Rehearsal 16, 19 July 2020
Updated: May 16
9am – 6pm
Rumah P7:1SMA
Haizad started off the rehearsal by going through and clarifying the intentions of each song and segment, as it is their final rehearsal before recording. He also reiterated that the whole production is a combo of dance, film and karaoke, and they have been studying the aesthetics of jiwang music videos.
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Ideas & Intentions for solos:
- Haizad → Mercy
o Under block culture
o On the verge of giving up
o Dark history
o Pain is alive
o Sunglasses – Singer always performs with sunglasses
§ Epitome of mat (identity, trend, menyampah)
o Straight line – Heartbroken, tunnel vision
o Lyrics are cheesy
o Rahmat = Mercy, blessing
o Biography – band, Ekamatra
o 1-dimensional goal, future, brotherhood
§ “1-way thinking” / “1 pathway to success”
o Emotions of blessing and mercy
- Syimah → Longing / Hope
o Longing, flashback
o Relation: tough as a person no matter the obstacles
§ Human connection + Connection with self
o Teringin = She longs, hoping
o Personally prefers to not deal with emotions directly
o Flashback is body spasm; physical reaction to thoughts
o Does not feel right moving
o Water; best if other dancers don’t pour, so as not to see their hands
§ Tears in lyrics; lack of emotion so using tears from external sources
o Tacky overlays of zooming shots
- Xiao Jun → Emotions
o Perasaan
o Cheesy
o Song has disco vibes
o Repetition of movements till unable to dance except for arms
o Lighting from wash gradually to a spot
o Haizad would like to have Western elements inside, in reference to Bee Gees (original version)
§ Referencing Emotions now, with smoke machine & kaleidoscope
o Haizad would also like to have an essence of diva, like Anita herself, who has a lot of hair and a performer
o Discussed the style of tying her hair, using a scrunchy
o Expressive body + emotionless face to emotionless body + expressive face
§ Happy on the outside, suffering on the inside
o Underlying turbulence in less opaque prancing around
o Immediately unable to properly use legs when inside the square
- Sharul → Memories
o Biography of artist: divorced, think he was going to die when recording the song, forever remembered in his prime as he died young, smart, parents were of status
o 8 spotlights – coffins / burial spaces
(why 8?)
Intentions of following songs:
- Song 5 – loss / feeling lost
- Song 6 – Isolation
- Song 7 – Seeking comfort / protection
- Song 8 – Jiwang rights, indigenous people
After sharing the intentions, Haizad invited them to collectively work on their jiwang bodies; warm up and oiling their joints to a broken record soundtrack, 70s music & EDM like music. They then walked in 1 line in their rest area sequence to activate their joints and perhaps their jiwang bodies as well.
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They were then invited to carry out the self-karaoke task from the very first meeting, this time listening and singing their solo songs, for 40 minutes;
- Xiao Jun can / wanted to anyhow sing
- Each of them to find a comfortable spot in the studio
- It was not about the quality of singing
- Best if they are unable to hear self and each other
- Isolate themselves from the world, and to be self-indulgent
Observations from the task:
- Syimah and Xiao Jun took a while before they started singing
- Chills: from emotion? High notes? Lyrics? Display of vulnerability?
- Haizad
o Singing into fan with a phone stand as a mic
o Guitar singing to the door (Hasyimah was outside)
o Had his own “concert”
- Sharul sang the loudest he has sung throughout the process
- Syimah and Sharul strained their voices as they sang
- Xiao Jun laid down
- Most of their eyes were closed
- Sang differently
o To preserve their voices?
o Change / Drop in emotion?
o Fatigue?
- Manifestation of a few “types”, shapes & projections of jiwang bodies
- Sharul sang others’ songs at some point
- Xiao Jun barely sang
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Post-task discussion:
- Hafiz who is currently pursuing musical theatre can identify the different qualities of singing
- The task was a purging / release of emotions
- Different techniques of singing by singers
o Sudirman using head voice, Siti Nurhaliza more diaphragm
o Jiwang songs are more squeezing, merengek
o Different energy release
- Xiao Jun
o Her song is different, no care, no urge to sing
o Beat is too happy and lighthearted to sing, no drive to sing or dance
o Emotional paralysis
o Only listened to indulge
o “Resting bitch heart”
o Not comfortable letting it out, prefers to not express vocally
o Overwhelmed
o Similar to seeing your crush with someone else, to be happy but not happy
o Fake optimism, bo chap, care but not caring at the same time
o Resistance to delve deeper, superficial
o Transition, in limbo to convince self to move on
o Could feel the rest being emo
- Syimah
o Shared how personal the song and background of singer resonated with her
§ Had an emotional release as she shared her own personal story with her loved ones
o Human connection Family Her family
o Detached, not wanting to be too attached, emotional
o Her reason for resorting to dark humour
o Questioning how willing she is to be vulnerable
o In a dilemma to not want to be like that
- Haizad
o Be non-human, and purely as a performer
o Has a prior relationship with singing, syiok-ness, and with the song
- Personal journey to immerse and find own jiwang
- On the surface: cringey, cheesy music videos; Deeper level: individual
- Collective mourning / grieving, tribalism; sense of belonging
- In and out of escapism (emotional escape shown through lighting)
- To own the jiwang songs to each of their own solos, and to let the audience decide on the emotion and appreciate the beauty of editing
- After the lunch break, will do a full-run and try all possible combinations.
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The collaborators resumed the rehearsal by having a guided warm-up by Haizad, as an “emotional prepping for what’s to come”. Their movements were unexpectedly more energetic, perhaps a post-lunch adrenaline or anticipation for the upcoming recording in the next few days. They also went through the filming schedule with Adi, as well as a dry run of the recording process including the shots and sequence.
Hafiz was present for them to rehearse the shots from Song 5 (umbrella segment), and they agreed to utilise the post-editing process to reduce the manual workload i.e. using different parts of the same take. As for Song 6, they will honour the plank by not cutting away from it, in order for the audience to witness the struggle of whoever is in the position. After which, the rehearsal ended as the dancers shared their experience in the Jiwang process in archival interviews.
Some final thoughts:
- The “ideal” jiwang audience demographic has a nuanced baggage and relationship with jiwang (both as a concept and a music genre).
- How would those who are new to jiwang respond / What will they be able to understand or take away from the viewing experience?
- Can it be fully understood / internalized through visual cues (compared to physical embodiment)?
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The end of rehearsal, and the start of JIWANG.