Article Presented by:
Celeste Varley
My sister could always go out on any lawn, bend down and pick up a four-leaf clover. Every time! She drove me nuts with her "luck". Then, I would go out and look for hours, and never find a single one. I read somewhere that there is a much larger percentage of four-leaf clovers than I would've imagined. So, why couldn't I ever find one?
Somehow my sister had no ego stake in her ability to find four-leaf clovers. It was perfectly natural to her. The moment your goal becomes to be someone special, it becomes so important, that you are blinded to the bigger view. Your real goal is to be the one who finds it, rather than taking part in the magic of finding.
You need to have some concept, feeling, or idea before setting out to make a piece of art. But if this crosses the line of partnership, then it can turn into the illusion of you actually controlling all of your creation, without a chance for the subject to have a say. Just as in any relationship, that kind of control stunts the growth of the partnership.
This "I am the creator" attitude is actually bound up with quite a bit of fear, I think. By being used to scarcity in some way or other, this person feels compelled to have to do it all. . . to take it all on.
While so burdened with responsibility, she cannot even notice all the beckoning ideas, variations, extentions that are right in front of her. So many opportunities are lost because the doorway between her heart and the heart of the painting is clouded.
What is the price of holding onto control so tightly? Have you seen paintings on display which look rigid, and somehow predictable? They look like they were pre-planned, and they probably were.
But real living things and ideas grow organically, and have many nuances and anomalies which got there naturally. An interesting piece of art grows the same way. With the help of an artist an idea is allowed the space to breathe and grow into an entity of its own.
Once I had a commission to paint "my rendition" of a photograph of the client's home on the prairies. I took on the challenge, because he had said I could do whatever I wanted with it. Quite the confidence in my skills! But of course, this was very tough to do with only the photo to guide me. I've never seen that place, so I had nothing to go on beyond the photo, except his description of what it had been like.
There has to be a breaking away time, the earlier the better, when the original inspiration or source idea gets put out of sight. Then you can get into relationship with the subject, and it with you. After the initial fear of flying blind, a working relationship takes over, if you give it a chance. I've always suffered under the illusion that I had to be responsible for nearly every outcome. Making this break had always been fearful. It meant giving up control. And even though I knew intellectually this is an illusion, the body's memory is like an elephant's.
If you don't make this separation early enough, it soon becomes an exercise in technical copying. The result is as shallow as this sounds. Separation time is always haunted by fear, however slight. It is actually letting go your illusion of control. One approach to letting go, that works for me, is to remain curious. Let yourself be surprised.
I had to physically get into the scene of my commission. Eventually, it started to grow on me. It was through the physical relationship of painting an 8 foot a triptych that I couldn't see the whole thing until I went out my studio door, that the piece took on a life of its own. Once I stopped running back and forth, I literally, physically, got into relationship with it. I had to trust its own spirit to guide me with a gentle, willing heart.
I used to haunt secondhand shops, and once had a rash of finding cashmere sweaters for under $5. It didn't happen at first. I had to "put in my time" of just plain looking at everything. Once I noticed this streak of "luck" though, it stopped dead. Never happened again. Why? Because I had bought into the illusion of control --- that it was something I could make happen.
It was the four leaf-clover all over again. And it was every stiff, uninspired painting I've ever made too. Creating from your heart, in cooperation with your head, takes genuine humility. It takes a willingness to find the unexpected, or the unknown; to risk living your connectedness in the flesh.
As long as you cling to the illusion of control, you will keep finding yourself ultimately bored with the results. Nothing ventured, nothing gained is as true for making any art as it is for any other part of life.
Don't overlook the buddy system. To find a buddy to share your stuckness can help immensely. Others can often see in us what we are too close to see in ourselves.
The subject of control is one with which I have a vast wealth of experience. I've found it is the biggest threat when not recognized by the owner. Once recognized, it can be melted with the heart's gentleness, patience, and time.
You cannot surrender, in fact, but you can stop not surrendering.
About the Author:
Hello, I'm Celeste Varley and have been an artist at heart all my life. It is my privilege and passion to help seekers move beyond self-expression, to access the seeds of wholeness within. If you like this article, you may want to see more “Fresh Horses” articles on my website. Check it out and see if it's right for you. http://www.heartsongstudio.com Celeste Varley, Heartsong Studio, Helping the Creative Spirit to Soar.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Horror Music: 20th-Century Classical Works Expressing the Emotion of Fear
Article Presented by:
K T Ong
The emotion of horror does not seem to have been explored to any great extent by Western composers before the Twentieth Century. (I really don't think Bach's overused "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" was intended to convey that emotion. :)) A good deal of music of this nature may have been composed to be employed as background music for horror movies, but there are also a significant number of works which stand on their own like a good horror novel in the form of music.
Horror can take many forms; not all horror has to do with the supernatural and the macabre. Horror can be quiet and creepy, or can involve direct and brutal impacts on the senses. One can also speak of apocalyptic horror, the horror expressed through visions of vast cataclysms and upheavals.
"Prometheus" by Alexander Scriabin provides one example of such visions of apocalypse. This highly dramatic 20-minute symphonic poem for piano and orchestra evokes visions of vast, colossal changes (though at times it is also gentle and lyrical); films like "Volcano", "Dante's Peak" and "Aftershock" would have done well to employ portions of this work as soundtrack music. Scriabin was known to seriously entertain crazy, far-fetched ideas about using special means to transform the entire world and lift all of humanity into some higher state with the power of his music!
Another example of music explicitly intended to portray the forces of Nature in their more terrifying aspects would be "La Mer" (The Sea) by Claude Debussy, an orchestral suite in three movements. The third movement, 'Dialogue du vent et de la mer' (Dialogue of the Wind and the Sea), paints a sinister picture of threatening storm clouds gathering over a darkened and increasingly restless sea. If you missed the film "The Perfect Storm", this might be a good substitute!
'Cloudburst' from Ferde Grofé's "Grand Canyon Suite" provides yet another musical portrayal of the fury of the elements, though it sort of lacks Debussy's finesse. The depiction of a storm building up in the Grand Canyon is highly suspenseful in this piece.
"The Song of the Night" by Karol Szymanowski shares some similarities with Scriabin's "Prometheus" - the mysterious wordless chorus, the use of the piano, the climactic organ - but is perhaps more subtle in its approach. In this very slow work (which lasts slightly longer than 20 minutes), fear is sublimated into awe and wonder as one is confronted with the breathtaking beauty and splendor of the Persian night. The chilling warning 'not to go to sleep this night', delivered by the tenor solo at the beginning of the work, slowly gives way to warm, lyrical passages tinged with Oriental flavorings, and at times reaches heights of pure rapture. The warning is now understood not to be given lest we encounter something terrible, but lest we miss out on something wonderful!
Not many of the works of Twentieth-Century Western classical music which seek to express the emotions of fear and horror explicitly take the supernatural and the macabre as their subject, both being favorite motifs in horror literature as opposed to music. One such work would be the 30-minute ballet "The Miraculous Mandarin" by Béla Bartók, perhaps one of the most truly terrifying works in the classical repertoire. With shrieking strings, extended trombone glissandi and a chilling wordless chorus towards the end, the bloodcurdling work relates the tale of a beautiful prostitute employed by three robbers as bait for unsuspecting men who were promptly killed and stripped of their possessions. One of the victims, a wealthy Chinaman, returned repeatedly from the dead despite every effort of the robbers; it turned out that he was so greatly aroused by the prostitute the power of his lust sustained him beyond the grave!
Horror can be in the eye of the beholder; to early man the whole world might have been a pretty scary place, with supernatural beings lurking in every aspect of creation and demanding their dues in the form of sacrifices. This was what Igor Stravinsky imagined and sought to express in his "Le Sacre du Primtemps" (The Rite of Spring), one of Bartók's apparent sources of inspiration. Quiet and uneasy moments alternate in this piece with explosions of violence and savagery. Even more extreme and frenzied in their savagery are 'Mars, the Bringer of War' from "The Planets" by Gustav Holst and the first four minutes of "Feste Romane" (Roman Festivals) by Ottorino Respighi, which depict the orgies of the Circus Maximus. You have been warned. :)
Harrison Birtwistle's slightly-hard-to-find "Triumph of Time" would have to be one of the most recent pieces to be introduced in this article, being composed in the 1970's. The slow, quiet and eerie music of this 30-minute orchestral work depicts the relentless procession of time, the unrelieved gloom punctuated at times by rude eruptions which would shock the listener off her seat. The whole work is almost like an immense musical grindstone, slowly grinding all into dust. Not even 'Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age' from Holst's "The Planets" can rival this work in terms of the sheer desolation of its vision.
