A guilty pleasure and a dream to watch, here’s what we think of Ch8’s The Dream Makers

By Joanna Goh

The last time a Ch8 drama created this much hype, it was the year of The Little Nyonya in 2008, where Peranakans (specifically, Yue Niang) ruled our lives. Fast forward 4.5 years later and we finally see an inkling of what we’d call the revival of local TV’s former glory days in Ch8’s The Dream Makers, a 30-episode series which concluded its run last night.

For the past few years, no other show has achieved what ‘Dream Makers’ managed to do in six weeks: generate an insane amount of frenzy online and off. It became the hottest lunch and gossip topic as people 1) compared fact or fiction notes based on real-life showbiz events (like we did here) and 2) shelved dinner plans and after-work activities to race home and catch the broadcast of the weeknight drama at 9pm – us included. True story.

So what was it about The Dream Makers that worked for viewers? Was it the show’s format? The uncanny pairing of the TV station’s top-tier actresses and actors and the long-awaited reunion of the ill-fated ‘Nyonya’ lovers Jeanette Aw and Qi Yuwu (who’ve yet to, well, get a happy ending of their own…)? Or was it due to the sense of familiarity viewers had for the local entertainment scene they once grew up with?

Hit: Tight chemistry between the cast

The next best thing about having a bunch of veterans cast in this show (apart from their strong acting) is the solid chemistry that comes through their performances as a result of their familiarity with one another. There was no need to wait for them to “grow into” their roles and nurture their chemistry – thank goodness. Here are our favourite pairings from the show: Zoe Tay and Chen Liping’s friendship (more on that on slide 5), Chen Hanwei and Zoe’s soulmate-like relationship, Jeanette and Yuwu’s instant and natural chemistry, and Dennis Chew and Rui En’s buddy-like siblinghood.

Hit: Pot shots at realistic events

Instead of basing certain story plots on lofty ideas and far-fetched circumstances, what was done right in this show was the boost of realism it had with drama events mirroring real-life happenings. And as viewers we do appreciate the “art-imitates real-life” and subtle tongue-in-cheek references found in its scenes and dialogues. We said it before in our previous story and we’ll say it here again – this is our kind of guilty pleasure.

Hit: An insider peek at the TV industry

Half-truth and half fictional, The Dream Makers successfully incites interest with its gossip reveals and behind-the-scenes take on show business in Singapore. Viewers are left guessing the authenticity of what they see on TV: are there really catfights between fame-hungry actresses, do directors really bully newbies and calefares – so on and so forth. Plus, for the ones not in the TV industry, it provided them with an inside-out microscopic look at how folks at the TV station go about their daily jobs – from the management-level and business side of things to the production end, the show nails it perfectly, especially the APs (assistant producer), writers and camera crew’s behaviour.

Hit: Well-paced storyline

The Dream Makers was a drama with a multi-faceted plot and did not solely revolve around events taking place in the TV station. Apart from its main focus on the office politics and rivalry between the higher-level management staff and actors in showbiz, it also had other story plots which focused on the relationship between siblings, lovers, a married couple and friends. And despite its multiple ongoing story plots, the show gave viewers breathing room by spreading out the development of its characters over a few episodes at one time which explains why they sometimes go missing for an episode or two.

Hit and Miss: A show all about women; but what about the men?

We don’t know if you noticed this – the drama is mainly driven by the stories and lives of these four women in the TV station: Yao-Chu Kang Li, Zhou Wei Yun, Fang Tong Lin and Zhao Fei Er. It is centered on their trials and tribulations; their successes and failures. On the other hand, there is less focus on the men in this show as they are there to serve one and only one purpose: to drive the growth of these four female characters. Whether done intentionally or not, we appreciated and really enjoyed the strong and unwavering focus on the ladies. Can we have a drama series done on the men in the TV station next? We can’t wait to see the hijinks that would unfold from this.

Miss: Unrealistic parts of the show

Despite the truths portrayed in the show, The Dream Makers had its fair share of unrealistic moments too. An artiste manager (Shaun Chen) dating his artiste in the open? Uh, that’s brazen – considering how local celebrities prefer to keep things on the low-key end. And Vincent Ng’s overdramatic trip-roll-and-rumble action stunt to get to his dead wife’s side in the earlier episodes of the show? We’re sorry guys, that felt a little too staged and forced.

