“Noh Matta Wat” is latest in local programming
Lack of local programming beyond the talk shows, news programmes and of course K.T.V., has always been a mark against Belizean broadcasting. But one group of enthusiastic young Belizeans are determined to change the status quo and has embarked on an ambitious miniseries that chronicles the story of a Belizean family that might just have a little bit of each of us inside. “Noh Matta Wat” is written, produced, and dramatized entirely by Belizeans and tonight we go behind the scenes to talk to the men and women who are hoping to change your opinion of local talent.
Sherlette Lopez, ?Margaret Diego?
?I?m a single parent, a role which I find easy to play because in real life I am a single parent and I also have teenaged children. So from time to time, I know how to deal with them then, sometimes you haul out the belt, sometimes you haul out the broom, I really, really liked the script. From the first time I saw it, I just went away with it, because I could see myself in this role.?
?I love acting. It?s not hard to get into character and to put yourself in the role of Margaret Diego: a single parent struggling to make ends meet. I mean here we are just running a little shop, sometimes business good, sometimes it?s not, fathers are absent.?
Kimberley Vasquez, Writer, Noh Matta Wat
?Sometimes you just draw from stories that you hear, and I think that?s what we did when we were creating this. You know, we actually know of real scenarios and you seh, my goodness, that could never be true, but it does, it does happen in real life and we wanted to make this as down to earth as possible, as Belizean as possible.?
?I think they will react positively to it, they might even identify with some of the characters and the scenarios that they are seeing.?
Steve Berry, Director/Editor, Noh Matta Wat
?I?ve been able to deal with and interpret, try to interpret a different culture. Fortunately, the script writers had done such a wonderful job on the page that it just really came kind of free and natural. In fact, a lot of times I?d set up and block out a scene and when we actually go for a take, the actors would actually start doing things. I?m like, oh that?s good, oh yeah, that nice and then I went back afterwards and I was going through the script again and I?d say, of that was all written in the script.?
?Eighty to ninety of percent of the show is shot handheld. I like shooting handheld because it frees me up to be more mobile and moveable. I also like to, a lot of times, to shoot for long takes, I shoot blocks for long takes instead of actually shooting for coverage, you know the master shots, cutaways, reverse angles, close-ups, etcetera, etcetera.?
Denvor Fairweather, Producer, Noh Matta Wat
?At the end of the day, Belizean stories are entertaining; they are worth viewing, once they are done professionally. Our focus has been to basically, first of all come up with a good realistic Belizean story written professionally and then technically between Steve and myself, put that together professionally to ensure we can do international calibre entertainment based TV here in Belize.?
“Noh Matta Wat” premieres immediately after this newscast with a repeat at Saturday night at eight-thirty.