Not all scary music is based on an explicit story or idea, or meant to be. Ralph Vaughan Williams' harrowing "4th" and "6th Symphonies" have often been related to the horrors and brutalities of war (Vaughan Williams himself served in the army for a time), yet he emphatically denied any such connotations, insisting on an understanding of them as 'pure' music - an assertion many have found unconvincing. The second movement in each of these two works generates a powerful sense of mounting terror. The final movement of the "6th Symphony" in particular, with its slow, gloomy and tired passages, has been thought of by commentators as a musical portrayal of a world left lifeless by nuclear warfare, with aimless clouds drifting across barren wastelands.
Some scary music actually ends happily. Arnold Schoenberg's "Transfigured Night", a 30-minute work composed purely for strings, relates the story of two lovers meeting in a wood at night when the woman begins to reveal her dark and terrible secrets, mainly that she is pregnant with the child of another. The fearful anticipation of the man's likely response is vividly portrayed in Schoenberg's music; those who listen to this piece with no knowledge of the underlying story can probably be forgiven for thinking of a Dracula movie soundtrack. :). Much to the poor woman's relief - and the listener's as well - the man dispels her fears with a magnanimous gesture of forgiveness towards the middle of the work, and accepts the child as his own; the music accordingly becomes warm and romantic, the coda calm and happy as the two walk into the 'high, bright night'...
About the Author:
K T Ong lives in Singapore and is currently pursuing a PhD at the National University of Singapore. He loves art, music, books, toys and PC games, and is also trying to develop a figure like that of Steve Reeves. :p You might like to visit his Mall of Cthulhu a great treasury of lovely infoproducts. http://www.mallofcthulhu.com
K T Ong
The emotion of horror does not seem to have been explored to any great extent by Western composers before the Twentieth Century. (I really don't think Bach's overused "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" was intended to convey that emotion. :)) A good deal of music of this nature may have been composed to be employed as background music for horror movies, but there are also a significant number of works which stand on their own like a good horror novel in the form of music.
Horror can take many forms; not all horror has to do with the supernatural and the macabre. Horror can be quiet and creepy, or can involve direct and brutal impacts on the senses. One can also speak of apocalyptic horror, the horror expressed through visions of vast cataclysms and upheavals.
"Prometheus" by Alexander Scriabin provides one example of such visions of apocalypse. This highly dramatic 20-minute symphonic poem for piano and orchestra evokes visions of vast, colossal changes (though at times it is also gentle and lyrical); films like "Volcano", "Dante's Peak" and "Aftershock" would have done well to employ portions of this work as soundtrack music. Scriabin was known to seriously entertain crazy, far-fetched ideas about using special means to transform the entire world and lift all of humanity into some higher state with the power of his music!
Another example of music explicitly intended to portray the forces of Nature in their more terrifying aspects would be "La Mer" (The Sea) by Claude Debussy, an orchestral suite in three movements. The third movement, 'Dialogue du vent et de la mer' (Dialogue of the Wind and the Sea), paints a sinister picture of threatening storm clouds gathering over a darkened and increasingly restless sea. If you missed the film "The Perfect Storm", this might be a good substitute!
'Cloudburst' from Ferde Grofé's "Grand Canyon Suite" provides yet another musical portrayal of the fury of the elements, though it sort of lacks Debussy's finesse. The depiction of a storm building up in the Grand Canyon is highly suspenseful in this piece.
"The Song of the Night" by Karol Szymanowski shares some similarities with Scriabin's "Prometheus" - the mysterious wordless chorus, the use of the piano, the climactic organ - but is perhaps more subtle in its approach. In this very slow work (which lasts slightly longer than 20 minutes), fear is sublimated into awe and wonder as one is confronted with the breathtaking beauty and splendor of the Persian night. The chilling warning 'not to go to sleep this night', delivered by the tenor solo at the beginning of the work, slowly gives way to warm, lyrical passages tinged with Oriental flavorings, and at times reaches heights of pure rapture. The warning is now understood not to be given lest we encounter something terrible, but lest we miss out on something wonderful!
Not many of the works of Twentieth-Century Western classical music which seek to express the emotions of fear and horror explicitly take the supernatural and the macabre as their subject, both being favorite motifs in horror literature as opposed to music. One such work would be the 30-minute ballet "The Miraculous Mandarin" by Béla Bartók, perhaps one of the most truly terrifying works in the classical repertoire. With shrieking strings, extended trombone glissandi and a chilling wordless chorus towards the end, the bloodcurdling work relates the tale of a beautiful prostitute employed by three robbers as bait for unsuspecting men who were promptly killed and stripped of their possessions. One of the victims, a wealthy Chinaman, returned repeatedly from the dead despite every effort of the robbers; it turned out that he was so greatly aroused by the prostitute the power of his lust sustained him beyond the grave!
Horror can be in the eye of the beholder; to early man the whole world might have been a pretty scary place, with supernatural beings lurking in every aspect of creation and demanding their dues in the form of sacrifices. This was what Igor Stravinsky imagined and sought to express in his "Le Sacre du Primtemps" (The Rite of Spring), one of Bartók's apparent sources of inspiration. Quiet and uneasy moments alternate in this piece with explosions of violence and savagery. Even more extreme and frenzied in their savagery are 'Mars, the Bringer of War' from "The Planets" by Gustav Holst and the first four minutes of "Feste Romane" (Roman Festivals) by Ottorino Respighi, which depict the orgies of the Circus Maximus. You have been warned. :)
Harrison Birtwistle's slightly-hard-to-find "Triumph of Time" would have to be one of the most recent pieces to be introduced in this article, being composed in the 1970's. The slow, quiet and eerie music of this 30-minute orchestral work depicts the relentless procession of time, the unrelieved gloom punctuated at times by rude eruptions which would shock the listener off her seat. The whole work is almost like an immense musical grindstone, slowly grinding all into dust. Not even 'Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age' from Holst's "The Planets" can rival this work in terms of the sheer desolation of its vision.
Not all scary music is based on an explicit story or idea, or meant to be. Ralph Vaughan Williams' harrowing "4th" and "6th Symphonies" have often been related to the horrors and brutalities of war (Vaughan Williams himself served in the army for a time), yet he emphatically denied any such connotations, insisting on an understanding of them as 'pure' music - an assertion many have found unconvincing. The second movement in each of these two works generates a powerful sense of mounting terror. The final movement of the "6th Symphony" in particular, with its slow, gloomy and tired passages, has been thought of by commentators as a musical portrayal of a world left lifeless by nuclear warfare, with aimless clouds drifting across barren wastelands.
Some scary music actually ends happily. Arnold Schoenberg's "Transfigured Night", a 30-minute work composed purely for strings, relates the story of two lovers meeting in a wood at night when the woman begins to reveal her dark and terrible secrets, mainly that she is pregnant with the child of another. The fearful anticipation of the man's likely response is vividly portrayed in Schoenberg's music; those who listen to this piece with no knowledge of the underlying story can probably be forgiven for thinking of a Dracula movie soundtrack. :). Much to the poor woman's relief - and the listener's as well - the man dispels her fears with a magnanimous gesture of forgiveness towards the middle of the work, and accepts the child as his own; the music accordingly becomes warm and romantic, the coda calm and happy as the two walk into the 'high, bright night'...
