Playlist | OOC Thread
INTRO: PERMATA KHATULISTIWA | Presented by Selina Lawson
Inspiration & Tune: Puteri Indonesia 2015 Opening Sequence - MahaDjawa
The introduction before the opening act shows a book, nestling on top of a brown, teakwood table, which is shot from a close angle, suddenly, the book's pages flutter, as if blown by the wind, and soon after, the camera zooms in towards a page of the book, revealing Selina's soft, yet serious face, with a warm shaded makeup that showcases her beautiful skintone, all this accompanied by wonderful, Javanese-style instrumentals of violins, soft pianos, and light percussions from a glockenspiel-like instrument.
Now the video segues to Selina, who is seemingly making a batik, wearing a dreamy white kebaya gown that envelops her like a beautiful Javanese bride on her wedding day, while she is making a batik with gestures that signify her demure, yet certainly not weak personality, the shot would sometimes transition into a traditional teakwood engravings, complimented with CGIs of flying gunungan, Borobudur-shaped stupas, and Javanese stone ornaments that moves about. Being a symbol of Antahbrantahstan, which combines centuries-old traditions, with the always advancing modernity.
Soon after, we can see the video now showing a traditional wooden Javanese gebyok/gates, which then opens, revealing Selina, dressed in kebaya and hair styled in traditional buns, walking towards the POV of the audience, and after she is done walking, the video now ends, and as the music slowly comes to end, then the opening titlecard is shown (which is the titlecard shown above), complete with rustling leaves in the background, and afterwards, the entire video sequence ended, setting the stage for the actual opening act.
OPENING ACT: Helpless | Presented by KRESNADEWI, Selina Lawson & Mahakarya Orchestra
Tune: Weird Genius, Sara Fajira, Erwin Gutawa Orchestra - Lathi
Tune: Weird Genius, Sara Fajira, Erwin Gutawa Orchestra - Lathi
As the opening video ended, the audience is then startled by the slowly rising sound of a violin, the sound would then rise into a cacophony of symphonies, ranging from the light strums of strings, horns, and woodwinds to the soft banging from percussions. With the stage lit in a soft, almost foggy landscape, wherein we can see a silhouette a woman, presumed to be Selina, dancing with outmost demure and grace, mimicking the movements of a traditional Javanese dancer, as if inviting the audience into a realm of the Javanese lands, filled with mysteries that the outsiders don't know, but certainly memorized and of course, the mainlanders used to it.
Suddenly, the strings ended, and the instrumental segues to a more harmonic gamelan sound, and now we can see projections of Javanese inscriptions being written by an invisible hand into Selina's dress, complimented with a wave of blue colored lasers that acts as a pivotal part of the background scenario, and slowly, the audience can finally see Selina, wearing a white fascinator with floral embellishments, with a Chinese-style long nail accessory adorning her fingernails, singing the first verse of a song that brought Antahbrantahstan into their second-ever WorldVision victory, despite of this fact, she remained calm, singing with an intimate sounding voice that resonates through the crowd, complimented by the soft plucking of the violin strings that add a mysterious-yet-whimsical vibe to the performance.
Problems that's see through
Closed my eyes from you, oh-oh
You smiled through the pain
And all through this endless rain, oh-oh
Soon after, the stage finally lights up, revealing Selina wearing a beautiful white kebaya, complete with batik adornments and traditional brooches. However, the batik adornments seemed to be bigger than Selina's actual body figure, enveloping the stage floor, leaving what seemed to be a surprise reserved for the audience later. Selina does not seem to mind this, continuing to sing with outmost demure and a somewhat inhumane degree of calmness, as if she is silently being possessed by a traditional pagan deity that outsiders don't seem to know. The instrumental continues to complement Selina's vocals with outmost melancholy, sounding like a soft, voiceless choir of sounds that emanates from the orchestra's string instruments.
