Backstage

Backstage
By Ju Hyun Song and Henry Siwoo Song

NOTE: This article was originally intended for publication in August 2012.

For Daewon students, FOLA is a stage where they can release their talents and receive acclamation. Meanwhile, there are those behind the scene that work their best to make such students shine, DFBC. Today, DFBC is to step in front of the scene and explain procedures they go through to present a memorable stage for both the performers and audience.

Arrangements for FOLA slowly started off in July. On a website for FOLA where every leader of Daewon clubs can read, DFBC posted instructions of methods to burn CDs that fit the audio systems equipped in the broadcasting room.Meanwhile, production for our festival was going through preparation. The club members were divided into four groups: Drama, CF, News, and Music Video. Each group was scheduled to come to school day by day for filming the clips needed. Second graders stood behind the camera while the first graders acted in front of it, despite their embarrassment (especially for the boys who had to dress up as a girl group). Announcer sunbaes also had to teach the newbie announcers how to read news script and perform it in front of a crowd. As time went by, freshmen began to adapt, not feeling afraid of the camera or the crowd anymore, and became fluent at reading the scripts.

From August 20th to 22nd, along with many other clubs, DFBC was wrapping up its preparations for the festival. During the preparation, we had to go to Daeyang Hall in Sejong University to learn how to operate the equipment in the hall. We were extra busy as we had to manage the performances of not only ours but of every other clubs. Before the rehearsal, which took a day before the FOLA, we took great care to receive any necessary CDs or USBs needed for a club’s performance. For any clubs that had special requirements regarding PPTs, music, or lightings, we received written out instructions by the leaders for us to follow. Like always, a great number of clubs forgot to bring appropriate CDs or written out instructions (please don’t say you expected us to memorize those instructions you blurt out; we have a whole lot of other clubs to take care of). As the rehearsal started at 9:00 a.m. sharp, we went to the gym at 7:30 to set the microphones and microphone poles of ten different kinds, and get other machines ready. During the rehearsals, the freshmen were able to take over the stage managing juniors had done for an year, and actually learn how to take control of the various machines in the broadcasting room. Rehearsals allowed us to learn what to prepare for each and every show, and allowed other clubs to get rid of possible communication failures that may have existed.

While the rehearsal was busily going through in the gym, juniors were crammed in the school broadcasting room, editing video clips we have filmed during summer break. All the necessary video clips were already taken, but it took a long time for us to finish editing each of them (thanks to those cicadas who just HAD to cry out loud at THAT important moment). Some of the members left in the school broadcasting room overnight, editing.Through consequent days of editing, we were able to finish off with a forty-minute video that we were really proud of.

On the very day of FOLA, all of us were very nervous, just like the performing clubs. As we had responsibility for every performance, we were stressed by the fact that we may ruin other’s performances. We arrived an hour and a half early to the school gym before FOLA to check on every equipment once again.

Thankfully, during FOLA, the freshmen who were in charge did a great job in managing the stage fluently. Unfortunately there were some abrupt microphone problems that dumfounded us, but we overcame them. Yes, we had to bear with some club leaders yelling and blaming at us for our mismanagement and had to deal with those who just couldn’t acknowledge the fact that we were human beings that needed to eat dinner. But we were able to learn how to deal with various types of people.

The second day of FOLA was held in Daeyang Hall in Sejong University. The broadcasting equipments were very different from those in Daewon broadcasting studio, especially that the room with sound facilities was separated from a room with lighting facilities. We panicked as we knew how this will inevitably lead to communication failures that can easily lead to broadcasting accidents. To make things worse, the room with lighting facilities was placed in the corner behind the stage, where the operator couldn’t see how the stage lighting is being done. Although FOLA was to be started at 9:30 a.m., we arrived at the hall once again earlier, at 7:30 a.m. Short rehearsalsfor traditional folk dances took place, but due to unaccustomed equipment, we made mistakes during the rehearsal. A woman in charge of traditional folk dances scolded us harshly for being irresponsible, which, honestly, was very offensive.Although we knew that stage managing deals with a lot of people that would simply blame us with their short knowledge, such accusations did startle us. After the tough two hours, second part of FOLA began, and fortunately, there weren’t any broadcasting accidents. After FOLA, we left behind others to organize used equipment, and that’s how FOLA went for us.

This year’s FOLA was certainly a very stressful but memorable event. We were able to enjoy soulful performances of each and every club at least two times, thanks to the rehearsals! Although the claps weren’t for us, our hearts swelled with greatest pride that we were also a part of the performance. Throughout this FOLA all of us were able to grow once again.