“From kindergarten to Opole” is a program that attracted television before the entire family. We remember him as a funny show with singing children and unforgettable hits. Few, however, knows that for his purposes star adapt songs specifically for children and that he had technical facilities comparable with the festival in Sopot! Michael Juszczakiewicz, director and host of the program reveals the backstage of the first children’s talent show in Poland.
Let’s start from the beginning. Where did the idea for this type of program?
The whole structure was very well thought out. It started with an idea Joli Mąkosy, which asked the Maciek Grzywaczewski agency Profilm to make “From kindergarten to Opole.” She had a general idea of the program, which in itself was not a novelty. Jola speaks perfect French, French-watched channels on TV. In France, for several years it was broadcast on TV popular program “L’Ecole des Fans”. “School of fans” – so it can be explained. It was a family program, in which Jacques Martin invited young children and well-known stars of French song. Children sang to półplaybacku and of course all received the same number of points. The program appeared until Martin lived and enjoyed steady popularity. Jola thought it was a nice formula. He invented the title and came with the idea to Matthias. This, in turn, for public television, asking if you would be interested in such a program. She ordered him Single. Maciej looking for then the director of the program. He offered this feature me, because he knew that as an actor and director did earlier performances for children. I started to work. Television has created us great opportunities, not restrict us in those days neither the budget nor the technological capabilities. So we were able to plan the program of dreams. Formula One program we laid in three Jola, Maciej and me. Later, I started for the preparation of the strategy of the program as a director and co-writer. I already knew that this will take the form of song contest and a talk-show with children. Way conversations with children was inspired by the program “The world in the eyes of a child” broadcast once in the radio Troika. He conducted and edited it Kłys Teresa, and was, she talked with young children on subjects relating to the world around them. And the touching and hilarious conversation loved the whole Poland. So we put it to and with us and it was funny, and touching. What layer of musical thought, that live music would be a reasonable solution, and we wondered how to do it – choose a permanent team coverowy, or invite celebrities. We focused on the stars and their teams, because I found that this in itself will be a great asset and a strength of this program.
How does look like the so-called “kitchen”?
We decided that it is impossible to transmit live, the more that the musicians had to play with very young children, which require repetition. Based on my many hours of discussions during the elimination I found that an interesting conversation with a child requires a long recording, and then install. Therefore, I recorded the conversation in the studio for let’s say 20 minutes of which wymontowywałem brilliant moments giving the impression of a live dialogue. “Thickened” I talk to about 3-4 minutes, so that it is more attractive for the viewer. Installation allowed also to protect our guests. You know, sometimes the child may be something “wychlapać” family, which could be fun, but at the expense of their parents, and they did not they would like to make it their introduction. I always respected their will and emotional integrity of the child. We were not looking sensationalism and preying on the family dramas and scandals. But it was still fun and touching. Implementation was an element created with full awareness. To see how to do a talk show, I went to the Jewish Theatre in Warsaw and watched recorded there “Evening with Alice.” He stood there sześciokamerowy television broadcast van, the program recorded the six cameras. I spoke with Maciej, I said, listen, I would not inhibited, I’d take a six cameras, if the TV does not mind. One camera on the boom, one in a wheelchair, four cameras on the approximation and various counterplans. Behind this idea went high costs. Amazingly TVP agreed. We had a great team realized this. We also support the car radio transmission Radio Gdańsk, because it was necessary to publicize the various teams from the chamber after several dozen choirs. And de facto, if they look at the whole production, the Musical Theatre in Gdynia (where he built a studio) have such strength that television gave to the music festivals in Opole and Sopot. As a result, I had the director’s freedom, that when a child was hilarious or extremely capable, sometimes decided that the child sings a capella. And just imagine: a small child on the stage, the realization of his performance costs a fortune and it is worthy of the festival, and I do not use all this technology and I use only one microphone and close the baby’s face! It would seem that it is a waste, but surprisingly none of television for us because not rebuked. Because the effect was fantastic and just distrusted us. I also had the freedom of assembly, because the recording lasted nearly 2.5 hours, and I edited this 30-minute program. I’ll just add that together with editor Simon Tarwackim worked two or three days, making each episode, so the effect you have seen on TV, we worked really hard.
And even though this has already done a lot of work would you still be the leader?
I led him a little by accident. We made the first casting. I invited Tom and Stockinger, and Chris Tyniec buddies from theater school, Rudi Schubert and many others. Later in the editorial Program 1 TVP watched samples, and I said, which of the candidates more I like it. Editorial listened to my recommendations, and suddenly one of the editors blurted: Mr. Michael really is apparently you alone knows best what it is all about, so is ideal for you to lead. It’s just that my ambition was always directing. I said I would agree, provided that I could serve both functions, and they went along with him. As a result, for the average viewer, I became only the leading and directed by the majority was not clear who. Because who reads the inscriptions on the end? (laugh)
How did casting for the program, how did you select the children?
