Remakes: Murdering the Original Filipino Arts

A OPM Lover Opinion

Watching the television is one of Filipinos favorite pastime. They can watch and listen to different kinds of performing arts. Music videos, soap operas, television shows and others are just some of the favorites that would interest the people and entertain themselves. After all, Filipinos love to watch the T.V. and listen to music. 

I myself, shares the same trait. I love to watch and listen to entertain myself. I do it whenever there is a chance since I work in front of my laptop in my free time. But I noticed something in my viewing and listening to my favorite arts that will forever change my view on the word "remake."

Telenovelas are the programs which I can see on the T.V. before I go to work. Since my family had the tube locked in that specific channel. I observed that they are doing a remake of a Colombian telenovela which I also watched a few years back. 

I'm not sure that they are the only one doing the remake so I tried to switch to the rival channel. And also they have they're own rendition of the foreign reality game. I'm talking about "I Love Betty La Fea" and "Survivor Philippines." And I'm sure there some other programs that uses old movies and convert it to telenovelas.

I'm not sure what they want to imply to the viewers by giving us those shows. Would there be a difference if its locally made? Would there be a different story line if this goes well?

Also in turning on the radio and some music video channels, I will hear lots of artist that are doing remake of old songs either by a foreign or local artist. Some of them are just getting the music and change the lyrics to some of our dialect and boom! it gets its airplay. I'm sure the original artists of these songs are furious to sue those who used their intellectual rights. But those people are unknown. Are these people tired to create new music? Or its easy to make money?

Although these are the arts that are very marketable, I salute our indie artists who has the guts in making original scores and ideas on movies. They are being recognized internationally by different award giving bodies. How come those large production companies can't produce such films? We have the talents but we lack the resources. Or they're just so afraid to take the risk and all they think about are the profit.

Can't we be original for our own race's sake? I'm afraid to lose our local arts scene just because people are afraid to gamble for our own talents. I know the cost of producing new and fresh ideas are quite high and making it to reality is also high end but what would happen to us if we're keep on copying somebody else's work and idea? I'm afraid that our creativeness will soon be gone because of this way of marketing.

It just shows that Filipinos are lazy enough to do originals. Also producers in this country are afraid to risk their talents career. I say it would be better for musicians if they compose their own songs and sing it as well to prove their talents. Produce their own telenovelas or programs and have them work for it so that to prove their worth as actors and actresses. I'm sure they have done it a few years back when they were nobody and they rely on their own talent and not for the money.

Kapish!