About That Opening Sequence for ROUGE (2004) & A Tick Off My Toy-Collecting Bucketlist

I have personally collected "toys" in real life, as long as I have been in "reel life", and often try to insert collectible toys into projects I do (most times unsuccessfully), but an opportunity where I could crossover both my passions happened, in the form of 2004's ROUGE Series (broadcast on MTV Asia and Channel 5).

Popstars by Day, Spies by NIght.

As casting was still underway, I was tasked to design/create the opening, which I'd proposed to do so using my 1:6 scaled action figures, providing four hyper-reality "ladies" to be represented and used for (limited) filming, to eventually be edited with actual footage filmed, post-casting confirmation. Even the final image of the silhouetted group line-up was illustrated my myself!

I'll post storyboards (I designed & proposed) for the opening when I find them, cheers.

Here is the final opening credits for ROUGE, on (low-res) video:



I struggled for the longest time trying to find and film the opening credits, only to find the above on YT mis-titled LOL

I actually had behind-the-scenes snaps of my hijack of a office space-cum-studio where I had on one side a table filled with tailored miniature clothes and figures, and another side for close-up filming, complete with potable studio lighting from our in-house cinematographer, Victor! I fondly remembered the silhouette of my scaled remote-controlled open-top Lamborghini revving past frame (we did not use said footage in the end edit lol).



All figures and accessories seen and used are from my own personal collection. No expenses incurred for the purchase of any of them were charged to the production, although expenses were accounted for the usage of room, crew and equipment, cheers. But with that said, I did selfishly ticked a bucket-list(ing), and I am more than grateful for the opportunity.

Featured below are images of my "styling lookbook", initially created for both production design purposes and for conceptual reference. Alas the hyper-reality I'd envisioned was not fulfilled, but I'll always have my (low-res) images to reminisce over, and of course posting on here, cheers.

These were created in 2004, and I was influenced by more anime and manga, than I had been by actual "music girl groups" during that era, which no doubt could not carry traction for optics nor decision-makers, IMHO. On the "collectible hobby"-side, having non-Barbie scaled articulated action figures donning tactical gear and brandishing weapons, were welcomed in toy-forum boards like "Men With Dolls", for which I was ardent contributor too. Understandably so, the expectations and results were scaled back. Imagine the chaos that woud ensure if this was NOW, and KPOP held sway...!