Post by Aspire on Feb 15, 2007 21:18:50 GMT 8
Wu Zun happily heating up global scene with Fahrenheit
Fei Phoon
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
15-Feb-07
WHAT'S the best way to measure fame? Obviously a silly question to ask someone too preoccupied with being famous to ponder this triviality ideally such matters should be handled by adoring fans and the devoted press.
But despite Brunei-born Taiwanese celebrity Wu Zun's efforts to keep up with the explosion of global attention, the modest young man attempts to give a satisfactory reply.
"The applause from our audience seemed different," he says thoughtfully, in reference to a recent stop in mainland China to promote his pop group's album. "Also, now even older adults, mature people recognise me on the streets!" he adds, beaming.
Wu Zun is the newest member of the wildly-popular Taiwanese boy band Fahrenheit, and already has two successful Chinese-language TV dramas under his belt, Tokyo Juliet and Hana Kimi.
Hana Kimi, which is the latest of the two, also features fellow Fahrenheit man Jiro Wang and Ella from girl group S.H.E., and viewer ratings for the series have gone through the roof in Taiwan.
Like his previous drama series, Hana Kimi is based on a successful Japanese manga, but carries a more playful theme meant to be enjoyed by audiences of all ages.
"I consider myself very lucky to have been given the opportunity to act in this drama," says Wu Zun.
He was here in Brunei recently with his producer, Ken Huang, from Taiwanese company Comic Productions, to scope out potential filming locations in Brunei for his next series."The series will be about a rich man like Li Ka-Shing! so we are looking for an (exaggeratedly) extravagant house, maybe one with a golf course, bowling alley, and cinema inside the house, and a grand (portico)," says Wu Zun.
He and Huang have sought help from the Tourism Development Board which agreed to support the project to boost interest in Visit Brunei Year 2008.
The production team for the drama are planning to assemble a making-of documentary after the series' completion, and attach informative video clips to the end of every episode to quench viewers' curiosity about Brunei.
"Every time I go on a TV show, and introduce myself: 'I'm Chun, from Brunei', everyone then asks: 'Oh, where's that? Is it in Malaysia?'," says Wu Zun.
"I normally reply, 'Hopefully one day I can tell you more about Brunei, perhaps on a travel programme'," he says, laughing.
Filming has been tentatively set to kick off in May, and will primarily target the Taiwanese market, but will also be aired in China, Thailand and the Philippines. Although there has been no word from Radio Televisyen Brunei about making the series available to the locals, Wu Zun is intent on staying optimistic.
"Right now we have been picked up by a Japanese broadcasting company and they are planning for me to introduce Brunei on a travel and lifestyle show, to be aired only in Japan."
Wu Zun's own production company is well known for making Meteor Garden, another Chinese-language TV series starring the members of the currently dormant boy band F4, out of the manga Hana yori Dango (Boys Over Flowers).
Although Fahrenheit only released its first album last September, it looks set to break records set by predecessor F4.
At the recent Sprite Awards in Chengdu, China, the group bagged two for their display cabinet Best Group and Most Popular Group of 2006 bragging rights for being acknowledged alongside the likes of Aaron Kwok and Zhang Hui Mei.
Just a week ago, Chinese entertainment media reported that two cars driven by crazed fans in hot pursuit of the vehicle transporting the group were involved in a car accident. Fortunately no one was hurt, but the incident prompted Fahrenheit's record company, HIM, to impose tighter restrictions on fans' privileges, for fear of future similar mishaps.
When asked about his fan base in his home country, Wu Zun expresses his regret at the scarcity of entertainment news here about his group's latest exploits. He speculates that this could be the main reason why not many recognise him as a celebrity when he is at home.
"I think Bruneians are also a bit shy, but some of them do ask to take photos with me." He notes that earlier in the day he was approached by a group of non-Chinese speakers young members at his fitness club who wanted to take a picture with him.