About the Author:
K T Ong lives in Singapore and is currently pursuing a PhD at the National University of Singapore. He loves art, music, books, toys and PC games, and is also trying to develop a figure like that of Steve Reeves. :p You might like to visit his Mall of Cthulhu a great treasury of lovely infoproducts. http://www.mallofcthulhu.com
Charlemagne Meets a Chinese Princess
Article Presented by:
K T Ong
Charlemagne was a powerful Frankish monarch of the late 8th and early 9th centuries AD who united virtually all of Christian Europe into a single empire which he defended vigorously against hostile foreign forces. He was also known to be a great patron of higher learning, and also improved upon the laws of the empire and their administration. After his death people started weaving colorful legends of all kinds regarding him and his paladins, raising them to the status of mythical figures along the lines of King Arthur.
The legends were eventually to be collected into long written works, one of them being the epic poem "Orlando Furioso" or "The Madness of Roland" (Roland/Orlando being Charlemagne's favorite nephew and also one of his paladins), composed by the Italian poet Ariosto in the 15th century. The 19th century American scholar Thomas Bullfinch also undertook a retelling of many of the legends in his "Bullfinch's Mythology: The Legends of Charlemagne". The stories range all the way from the British Isles to the Middle East and to China, even right up to the moon (!), and contain all sorts of stuff like angels, fairies, terrible monsters, fantastic creatures, sorcerers and sorceresses, fabulous cities and palaces, magical items and weapons, and, of course, great warriors and battles.
Now according to the legends, one day while Charlemagne and his men were feasting in his court he was visited by a Cathayan princess of dazzling beauty by the name of Angelica! :D Almost every man in Charlemagne's court lost his mind over her, including the king himself (I'm sure the queen would be fuming with rage :)); his nephew Orlando, in particular, was to fall so hopelessly in love with her that, upon discovering later that she had gone off with another man, he eventually went totally insane, destroying animals, houses and people wherever he went - hence the title "Orlando Furioso", the Madness of Roland. To think that some Frankish dude from medieval times could fall for a Chinese lady to such a degree! Another paladin, Astolpho, had to travel all the way to the moon to retrieve Orlando's lost sanity!
Now why would any princess from China want to visit Europe in the 8th or 9th century? According to the legends, Angelica's father, Galafron (it's hilarious what sort of names early European writers came up with for the Chinese), harbored evil intentions against Christendom, his daughter being precisely one of his main chess pieces! Well, it's seriously doubtful any Chinese emperor during Charlemagne's time (there were four successive emperors in China whose period of rule overlapped with his; one of them reigned for only one year if not less) would have known much of him and the Holy Roman Empire at all, let alone seek its downfall. What had China to gain? :)
Perhaps a more likely reason (relatively speaking) for any Chinese of royal parentage to embark on a trip to Europe during those times could be to establish friendly trade relations and to propagate Buddhism - which at that time was at the height of its influence in China - though that would still have been a most unlikely historical event as Europe was just too far away from China (and had little to offer that interested the Chinese, besides :p). Even if a missionary journey to Europe did take place, the Franks with their Christian mindset would probably have misunderstood Buddhism as an evil, pagan doctrine and viewed the Chinese accordingly as a threat to Christendom, as in the legends! One wonders what interesting events might have transpired in consequence!
While there would have been equally little reason for any European during Charlemagne's time to travel to China, this did occur in the legends, where the traffic between Cathay and Christendom was not exclusively westward. Thus we read that at one point Galafron, the king of Cathay, was besieged in his city, Albracca, by the forces of a hostile neighboring kingdom. Presumably, Albracca would be another name for Ch'ang-an, the name of China's capital city during Charlemagne's time! Learning of the siege, Orlando, Astolpho and other knights under Charlemagne were to journey all the way from their home turf to offer the Cathayans assistance in defeating the aggressors. Quite evidently Charlemagne and his men were an incredibly generous lot in dispensing military aid, to be willing to go to the trouble of traveling all the way to a remote, alien land in the East to lend a hand in fighting her intruders - especially considering just what the ruler of this land actually sought to procure from our heroes! One wonders, though: what magical, super-fast means of travel did they have at their disposal, considering how little time they appeared to have spent in their journey to Cathay (and back)? Indeed by what similar means did news of Cathay's predicament reach them in the first place? :)
Incidentally, the legends also had it that Angelica was escorted by four giants while visiting Charlemagne. Now in Buddhist mythology there were indeed four Diamond Kings of Heaven - T'ien-wang in Chinese or Lokapala in Sanskrit - who were charged with the task of defending the Buddhist Law, each one of them corresponding to one of the four cardinal directions and reigning over a special race or species of supernatural creatures. They were enormously popular in China as well during Charlemagne's time. Could they be the four giants? Was this a coincidence or did the medieval European authors actually know something of Buddhist mythology? :) Certainly the four Diamond Kings professed a serious interest in the propagation of Buddhism, and had that been indeed the purpose of the princess' visit they would naturally have offered her whatever assistance they could!
The imagined (?) interaction of different cultures in history certainly can open up a whole wide world of fun and exciting possibilities. We have but touched on a few of these in the context of the Charlemagne cycle of legends. What other possibilities might there be, and what else besides the above did the creators of the Charlemagne cycle come up with? It is left to the reader to find out!
About the Author:
K T Ong lives in Singapore and is currently pursuing a PhD at the National University of Singapore. He loves art, music, books, toys and PC games, and is also trying to develop a figure like that of Steve Reeves. :p You might like to visit his Mall of Cthulhu a great treasury of lovely infoproducts. http://www.mallofcthulhu.com
K T Ong
Charlemagne was a powerful Frankish monarch of the late 8th and early 9th centuries AD who united virtually all of Christian Europe into a single empire which he defended vigorously against hostile foreign forces. He was also known to be a great patron of higher learning, and also improved upon the laws of the empire and their administration. After his death people started weaving colorful legends of all kinds regarding him and his paladins, raising them to the status of mythical figures along the lines of King Arthur.
The legends were eventually to be collected into long written works, one of them being the epic poem "Orlando Furioso" or "The Madness of Roland" (Roland/Orlando being Charlemagne's favorite nephew and also one of his paladins), composed by the Italian poet Ariosto in the 15th century. The 19th century American scholar Thomas Bullfinch also undertook a retelling of many of the legends in his "Bullfinch's Mythology: The Legends of Charlemagne". The stories range all the way from the British Isles to the Middle East and to China, even right up to the moon (!), and contain all sorts of stuff like angels, fairies, terrible monsters, fantastic creatures, sorcerers and sorceresses, fabulous cities and palaces, magical items and weapons, and, of course, great warriors and battles.
Now according to the legends, one day while Charlemagne and his men were feasting in his court he was visited by a Cathayan princess of dazzling beauty by the name of Angelica! :D Almost every man in Charlemagne's court lost his mind over her, including the king himself (I'm sure the queen would be fuming with rage :)); his nephew Orlando, in particular, was to fall so hopelessly in love with her that, upon discovering later that she had gone off with another man, he eventually went totally insane, destroying animals, houses and people wherever he went - hence the title "Orlando Furioso", the Madness of Roland. To think that some Frankish dude from medieval times could fall for a Chinese lady to such a degree! Another paladin, Astolpho, had to travel all the way to the moon to retrieve Orlando's lost sanity!
Now why would any princess from China want to visit Europe in the 8th or 9th century? According to the legends, Angelica's father, Galafron (it's hilarious what sort of names early European writers came up with for the Chinese), harbored evil intentions against Christendom, his daughter being precisely one of his main chess pieces! Well, it's seriously doubtful any Chinese emperor during Charlemagne's time (there were four successive emperors in China whose period of rule overlapped with his; one of them reigned for only one year if not less) would have known much of him and the Holy Roman Empire at all, let alone seek its downfall. What had China to gain? :)
Perhaps a more likely reason (relatively speaking) for any Chinese of royal parentage to embark on a trip to Europe during those times could be to establish friendly trade relations and to propagate Buddhism - which at that time was at the height of its influence in China - though that would still have been a most unlikely historical event as Europe was just too far away from China (and had little to offer that interested the Chinese, besides :p). Even if a missionary journey to Europe did take place, the Franks with their Christian mindset would probably have misunderstood Buddhism as an evil, pagan doctrine and viewed the Chinese accordingly as a threat to Christendom, as in the legends! One wonders what interesting events might have transpired in consequence!