Miss: Voting for the final couple… again???

This feels like Star Awards online voting (aka, fan wars) all over again. To the ones who have the power to decide and control the destiny of the show, please do not take the joy out of watching a drama by forcing viewers (or rather, fans) to vote for their preferred ending between Jeanette Aw and Rui En. While it’s commendable that we try to be different, innovative and engaging, reusing the same old method i.e., getting fans to vote for their preferred happy ending, just feels stale and predictable. Can’t we just vote if Jason should stay single or attached and have the producers decide who deserves to be his happy ending? Well, if we had to choose, we’d say Joanne Peh. There, we said it.

Source: Xinmsn

Categorised in EN, The Dream Makers 志在四方, xinmsn.

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Jason爱谁，由你来决定！

你希望Jason最后跟赵非儿或是方彤琳在一起？透过xinmsn的投选活动，你将有机会决定Jason的命运！

投选将从7月26日晚上10时开始，8月2日中午12时截止。

从《志在四方》最后第四集开始，每晚节目播放前和后都会显示最新的投选结果。获得最多选票的女角色，将在8月2日晚上9时播放的大结局中，与Jason成为一对。

投选免费，每人每天只能投一次票。

请透过MediaCorp ID（在此登记）或Facebook账号投票。

Who do you want Jason Lam to end up with? Zhao Fei Er or Fang Tong Lin?

Here’s your chance to decide Jason’s fate! Simply cast your vote here on xinmsn!

Voting is open from 26 July 2013 (10pm) to 2 August 2013 (12noon). Latest voting results will be shown at the beginning and end of ‘The Dream Makers’ in the 4 episodes leading up to the finale.

The female character with the highest number of votes will end up with Jason on the finale episode of ‘The Dream Makers’ shown on Channel 8 on 2 August 2013 at 9:00pm!

Voting is free and each person may vote once a day.

Users will need a MediaCorp ID (sign up here) or Facebook account to vote.

The Dream Makers 志在四方 is now airing on weekdays, 9pm on Channel 8.

Source: Xinmsn

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By Joanna Goh

Drama vs Reality: How many of these (real-life) showbiz happenings in Singapore are you familiar with?

The Dream Makers is what we’d call the greatest form of flattery seen on local television as art imitates life in this Ch8 drama series. Several stories and scenarios featured in the show hit close to home with its spoof on personalities in the TV station and its reenactment of real-life celebrity gossips.

From Felicia Chin’s rumoured double-eyelid surgery to the highly-debated rivalry between the TV station’s top two Ah Jies Zoe Tay and Fann Wong: what you see happening in local showbiz is what you get on The Dream Makers – true story (minus the over-the-top bitchy catfights and what have you, of course).

If you, like us, are in the know of these buzzy headlines, chances are you’re relishing in the show two times as much as the uninformed average viewer. For those who aren’t familiar with these events featured in the show, we’ll do you a service and recap their source of inspiration. You’re welcome.

Fact #1
The plastic surgery denial: A throwback to Felicia Chin’s plastic surgery saga in 2009

Drama: A pretty well-known actress, who is supposedly an Ah Jie in-the-making, was quizzed by celebrity talk show host Yu Fan (Chen Han Wei) on the noticeable change in her facial features i.e., her once-mono-but-now-double eyelids. She played dumb and avoided answering his question and was eventually let off the hook.

Reality: At the peak of her acting career in 2009, Felicia Chin was once speculated to have undergone a boob and double-eyelid job. The actress was grilled about her rumoured enhancements on a (real) celebrity talk show called Celebritea Break, hosted by Guo Liang and Quan Yi Fong. She eventually cited the long-term use of the double-eyelid tape as the reason behind her current creased lids, and the case was eventually closed.

Fact #2
The friendship remark: A throwback to Zoe Tay and Fann Wong’s speculated rivalry

Drama: In her guest-starring appearance on a celebrity talk show, an actress, who is the station’s second Ah Jie (Silver Ang), referred to her non-existent friendship with the station’s top-billed actress (Dawn Yeoh) as one that’s based on a professional working relationship. In short: We’re merely colleagues, not friends.

