The Minds Behind the Madness: Picking the Brains of Some of Telenovelas’ Finest

I thoroughly enjoyed hearing from all the amazing writers, producers, and actors we’ve met over the last few weeks. It’s amazing how much and how quickly the industry is changing at the spur of the streaming age. It was so interesting to me to hear all the nuances in the Telenovela world today. 

Particularly, one of the things I found most intriguing was how Roberto Stopello and El Chascas explained that a new model that many production teams are shifting into is to place writers in the showrunner role as well. As an Entertainment and Media Studies major, I’ve never thought about this before, but it makes so much sense. Everything El Chascas explained is so true. Having the writer double as showrunner really does open up the way for creative solutions and plot driven innovations that someone who does not know the characters inside and out can’t quite replicate. 

I really enjoyed hearing from the writers in specific, as they all sounded so passionate and invested about the stories they have to tell. One thing that stuck out to me from El Chascas was how he mentioned that he never repeats a format. Once he writes a play, he moves onto a movie, then a book, and so on and so forth. I thought it was so fascinating to see the wheels turn in his head in real time as he gushed over his creative process. Again, I never thought of this before, but it’s such a productive, effective method in order to not get bored as a creative. 

It was also great to hear from Leonardo Padron as he opened up about the process behind Cosita Rica. I loved how he mentioned that he used archetypes, not stereotypes, like Patria Mia, who was emblematic to Venezuelan culture and used as a means to encapsulate the essence of living and growing in Venezuela, not necessarily a parody of it. It was also very moving how he mentioned that portraying the Venezuelan story through Cosita Rica was not only his job as a writer, but his duty as a Venezuelan citizen. I found both writers’ passion for real life topics very inspiring. Additionally, it was fun to hear from someone on the frontlines like Mariaca Semprun and gain some insight into the world of acting. It was cool how she explained that when you act you have a tool box, but for certain characters you only need certain tools in order to correctly embody them. It is impressive how committed and dedicated she is not only to her craft, but to excellence. 

Thank you so much Dr. A, for giving us the opportunity to dissect the minds of some of the Telenovela industry’s biggest players and expand our perspectives on just how much it takes to get a Telenovela from the writing room to the big screens!