Lock, stock.. and 10,000 reasons to be happy

Ok, this is going to be quite a loaded entry, so sit back, relax, dan korek pusat ketika membaca entry nih.

Malam tadi pengumuman pengetua, pengacara dan tenaga pengajar Akademi Fantasia.

As I share the announcements, ni beberapa komen aku sebagai peminat Akademi Fantasia dari musim pertama. Bear with me.

Let's start with pengetua untuk AF8.

Norman Abdul Halim. Otherwise big boss man of KRU and the businessman. Also the person I said would head Akademi Fantasia from the end of December da - for those of you who read my column in the The Malay Mail.

Aku sebenarnya tak nak komen panjang sangat Norman ni. He has the skills, but my only concern is he will stress to much on the need for for the necessary commercial appeal sampai lupa how to guide these kids into being artistes in all sense of the word.

Still... giving him benefit of the doubt.. mana tau kan. He couldn't do worse than what we've seen in eight seasons, so let's hope he exceeds expectations.

Next - guru vokal teknikal, Siti Hajar.

Da enam musim Siti Hajar da ajar... perlu ke pertikaikan. Undoubtedly a regular for a reason - simply being she gets the job done, plus it is interesting to always follow her classes. Cuma sayang takde geng in Syafie this year. Mintak mintak tahun ni takde la bangang yang start speku kata tenaga pengajar bias cam dia dan kak Fati kena last year. Bodoh tol... gosip beragenda sangat.

Moving on... guru vokal persembahan, Adnan Abu Hassan.

Tak silap aku da lima musim. Abang Dee memang has the ears for it. Berapa ramai diva hari ni yang discovery dia, so again, tak perlu dipertikaikan.

Moving on guru drama baru, Que Haidar dan guru tari, Linda Jasmine.

Merasalah 2 for 1 package. Takde maknanya... they're only the second couple to be in the Akademi together and I think Que deserves a break.

Dia memang a good dramatic character actor and I am kind of interested to see how he will teach. Just because he hasn't done it doesn't mean he can't.

As for Linda, tiga bulan pas bersalin dia da menyandang tugasan nih, kena puji la. Hope she brings something new and fresh to the performances and makes it more interesting that ever.

Next, counsellor and English teacher, Fatimah Abu Bakar.

Kak Fati kira sesuai la for this post, and like Linda, da tujuh musim in total wat Akademi Fantasia. Memang veteran abih bab AF nih. No questions need be asked about her ability.

And then there's the pengacara.

Of course happiness and applause all round sebab as I said, the two new hosts will be Sarimah Ibrahim (alamak.. tak sempat snappy pic sebab dok gosip je... sorry babe, kang kita lepak I snappy), and Jimmy Shanley.

Bab Sarimah memang happy gila sebab dia more than layak, in fact we've been waiting for her to get the job since Aznil stepped out.

As for Jimmy, dia ni untested so don't know how he'll do. And besides dia tak penah live hosting so kena tengok.

Ok, so it's going to be a shared responsibility. How? Here are more changes.

Sarimah akan start by hosting Tirai Akademi Fantasia. Jimmy akan hos kan Diari Akademi Fantasia. Konsert lak akan menjadi tugas dikongsi mereka berdua, dan Debaran Akademi Fantasia akan di jaga oleh Sarimah.

What is Debaran.... kejap ek dik non. I'll get to that in a while.

Konsep tahun ni, 2 in 1, so kongsi tugas. I don't really see the need for it, and I think ni da lari dari konsep Akademi Fantasia - as we know it, so I'm not favourable to the idea.

Why don't they trust a woman to be in charge of the show? Too risky ke? We've seen Sarimah do The Biggest Loser Asia and it's no problem for her. We've also seen her handle two years of Diari Akademi Fantasia and many awards shows - no problem there either.

So why? Demi perubahan? Entahlah... tapi memang aku tak setuju. Some things about Akademi Fantasia TAK PATUT diubah.

It's not about resisting changes, just some changes are not necessary for the sake of changes.

Period.

And here's how Akademi Fantasia will be presented.

Pada 13hb Mac, Tirai Akademi Fantasia pada jam 9 malam, Tirai akan memperkenalkan barisan pelajar as a sort of prelude. Don't know how they'll do it, but dalam sejam setengah, both Sarimah dan Jimmy akan hos.

Diari AF lak akan dihos oleh Jimmy, bermula 15hb Mac.

Ni yang pening sikit. Diari akan ditayangkan jam 7.30pm. Erm... don't people have things to do then? Waktu tak kena sangat. Nak early dinner, nak semayang, nak tuisyen, nak balik rumah dari kerja. Banyak alasan kenapa time slot ni tak kena.

Pastu setengah jam je tiap hari. Erm... boring! Kalao editing meletop ok la.. which will be left to be seen.