Reality: 17 years ago, Fann referred to her relationship with Zoe as one of colleagues and not friends. Her remark – whether a Freudian slip or not – sparked a huge hullabaloo and many attributed two actresses’ endeavours to be the #1 Ah Jie in the TV station as the reason behind their acrimonious relationship.

Fact #3
Actress going bald for a role: A throwback to Cynthia Koh’s Stepping Out role in 1999

Drama: Dawn’s character was presented with a breakthrough opportunity to star in a cop drama series. She eventually turned it down as the show required her character to shave her head in the latter half of the story, much to her disgruntle. The once-in-a-lifetime role eventually went to Jeanette Aw’s character.

Reality: Only one local actress was brave enough to shave her head for a role and that’s Cynthia Koh. The then-newbie actress went skinhead for Stepping Out in 1999, a period series which told of the trial and tribulations faced by Chinese immigrants in Singapore during the 1920s. Her sacrifice did not go unnoticed – she was duly rewarded for her efforts in the following year’s Star Awards with a Best Actress win.

Fact #4
Calefares and not-so-famous actors, please move to the back of the bus

Drama: A C-list actress, Fei Er’s told to find a seat at the back of the bus because the front rows are reserved for actress of Ah-Jie levels only.

Reality: There are two sides of the coin to this: 1) For comfort reasons: we were once told that the front rows are usually occupied for the A-listers 2) For practical reasons: we were also told that cameramen and those handling equipment usually take up the front rows of the bus for easy loading and unloading. This tiny scene does carry a bit of truth in it, but the true extent of it really varies from person to person.

Fact #5
Unless you’re “one of us”, most reporters have limited access to the TV station

Drama: In most episodes, you’d see Dennis Chew’s reporter character, Fang Yuanren, enter the TV station at will and snap photos of its surroundings at ease. He’d even gain firsthand access to scoops overheard and seen from his time spent roaming around the TV station.

Reality: No such luck, security is tight within the TV station’s premises. Truth be told, unless you are an employee of the company, you can’t enter its building, offices and recording studios without a staff pass or a registered guest pass. And yes, we do have photography-restricted areas on the hill. You don’t want to be caught by our burly security guards doing something that’s prohibited.

Fact #6
Actress leaving everything behind to pursue a showbiz career in Hong Kong: A throwback to Ann Kok’s “move” to the island at the peak of her career

Drama: Now that she’s the station’s top-tier actress, Fei Er is offered a lucrative movie deal in Hong Kong, brokered by a director formerly from the TV station. Enticed by the prospect of growing fame in the region, she toys with the idea of “dropping off everything” to pursue what she thinks is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in Hong Kong. (SPOILERS: We’re told Fei Er eventually leaves everything behind – her career, fame and life – and takes off for Hong Kong.)

Reality: Formerly dubbed the third Ah Jie in-line (after Zoe and Fann) back in the late 1990s, Ann Kok left the TV station to pursue acting opportunities in Hong Kong at the height of her fame in 2000. She came back three years later, after scratching the surface with one and only one noteworthy role in Everything Starts from Marriage, co-starring Alex Fong and Kristy Yeung.

Fact #7
Death in the TV station: A throwback to the tribute held in Huang Wenyong’s honour in April this year

Drama: In what is said to be the most somber episode on the series, a memorial service is held in honour of a well-loved artiste from the TV station (we’re not saying who!) who succumbed to a sudden illness.

Reality: In April this year, Singaporeans bade a tearful goodbye to one of the station’s first Ah Ge and revered actor Huang Wenyong, who passed away from lymphoma at the age of 60 years old. Less than a month later, veteran actor Dai Peng succumbed to the same illness and passed away at the age of 75 years old.

The Dream Makers 志在四方 is now airing on Channel 8, Weekdays at 9pm.

Source: Xinmsn

Categorised in EN, The Dream Makers 志在四方, xinmsn.

