"Good Morning Singapore / 早安您好!" 1998 (Set Design for TV)

Besides designing for “Variety”, I had opportunities to create sets for infotainment styled magazine / talkshows - and in this particular feature today, I'll take a closer look at "Good Morning Singapore" (1998).

"早安您好!" is a daily morning talkshow in spoken Mandarin/Chinese.

Set-up in one of the smaller studios in TCS then, the recording was with zero audience, and I cannot remember if was broadcast "live" or delayed ... The show would feature talking heads, edited with moving video/visuals, featuring two-shots, with MCU of single hosts, and when there is a guest or multiples in studio, be able to accommodate for wider shot.



(Above: Initial Uncolored Concept Sketch
Below: Color Presentation Sketch)


I had pitched for a somewhat "homey" and yet with an overt a touch of "corporate / office" environment, with utilising larger spacial curves, in an attempt to make full use of the small studio space, in creating a somewhat "trendy space", with this set on-air in 1998.

This was at the tail-end of my tenure at Television Corporation of Singapore, and had actually drew from my Interior Design background in the design for this set, knowing well in the past designs (for the past 4+ years I was with TCS), the disciplines are somewhat different, but had hoped to bridge said difference.

For all intents and purposes (and without memories of any feedback from program producers), I'd felt disappointed with my results and intent(s) by the time credits rolled for the program.


The reality of shows such as these, are that they would be predominantly frontal shots (regardless of shot-sizes), and hardly close-ups on a regular basis, which I had miscalculated my efforts, when instead I could have focused more on the standing dressing items, such as a more visually dynamic decorations and even unique lamps, other than standard IKEA-bought dressings, regardless of budget.

I had also catered for more "intimate" close-ups, with specific table dressings, but alas, they were lost in the final visuals.


As much as I enjoyed seeing my set in a wide establishing shot, not all shows would require this, with my snaps here seeing the entirety, instead of in-camera and with my camera flash instead of studio lighting.

I had initially wanted to NOT have greenery inside the set itself, as it might make it more a "corporate boardroom" than private home office, with the exception of shrubbery silhouetted behind the frosted panels, but instead the end result made it look like a "waiting room" instead.


The colour palette for the hosts and sometimes even talents were more muted (during that time period), and I had wanted to contrast that with the set, with the result unfortunately providing a heavier mood than I had hoped for.

What I had miscalculated, was that this would be a "MORNING" show, and would be brightly lit, as opposed to a more "mood" or darker hued environment, so perhaps a darker background palette would have been able to accommodate that.

Alternatively, if I had provided a much lighter color palette, with less textures (than the wood grains), then perhaps that would have been more successful.

Compared to the visual palette these days, the hosts would be able to wear more vibrant dolors and even prints, while the setting is decidedly more comfortable, taking a back seat, in a non-committal corporate aesthetic reflection of the times.

This was/is a prime example of not being able to coordinate or work together with the Wardrobe and Lighting departments, an exceedingly crucial aspect of the work/craft, regardless of genres, and formats (film or television). Over two decades later, I look back and regret not being able to push on more for co-operation, at the very least have feedback on how I could improve on the set.

Cheers
Andy Heng

(Images uploaded HERE on the #andyhengart Facebook)

P/S: Not so ironically, the "wood on corporate"-style looked much more convincing and successful in a external (AKA "non-TCS") gameshow I had done subsequently, and perhaps more apt a set for - named "Corporate Raiders" (apologies for the low-res scans tho :p).