Drama 《千方百计》Game Plan Discussion Thread

[Magnolia]

the ah tiong kid singlehandly destroyed the whole drama

LOL ................

 

[haraharahara]

the explanation is fug dup wan rah, starting nice but ending is mediacock style

at least in HK drama usually the head will tell undercover if they commit crime, they will still be answerable.

tis Haoren kena jail again for wat offence?? hasn't he had paid for his past with six yrs liao

he got jailed probably for prison break. even if he was accused and whatsoever, but it's still a crime escaping from prison.

 

[FeNgZhEnG]

the ending is lousy becoz they use a AT kid to act as jessica liu child

huh ish tiong kid??? LMS is ahtiong ah...how come will produce tiong blood?

 

[euko82]

actually they didn't explain wut

the cpib head just asked him to stay on and acknowledged that junwei did kill xiao gui.

 

[jittery]

the beginning still quite nice, but halfway becomes too draggy and too predictable, with very little excitement...keep on lao qian lao qian but like not much con jobs and only cry and cry...

 

[RyuShinEX]

anybody know which frame hao ren is wearing during investment consultant day?

 

[excalibur324]

the ending is lousy becoz they use a AT kid to act as jessica liu child

singaporean kids more ex har? why no think singaporean first?

 

[wadsad]

next wawa show got lnx?? really?? wah cant wait to see him again. but next wawa show is those family 1 right, i want see lnx act satki role.

 

[meister00]

think no budget already or hit episode limit.

it's as if they want to quickly finish up

 

[euko82]

Why the singer dun come out album now?

Wait until dec no hype liao. Where got ppl buy?

 

[blackie83]

He should sell in itunes.

 

[arcturuz]

final tribute to gameplan

Find out what makes this Ch8 drama series, produced by WaWa Pictures, tick - The winning formula behind Game Plan - xinmsn Entertainment

While many viewers lament the lack of interesting drama content produced for local TV, a production house has been slowly (but surely) gaining traction amongst TV viewers for revamping the local offerings. With six drama series (Perfect Cut I & II, The Illusionist, Secrets for Sales, The Oath, Show Hand and the recently-aired Game Plan) on its resume, WaWa Pictures never fails to try approaching its one to two drama productions a year with a refreshing angle.

Their first full-length drama series produced in 2009, Perfect Cut I & II were lauded for raising the bar of TV quality and tackling a lesser-seen genre on local mandarin dramas. They explored the world of cosmetic surgeons and retold stories of patients who have gone under the knife. Their decision to cast Thomas Ong as the male lead of the intriguing series also singlehandedly paved the way for the evergreen actor's return to the TV station as he went on to headline the show's sequel and WaWa's next TV series, The Illusionist.

Their efforts to stand out and reinvent local shows have not gone unnoticed. On the list of 2011's top 10 dramas is The Oath, an east-meets-west medical drama that crossed the 900,000 viewership mark. It is also ranked third behind Love Thy Neighbour and C.L.I.F, the top two dramas for 2011, which is a commendable faring for an outsourced production, we say. Ratings may not be skyrocketing, but WaWa shows have garnered positive word-of-mouth reviews.

From ChU's Perfect Cut to their most recent Ch8 production Game Plan, find out what makes a WaWa show standout from other local offerings on TV. Should this be the direction and standards local dramas endeavour to achieve? Read on and judge for yourself.

Game Plan is in third position in terms of ratings for its final episode and stands behind Joys of Life and Don't Stop Believin'.

 

[arcturuz]

Golden pairing of Christopher Lee and Jesseca Liu

Yes, we may complain about WaWa's adamant rinse-and-repeat tendency to cast Christopher Lee and Jesseca Liu as its main leads for their shows, but hey, it's a tried-and-tested formula that has worked for its past series. It also helps that Chris is an acting chameleon with no difficulties putting up nuanced yet compelling portrayals of his characters. We hate to admit but this pair has the makings of a golden onscreen couple and with that we conclude: if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Better soundtracks

Three out of four WaWa productions featured songs by Anthony Neely and Hebe Tien from HIM International, which is also Jesseca's management agency. The production house might have struck a special deal with HIM - we don't know for sure - but we admit that these songs add 'feel' and oomph to the scenes when appropriately used. Think of it as a silent movie played off by an expressive piano score. Well-picked music creates an immediate atmosphere for the show and allows viewers to feel the emotions conveyed in a scene without doing much. For example, you know you're in for action and thrills when the Game Plan theme song is played on air with its rhapsodic tune.

