people, Ty said, "it's the judges who are >really the >entertaining part of the show rather than the >contestants." > >TV director Rowell Santiago told Newsbreak, "The >viewers have >changed.... Everybody has his or her own opinion." > >Viewer Power >It was hard in the beginning for Abunda. "Our culture, >I thought, was >not ready for public bashing," he said. "It's about >the dynamics >between the relationship of the contestant and the >judges. Is it >barbaric? Are we back to our primeval practices of >enjoying blood and >gore? I don't know." > >Unlike "American Idol," which gives 100 percent of the >decision power >to its audience, judges in SCQ account for 50 percent >of the outcome. >As a judge, Abunda looks for charisma and the >X-factor. "There are no >formulas. You would know when you see one." > >There are occasions, however, when judges and the >viewers disagree. >Despite her poor performance in the workshops, SCQ's >Korean finalist >Sandara Park made it as the Texter's Choice. She >accumulated total >text votes of 1.7 million, a far cry from winner Hero >Angeles's >700,000. > >"I was not very fond of the girl. Most of the time she >wasn't showing >anything," Abunda said. "But every time we would >comment adversely on >her performance, she would get hundreds of thousands >of text votes to >save her. That's why there were times we would say, 'I >don't want to >say anything.'" > >Does that put aside talent? > >"I'd say yes. But who are we to say that the opinion >of many Filipinos >is wrong?" Abunda said. > >According to Reyes, Sandara had two things working for >her. She seems >vulnerable and she looks like a chinovela star. >Filipinos have been >known to have a soft heart for the underdog. The rise >in the >popularity of Chinese soaps, on the other hand, may be >traced to the >phenomenal "Meteor Garden" mania. Rainier Castillo of >"Starstruck" and >SCQ's Angeles are prototypes of these Chinese stars, >Reyes said. "They >all look alike." > >Holy Grail >Abunda has been touted as the Philippine version of >"American Idol's" >Simon Cowell, who made a career out of making biting >comments on the >performances of aspiring American stars. Cowell ranked >54 in the Top >100 Most Powerful People in the Music Industry >worldwide. Doesn't this >style turn off contestants and viewers? Obviously not, >based on the >continuing popularity of this kind of televised >audition. For money >and fame, Reyes said, contestants would go through >anything-including >humiliation and degradation. "It's part and parcel of >the quest for >the Holy Grail, going through obstacle courses." > >SCQ started with pre-auditioned 400 contestants. It >took a two-week >show for the judges to come up with the 10 finalists. >The top five >winners of SCQ are assured of a P1-million contract >with the ABS-CBN >Talent Center, which farms out shows and guest >appearances to the new >stars. The top winner (like Angeles) receives P2 >million worth of cash >and contracts. > >"Star in a Million," a purely singing talent search >show of ABS-CBN, >offers its top winner P1 million in cash, a house and >lot, and a >management contract with the ABS-CBN Talent Center. > >Although there are contestants like Christian Bautista >who come from >the middle class, most of them join in the hope of >earning enough so >as to the help the family and put siblings to school, >said Reyes, who >conducted a workshop for the finalists. Angeles, for >one, touched the >viewers when he recalled one noche buena he had with >his family, which >consisted only of champorado. > >Shotgun Mentality >Winners don't take everything. After the contest, even >non-winners get >to start showbiz careers because of the exposure. >GMA-7's >"Starstruck," for example, was aired from October last >year until >February this year. The 10 finalists now have their >regular Saturday >show, "The Starstruck Playhouse." The last four >finalists joined >another show, "Click," and are often seen on other >shows as guests. >Some of them have joined soaps, too. > >Christian Bautista was the first monthly winner of >"Star in a Million" >in April last year when the singing talent search was >only a segment >of ABS-CBN's Sunday noontime show, "ASAP." After being >named the >month's winner, he was invited every so often to take >part in the >noontime show. "I always got excited every time I got >a call from >'ASAP.' I would get to sing with other singers like >Lea Salonga, >Martin Nievera, Nora Aunor, Kuh Ledesma, and Gary >Valenciano." For his >choice of songs, Bautista made a name for himself as >the local Josh >Groban. > >He ended only fourth in the grand finals of "Star in a >Million," but >he eventually signed a contract with Warner Music >Philippines and came >out with an album before the winner, Erik Santos, did. >His single, >"The Way You Look at Me," topped the charts, and the >album is now >moving toward a platinum award. His July 30 concert >was sold out, too. >He is often seen in "ASAP" and a regular in "ASAP >Fanatic." His >manager, Carlo Orosa, said Bautista has a schedule of >performances and >show appearances until next year. All of these >happened in 15 months. > >"It would definitely be more difficult if I didn't >join 'Star in a >Million,'" Bautista admitted. > >Seize the Moment Obviously, the best way to get to >stardom now is >through these contests. And once stardom is within >reach, the talents >work themselves to the bones. In a fickle industry, >the rule is: >strike while the iron is hot. > >"You pity them because every day of their lives, they >are working," >Santiago said. "They are so hot everyone wants a piece >of them. They >don't even have time to rehearse." > >Reyes isn't too happy with the way things are. "It >gives a wrong >impression of what being an actor or an actress is all >about. They >think screaming fans make good actors. It takes >precedence over >improvement and dedication to the craft. Acting is a >Gina Alajar, >Jaclyn Jose, Jean Garcia, Ricky Davao, Paolo Contis, >Carlo Aquino. >These guys don't get screaming fans." > >In the past, talents were discovered and nurtured >until they blossom >and become a sensation. Today, Reyes said, "you don't >foresee them to >have a long life span. You saturate the market [with >them] until the >next idols come along." Their popularity is founded on >kilig factor >and fan mentality, which can be very fickle if you >have so many >choices, Reyes said. By the time the new stars learn >some acting, >their careers are over. > >Talent manager Lolit Solis observed that the crowd of >GMA-7's >"Starstruck" thinned when ABS-CBN came out with its >new winners in >SCQ. "Ang bilis ng turnover. Kapapanalo lang ni Mark >[Herras in >'Starstruck'], may nanalo na sa kabila." This is the >price one has to >pay for instant success: people get tired of you >easily, too. They >always want a new idol. (The next season of >"Starstruck" will be aired >in October.) > >Reyes attributes this to the "shotgun mentality." The >networks produce >so many "idols," then "matira ang matibay." Let the >fittest survive. >Stars can't afford to relax now because they can be >replaced anytime, >which in a way is good for competition, Reyes said. > >Of the Star Circle batches, only few of the members >were able to last >in the industry. The rest faded back to oblivion. >"There's nothing >wrong with that. It's all part of the game," Reyes >said. > >In any case, TV networks will continue to repackage >stars and >programs-selling dreams to various audiences. "Young >people make >attempts to make their dreams come true even if these >dreams seem to >be a consequence of messages they receive from the >media," Ty >explained. > >So is the hype about all these talent searches good or >bad? People >need entertainment but it is another matter to use >this as a standard >to judge other things, Ty said. > >"When this happens, when we, for example, demand that >our educators >and politicians be entertaining, then we might have a >problem." > >Send us your feedback: letters@... > >http://www.inq7.net/nwsbrk/2004/aug/16/nbk_7-1.htm > > >---------------- > good article on showbiz! > > >Now that was an excellect informative showbiz scenes >article. > > >++++++++++++++++++ >Music Inside Buzz >http://insidebuzz.tripod.com >rv_thebirdnest · REgInE VeLasQueZ - ThE FaNs BiRd'S >nEsT! >http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/rv_thebirdnest/ >++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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