This is the official recap of G4M's Next Top Model Cycle 1.
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Cycle 1 of G4M's Next Top Model has come to an end!
It's time we took a few moments to reflect on everything that happened in the past 7 weeks.
This all started with a small group of G4M members who were fans of America's Next Top Model. One of the fans, CANDYMAN, suggested that we come up with a competition here in G4M similar to ANTM. In other forums, threads had been created to mirror reality shows such as Survivor or The Amazing Race. It seemed only fitting that here at G4M, where a lot of the members love taking pictures of themselves, we'd create a reality thread mirroring America's Next Top Model. And so G4M's Next Top Model was born.
None of us were sure how it would turn out. No one really took it that seriously at first. Some of the models, and even some of the judges, signed up not really knowing what they were getting themselves into. Still, everyone was so eager to get G4M's Next Top Model up and running. We decided to get things started and figure everything else out later.
Never could we have predicted that G4M's Next Top Model would turn out the way that it did. What started as a small photo contest between ANTM fans soon turned into one of the fiercest and edgiest online competitions. The thread soon had many supporters, many of whom wanted to either be contestants or judges. Although Cycle 1 had just started, many were already anticipating the start of Cycle 2.
The models quickly started gaining fans. Some models had fans that were so passionate that catfights often erupted in the thread. Though the judges tried to mediate, they also often found themselves the target of aggression. Everthing was disputed; nothing was sacred.
No matter how hard some people tried, they could never stop us from having fun. In spite of it all, the regular posters soon became a pseudo-family online. We soon learned more about each other's life outside of G4M, and we looked forward to seeing each other in the thread. For many of us, G4M's Next Top Model was our home away from home; a way to relieve the stress of our daily lives.
Whatever was going on, at the end of the week all that mattered were the photos the models submitted. It was all about the photos. The models put so much effort into their photos each week. Round after round, the quality just got better and better. The judges often found difficulty choosing who to eliminate. Elimination night was always a sad night.
Tonight, we make our last elimination. Tonight, we announce the winner of G4M's Next Top Model. Before we announce the winner of G4M's Next Top Model Cycle 1, here's a quick summary of what happened each round.
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For the first week of the competition, the organizers were inundated with requests from other G4M members to join the competition either as contestants or as judges. Though we agreed that perhaps the sign-up period could have been longer, the decision was made to keep the current set of judges and models. Everyone else would have to sign-up for Cycle 2.
As far as the quality of the photos was concerned, the judges weren't completely impressed with what the models had submitted. Some of the models didn't submit photos that were related to the theme at all, and this was reflected in the judging. Still, it was just the first week. The models were still testing the waters. In the succeeding weeks, they would slowly begin proving their worth.
Due to an death in the family, dn_angel had to back out of the competition before the first round had even been completed. Some people considered him to be one of the cutest contestants, so his leaving the competition was definitely a sad event.
Coverboy of the Week: CANDYMAN
Out of all the photos submitted, his was the most high fashion. It was a simple, understated black-and-white photo, and it was enough to have him stand out among the other models.
Eliminated: eroz2 and timothy3
The first elimination on G4M's Next Top Model was a double elimination. Neither eroz2 or timothy3 submitted a photo that was really apt for the theme, and their interest in the competition was questioned. The judges were split on who they wanted to eliminate. In the end, both of them had to go.
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Round 1 had been completed, and yet the mechanics of the competition were still being questioned. Some people were saying that the contestants should have all been from Manila, so that it would be easier to get everyone together for a single photoshoot. They argued that a single photoshoot with all things equal would really determine who was a good model. Others were saying that the contest shouldn't be limited to G4M members in Manila, because there could be potentially good models in other locations.
In the end, as always, it was the photos that mattered. This was the round where the models really started competing. Compared to the photos that had been submitted the week before, the photos this round were definitely more fierce, more edgy. It was difficult for the judges to choose the Coverboy of the Week.
Coverboy of the Week: bakekong8
The previous week, bakekong8 submitted a photo that some considered as borderline porn, and some even said that he ought to have been eliminated. In an effort to prove he deserved to be in the competition, he came up with this stunning photo. It was simple yet intense, and he managed to highlight the product he was endorsing without letting it overpower him.
Eliminated: sundhae_143
In a surprising twist, CANDYMAN, Coverboy of the Week for Round 1, ended in the bottom 2 along with sundhae_143. The judges felt CANDYMAN had lost the spark he had shown previously. Ultimately though, it was sundhae_143 that was sent home. He had let his product overpower him, to the point that his presence in the pic was barely felt.
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Some minor drama occurred when br@t almost had to back-out. He had lost his cousin's digicam, and all the stock photos in his phone got lost too for some reason. Luckily some of his fans had convinced him to stay in the competition, and he was still able to submit a photo by the end of the week.
This was also the week that 2 of the judges, trailer and ELusive, were eliminated. People were getting frustrated that not all of the judges had been voting each week. A 3-strikes-you're-out rule was implemented, and those judges that hadn't voted for any 3 of the rounds would be taken off the roster of judges.
Coverboy of the Week: A K I
A K I was the model who was most able to portray the negative emotion of anger and still pull off a good photo. The other models seemed to be a bit lost. Most of them seemed unable to strike a good balance between being angry and being fierce. A K I didn't have a problem with that.
Eliminated: CANDYMAN
br@t ended up in the bottom 2 this week for seeming to give up on the competition so easily after all that had happened. It was CANDYMAN who went home though. Ironically he had helped convince br@t to stay in the competition, even helping him out with his photo. The judges felt that CANDYMAN spent too much time helping br@t out that he neglected his own photo.
