RMIT students shine in national TV game show

RMIT students shine in national TV game show

RMIT University students brought a fresh approach and high energy to the season premiere of national television game show SV 2020.

Created in 1996 as a nation-wide game show for university students in Vietnam, SV 2020 welcomed RMIT as the first international university to be part of the Vietnamese program.

A team from RMIT’s Hanoi campus represented the university in a head-to-head battle against the Academy of Journalism and Communication for a spot in the regional finals, after both institutions qualified for the top 10 in the northern region.

RMIT’s entry for the qualification round of SV 2020.

The competition saw both teams deliver their own social commentaries on the assigned topic of artificial intelligence (AI) through the medium of musical and improv theatre.

Lead script writer Hoang Minh Tu said that RMIT’s storyline for the musical underwent eight iterations over 10 days, while rehearsals took a month.

“We entered the show with the mindset that it would be more than just a competition. We saw in it a chance to make new friends, learn from each other and be challenged by creative ideas,” Tu said.

Former RMIT Hanoi Dance Club President Derek Le Toralba added: “In that process, we also got to discover new talents like acting and script writing – things that we’d never really experienced before.”

Award-winning film director Nguyen Hoang Diep (pictured in the top left corner) shared her review of the RMIT musical performance.The RMIT team consisted of Dinh Phuong Trang, Vu Ha Phuong, Bui Kieu Trinh, Vo Ha Chi, Hoang Minh Tu, Derek Le Toralba, Nguyen Hoang Nam, Doan Ngoc Linh, Nguyen Bao Ngoc, and Nguyen Quynh Anh (from left to right on stage).

Derek took on the role of an Iron Man costume-clad robot during the musical round of the face-off. His masked performance impressed SV 2020 judge and international award-winning director Nguyen Hoang Diep so much that she asked him to join a casting call for her next film project.

Team member Doan Ngoc Linh, an RMIT Professional Communication student received universal praise from the panel of judges for her portrayal of a humanoid robot during the final skit.

The skit followed the format of improv theatre and had two representatives from each university deliver lines and plot twists against acclaimed comedian Xuan Bac, all within the context of an AI-assisted restaurant.

RMIT students Doan Ngoc Linh and Bui Kieu Trinh (pictured second and third from left) delivered clever plot twists in the improv theatre performance.RMIT students Doan Ngoc Linh and Bui Kieu Trinh (pictured second and third from left) delivered clever plot twists in the improv theatre performance.

The studio taping for the episode took nearly four hours and ended at 1.30am.

In the lead up to the taping, the students – most of whom are active presidents of RMIT’s student clubs – juggled assignment deadlines, club responsibilities and show preparations over the course of a month.

President of RMIT’s SIFE Club Nguyen Hoang Nam said “it was a long journey that culminated in the studio taping night”.

“Our resilience was frequently put to the test but we forged on as a team and helped each other through every obstacle. We did our best and I’m proud of our RMIT spirit!”

Watch the SV 2020 episode featuring RMIT University and the Academy of Journalism and Communication here.

RMIT University faced off against the Academy of Journalism and Communication in the premiere of SV 2020.RMIT University faced off against the Academy of Journalism and Communication in the premiere of SV 2020.
RMIT’s SV 2020 team with their mentors from the Student Life department.RMIT’s SV 2020 team with their mentors from the Student Life department.
RMIT students Nguyen Hoang Nam (pictured left) and Derek Le Toralba (pictured right, in costume) during their musical performance.RMIT students Nguyen Hoang Nam (pictured left) and Derek Le Toralba (pictured right, in costume) during their musical performance.
RMIT supporters cheered on the team at the studio taping.RMIT supporters cheered on the team at the studio taping.
(From left to right) Comedian Xuan Bac, veteran VTV host Lai Van Sam, and film director Nguyen Hoang Diep are among the judges of SV 2020.(From left to right) Comedian Xuan Bac, veteran VTV host Lai Van Sam, and film director Nguyen Hoang Diep are among the judges of SV 2020.

Story: Ngoc Hoang

Images: RMIT Hanoi Photography Club

16 November 2020

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