While there would have been equally little reason for any European during Charlemagne's time to travel to China, this did occur in the legends, where the traffic between Cathay and Christendom was not exclusively westward. Thus we read that at one point Galafron, the king of Cathay, was besieged in his city, Albracca, by the forces of a hostile neighboring kingdom. Presumably, Albracca would be another name for Ch'ang-an, the name of China's capital city during Charlemagne's time! Learning of the siege, Orlando, Astolpho and other knights under Charlemagne were to journey all the way from their home turf to offer the Cathayans assistance in defeating the aggressors. Quite evidently Charlemagne and his men were an incredibly generous lot in dispensing military aid, to be willing to go to the trouble of traveling all the way to a remote, alien land in the East to lend a hand in fighting her intruders - especially considering just what the ruler of this land actually sought to procure from our heroes! One wonders, though: what magical, super-fast means of travel did they have at their disposal, considering how little time they appeared to have spent in their journey to Cathay (and back)? Indeed by what similar means did news of Cathay's predicament reach them in the first place? :)
Incidentally, the legends also had it that Angelica was escorted by four giants while visiting Charlemagne. Now in Buddhist mythology there were indeed four Diamond Kings of Heaven - T'ien-wang in Chinese or Lokapala in Sanskrit - who were charged with the task of defending the Buddhist Law, each one of them corresponding to one of the four cardinal directions and reigning over a special race or species of supernatural creatures. They were enormously popular in China as well during Charlemagne's time. Could they be the four giants? Was this a coincidence or did the medieval European authors actually know something of Buddhist mythology? :) Certainly the four Diamond Kings professed a serious interest in the propagation of Buddhism, and had that been indeed the purpose of the princess' visit they would naturally have offered her whatever assistance they could!
The imagined (?) interaction of different cultures in history certainly can open up a whole wide world of fun and exciting possibilities. We have but touched on a few of these in the context of the Charlemagne cycle of legends. What other possibilities might there be, and what else besides the above did the creators of the Charlemagne cycle come up with? It is left to the reader to find out!
About the Author:
K T Ong lives in Singapore and is currently pursuing a PhD at the National University of Singapore. He loves art, music, books, toys and PC games, and is also trying to develop a figure like that of Steve Reeves. :p You might like to visit his Mall of Cthulhu a great treasury of lovely infoproducts. http://www.mallofcthulhu.com
Friday, February 23, 2007
How to Attend TV Show Tapings
Article Presented by:
Jordan McAuley
Celebrities are the most accessible, oddly enough, when they're at work. If you're a Jon Stewart fan and you show up at his favorite deli while he's eating, chances are you're probably going to disturb him. But if you get tickets to a taping of The Daily Show that he hosts in New York City, your chance of shaking his hand and getting him to sign something is much better.
The stars who work in live television depend on the audience to help them do their job. For sitcoms, the audience provides the laugh track. If the audience doesn't laugh at a joke, the writers will scramble to modify it or come up with a new one. So when you watch a television sitcom like "Friends," you're hearing the actual audience laugh that was at the taping that day and know that they had some input into the final version as well. For late night shows like Stewart's, the host needs you to laugh at his jokes or he'll be left high and dry on national TV. And on talk shows like "Ellen" and "Oprah," the host and producers need to be able to feel out the audience so they know what's working or not working.
Most TV shows that have a live audience also have a "warm-up guy" whose job is to tell a few jokes, lay out the ground rules, maybe do some audience participation and get everyone in the studio totally warmed up for the show. If there's a delay or a break in shooting, this guy has to keep things going so the audience doesn't get bored and leave. He's also your best bet to get to the on-screen talent and sometimes will even bring a star up to the audience section.
Some stars will hang around after and talk to the audience one on one. Some won't, but the warm-up guy will talk to anyone, and if you can make him feel important, he can quite often help you get to the people you really want to get to.
Don't ask the producer if you can go backstage--he'll say no. Don't ask an intern if he can get something signed--he'll say no. But that warm-up guy is usually working so hard (and is maybe even a little annoyed that he's not the star of the show) that you can sometimes get him to do you a favor if you play your cards right.
TV show taping tickets do not cost money, except for special circumstances like concerts, awards shows and sporting events. Sitcom tapings and game shows are free of charge. Often the audience will be much small than you expected ("The Daily Show" seats maybe 100 people) while half the audience noise in a "Wheel of Fortune" taping is from the crew itself.
The peak television production season is generally August through March for most of the major networks. These include ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, UPN, WB, TNN, Disney Channel and Nickelodeon. Situation comedies, reality specials and game shows are the ones most likely to require a live audience since dramas don't require audience interaction. Remember that a TV show taping is not a quick prospect. You're not there for just the half hour you see during the final product. You've got to be there early, you've got to sit around while things are getting set up, you've got to go through the "warm up" then the cast will likely do one rehearsal from start to finish. Then they'll film several takes for each scene so the editors have plenty of options. This can take a long time (often up to eight hours) and they're not going to serve lunch or dinner partway through (although of course the actors can eat all they want from the catering table backstage...and often come out on stage eating to rub in the fact that they're eating and you can't). But it's still fun. Just make sure to eat before you go in, make sure to use the restroom before you take your seat, and turn off your cell phone!
Often the funniest part of a live TV taping isn't the acting itself, it's what goes on behind the scenes. If an actor is making a joke, the actors off camera will often react to what he or she is saying in an unexpected way. People will crack up, others will adlib, shots will get messed up and have to be repeated. It's an interesting look at what goes on behind the scenes of television, even if you don't get to meet the star of the show.
To get a ticket, see the resources below. You normally have to make reservations for popular shows months in advance because they fill up quickly. If all else fails, you can sometimes find studio workers handing out tickets in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard (where the famous handprints are) and in front of the Hollywood & Highland shopping complex next door.
Once you have your ticket, the rules are simple--applaud when you're told to, laugh when you think something is funny, don't yell out at random times, don't curse, don't disrupt other people around you, stay seated until the end of the show (toilet breaks come before the show, not during) and don't take photographs.
Remember, if a scene has to be redone, you're going to have to laugh all over again. Know going in that this isn't so much about your entertainment as it is your assistance in putting together a good show. If you get bored easily by repetition or having to sit for a long period of time, attending a live TV taping probably isn't for you. On the other hand, if you enjoy watching how television shows are created and don't mind following the rules, you'll have a lot of fun, learn a lot, and maybe even get to meet (or at least watch for a long time) your favorite star!
To Attend TV Show Tapings:
ABC Network Live Shows
212-456-7771
netaudr@abc.com
Audiences for most ABC shows are handled by an outside entity, but they can direct you to who you need to talk to via the information above.
CBS Network Live Shows
212-975-2476 (New York)
323-575-2458 (Los Angeles)
To get tickets for a CBS show by mail, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to:
CBS Tickets
7800 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036
NBC Network Live Shows
212-664-3056 (New York)
818-954-6000 (Los Angeles)
Tickets for NBC shows with a live audience are normally not available through NBC. You can, however, find tickets for many of their shows at http://www.TVTickets.com which is run by Audiences Unlimited, Inc. and not affiliated with NBC.
To Attend TV Show Tapings in Los Angeles:
Audience Associates
323-653-4105 or 323-467-4697
tvtix@tvtix.com or groups@tvtix.com
Audience Associates regularly recruits for crowd scenes in movies. Web site reservations are given the highest priority.
Audiences Unlimited
100 Universal City Plaza
Building 153
Universal City, CA 91608
818-753-3470
tickets@audiencesunlimited.com
Audiences Unlimited Web site includes show schedules, previews, show changes, studio maps and more.
CBS Studio City Tickets
7800 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Free tickets to live tapings of CBS TV shows can be acquired at CBS' ticket window on the west side of CBS TV City facing Fairfax. The ticket window is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., although it is sometimes open on the weekend if a show is being taped then. For tickets by mail, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the address above.
HollywoodTickets.com
818-688-3974
tickets@hollywoodtickets.com
This Web site allows you to print your own TV taping tickets off on the Web site and also allows you to browse TV taping line-ups so you can find the best shows to fit your schedule.