Moving on...

Konsert AF akan ada dua pengacara in Sarimah dan Jimmy kongsi tugas. Tiap Sabtu bermula 9 malam dari Stadium Putra Bukit Jalil, bermula 20hb Mac.

Ok.. ni perubahan yang aku rasa tak perlu gak.

Pada penghujung konsert, undian TAK AKAN ditutup, dan tiada penyingkiran.

Instead, konsep feeling fotostat Idol, hari Ahad esoknya, akan ada Debaran Akademi Fantasia jam 9 malam nak umumkan siapa yang tersingkir yang akan di hoskan oleh Sarimah. I hate this most - the fact they split the program in two.

Idol started this, and I don't see why Akademi Fantasia kena ikut. Peminat AF ni lain... kenapa nak tiru? Feeling Sehati Berdansa? Perlu ke? Aku serious rasa cam ni soal rating sangat plus soal perah undian gila-gila. Kononnya memberikan masa orang nak evaluate.. but seriously.

And setengah jam je... so cam no build up or suspense on Saturday, pastu Ahad , ala ala quickie and it's over (very the get it over quick).

As a fan of Akademi Fantasia, I think this sucks... but entah la. Program orang biarlah. Kalao tak suka jangan tengok. Tapi serious, aku rasa cam perah sangat. Chances are, I'm not going to vote sebab it comes across as a lame effort to capitalise on votes sangat.

So there you have it. Aku kurang rasa debaran Akademi Fantasia kali ni, unlike every year, and it's simply because aku rasa da lari sangat AF dari asal usul ketika program ni diperkenalkan. Again, changes for the sake of changes are not worth it... but entah la.. tengok je la camna.

Anyway, since tahun ni aku tak terlibat - dan bebudak bukan anak murid aku cam musim lepas, rasanya patut tak aku all out carot agik. Ke nak maintain polite gituh. Let me know.

Ok la.. nanti aku story lebih pasal Akademi Fantasia.

Ni cita lain. Remember I told you guys about the Power Over Cervical Cancer Campaign a week or so ago? You ladies da amik the online risk assessment test tak? Kalao lom - then do your bit for yourself and others. It takes only seminit dua for you to take the test, find out how much you know about cervical cancer. KLIK SINI tuk amik ujian mudah nih.

Sarimah is also duta tuk kempen ni.. along with someone else familiar. Aku la... This is from The Star on Monday (click on the pic to enlarge it and to read).

And guess who was on the cover of the Utusan pull out semalam? Sekali with other blog ambassadors? Again, klik pada gambar tuk besarkan.

Bangga aku for such a worthy cause. Aku dan kak Mah serta kengkawan lain memang sokong kempen ni tuk tujuan menyedarkan kaum Hawa tuk realise the threat of cervical cancer and to hopefully spread the word so korang leh equip yourself with the power of knowledge to prevent yourself from being a statistic.

Remember... everyone always thinks it's someone else. That someone could be you.

So CLICK HERE to find out more. To the ladies, do it, and spread the word. To the guys, pass it on to a relative, a friend... you may just help them from going through a lot of unnecessary suffering.. or worse.

Ok la.. esok blog agik. Aku nak sambung tido. baru abih keja sikit nih. Night (or morning) to all of you.

PS - Got a few more pics of Kris Allen to share. Next entry je la ek.

Read More

A whole lot

Semalam letih sangat dan malas mendatang nak update panjang-panjang, so no updates on Melaka. So ni kira entry clear stock.

Thursday was my last day there walaopon sebenarnya Friday ada scene lagi nak shoot. Tapi sebab ada urgent meeting kena rush balik. So didn't do much. I think about three scenes in total saja.

Akim dan Aril shooting last day semalam, and they'll be leaving for Jakarta on Sunday morning. Flight 6 pagik tak silap aku, Akim bagitau.

The rest are staying until tomorrow to finish up the Raya show.

Ni pics from Thursday. As usual, please don't crop or edit my watermark kalao nak republish gambar-gambar ni to any other blog, website or forum and please have the courtesy to credit and link my blog. It's only polite.

Menampilkan watak Isma dan 'Datuk Z' - cam familiar kan pasangan nih...




Quick break between scenes


Sempat pose si Rubisa dan Akim ni


Erm... Reza nya character... tengok sepit teringat Feminin lak. Yang penting bulu mata dan eyeshadow glitter


Adila mood Raya



Obri pun


Adila, cikgu Siti dan Isma



Akim lewat petang demam dia smakin teruk


Aril practise jadik photographer



Hafiz pun give it a go


Yazid pose... erm...blur...