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林雯莹报道

播出约一半的大制作《志在四方》，普遍受到好评，吸引观众追看。

中国方面更是捎来好消息，新加坡电视剧受到当地观众喜爱，新传媒因此决定增加本地艺人在中国的曝光率，《孤男寡女》、《千方百计》与《庭外和解》等剧也会陆续播出。《志在四方》则预计在明年播出。

The Dream Makers 志在四方 is now airing on Channel 8, weekdays at 9pm

Source: Xinmsn

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林雯莹报道
邓秀英拍摄/剪辑
额外照片：档案、艺人

改朝换代！本地电视新一代荧幕情侣潜力无穷，谁的登对指数直逼黄俊雄与瑞恩？

从最早的黄文永与向云、李南星与郑惠玉、李铭顺与范文芳，到近10年的黄俊雄与瑞恩、戚玉武与欧萱，本地历代荧幕情侣，在剧中共谱浪漫恋曲，令观众深深着迷。

尤其是戚玉武与欧萱在热播中的《志在四方》的再度搭配，可爱又自然，引起热烈回响。更别说合作N次的黄俊雄与瑞恩，他们可是无敌的人气搭配。

不过，随着电视圈近几年迎来不少新人，是时候开拓新一代的荧幕情侣。

ariety is the spice to life: While we revel in the chemistry found in the old guard (think: Li Nanxing and Zoe Tay, and Fann Wong and Christopher Lee) and fawn over trendier pairings such as RuiVin (Rui En and Elvin Ng), it’s time to rejuvenate the local scene with newer and never-seen-before TV pairings.

Source: Xinmsn English | Chinese

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The well-loved MediaCorp actress thinks that it is part and parcel of being an actress to go through hardship

Before Rui En got to where she is today, the award-winning and widely popular actress received her fair share of bullying and scolding from directors and producers during her rookie days in showbiz. Looking back on her salad days, the MediaCorp actress is thankful that she had to go through those tumultuous times which has in turn, motivated her to prove her worth.

While speaking to xinmsn at the press conference of upcoming Ch8 blockbuster drama The Dream Makers, Rui En recalled the immense pressure she had to face during her debut – going to great lengths to memorise her lines due to her weak Chinese language skills.

Although The Dream Makers highlights the power struggle among the stars and office politics amongst the higher management in the TV station, the Ice Princess emphasised that the local entertainment industry is not as complicated and sensationalised as the drama portrays it to be. That said, Rui En admitted that she had her share of hardship too.

Even after 11 years in the industry, the actress still remembers the long waiting time she had to endure in her debut drama No Problem!, due to her “newbie” status back then. According to Rui En, the director would finish filming all the scenes with the leading actors before moving on to hers.

Speaking from experience, Rui En said that it is essential for an actor to experience adversity before he can grow to become a good artiste.

“You get to learn many things by starting from the ‘calefare’ and small roles. Only when you go through the journey, would you improve and perform better,” she explained. “Nowadays, the new actors are able to land leading roles shortly after joining the industry. They might not have the chance to pick up what they should learn.”

In a separate interview, veteran actress Chen Liping shared that her hardworking juniors, including Jeanette Aw and Rui En, inspire her to continue acting. “I believe everyone can see Rui En’s efforts and growth in the past few years. Her success didn’t come easy,” she said.

At the press conference, Queen of Caldecott Hill, Zoe Tay, and local Ah Ge Chen Hanwei spoke of the new generation of actors and their poor working attitude and lack of respect for their seniors.

So, what advice does Rui En have for her peers and the up-and-coming stars?

“Be yourself and be real. Don’t do something just because people expect you to. In the end, you’d feel like you’ve betrayed yourself and you’ll be the one regretting it,” replied the actress, with her ever-cool attitude.

Also hailed as the Queen of Ratings, Rui En is currently filming another upcoming series Sudden, which is centred around the lives of lawyers. The 32-year-old joked that her “Chinese would improve significantly after this”, thanks to the lengthy and sophisticated terms used by her character in the drama.

The Dream Makers stars Zoe Tay, Chen Liping, Rui En, Jeanette Aw, Qi Yuwu, Shaun Chen, Chen Hanwei, Guo Liang, Richard Low, May Phua, Rebecca Lim, Desmond Tan, Ian Fang and Jayley Woo. Catch it when it airs every Monday to Friday at 9pm on Ch8, starting June 24.