On this note we noticed an overarching problem found in most local productions. We tend to skim and overlook the need for a good OST when it comes to choosing befitting theme songs for a drama series. While it's not wrong to pen and produce self-made songs instead of shelling out for copyrights to air and use works done by full-time singers, these songs might be less affecting due to inexperienced songwriters or lyricists.

 

[arcturuz]

Tighter story plots

If you're gonna take two episodes to over-explain and drag on a situation that can be easily summarized in one, don't blame us for switching channels in-between or skipping the show entirely. With a wider berth of channel choices, TV viewers are more discerning with a keener sense of judgment than those of yesteryears'. We've come to appreciate the succinct and fast-paced story plots found in WaWa shows. Viewers have the mental capacity to put two and two together these days, so don't waste time dawdling or building a non-relevant plot device.

Dare to tackle and attempt different genres

They first did a drama set on private investigators then pushed the envelope with a medical series centered on a bunch of Chinese and Western practitioners. Next, they attempted to address societal issues on illegal money-lending and gambling with Show Hand, before arriving at Game Plan, which shows a group of con artistes banding together to get back at bigger crooks for commoners.

As a local spinoff of US dramas White Collar and Leverage, WaWa's Game Plan offers a much-needed respite from the usual heartland offerings on TV. Heartland dramas might be a sure-win formula with their local appeal, but these programmes are starting to get a little stale.

 

[arcturuz]

The cast: Same same but different

This tried-and-tested mindset prevails in team WaWa. Apart from its two obligatory leads (Chris and Jesseca), veteran and familiar faces such as Lin Meijiao and Chen Shucheng usually form part of its core supporting cast. A good thing to note is their preference for hiring familiar (read: actors who disappeared or bowed out from the acting scene) and fresh faces to invigorate their cast lineup.

For example, they've had Lina Ng, Jacelyn Tay and Tang Liyi in Game Plan, Cynthia Koh, Ian Fang and Chew Chor Meng in Show Hand, Ix Shen, Zhang Zhen Huan and Kate Pang in The Oath, and Lawrence Wong and Thomas Ong in Secrets For Sale.

Dramatic elements that do not seem out of place

Take note of a pattern here: memory loss, suicidal tendencies (read: multiple attempts at jumping off a building), depression -- you name it, WaWa dramas have it. Taking a leaf out of K-drama textbooks, these are plot devices that have worked well for their story lines. That said, we feel compelled to affix a warning sign should producers opt to go the drama-mama route: use only when necessary. Overuse and it becomes a cliché.

Refreshing camera angles

In true WaWa fashion, they take it top-down, bottom-up and swerve their cameras around instead of the usual dolly-takes or long-shots preferred by most directors on the hill. Even the fight scenes are better sequenced and choreographed with tight shots.

 

[quirkyybott]

the new show sucks!!!!

 

[yperic]

 

[seaslugfly]

 

[I'mknotdumb!]

Am u Wols or what game plan copied some other tv series plot ?


Last episode the suicide scene remind me of sherlock holmes bbc he Fake his own death to save his friends from danger infront of Moriarty's men,while jumping off Sherlock made a call to Wilson making sure Wilson saw him on the roof n jump witness of the crowd, Wilson n Moriarty's men showing that's h his dead, then for the game plan the plot almost the same the main character on roof made a call he his wife and jump witness by the conartist lady, crowd n his wife.



Both same the police/paramedic prevent anyone to be near the body.

 

[Sofero]

OMG, just watched catchupTV
"原來要躺在心愛的人的懷裏，是要賠上一輩子"
My tears just lost control!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mo Yan~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~