Paramount Show Tickets
323-956-5000 (General)
323-956-5575 (Information)
323-956-1777 (Reservations)
To Attend TV Show Tapings in New York City:
Good Morning America
If you want to watch Diane Sawyer and Charles Gibson do their thing, call 212-580-5176 or just turn up weekday mornings to Times Square at 44th Street and Broadway, from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Saturday Night Live
Ticket requests are only handled in August and are given out in a lottery system. Send a postcard with your name, address and phone number, as well as the number of tickets to:
NBC Tickets
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112
Standby tickets are available from 9 a.m. every Saturday at the GE Building. These are given on a first-come, first-served basis and are strictly limited to one per person.
Today Show
Just show up between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. at 49th Street and Rockefeller Plaza if you'd like to get on the "Today Show." It will probably help your chances if you dress like a chicken, have a cute child in your arms, or construct a twelve foot sign that says "Kansas Loves Al!"
TRL
Call one month before the show you want to attend by calling 212-398-8549. Alternatively, try going on a standby ticket by arriving at 2 p.m. or earlier at MTV Studios, 1515 Broadway at 43rd Street. Young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 are preferred by the producers.
To Attend Talk Shows in the U.K.
BBC
The BBC is always looking for people to take an active part in their game shows, comedy audiences, and even documentaries. More information can be found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/whatson/beonashow. For free tickets to BBC TV and radio shows to http://www.bbc.co.uk/whatson/tickets
TV Recordings
If it's shot in London, you can probably get tickets at this Web site. Registration is required.
BeOn Screen
Search BeOn's directory of TV programs and register for email updates. This site is also used as a resource for TV producers who often place ads for the projects on this site.
More TV Show Taping Resources:
Audience Associates
On Camera Audiences
Studio Audiences
This site brings together a whole bunch of other Web site's information together in one place. You can find the contact information for any show right here.
New York TV Show Tickets, Inc.
This site lists New York television shows as well as discount Broadway tickets, starving artist tickets, secret discount codes, TV locations and city tours.
About the Author:
Jordan McAuley is the author of The Celebrity Black Book and the Founder of http://www.ContactAnyCelebrity.com located in West Hollywood, California. His exclusive online database provides accurate celebrity contact information including the best mailing address, agent, manager, publicist, production company, and charitable cause for over 54,000 celebrities and public figures worldwide to fans, businesses, authors, nonprofits, and the media. Affiliate Program at http://www.contactanycelebrity.com/affiliates and earn 50% monthly recurring commissions!
Jordan McAuley
Celebrities are the most accessible, oddly enough, when they're at work. If you're a Jon Stewart fan and you show up at his favorite deli while he's eating, chances are you're probably going to disturb him. But if you get tickets to a taping of The Daily Show that he hosts in New York City, your chance of shaking his hand and getting him to sign something is much better.
The stars who work in live television depend on the audience to help them do their job. For sitcoms, the audience provides the laugh track. If the audience doesn't laugh at a joke, the writers will scramble to modify it or come up with a new one. So when you watch a television sitcom like "Friends," you're hearing the actual audience laugh that was at the taping that day and know that they had some input into the final version as well. For late night shows like Stewart's, the host needs you to laugh at his jokes or he'll be left high and dry on national TV. And on talk shows like "Ellen" and "Oprah," the host and producers need to be able to feel out the audience so they know what's working or not working.
Most TV shows that have a live audience also have a "warm-up guy" whose job is to tell a few jokes, lay out the ground rules, maybe do some audience participation and get everyone in the studio totally warmed up for the show. If there's a delay or a break in shooting, this guy has to keep things going so the audience doesn't get bored and leave. He's also your best bet to get to the on-screen talent and sometimes will even bring a star up to the audience section.
Some stars will hang around after and talk to the audience one on one. Some won't, but the warm-up guy will talk to anyone, and if you can make him feel important, he can quite often help you get to the people you really want to get to.
Don't ask the producer if you can go backstage--he'll say no. Don't ask an intern if he can get something signed--he'll say no. But that warm-up guy is usually working so hard (and is maybe even a little annoyed that he's not the star of the show) that you can sometimes get him to do you a favor if you play your cards right.
TV show taping tickets do not cost money, except for special circumstances like concerts, awards shows and sporting events. Sitcom tapings and game shows are free of charge. Often the audience will be much small than you expected ("The Daily Show" seats maybe 100 people) while half the audience noise in a "Wheel of Fortune" taping is from the crew itself.
The peak television production season is generally August through March for most of the major networks. These include ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, UPN, WB, TNN, Disney Channel and Nickelodeon. Situation comedies, reality specials and game shows are the ones most likely to require a live audience since dramas don't require audience interaction. Remember that a TV show taping is not a quick prospect. You're not there for just the half hour you see during the final product. You've got to be there early, you've got to sit around while things are getting set up, you've got to go through the "warm up" then the cast will likely do one rehearsal from start to finish. Then they'll film several takes for each scene so the editors have plenty of options. This can take a long time (often up to eight hours) and they're not going to serve lunch or dinner partway through (although of course the actors can eat all they want from the catering table backstage...and often come out on stage eating to rub in the fact that they're eating and you can't). But it's still fun. Just make sure to eat before you go in, make sure to use the restroom before you take your seat, and turn off your cell phone!
Often the funniest part of a live TV taping isn't the acting itself, it's what goes on behind the scenes. If an actor is making a joke, the actors off camera will often react to what he or she is saying in an unexpected way. People will crack up, others will adlib, shots will get messed up and have to be repeated. It's an interesting look at what goes on behind the scenes of television, even if you don't get to meet the star of the show.
To get a ticket, see the resources below. You normally have to make reservations for popular shows months in advance because they fill up quickly. If all else fails, you can sometimes find studio workers handing out tickets in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard (where the famous handprints are) and in front of the Hollywood & Highland shopping complex next door.
Once you have your ticket, the rules are simple--applaud when you're told to, laugh when you think something is funny, don't yell out at random times, don't curse, don't disrupt other people around you, stay seated until the end of the show (toilet breaks come before the show, not during) and don't take photographs.
Remember, if a scene has to be redone, you're going to have to laugh all over again. Know going in that this isn't so much about your entertainment as it is your assistance in putting together a good show. If you get bored easily by repetition or having to sit for a long period of time, attending a live TV taping probably isn't for you. On the other hand, if you enjoy watching how television shows are created and don't mind following the rules, you'll have a lot of fun, learn a lot, and maybe even get to meet (or at least watch for a long time) your favorite star!
To Attend TV Show Tapings:
ABC Network Live Shows
212-456-7771
netaudr@abc.com
Audiences for most ABC shows are handled by an outside entity, but they can direct you to who you need to talk to via the information above.
CBS Network Live Shows
212-975-2476 (New York)
323-575-2458 (Los Angeles)
To get tickets for a CBS show by mail, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to:
CBS Tickets
7800 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036
NBC Network Live Shows
212-664-3056 (New York)
818-954-6000 (Los Angeles)
Tickets for NBC shows with a live audience are normally not available through NBC. You can, however, find tickets for many of their shows at http://www.TVTickets.com which is run by Audiences Unlimited, Inc. and not affiliated with NBC.
To Attend TV Show Tapings in Los Angeles:
Audience Associates
323-653-4105 or 323-467-4697
tvtix@tvtix.com or groups@tvtix.com
Audience Associates regularly recruits for crowd scenes in movies. Web site reservations are given the highest priority.
Audiences Unlimited
100 Universal City Plaza
Building 153
Universal City, CA 91608
818-753-3470
tickets@audiencesunlimited.com
Audiences Unlimited Web site includes show schedules, previews, show changes, studio maps and more.
CBS Studio City Tickets
7800 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Free tickets to live tapings of CBS TV shows can be acquired at CBS' ticket window on the west side of CBS TV City facing Fairfax. The ticket window is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., although it is sometimes open on the weekend if a show is being taped then. For tickets by mail, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the address above.
HollywoodTickets.com
818-688-3974
tickets@hollywoodtickets.com
This Web site allows you to print your own TV taping tickets off on the Web site and also allows you to browse TV taping line-ups so you can find the best shows to fit your schedule.