Soon after, Selina's voice turns from calmness into a louder voice, as if crying for help, with the strings intensifying to a degree of culminating into a powerful crescendo, seemingly heeding Selina's call to help, however, Selina's voice later softens, with the string instrumental suddenly stopping, revealing a melange of gamelan sounds that will signal the chorus of the song.
Everything has changed
Jet black scars have tainted your heart
Yet it's still so hard
To convince you to find help
Don't turn your back and run away
Just hold my hand and let me guide you
Before it consumes you
Suddenly, a flurry of blinding lights, colored red and white, began to engulf the arena, with the strobe light panel on the ceilings moving up and down like a kinetic rain sculpture. The inner and outer part of the LED panel showing images of a gunungan. Selina doesn't seem to be startled by the sudden flashes of sights and sounds that is happening around her, instead embracing it like it was her own destiny. Soon after her singing ends, she began to move her hands and body, with rough motions, as if she is being possessed, however, a certain kind of demure and calculations are present in her dances, as if her soul is momentarily being replaced by a Javanese dancer's. Shrilling violins and gamelan-like synth sounds accompanies her dancing and singing.
Mengapa dirimu, tak kunjung menahuWhy do you still don't know?Terlalu lambat selamatkankuThat it is too late to save me now
The music then turned to a more dramatic string sounds, albeit with more subdued electronic music. Selina continues to sing softly, as if returning back into her senses. Bits of fog surrounds the stage, creating an air of mystery that suits the mood of the song. Subdued white lights illuminate the stage to ensure that Selina remains seen by the audiences.
Trying to escape this hell
And now i know what it's like to feel your pain
Soon after, the camera now shoots a mid-range shot of Selina, seemingly capturing a blurry image of a stony, seven-headed snake that seemingly wants to protect her. Selina remains unhinged, however, choosing to sing with the same grace and poise that she personified towards the audience in the beginning, complete with string instruments that seemingly emits a more saddening, subdued harmony, before culminating into a more dramatic crescendo as the singing progresses, as if Selina is going to lose her sanity once again.
Everything has changed
Jet black scars have tainted your heart
Yet it's still so hard
To convince you to find help
Don't turn your back and run away
Just hold my hand and let me guide you
Before it consumes you
Suddenly, Selina's voice changes, utilizing traditional Javanese vocalization called "nyinden", signaling that her sanity is once again gone, along with this, the stage turned a deep, bloody shade of red, with the fogs replaced by reddish colored laser lights. The floor LED screen and the chandelier LED screen on the ceiling showing images of water tainted with an unknown red substance, afterwards, Selina then returns to her normal singing style, singing with outmost poise, and after singing her last verse, Selina then dances maniacally, moving her hands and body like an animalistic, snake spirit has possessed her. With the shrilling violins and the gamelan-styled electronica beat accompanying her road to insanity until the very end of the song.
Mengapa dirimu, tak kunjung menahuWhy do you still don't know?Terlalu lambat selamatkankuThat it is too late to save me nowMengapa dirimu, tak kunjung menahuWhy do you still don't know?Terlalu lambat selamatkankuThat it is too late to save me now
Suddenly, as the stage performance ends, a voice is heard from the satellite stage, it is Margaret Rumkorem! Standing wearing an African wax print dress, with several jewellery that decorates her like the true queen she is.
Good evening, Selamat malam everyone and welcome to the 86th WorldVision Song Conteeeeest!
Phew, that was a very spectacular performance, however, i sadly cannot speak to her right now, for she is gonna go backstage in order to prepare for the first ever entry of the night, Highly Ranked and um, Dixie Normous. Is that her actual name? To step on this stage. Such a shame, i mean, i'm already applying the social distancing protocols!
It has been a very, very long gap between our first hosting and this edition, basically bigger and longer than some of you's.., um, you know, personalities? Anyway, without further ado, i hereby declare that the 86th WorldVision Song Contest is open! And also, i'm now letting the Highly Ranked entrant, Dixie Normous, take the wheel and step on stage.
){kind=link}
