First published in New Straits Times, Sunday People
8 September 2007
TV: Edgy show for teens
It's all about friendship, writes MAX KOH about 8tv’s new show, Kami — The Series.
A SNAPSHOT of four teenagers walking, and one riding piggyback, down a lonely KL street. Smiles beam from their faces. Their camaraderie is so close that you can’t tell where one ends and another begins. Smells like teen spirit?
Well, yes. It is a photo like this that inspired two writers-directors to come up with Kami — The Series, an eight-part series about the five teenagers and the events that leads them to one another.
Set against the backdrop of the local independent music scene, we follow Lynn, Ali, Abu, Sofie, and Adii through their coming-of-age phase, but it’s a musical journey.
While some of us would give anything to forget those tumultuous years, Fariza Azlina Ishak (Fizzi) and Effendee Mazlan (Fendi) have set out to capture the exuberance of youth on film.
They explain: “All of us remember what it is to be young. We’ve all been through that although our experiences vary. Kami was something we wanted to do through our own perspectives.”
Part of a multi-platform project, Kami the TV series will be followed by a feature-length film to be released next year, produced with the help of Lina Tan and her team at Red Films.
At the same time, a series of gigs featuring local indie bands have been held nationwide with bands like One Buck Short, Bittersweet, and Gerhana Ska Cinta performing.
With so many facets, Fizzi and Fendi are adamant about the crux of the story. It’s all about friendship.
“Kami brings to light some of the perils and issues that plague today’s teens. The five teenagers in the TV series have their own dreams to pursue while wrestling with their ‘demons’ at home or school.
“While the story is set against an indie music backdrop, it’s not about the underground scene per se. It’s really about the friendships we made in our youth.”
But haven’t stories like this been told in countless TV series like One Tree Hill and Dawson’s Creek?
No worries, brother. The two are banking on a non-linear style.
“In the first five episodes, each episode will only focus on a character’s background. It is only on the sixth episode that these five finally meet in KL for the first time.
“Stories like these are sememangnya (usually) cliché. But it is how we capture the emotions and the storytelling that is different,” they say.
While indie bands like Meet Uncle Hussein and Reza Salleh appear in the series, the soundtrack also features rocking contributions from One Buck Short, The Times, Pop Shuvit, Gerhana Ska Cinta, OAG and Couple.
Opening the show is Lagu Untukmu by newbies Meet Uncle Hussein. The music is energetic and emotional which fits the edgy vibe of the show.
“Music is the unifying factor that brings these five together,” Fizzi explains. “At the same time, we also want to introduce these new bands and their music.”
So, why these bands? “Well, we specifically asked for some bands like Bittersweet. By the way, they make really good music. Some were introduced to us. Ultimately, it just depends whether if the music fits the scene or not.”
Great bands. Edgy storytelling. Converging media. Sounds cool. But what about the main cast?
Liyana Jasmay, 19, from Pahang plays Lynn who is an aspiring journalist. She is independent, streetwise and runs her own fanzine called Kami under the pseudonym Teka-Teki.
Syarul Ezani, 18, plays Ali and some say, he’s the “good-looking one” in the bunch. Ali is a struggling musician trying to cope with his parents’ crumbling marriage.
Playing the airhead, Sofie, is Juliana Sophie. The 18-year-old is no stranger as she has hosted several TV shows including Remaja and Ezone.
Then we have Nas-T, the true musician of the group who plays Abu. Nas-T is a DJ with the local rock-rap band Dragon Red. He acted in Bernard Chauly’s Goodbye Boys.
Rounding up the group is newbie Ani Zayanah, 21, who plays Adii, the rock that holds the group together.
As Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain once sang, “Our little group has always been, and always will until the end.”
Friendship forged in the days of our youth is forever.
Kami — The Series is aired on 8tv on Wednesdays at 10pm.
It's all about friendship, writes MAX KOH about 8tv’s new show, Kami — The Series.
A SNAPSHOT of four teenagers walking, and one riding piggyback, down a lonely KL street. Smiles beam from their faces. Their camaraderie is so close that you can’t tell where one ends and another begins. Smells like teen spirit?
Well, yes. It is a photo like this that inspired two writers-directors to come up with Kami — The Series, an eight-part series about the five teenagers and the events that leads them to one another.
Set against the backdrop of the local independent music scene, we follow Lynn, Ali, Abu, Sofie, and Adii through their coming-of-age phase, but it’s a musical journey.
While some of us would give anything to forget those tumultuous years, Fariza Azlina Ishak (Fizzi) and Effendee Mazlan (Fendi) have set out to capture the exuberance of youth on film.
They explain: “All of us remember what it is to be young. We’ve all been through that although our experiences vary. Kami was something we wanted to do through our own perspectives.”
Part of a multi-platform project, Kami the TV series will be followed by a feature-length film to be released next year, produced with the help of Lina Tan and her team at Red Films.
At the same time, a series of gigs featuring local indie bands have been held nationwide with bands like One Buck Short, Bittersweet, and Gerhana Ska Cinta performing.
With so many facets, Fizzi and Fendi are adamant about the crux of the story. It’s all about friendship.
“Kami brings to light some of the perils and issues that plague today’s teens. The five teenagers in the TV series have their own dreams to pursue while wrestling with their ‘demons’ at home or school.
“While the story is set against an indie music backdrop, it’s not about the underground scene per se. It’s really about the friendships we made in our youth.”
But haven’t stories like this been told in countless TV series like One Tree Hill and Dawson’s Creek?
No worries, brother. The two are banking on a non-linear style.
“In the first five episodes, each episode will only focus on a character’s background. It is only on the sixth episode that these five finally meet in KL for the first time.
“Stories like these are sememangnya (usually) cliché. But it is how we capture the emotions and the storytelling that is different,” they say.
While indie bands like Meet Uncle Hussein and Reza Salleh appear in the series, the soundtrack also features rocking contributions from One Buck Short, The Times, Pop Shuvit, Gerhana Ska Cinta, OAG and Couple.
Opening the show is Lagu Untukmu by newbies Meet Uncle Hussein. The music is energetic and emotional which fits the edgy vibe of the show.
“Music is the unifying factor that brings these five together,” Fizzi explains. “At the same time, we also want to introduce these new bands and their music.”
So, why these bands? “Well, we specifically asked for some bands like Bittersweet. By the way, they make really good music. Some were introduced to us. Ultimately, it just depends whether if the music fits the scene or not.”
Great bands. Edgy storytelling. Converging media. Sounds cool. But what about the main cast?
Liyana Jasmay, 19, from Pahang plays Lynn who is an aspiring journalist. She is independent, streetwise and runs her own fanzine called Kami under the pseudonym Teka-Teki.
Syarul Ezani, 18, plays Ali and some say, he’s the “good-looking one” in the bunch. Ali is a struggling musician trying to cope with his parents’ crumbling marriage.
Playing the airhead, Sofie, is Juliana Sophie. The 18-year-old is no stranger as she has hosted several TV shows including Remaja and Ezone.
Then we have Nas-T, the true musician of the group who plays Abu. Nas-T is a DJ with the local rock-rap band Dragon Red. He acted in Bernard Chauly’s Goodbye Boys.
Rounding up the group is newbie Ani Zayanah, 21, who plays Adii, the rock that holds the group together.
As Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain once sang, “Our little group has always been, and always will until the end.”
Friendship forged in the days of our youth is forever.
Kami — The Series is aired on 8tv on Wednesdays at 10pm.
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