Paramount Show Tickets
323-956-5000 (General)
323-956-5575 (Information)
323-956-1777 (Reservations)
To Attend TV Show Tapings in New York City:
Good Morning America
If you want to watch Diane Sawyer and Charles Gibson do their thing, call 212-580-5176 or just turn up weekday mornings to Times Square at 44th Street and Broadway, from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Saturday Night Live
Ticket requests are only handled in August and are given out in a lottery system. Send a postcard with your name, address and phone number, as well as the number of tickets to:
NBC Tickets
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112
Standby tickets are available from 9 a.m. every Saturday at the GE Building. These are given on a first-come, first-served basis and are strictly limited to one per person.
Today Show
Just show up between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. at 49th Street and Rockefeller Plaza if you'd like to get on the "Today Show." It will probably help your chances if you dress like a chicken, have a cute child in your arms, or construct a twelve foot sign that says "Kansas Loves Al!"
TRL
Call one month before the show you want to attend by calling 212-398-8549. Alternatively, try going on a standby ticket by arriving at 2 p.m. or earlier at MTV Studios, 1515 Broadway at 43rd Street. Young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 are preferred by the producers.
To Attend Talk Shows in the U.K.
BBC
The BBC is always looking for people to take an active part in their game shows, comedy audiences, and even documentaries. More information can be found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/whatson/beonashow. For free tickets to BBC TV and radio shows to http://www.bbc.co.uk/whatson/tickets
TV Recordings
If it's shot in London, you can probably get tickets at this Web site. Registration is required.
BeOn Screen
Search BeOn's directory of TV programs and register for email updates. This site is also used as a resource for TV producers who often place ads for the projects on this site.
More TV Show Taping Resources:
Audience Associates
On Camera Audiences
Studio Audiences
This site brings together a whole bunch of other Web site's information together in one place. You can find the contact information for any show right here.
New York TV Show Tickets, Inc.
This site lists New York television shows as well as discount Broadway tickets, starving artist tickets, secret discount codes, TV locations and city tours.
About the Author:
Jordan McAuley is the author of The Celebrity Black Book and the Founder of http://www.ContactAnyCelebrity.com located in West Hollywood, California. His exclusive online database provides accurate celebrity contact information including the best mailing address, agent, manager, publicist, production company, and charitable cause for over 54,000 celebrities and public figures worldwide to fans, businesses, authors, nonprofits, and the media. Affiliate Program at http://www.contactanycelebrity.com/affiliates and earn 50% monthly recurring commissions!
Friday, February 16, 2007
How American Idol Successfully Changes Average People Into Stars
Article Presented by:
Trent Lampe
Once a year, millions of Americans gather in front of their televisions to learn who will be the next American Idol. 9.9 million viewers watched the very first American Idol episode in 2002. By the end of that first season, more than 22 million viewers sat down to watch Kelly Clarkson be crowned the first American Idol. As season five came to an end, 36 million viewers were on hand to watch Taylor Hicks be crowned the season five winner.
Some commentators believe that Idol ratings are high, because people like watching train wrecks. In the same way that traffic jams are caused by drivers "rubber necking" to see a traffic accident, many people believe that American Idol's charm is the fact that viewers can see hopeful performers get sliced and diced by Simon Cowell and the other American Idol judges, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.
However, if that were the case, American Idol ratings would be strong out of the gate and then slowly taper off until the final performances are done. But, it does not work that way. With the lone exception of season four, more viewers have tuned in for the season finales than the season premieres.
So, the phenomenal success of American Idol cannot be attributed to harsh criticisms offered by the judges. American Idol has something more. Simon once told a contestant, "If this were a paid concert, this is the point I'd leave." If people were watching American Idol to hear Cowell's famous sarcasm, then the fun would be over once the final twelve were selected.
What Makes American Idol So Successful?
Any person who can successfully answer that question should be able to package the Idol formula and make millions of his or her own. But, the answer to that question is not so easy to uncover.
Many people have ventured to answer this question and to package their own American Idol spin-off programs. To date, no one has been able to create his or her own version of this winning formula.
7 Common Reasons Given For The Success Of American Idol:
1. The American Dream – Millions of people want to be rich and famous. When they look on their television screens and see people following their dreams of success in the music industry, they are energized to cheer for the contestants. 2. The Personal Drama – Viewers are taken into the lives of the contestants. This enables the viewer to form personal attachments with the individual performers and to root for the people they would like to win the show. 3. Viewer Participation – Simon, Paula and Randy are not left in charge of the hen house. Instead, American Idol allows their viewers to participate in the selection process. 4. The Music – People love the music. While individual viewers may not always appreciate songs previously sung by Barbara Streisand or Barry Manilow, they know that the next performer might be singing a song they really love to hear. 5. The Talent – People enjoy watching talented performers. Once the contest is narrowed to the final twelve contestants, viewers get the chance to see a live concert performed by talented artists, in every episode. 6. The Contest – There are only two other programs on television that beat the American Idol finale in the ratings every year. Those programs are the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards. All three programs have been designed to identify the best-of-the-best. 7. Short Season – American Idol runs half as long as the typical television series. Many people believe that since the show runs only half a season that it leaves viewers wanting more and anticipating the new season with greater desire.
It Is About The Talent
Many people suggest that one should have thick skin to participate in a program of this type. For some contestants, the thick skin is definitely a necessity, especially when you find yourself on the receiving end of a Cowell quip like, "What do you think we are looking for -- a two-year-old who can't sing?"
Randy Jackson was quoted, "The judges are continually surprised at how people who should know they can't sing show up thinking they have a chance."
The audience is often surprised too.
But, the audiences loved William Hung. He did not know how to sing and he knew it, but he enjoyed singing even if he did not have the talent. Hung was the only exception to the golden rule about talent. Hung got a recording deal and his CD sold 295,000 copies, outselling a dozen of the other Idol contestants who have gotten recording deals.
Self-Confidence Is A Requisite... Or Is It?
Many critics suggest that a contestant in American Idol should bring confidence to the competition if they want to win. But, the truth is that American Idol is as much about the making of a star as it is about locating the talent.
Standing in front of an audience of 36 million viewers and three brash judges does take some self-confidence, but confidence will not make an untalented contestant a better performer.
As season six was gearing up, a young lady named Melinda from Memphis was told by Simon Cowell, "You walk in here with no confidence and no attitude and yet you are a brilliant singer... You are in the top 2% of good singers this year."
When a contestant hears words such as these, they cannot help but find in themselves the confidence to become the star they deserve to be. This is how stars are made. The judge's help the talented find their way through the process, and those with talent learn how to be the star that America wants to hear on the radio.
About the Author:
Trent Lampe writes about television documentaries and American culture. “American Idol Unauthorized” is a behind-the-scenes DVD documentary that explores the world of the American Idol contestants. You’ll get firsthand accounts of what happens behind the cameras, from industry pundits, well-known celebrities, American Idol Finalists, and more. If you have ever wondered why American Idol has become so successful, watch the DVD and decide for yourself: http://www.americanidolunauthorized.com/?source=phanwrite2&gad=CJboxMICEghqhvVUaFDT4Riqga35AyC2r9kb
Trent Lampe
Once a year, millions of Americans gather in front of their televisions to learn who will be the next American Idol. 9.9 million viewers watched the very first American Idol episode in 2002. By the end of that first season, more than 22 million viewers sat down to watch Kelly Clarkson be crowned the first American Idol. As season five came to an end, 36 million viewers were on hand to watch Taylor Hicks be crowned the season five winner.
Some commentators believe that Idol ratings are high, because people like watching train wrecks. In the same way that traffic jams are caused by drivers "rubber necking" to see a traffic accident, many people believe that American Idol's charm is the fact that viewers can see hopeful performers get sliced and diced by Simon Cowell and the other American Idol judges, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.
However, if that were the case, American Idol ratings would be strong out of the gate and then slowly taper off until the final performances are done. But, it does not work that way. With the lone exception of season four, more viewers have tuned in for the season finales than the season premieres.
