Says Carl Fischer, M-Net Director of Local Productions: "Movie mogul Sam Goldwyn used to instruct directors of action epics at MGM to start with an earthquake and then build up to a climax, and Project Fame will stick closely to that principle. No dull moments here - and that's a promise. Action and drama will abound from the outset... and then pick up speed!"
Who can resist the excitement of 26 hugely talented unknowns appearing on the African entertainment stage for the first time? That's what awaits viewers in the first phase of Project Fame comprising hour-long shows on Sunday evenings.
In the series opener on Sunday, viewers can get to grips with the ins and outs of the competition. You'll meet the teachers and maybe even The Academy Board of Directors (a panel of respected industry professionals) who will be the competition judges, and share in the joy and heartbreak of the audition phase.
Over the next three weeks, the list of aspirants is cut from 26 to 16 in three "Heat shows"- and you, the viewer, will have a say in the nerve-racking selection process. The survivors earn a coveted place in The Academy, where their talents will be honed and the rough edges smoothed out for the rest of the ride.
Heat 1 goes out live on Sunday May 30 at 6pm from a venue in downtown Johannesburg. Eight South African contestants perform, and the Board of Directors gives two of them a free passage to the next round, and puts the remaining six on probation. The teachers from The Academy save one and the students save one. Viewers get to pick a survivor from the remaining four candidates, which means a total of five make it into The Academy phase.
Heat 2, on Sunday June 6, follows the same sequence, but is preceded by an announcement of the previous week's vote.
Heat 3 on Sunday June 13 features the 10 contestants from the rest of Africa, of whom six will survive. Two earn free passages and eight are put on probation. Teachers from The Academy save two and the students save one. Viewers get to pick one survivor from the remaining five candidates, which means a total of six make it into The Academy phase.
The Academy phase... Now we're cooking! The first two-hour show goes out on Sunday, June 20, when the successful students move into the Academy at a secret hideaway somewhere in Johannesburg, where they will be subjected to 10-weeks of extensive master classes from a top-rate teaching team.
From this point onwards, the show will be covered 24/7 on a designated channel on DStv (channel 37). In addition to this, M-Net will screen a daily highlights show. On Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays the broadcast is at 8pm and on Thursdays it's at 6.30pm. The special live Gala Show goes out on Sundays from 5pm to 7pm.
The Academy is a residential establishment run by a principal and six teachers. It features performance rooms, a dance studio, a recording studio, a communal living space and dormitories for the students.
According to series producer and director Rikkie Proost from Endemol SA, it's going to be a tough call: "The tremendous talent from all over the continent has really bowled us over."
M-Net
