My latest television series for RTM is called Detik 12 Malam (At 12 Midnight). It is not unlike my previous series Bilik No. 13.
It revolves around a TV writer and editor's quest to obtain answers to her frequent nightmares. The writer, who has a blog called Detik 12 Malam, is acquainted with a strange man who operates an antique-cum-props workshop.
As a writer she is curious about the various strange items that is kept in a special section of his workshop. Each item carries a story and with each story, her quest to find the answers to her personal problems becomes clearer.
We hope to start rolling on the 9th of March which is barely a month away. So you can imagine my team rushing to meet deadlines for complete shooting scripts, production crew, equipment requirements, location hunting, talent casting and everything else.
Unlike other dramatic productions for RTM which are serials, D12M is logistically more demanding as every episode is different - artistes, locations, properties and such.
However, after our experience with Bilik No 13 has taught us, we need to be tight with our funding since funding lines for local production is chaotic after the usual banks decided to change their lending policies.
Sadly from what I heard, actors and actresses are pushing up their fees because they know that producers are currently scouring everywhere for artistes. Eventhough most of them know that TV stations have reduced their commissioning prices to local producers, they couldn't care less. Most artistes kowtow to the BIG M...Money controls their lives.
They don't care that producers are begging and borrowing to ensure that they can deliver the productions to the TV stations. All they want is money, money and money. Who offers them the best prices wins. They don't bother is the script is good, the role is interesting or who the hell is directing. They just want to know how much, how many days and how many scenes.
I hope that those who have worked for me and those who know about how my team and I work would be more than ready to work again with me. That they also find it interesting and a worthwhile experience working for me.
Over the next three weeks, I will meet all these people. In this business loyalty doesn't count for much. It is always an interesting experience for me to find out who cares about what they do in this industry.
Anyway, my posting in the blog would be far and few in between. Hopefully, I will find time to use this blog as my journal as I embark on D12M and God willing Pangazou after that. If my luck holds out, and my Perang Selangor is accepted, then I will be in Seventh Heaven.
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