So, the phenomenal success of American Idol cannot be attributed to harsh criticisms offered by the judges. American Idol has something more. Simon once told a contestant, "If this were a paid concert, this is the point I'd leave." If people were watching American Idol to hear Cowell's famous sarcasm, then the fun would be over once the final twelve were selected.
What Makes American Idol So Successful?
Any person who can successfully answer that question should be able to package the Idol formula and make millions of his or her own. But, the answer to that question is not so easy to uncover.
Many people have ventured to answer this question and to package their own American Idol spin-off programs. To date, no one has been able to create his or her own version of this winning formula.
7 Common Reasons Given For The Success Of American Idol:
1. The American Dream – Millions of people want to be rich and famous. When they look on their television screens and see people following their dreams of success in the music industry, they are energized to cheer for the contestants. 2. The Personal Drama – Viewers are taken into the lives of the contestants. This enables the viewer to form personal attachments with the individual performers and to root for the people they would like to win the show. 3. Viewer Participation – Simon, Paula and Randy are not left in charge of the hen house. Instead, American Idol allows their viewers to participate in the selection process. 4. The Music – People love the music. While individual viewers may not always appreciate songs previously sung by Barbara Streisand or Barry Manilow, they know that the next performer might be singing a song they really love to hear. 5. The Talent – People enjoy watching talented performers. Once the contest is narrowed to the final twelve contestants, viewers get the chance to see a live concert performed by talented artists, in every episode. 6. The Contest – There are only two other programs on television that beat the American Idol finale in the ratings every year. Those programs are the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards. All three programs have been designed to identify the best-of-the-best. 7. Short Season – American Idol runs half as long as the typical television series. Many people believe that since the show runs only half a season that it leaves viewers wanting more and anticipating the new season with greater desire.
It Is About The Talent
Many people suggest that one should have thick skin to participate in a program of this type. For some contestants, the thick skin is definitely a necessity, especially when you find yourself on the receiving end of a Cowell quip like, "What do you think we are looking for -- a two-year-old who can't sing?"
Randy Jackson was quoted, "The judges are continually surprised at how people who should know they can't sing show up thinking they have a chance."
The audience is often surprised too.
But, the audiences loved William Hung. He did not know how to sing and he knew it, but he enjoyed singing even if he did not have the talent. Hung was the only exception to the golden rule about talent. Hung got a recording deal and his CD sold 295,000 copies, outselling a dozen of the other Idol contestants who have gotten recording deals.
Self-Confidence Is A Requisite... Or Is It?
Many critics suggest that a contestant in American Idol should bring confidence to the competition if they want to win. But, the truth is that American Idol is as much about the making of a star as it is about locating the talent.
Standing in front of an audience of 36 million viewers and three brash judges does take some self-confidence, but confidence will not make an untalented contestant a better performer.
As season six was gearing up, a young lady named Melinda from Memphis was told by Simon Cowell, "You walk in here with no confidence and no attitude and yet you are a brilliant singer... You are in the top 2% of good singers this year."
When a contestant hears words such as these, they cannot help but find in themselves the confidence to become the star they deserve to be. This is how stars are made. The judge's help the talented find their way through the process, and those with talent learn how to be the star that America wants to hear on the radio.
About the Author:
Trent Lampe writes about television documentaries and American culture. “American Idol Unauthorized” is a behind-the-scenes DVD documentary that explores the world of the American Idol contestants. You’ll get firsthand accounts of what happens behind the cameras, from industry pundits, well-known celebrities, American Idol Finalists, and more. If you have ever wondered why American Idol has become so successful, watch the DVD and decide for yourself: http://www.americanidolunauthorized.com/?source=phanwrite2&gad=CJboxMICEghqhvVUaFDT4Riqga35AyC2r9kb
Friday, February 09, 2007
American Idol Breeds Success and Controversy
Article Presented by:
Trent Lampe
During the early days of 2002, the only people who had ever heard of the American Idol were the numerous television executives who had decided that this show had no future. Can you imagine what it would be like to be one of the television executives that had decided to take a pass on American Idol? Can you imagine what it must feel like every time they see someone on T.V. talking about American Idol? Wow! That would bite.
Introducing The Stars Of The Show...
American Idols' host and star judges were known in certain circles, but only Paula Abdul had been a household name around the world. Abdul has a string of hit songs in the late 1980's and 1990's. Abdul had actually begun her dance and choreography career in 1983, when she won a position on the Los Angeles Lakers' cheerleading squad. Within a few weeks of taking that position, she was made the head choreographer for the squad. A year later, Abdul began choreographing music videos, and that eventually led to her place as a pop music icon.
Host Ryan Seacrest began his career in 1990 at the age of 16. Seacrest hosted a number of radio shows, television shows, and game shows. In 2002, he had co-hosted Idol with Brian Dunkleman. After the first season had concluded, Seacrest became the sole host of American Idol. He has since spun his Idol fame into other projects that have helped to cement his position as a power player in the American music industry.
Randy Jackson has worked as a session musician since the early 1980's for a who's who list of American pop bands. His credits are far too numerous to list here, but some of the names he supported include Journey in 1983, Aretha Franklin, George Michael, Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, and The Charlie Daniels Band. Jackson eventually produced bands and worked his way into the executive management of major record labels. He served eight years at Columbia as Vice President of Artists and Repertoire (A&R) and four years at MCA Records as the President of the A&R division.
It could be argued that Simon Cowell is the real star of the American Idol. Cowell had a lengthy career in the pop music industry in the UK. He began his career during the early 1980's as an assistant in the A&R division of the UK division of the EMI record company. He worked his way up to record producer, and then broke away to form his own record company. His record label did not survive for long. Cowell returned to EMI, before striking out on his own once again. Cowell's second label enjoyed some success, but it failed when its parent record company failed. At this point, Cowell became an A&R consultant for Sony BMG Music Entertainment. Eventually, Cowell got another shot at success, developing Syco Records in 2002. Syco later became part of Columbia Records and Sony BMG. Today, Cowell is a judge on American Idol and the producer of several hit television shows.
Looking Back At The American Idol's Phenomenal Success
Aired by the Fox Broadcasting Company, American Idol was introduced as a summer replacement television show in June of 2002. Although Fox had enough faith in the program to give it airtime, Fox apparently did not have high hopes for this music talent show. The show was introduced to the summer lineup with very little advertising and fanfare.
Word-of-mouth launched Idol's ratings into the heavens. By season one's finale in September of 2002; 50 million viewers had tuned in to see Kelly Clarkson win a recording contract. Clarkson's first single set a record for the fastest climb up the Billboard Charts moving from #52 to #1 in just one week. Her first album "Thankful" met commercial success in North America, but did not get much traction anywhere else. Clarkson's second album "Breakaway" was a global success and earned two Grammy Award's in 2006.
Season two's finale episode was marked by controversy when Ruben Studdard emerged as the winner over Clay Aiken by fewer than 130,000 votes of the 24 million votes cast. Part of the Idol phenomenon is that the public is invited to vote for the person they think should be the next Idol. During the finale of season two, the telephone communications systems broke under the abnormally high load of phone calls. Many people still question the accuracy of voting results, recorded for season two.
With 65 million votes cast, Fantasia Barrino, later known as just Fantasia, won season three. Season three could not avoid the controversy that season two brought to the surface. Many people began to openly question the voting process. Complaints were aired in the public forum suggesting that people who should have been propelled forward were voted off the show, and that people who should have been cut early went on to participate in later rounds. Jennifer Hudson was one who was cut early in the process; yet she went on to appear in the feature film and musical Dreamgirls, winning Hudson a Golden Globe and getting her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. The Dreamgirls soundtrack also included a song performed by Hudson, and the soundtrack reached #1 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart.
Season four helped launch country singer Carrie Underwood and record sales. Underwood's debut album "Some Hearts" peaked at #2 on the Billboard charts and has sold more than five million copies to date. Eight of the twelve season four finalists have gone on to gain recording contracts and roles on television and in movies. Season four was rocked by Corey Clark, a contestant from season two, who claimed a relationship with judge Paula Abdul while he was still a contestant on the show. Fox Entertainment completed an investigation and decided that the accusations did not merit the termination of Abdul as a judge on American Idol.