The Dream Makers 志在四方 debuts 24 June 2013 9pm on Channel 8.

Sudden 骤变 debuts 2 September 2013 9pm on Channel 8.

Source: Xinmsn

Categorised in EN, Sudden 骤变, The Dream Makers 志在四方, xinmsn.

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张启怀报道
摄影： 陈佳怡 、张启怀
邓秀英拍摄／剪辑

瑞恩坦言曾经被导演大骂过，但她认为这是演员的必经过程之一。

新传媒8频道重头剧《志在四方》（简称《志》）日前举行记者会，括郑惠玉、陈汉玮、欧萱和陈泓宇等剧中主角齐出席。

《志》的故事围绕着电视台发生，加上两代阿哥阿姐在戏里大斗演技，难免让人猜想《志》是否影射真实？电视台私底下可有发生明争暗斗的事？

一直给人酷酷印象的瑞恩，在《志》中饰演个性爽朗活泼的综艺组导演，后来误打误撞成为力捧花旦，与欧萱争夺电视台阿姐的位置。另外，两人也同时爱上戚玉武，陷入复杂的三角恋之中。

瑞恩接受xinmsn专访时强调，部分剧情有夸大的嫌疑，现实生活根本不会发生类似欧萱在剧里被丢鸡蛋的事。

但当被问及是否有哪一场戏让她特别感同身受时，瑞恩坦言：“欧萱有一段戏，一直被导演和工作人员欺负，我确实有过这样子的经验。”

她透露，入行初期的她华语程度奇差，台词都是靠死背记起来的。她还记得她第一次演出电视剧《考试家族》的时候面对极大的压力。也因为是新人的关系，导演会先把主角的戏拍完，新人必须多等。

“那时候压力真的很大，加上有被导演骂…… 但是，我想感谢所有骂过我的导演，因为如果没有他们，我是没办法去推动自己来证明自己！”

瑞恩认为，这些苦日子都是当演员必须经过的，因为它们能够让一个演员成长。

她以过来人身份分享心得：“现在的新人可能入行不久就做上第一男、女主角，可能他们学不到一些应该学的。从小角色，从Calefare慢慢演上来，你会学到很多东西。只要你经历过这些东西，后面的就可以（较轻松地）通过了，就可以演得好、做得好。”

在《志》里饰演戏剧组掌舵的陈莉萍受访时表示，与瑞恩和欧萱同台演出，她看到了这两名后辈的努力与进步，是支持自己一直演下去的推动力。

“瑞恩这几年的表现、她本身的努力，我相信工作人员也看到，她的成功不是那么容易得来的。”

“做自己”4 年里第一次代言产品

目前正在赶拍新传媒法庭剧《骤变》的瑞恩透露，律师角色的台词常常是一大串一大串的，加上法律词汇艰涩难懂，而且还要她在法庭上“观众”与“法官”面前呈现，让她吃不消。

瑞恩笑说，相信拍完《骤变》后，她的华语程度会进步不少。

另外，一直秉持着做自己态度的瑞恩入行以来，除了不接演亲热戏之外，也甚少为广告代言。日前，她成为美容护肤品代言人，是4年来第一次代演产品，“只因为之前自己试用了这个产品，觉得它是有效的”。

阿哥阿姐陈汉玮和郑惠玉在记者会上炮轰一些新生代演员，态度不佳，不懂得尊重前辈。

现实生活中，瑞恩一步一脚印走到今天当家电视花旦的地位，有什么建议给这些新进演员？

她的答案还是酷酷的：“做自己，不要伪装。不要因为别人觉得你应该这么做而去做。因为到最后你是会后悔的，会觉得自己出卖了自己。”

The Dream Makers 志在四方 debuts 24 June 2013 9pm on Channel 8.

Source: Xinmsn

Categorised in CH, Endorsement, L’Oréal Paris, The Dream Makers 志在四方, xinmsn.