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By this point, some of the models had solid fan bases. Some of the fans were very vocal about their support, and this would be a big factor in the drama that would occur after this week's elimination.
bakekong8 had the most passionate fans. Like br@t in the previous week, bakekong8 was thinking about backing out during this round, since he had lots of family-related matters to attend to. Since it was already late in the competition, a lot of people got frustrated.
Everyone reacted. TakenBy_eriK in particular reacted the most, and made some comments that would be the catalyst for many arguments in the thread. He became arguably the most polarizing of all the judges. For the first time since the competition started, ZephyrInTheS had to release an official statement regarding what was happening in the thread.
Luckily bakekong8's fans were able to convince him to stay. They even did the editing of his photo for the week. Still, the controversies would not stop.
Coverboy of the Week: JUDE
This was the first time that the judges were unified in selecting the Coverboy of the Week. The judges agreed that JUDE's photo was definitely the hottest one this round. His photo oozed with the sensuality of summer. Unlike some of the models who edited their photos heavily, JUDE didn't use photoshop at all. He proved that good models don't need to have their pics edited.
Eliminated: bakekong8
br@t was in the bottom 2 for the second week running for again failing to come up with a pic that wowed the judges. However, in what proved to be the most controversial elimination of G4M's Next Top Model Cycle 1, it was bakekong8 who was sent home at the end of Round 4. The judges felt that he had plateaued. His expression in his photos were beginning to look all the same, and his pic for this round looked over-edited and artificial.
The public reaction was overwhelming. In an instant, a thread was created urging bakekong8 fans to "unite! fight fight fight!". The judges were accused of being biased, non-independent, and unqualified. ZephyrInTheS had to release another statement, explaining the judges' decision and defending the existence of G4M's Next Top Model.
Still, it would be a few days before things would settle down. Eventually bakekong8 himself would help bridge the gap between his fans and the competition, even agreeing to be a judge for Cycle 2. New threads were created, urging fans to "make peace not war".
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It wasn't until Saturday that the models were able to submit their photos, so while waiting the audience and the judges had to find other things to keep themselves busy. Family photos were shared, and love teams were created. With each day that passed, G4M-NTM became more and more like a family rather than just another modelling competition.
Once the pics were submitted, it was clear that it would be another difficult week as far as judging was concerned. We were down to the last 4, and the judges wanted to be sure about who they would send to Round 6, the last round before the finals. For the first time ever, secondary votes were necessary to determine who would be eliminated.
Coverboy of the Week: JUDE
For the 2nd week in a row, JUDE impressed the judges the most with his photos. Each week he had been able to show a different side of himself, and the judges liked the range of expressions he was able to give. Even his test photos seemed to be promising.
Eliminated: pipo2
In the closest elimination night so far in the competition, A K I and pipo2 both ended up in bottom 2. Neither had been in the bottom 2 before. A K I was in the bottom 2 because although the concepts behind his photos were stellar, he seemed to be more focused on the concept rather than on the modelling. After a really close vote, it was pipo2 who was sent home. He was sent home because of his lackluster photo, and because the judges felt the fierceness they saw in his previous pics was gone.
This week's elimination was not free from controversy. irog, one of the thread's strongest detractors, was adamant that br@t should have been disqualified. He claimed that br@t only chose his photo after the 11:59 pm Saturday deadline, and therefore should not have been allowed to continue. However, it was clarified that br@t posted his final photo in the thread much before the deadline, and was well within the limits as specified by the competition mechanics. irog soon dropped his claim, and Round 6 got underway.
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This was the quietest week since the competition started. Everyone seemed to be busy with work. The regular posters had no choice but to wait; wait until the top 3 models submitted their official entries for the penultimate round.
This round was crucial for the contestants, since it would be the last week that there would be a theme. It was the round that would determine who would be in the finals of Cycle 1 of G4M's Next Top Model. More than ever, the contestants needed to prove themselves as top models.
Coverboy of the Week: JUDE
JUDE's was going through an emotional time this week. His best friend, Tox, had moved to another company, and JUDE was trying to cope with the idea of not seeing his best friend everyday anymore. Still, he managed to pull off 2 great photos, and for the 3rd week running was voted Coverboy of the Week.
Eliminated: A K I
The decision on who deserved the last place in the finals was not an easy one to make. The judges had to decide if they would send A K I, the model who peaked early in the competition and then fizzled out during this round, or br@t, who took some time in the competition before he finally wowed the judges. In the end, br@t made it to the finals and A K I ended his quest to become G4M's Next Top Model at a respectable 3rd place.
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And now we're down to the final 2. For the finals, the judges would have to vote based not only on the official photos the models submitted for the week, but on the models' whole portfolios. It was not an easy vote to make.
2 models outposed and outmodelled 8 others to make it this far. However only 1 can claim the right to call himself the first ever winner of G4M's Next Top Model. Here's one last look at our final 2.
You've shown a lot of improvement throughout the competition. You didn't start as a frontrunner, and were even in the bottom 2 a few times. But in the end, you showed the judges that you could live up to the potential they saw in you at the start. Your final photo
Week after week you've impressed the judges with your great photos. Other models tried to get by in the competition by wowing the judges with good photoshop editing, but you proved that good models don't need special effects to stand out. Your final photo
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And now comes the moment of truth. After 7 long weeks, tonight we finally announce the winner of Cycle 1 of G4M's Next Top Model.
I will only call 1 name. The name I will call is G4M's Next Top Model...
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