"And then they bought a Fahrenheit CD before they left," he says with a straight face.
The Brunei Times
Fei Phoon
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
15-Feb-07
WHAT'S the best way to measure fame? Obviously a silly question to ask someone too preoccupied with being famous to ponder this triviality ideally such matters should be handled by adoring fans and the devoted press.
But despite Brunei-born Taiwanese celebrity Wu Zun's efforts to keep up with the explosion of global attention, the modest young man attempts to give a satisfactory reply.
"The applause from our audience seemed different," he says thoughtfully, in reference to a recent stop in mainland China to promote his pop group's album. "Also, now even older adults, mature people recognise me on the streets!" he adds, beaming.
Wu Zun is the newest member of the wildly-popular Taiwanese boy band Fahrenheit, and already has two successful Chinese-language TV dramas under his belt, Tokyo Juliet and Hana Kimi.
Hana Kimi, which is the latest of the two, also features fellow Fahrenheit man Jiro Wang and Ella from girl group S.H.E., and viewer ratings for the series have gone through the roof in Taiwan.
Like his previous drama series, Hana Kimi is based on a successful Japanese manga, but carries a more playful theme meant to be enjoyed by audiences of all ages.
"I consider myself very lucky to have been given the opportunity to act in this drama," says Wu Zun.
He was here in Brunei recently with his producer, Ken Huang, from Taiwanese company Comic Productions, to scope out potential filming locations in Brunei for his next series."The series will be about a rich man like Li Ka-Shing! so we are looking for an (exaggeratedly) extravagant house, maybe one with a golf course, bowling alley, and cinema inside the house, and a grand (portico)," says Wu Zun.
He and Huang have sought help from the Tourism Development Board which agreed to support the project to boost interest in Visit Brunei Year 2008.
The production team for the drama are planning to assemble a making-of documentary after the series' completion, and attach informative video clips to the end of every episode to quench viewers' curiosity about Brunei.
"Every time I go on a TV show, and introduce myself: 'I'm Chun, from Brunei', everyone then asks: 'Oh, where's that? Is it in Malaysia?'," says Wu Zun.
"I normally reply, 'Hopefully one day I can tell you more about Brunei, perhaps on a travel programme'," he says, laughing.
Filming has been tentatively set to kick off in May, and will primarily target the Taiwanese market, but will also be aired in China, Thailand and the Philippines. Although there has been no word from Radio Televisyen Brunei about making the series available to the locals, Wu Zun is intent on staying optimistic.
"Right now we have been picked up by a Japanese broadcasting company and they are planning for me to introduce Brunei on a travel and lifestyle show, to be aired only in Japan."
Wu Zun's own production company is well known for making Meteor Garden, another Chinese-language TV series starring the members of the currently dormant boy band F4, out of the manga Hana yori Dango (Boys Over Flowers).
Although Fahrenheit only released its first album last September, it looks set to break records set by predecessor F4.
At the recent Sprite Awards in Chengdu, China, the group bagged two for their display cabinet Best Group and Most Popular Group of 2006 bragging rights for being acknowledged alongside the likes of Aaron Kwok and Zhang Hui Mei.
Just a week ago, Chinese entertainment media reported that two cars driven by crazed fans in hot pursuit of the vehicle transporting the group were involved in a car accident. Fortunately no one was hurt, but the incident prompted Fahrenheit's record company, HIM, to impose tighter restrictions on fans' privileges, for fear of future similar mishaps.
When asked about his fan base in his home country, Wu Zun expresses his regret at the scarcity of entertainment news here about his group's latest exploits. He speculates that this could be the main reason why not many recognise him as a celebrity when he is at home.
"I think Bruneians are also a bit shy, but some of them do ask to take photos with me." He notes that earlier in the day he was approached by a group of non-Chinese speakers young members at his fitness club who wanted to take a picture with him.
"And then they bought a Fahrenheit CD before they left," he says with a straight face.
The Brunei Times