I knew that the budget must be provided to finance large casting. They consisted in the fact that it organized in several cities in Poland. We inserted in the local press and media information of individual cities, that we invite you in for questioning. For every such meeting in each of the cities came about 50-70 parents with children, not more. It turned out in a strange way, that is to find a program scheduled for a talented and entertaining five children, you have to question them about 250. Always about 10 percent. this large group had the potential to be a nice guy in our program. Interestingly, in ten children responding to the casting fell only ever one boy. We came to the conclusion that in order to obtain children for one program, we need to do casting in at least five cities. And if the two programs were in the month, the cities themselves did ten. At the beginning I only rode, but I had a camera with him. Rented rooms in individual homes and culture, we invited our guests. I conducted a meeting with your child so that you can get to know them. An interview with one of Shorty dealt me 10-15 minutes, which gave about 4 children per hour. So preliminaries lasted from 10 am to 19 pm from Monday to Friday. Alders, Warsaw, Lublin, Rzeszow or Krakow, Lodz, Wroclaw – these turn up did. In the case of the number of children easily thou hast omitted or confused, so when I came to the Tri-City with the material, and only then sat down with Jola to the VCR. Together they watched and decided to invite children. Additionally, bypassing Poland saw that everywhere there is a serious problem with the finances. Many children who might be interested participants may have to give up because their parents could not afford for a few days trip to Gdansk. We predicted in the budget so that the cost of travel and accommodation in the Tricity for the child and the parents will pay for the program. So we thought of elements of the formula, so as not to lose the talents and not to hinder their lives, not to pledge themselves traps, only to have the most advantages.
How was it working with a bunch of children on the set? Peszyły in front of the camera or on the contrary, showed off even more?
On the recording we invited children 6-7, and the broadcast of the program consisted of 5-6. This was due to the fact that we had to be prepared for different situations: a child gets sick, and it refuses to sing. With this “reserve” when it came to such situations soothed parents, I told them that this is not worried that this is not a problem for us, that we have a supply of children precisely so that if something happened and there was no drama. We wanted the child does not feel any burden or pressure. This resulted in a large sense of comfort, the children sang two or three times. I used always positive motivation. And when I praised them, each successive repeat performance was better. This of course made the recording of the program was able to often drag. The production often had to suffer because of my tendency to record repetitive version. (Laughs) But it gave good results. We gave the children a sense that they are for us the most important guests of the program. If the kids rozkręcały, feel comfortable, surprised us at every step, it was our greatest joy, because we were looking for interesting personalities. Unpleasant surprise rarely emerged. Once one of three youth, after he dared not occur and refused to sing, came up to me after the show and said the next time you invite me to sing. I actually sang later, unless Staszek Soyka. For a child whether it is performance before the cameras, and the audience at home culture, or in front of the family home, it is just a great experience. We depend on the fact that the performance in the studio for them was slightly stressful situation. In addition, we have always stressed that we are not “hotbed of talent” and we do not do the little children of the stars. We thought that this is simply premature. We created the only space where parents can observe their children’s talent. The task of caring for the further development of talent belonged to parents, educators, instructors at community centers, teachers in music schools. Always welcome but surprising that today known artist or the artist were once our guests.
I think the nicest part was for children is, despite evaluate their performances, each was getting the same gifts. Who decided on this method of reward?
I knew that this program has to be some form of tension, a competition, so I came up with “oklaskomierz” and the audience vote. Maciek Grzywaczewski agreed to it, but suggested that all children immediately after the vote we give the same gifts, so there was no atmosphere of unhealthy rivalry. So eventually vote was okay, and with the same gifts to the competition became less important. Looking at today’s program, I think that we, as a team, “From kindergarten to Opole” created a valuable format, which is not introduced among the participants of the “mad tension.” I think that some of today’s programs could benefit greatly by learning from our experience. We had over 250 episodes of the program, at times that the viewing figures managed to break through “Teleekspress” what and in those years, but today is a feat. At the same time amazing was how niegospodarnie operated television and its season schedule. We were aired on Sundays at 16, Saturday 16, Saturday 11, Sunday 10, or about 11.30. Like us, the network schedule also threw program Jacek Fedorowicz. Mr. Jacek desperate this fact, finally at the end of the program said, “those of you who would like to see us announce that in a week will be a completely different time.” This practice was not acceptable anywhere in the world there is no such manipulations schedule. Such irresponsible treatments make the viewer eventually lost, and so it loses. Amazingly we managed to keep under these conditions quite a good level of viewership. We had a faithful viewer.
Did you feel pressure from television to refresh, renew formula precisely because of the emerging competition?
But we Refresh program. We introduced various changes. Dance groups, smsowy way to select a favorite song, stage design changes to a more modern. We started with the typical theatrical stage design and scenography recent vintages was already completely in glass, very modern. The program finally came down from the antenna, but maybe not because it dramatically lost his audience, he always had his audience, but lost to other programs, which at that time also fought for it to exist. The project has been properly extinguished. Then came another, who was “a variation on our theme” think about “Chance for Success” Elizabeth Skrętkowskiej and Wojciech Mann involving small children, and led him Chris Skiba. But apparently this format is not accepted, quickly descended from the antenna.