63.5 million votes were cast in the final show of season five. Taylor Hicks took the top honors. Season five was not without its own controversies, although those were mild in comparison to the controversies of previous seasons.
Behind The Scenes and Controversies Of American Idol
As season six is getting underway, Crystal Entertainment has released a DVD titled "American Idol Unauthorized." Unauthorized is a behind-the-scenes look at the American Idol competition, which shares the good, bad and ugly of the Idol production process.
Within their DVD, Crystal Entertainment conducted in-depth interviews with former Idol contestants and received expert commentary from Hollywood and pop music insiders.
If you have ever wanted to pursue a career in the music industry, this DVD and its two hours of special features can put you on the track to success outside of the American Idol process. If you have ever wondered about what goes on behind-the-scenes in reality television, Unauthorized is a jewel. If you just love celebrity gossip, you will find this insider's view to be very entertaining. Or, if you are a fan of American Idol, you will find the juicy tidbits of Idol drama to be engrossing.
American Idol Unauthorized is best watched among friends and family. It will literally generate hours of entertaining conversation and debate among those who have the chance to see it together.
Contrary to what you might think, it is not necessary to be a fan of American Idol in order to be entertained by this documentary. When we gathered to view the video, two of our clan had seen every season and two had never seen American Idol at all. All four of us were entertained and educated by the insights delivered by American Idol Unauthorized.
American Idol Unauthorized is available for purchase for $19.98 at http://www.americanidolunauthorized.com/ ?source=phanwrite1&gad=COrlxMICEghxQKVjqC-G0xiqga35AyD6rtkb
About the Author:
Trent Lampe explores the crossroads where history meets arts and entertainment. “American Idol Unauthorized” is a behind-the-scenes DVD documentary that explores the world of the American Idol. Industry insiders and former Finalists claim that producers shamelessly manipulate the results of the American Idol competition. Can that possibly be true? Watch the DVD and decide for yourself: http://www.americanidolunauthorized.com/ ?source=phanwrite1&gad=COrlxMICEghxQKVjqC-G0xiqga35AyD6rtkb
Trent Lampe
During the early days of 2002, the only people who had ever heard of the American Idol were the numerous television executives who had decided that this show had no future. Can you imagine what it would be like to be one of the television executives that had decided to take a pass on American Idol? Can you imagine what it must feel like every time they see someone on T.V. talking about American Idol? Wow! That would bite.
Introducing The Stars Of The Show...
American Idols' host and star judges were known in certain circles, but only Paula Abdul had been a household name around the world. Abdul has a string of hit songs in the late 1980's and 1990's. Abdul had actually begun her dance and choreography career in 1983, when she won a position on the Los Angeles Lakers' cheerleading squad. Within a few weeks of taking that position, she was made the head choreographer for the squad. A year later, Abdul began choreographing music videos, and that eventually led to her place as a pop music icon.
Host Ryan Seacrest began his career in 1990 at the age of 16. Seacrest hosted a number of radio shows, television shows, and game shows. In 2002, he had co-hosted Idol with Brian Dunkleman. After the first season had concluded, Seacrest became the sole host of American Idol. He has since spun his Idol fame into other projects that have helped to cement his position as a power player in the American music industry.
Randy Jackson has worked as a session musician since the early 1980's for a who's who list of American pop bands. His credits are far too numerous to list here, but some of the names he supported include Journey in 1983, Aretha Franklin, George Michael, Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, and The Charlie Daniels Band. Jackson eventually produced bands and worked his way into the executive management of major record labels. He served eight years at Columbia as Vice President of Artists and Repertoire (A&R) and four years at MCA Records as the President of the A&R division.
It could be argued that Simon Cowell is the real star of the American Idol. Cowell had a lengthy career in the pop music industry in the UK. He began his career during the early 1980's as an assistant in the A&R division of the UK division of the EMI record company. He worked his way up to record producer, and then broke away to form his own record company. His record label did not survive for long. Cowell returned to EMI, before striking out on his own once again. Cowell's second label enjoyed some success, but it failed when its parent record company failed. At this point, Cowell became an A&R consultant for Sony BMG Music Entertainment. Eventually, Cowell got another shot at success, developing Syco Records in 2002. Syco later became part of Columbia Records and Sony BMG. Today, Cowell is a judge on American Idol and the producer of several hit television shows.
Looking Back At The American Idol's Phenomenal Success
Aired by the Fox Broadcasting Company, American Idol was introduced as a summer replacement television show in June of 2002. Although Fox had enough faith in the program to give it airtime, Fox apparently did not have high hopes for this music talent show. The show was introduced to the summer lineup with very little advertising and fanfare.
Word-of-mouth launched Idol's ratings into the heavens. By season one's finale in September of 2002; 50 million viewers had tuned in to see Kelly Clarkson win a recording contract. Clarkson's first single set a record for the fastest climb up the Billboard Charts moving from #52 to #1 in just one week. Her first album "Thankful" met commercial success in North America, but did not get much traction anywhere else. Clarkson's second album "Breakaway" was a global success and earned two Grammy Award's in 2006.
Season two's finale episode was marked by controversy when Ruben Studdard emerged as the winner over Clay Aiken by fewer than 130,000 votes of the 24 million votes cast. Part of the Idol phenomenon is that the public is invited to vote for the person they think should be the next Idol. During the finale of season two, the telephone communications systems broke under the abnormally high load of phone calls. Many people still question the accuracy of voting results, recorded for season two.
With 65 million votes cast, Fantasia Barrino, later known as just Fantasia, won season three. Season three could not avoid the controversy that season two brought to the surface. Many people began to openly question the voting process. Complaints were aired in the public forum suggesting that people who should have been propelled forward were voted off the show, and that people who should have been cut early went on to participate in later rounds. Jennifer Hudson was one who was cut early in the process; yet she went on to appear in the feature film and musical Dreamgirls, winning Hudson a Golden Globe and getting her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. The Dreamgirls soundtrack also included a song performed by Hudson, and the soundtrack reached #1 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart.
Season four helped launch country singer Carrie Underwood and record sales. Underwood's debut album "Some Hearts" peaked at #2 on the Billboard charts and has sold more than five million copies to date. Eight of the twelve season four finalists have gone on to gain recording contracts and roles on television and in movies. Season four was rocked by Corey Clark, a contestant from season two, who claimed a relationship with judge Paula Abdul while he was still a contestant on the show. Fox Entertainment completed an investigation and decided that the accusations did not merit the termination of Abdul as a judge on American Idol.
63.5 million votes were cast in the final show of season five. Taylor Hicks took the top honors. Season five was not without its own controversies, although those were mild in comparison to the controversies of previous seasons.
Behind The Scenes and Controversies Of American Idol
As season six is getting underway, Crystal Entertainment has released a DVD titled "American Idol Unauthorized." Unauthorized is a behind-the-scenes look at the American Idol competition, which shares the good, bad and ugly of the Idol production process.
Within their DVD, Crystal Entertainment conducted in-depth interviews with former Idol contestants and received expert commentary from Hollywood and pop music insiders.
American Idol Unauthorized is best watched among friends and family. It will literally generate hours of entertaining conversation and debate among those who have the chance to see it together.
Contrary to what you might think, it is not necessary to be a fan of American Idol in order to be entertained by this documentary. When we gathered to view the video, two of our clan had seen every season and two had never seen American Idol at all. All four of us were entertained and educated by the insights delivered by American Idol Unauthorized.
American Idol Unauthorized is available for purchase for $19.98 at http://www.americanidolunauthorized.com/ ?source=phanwrite1&gad=COrlxMICEghxQKVjqC-G0xiqga35AyD6rtkb
About the Author:
Trent Lampe explores the crossroads where history meets arts and entertainment. “American Idol Unauthorized” is a behind-the-scenes DVD documentary that explores the world of the American Idol. Industry insiders and former Finalists claim that producers shamelessly manipulate the results of the American Idol competition. Can that possibly be true? Watch the DVD and decide for yourself: http://www.americanidolunauthorized.com/ ?source=phanwrite1&gad=COrlxMICEghxQKVjqC-G0xiqga35AyD6rtkb
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