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By Tammi Tan

We check out the biggest names in showbiz who have lit up a screen together

Two is better than one, especially if “one” already stands pretty strong on its own. We’re talking about dream team silver/small screen pairings of the hottest A-listers in showbiz, from MediaCorp Princesses Jeanette Aw and Rui En in The Dream Makers, to martial arts movie royalty Jackie Chan and Jet Li in The Forbidden Kingdom.

Rui En & Jeanette Aw (The Dream Makers)

They’ve both been in the business for over a decade (and are both under Artiste Networks ) , but The Dream Makers is the first time they’ve ever worked together. “It was really cool,” Rui En told us of the collaboration. “We work very well together!”

Jeanette concurs. “We both know what we want from a scene, and both know what we’re doing with our characters. I don’t have to worry that she won’t be able to react with me,” she said at the drama’s press conference last Tuesday.

Besides that, they’ve become more familiar with each other, something they never really got to do before. “We’ve had to spend a lot of time together, and now we’re more of friends,” said Rui En.

So shall we look forward to more collaborations in the future then? “I’m open to any opportunities to work with Rui En again,” said Jeanette.

Chemistry level: We guess we’ll find out when The Dream Makers premieres on June 24 at 9pm on Ch8, but we are definitely harbouring high hopes for this pairing!

Rui En & Chen Liping (Unriddle)

Rui En and Liping have become close pals and one of the most beloved duos in local showbiz since Unriddle. Liping was credited as the one who could melt the stoic Ice Queen’s heart, as displayed by the latter’s cheeriness during their first interview with us as co-stars – a contrast from her usual more reserved demeanour.

“She’s the most generous artiste I’ve ever worked with,” Rui En praised. “She has a really infectious laugh too, which in turn makes me laugh as well!”

During the Dream Makers press conference, the typically calm and collected Rui En was even seen giggling and lightly hitting Liping’s arm on stage, proving that their camaraderie was more than just a phase.

Chemistry level: Four dramas on, and their friendship and on-screen harmony is stronger than ever.

The Dream Makers 志在四方 debuts 24 June 2013 9pm on Channel 8.

Source: Xinmsn

Categorised in EN, Joys of Life 花样人间, The Dream Makers 志在四方, Unriddle 2 最火搭档 2, Unriddle 最火搭档, xinmsn.

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Text: Tammi Tan
Photos: Tammi Tan and Louis Teo
Video: Foong Mien Shi and Teng Siew Eng

Behind the glittering lights, fancy clothes and A-list aura of showbiz, is a very down-to-earth and not-so-dazzling reality. “This is the most glamorous side of us,” Rebecca Lim confessed at the Dream Makers press conference. She and the star-studded cast of the upcoming Ch8 blockbuster drama were dressed to the nines as they spoke to reporters in a ballroom of the posh Four Seasons Hotel. “Everything else behind the scenes is actually very ‘unglam’.”

Her other co-stars echoed her sentiments. “The Dream Makers is going to be interesting because it shows another side of the local film industry,” said Jeanette Aw. “You don’t usually see all the sweat and blood that goes on behind the scenes! (laughs)” Added Rui En: “The audience always sees us all dolled up and pretty on TV, but actually we face a lot of challenges and struggles – we work our asses off!”

So if you’re planning to join the industry to revel in a life of glamour, we’re sorry but you’re going to have to chuck those idealistic expectations, and prepare to face these hard-hitting truths.

There are very, very long working hours

Being in the entertainment business is hardly your run-of-the-mill 9-to-5 job. Rui En said they can work up to 18 hours a day, not get any sleep, and still have to turn up on set early the next day to deliver their lines while looking as fresh as possible.

Chen Liping recalled a time she went three days and three nights without any shut-eye, because in the past, directors were way more particular about the littlest details and wanted more takes. Talk about going over overtime!

Memorising scripts isn’t as fun as it seems

Even established actress Zoe named memorising scripts as one of the more painful aspects of her profession. Rui En, who is currently filming law drama Sudden, shared her stress from memorising the script, which contained a whole chunk of complicated, technical phrases that aren’t things people normally say.

The Dream Makers 志在四方 debuts 24 June 2013 9pm on Channel 8.

Source: Xinmsn

Categorised in EN, The Dream Makers 志在四方, xinmsn.

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