Conflict and Challenges in the Production of Telenovelas

As we learned in class this week, production is complicated, and it can get even more complicated considering the individual ambitions of each contributor to a telenovela. The writer, of course, wants to see his or her vision played out perfectly, while the producers want a show that grabs audiences and actors try to express what they want the character to be. Juana La Virgen writer Perla Farias undoubtedly had many conversations with director Tony Rodrigues concerning how well the ideas in her head were being played out on screen.

In addition, the cast and crew face immense challenges due to the speedy pace at which they must film episodes. Juana La Virgen ran 153 episodes over the course of a few months, so the cast spent lots of late nights and early mornings in the studio or on set.

If a director or script were to fall ill and hire me as a replacement, I think I would be hopefully unmatched against the monstrosity of the various responsibilities of the positions - creating a television show, the process from print to screen, is complex. Problems come up all the time requiring everyone on set to improvise. Well, I guess that's just show business.

I would be a director if I ever got the chance to assume one of these positions because I'm far too precise and meticulous to be an actress (I would always be second-guessing myself and scorning myself when I forgot my lines). It would be hard to be assertive and almost bossy, but I'm willing to be stern with people in order to get things done.

Despite all of these conflicting perspectives, telenovelas like Juana La Virgen end up coming together nicely through time and hard work. How they do it, we'll never know - until we step in their shoes!