Ngan Sidi


Kecoh scene nih


Misai Zul


Mata Reza


Erm.. sepit Feminin Reza... again


The boys


The girls... erm.. and Reza


Aishah comel


Makan ketika break - si Adila dan Isma takde control masa snappy



Cast and crew (aku takde sebab snap pic ni)


The main cast


Opocot! Aksi apa lak nih


Qhaudia - I mean Qhaud dan Claudia


Ecah again


Semua mood Raya... even si Claudia


Rini


Kenapa sengih camth Adila?


Zizi ngan Nana


Wat per tuh lak Obri???


Raya mode again


... di selit ramai lagik



The three stooges - apa la dak tiga orang ni memain....

Later that evening, took a break pas finish the daylight scenes. Sempat semua berehat. Panas, peluh tak hengat memasing because of the weather.

Now most of the kids memang da demam and selsema ketika kat Sarawak, and kat Melaka, ramai lagik masih recovering atau baru nak get hit.

Sampai aku melarikan diri takot nak dekat any of them. Mana taknya... production crew dok dekat poli kat Merimau tuh - hari kedua ke ketiga, diminta pindah sebab tempat tuh ditutup because ada kes H1N1 sana! Aiyo! Plus next day papers keluar ada kes dak ninggal sebab selsema anu tuh in Melaka.

Lewat petang Akim cam nak collapse sebab keadaan dia dari ok ok saja, jadik kritikal. Tengok rupa dia memang lemah abih dan cam nak pengsan. So rushed him to the clinic. Seb baik takde la H1N95 8GB kie haper ke. Demam, selsema biasa-biasa saja.

Si Hafiz pun not feeling well - sampai rambut tetiba lebih dari biasa. Check out the medication. Yang penting maintain ceria je.



Scene malam kat Kampung Kilang Berapi punya pesta Aidilfitri



Ni apa nih? Baca bawah sikit...


Gelak gelak.. show must go on!

A few things happened masa kat Melaka. Kami shooting kat Merlimau - so geographically sapa yang familiar tau la pasal apa aku nak cita nih.

Kisahnya malam pertama aku balik ke bandar sebab dok hotel sana pakai jalan lama ala rally tuh, belok sana sini.

Second night - pakai jalan baru tuh yang lagik cepat. Now, si Dian da warning aku kalao nampak kedai makan along there, jangan berhenti lak sebab kang tengok siang takde lak. Paham?

So pandai-pandai aku, pakai lah jalan tu tuk balik ke bandar kol 3 pagik. Korang tau kan aku leh pick up benda benda camtuh. Pendek kata, memang ada 'perkampungan' dan sempat la nampak kelibat ada yang 'menumpang'. Siot je. Kenapalah aku selalu kena.

What does this have to do with the picture above yang aku janji nak cita?

Well, masa shot pesta Aidilfitri belah malam (it was about 10pm when we started), ada scene bebudak Hafiz, Akim dan Aril lompat dari stage.

Atas pentas ada Yazid, Obri dan Sidi.

Well, one of the first few takes, time tengah recording clip for lagu Yazid, tiba-tiba aku perasan, tepi pentas tuh, terbakar! On fire as in like getting bigger by the second, with the dried leaves burning!

Erm... aku pandang Reza, dan Reza pandang aku. Memasing punya radar da gila gila punya berbunyi.

Paham? Tak paham takpe.

Anyway, they put out the fire, and checked the tape, and found masa bebudak lompat, one of the pelita kat tepi tuh jatuh, and terkena the side of the stage, starting the fire.

Yang kelakarnya, masa time berlakon tuh, si Sidi yang dok belakang main drum tuh, nampak api. What did he do?

Dengan muzik yang kuat tengah on, dia leh dengan suara tak beremosi mengatakan dengan perlahan.

"Stage terbakar..... stage terbakar....." in a matter-of-fact tone. Siot je. Obri dok bantai gelak dia pastuh.

So it was an accident.

Or was it?

Apapon, it was a fun time in Melaka, and walaopon I couldn't give my all, sebab commitment aku clash schedule shooting yang memang topsy turvy (sebab jadual bebudak semua haywire thanks to their management), it was a memory to be cherished. Mana taknya... biasanya rakaman program Raya tuk AF ni menandakan 'tutup buku' bagi musim AF yang berkenaan. Pastu semua bak haluan memasing dan nak berkumpul semua camni memang da susah.

Reached back KL safe and sound - after an hour's drive, speed abih sebab tak sabar nak balik tidur katil sendiri.

Siang smalam dok catch up on sleep, and malam ke Anak Wayang. Nanti-nanti je la aku update a few pics. Letih banget nih nak update memacam.

Sapa line teruk, azab korang nak loading pics jangan salahkan aku ek.

Time to catch some Zs. Night...


Links to entries on Melaka shoot for Akademi Fantasia Raya program
CLICK HERE for Day 1
CLICK HERE for Day 2
CLICK HERE for Day 3

Read More