How was inviting celebrities to your program? Were arriving would be happy if you had to work hard to invite them?
will appear in our artists very popular, who, despite the fact that the intense playing concerts is finding the time, which was an honor for us. They appeared even those which were said to have less, even though their hits years ago sang the whole Poland. For us, hosting them it was a great pleasure, a reminder to them of their work and the specific promotion. Such meetings are for me were the special “bonus”. Through this program, I know personally the artists whose works have shaped me as a young man.
Children had already pre-assigned song, which had to learn to stretch with a particular star?
Yes, it was also part of the formula the program. This consisted in the fact that music director, a great musician and composer Krystyna Kwiatkowska, contacted earlier with children and determine tones (because children would give advice to sing in the original). They learned songs themselves, but were arriving a day earlier to sample music. They appeared at rehearsals the musicians from the band and played already in the changed tones. These were long hours of trial and the next day was recording the episode. After all, for the artists it was also a challenge. I remember, for example, recording with Grzegorz Turnau. This excellent musician, his head has encoded its tones, and yet the program has played other change for children. During the recording traditionally I speak to the child before his performance: it is now all ears. Turnau it leaning over the keyboard looks at his hands and the keys and says, “and I turn into the eyes.” Oh broke his fingers playing on other key systems (laughs).
It is surprising that artists of ourselves changed the tones of their works.
They had no choice. They just believed in the integrity of our project. And everybody just liked children. It was interesting to pry the same as they do. I remember, as recorded in a single day episodes of the Cellar Under the Rams and the team of Don Vasil. Our musical director, Krysia Kwiatkowska, drew my attention, as variously working on songs. Artists from the Piwnica changing the pitch of a write down all the scores. Flats, crosses. It was clear from them work in “mathematics” higher musical education. And the musicians Don Vasyl not dealt bemolami and crosses, they approached the child, played the violin, listened to the voice of the little boy and “a lot” decide what tone would be best. Then Christie said: you see, the musicians after graduation are educated, and for them music is arithmetic notes. A musicians Don Vasyl see the music naturally as we colors. Spontaneously, intuitively change the tones and then paint these sounds.
Many of the programs have already returned to television. Some of the more successful, others less. There are voices to come back and “From kindergarten to Opole.” How do you think that such a return would be checked? Is reactivation would draw success?
I think that if they keep this character, who years before we have the three of us with Jola and Maciek come up, do not spoil it by changing the program ruled by the laws of brutal competition between contractors, maintain a certain form of philosophy, which became for our idea, she would still find its audience. Subject to return to the broader problem. The problem of the budget. Our program was a big-budget.
The question is whether television today would agree to such a large budget.
This is not a question for me. This is a topic for the station and the manufacturer. I am the only creator, the decision on the reactivation of the program in this case does not belong to me. Certainly the smaller budget, a smaller studio with several cameras, without the momentum from the past, viewers were to be disappointed. Ensuring proper and unfortunately expensive techniques of realization and a great team is the key here. From the perspective of my experience I can say this: talented, gifted musical and sweet natured young child, popular star with nice hits, sympathetic leader and a good realization – if it does not sound like a “recipe for success”? At least it was in our case years ago. Is there anything standing in the way to check whether this success can be repeated? There is still a lot of talented people, as evidenced by all the programs like talent-show. Mali contractor will come. The question of whether music scene is as dynamic as the years before. 90s in this respect were exceptional. Shaun teams. In Poland, it arose then annually more than 300 video clips of new songs. Today we have a different reality. We did not zawężaliśmy to any space or time or stylistic. That is why we in the Wladyslaw Szpilman and Maryla Rodowicz songs from the pre-war cabarets and Lady Pank or Kombi, music Wars and Perfect or Budka Suflera, Irena Santor and Mira Kubasińska and Karin Stanek, the song Cabaret of the Elderly men and Staszek Soyka and Grzegorz Turnau, Mazovia, Silesia, etc., etc. Interestingly, it was thanks to front of the television gathered the entire multigenerational family. Because grandmother with her grandson and his parents could sit and reminisce about the song of youth. So I think now when such production should be referenced as the entire Polish heritage music of the twentieth and twenty-first century. I happened to watch some repetitive episodes and I have the impression that he was still watching to this program with pleasure. I think his strength was that it was a family program, referring to elementary, positive values. I am glad that this appeal does not evaporate. And whether you could come back? Some say that they do not enter twice into the same river … but … it’s just so they say. Do not enter the same river, if you think that nothing has changed. A lot has changed and you need to be aware of. And the river is different, we’re different. The risk is. But the risk is always there. I would have this leg to put the river.
Interview: Urszula Korąkiewicz
See also: #dziejesienazywo: He will return “big game” and “probe”
Urszula Korąkiewicz
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