Production Design & Art Direction for ROUGE (2004) MTV Asia
(Official Wikipedia Text): "Rouge" was an English-language action/adventure television series from Singapore that ran on both Channel 5 and throughout Southeast Asia on MTV Asia in 2004 (both companies also co-produced the program). The show also ran in Australia (on MTV Australia) and the United States (on AZN Television).
WIKIPEDIA SYNOPSIS (Wikipedia): The 13-part series follows a Southeast Asian all-girl rock band who are also high-tech special operatives working for a global crime-fighting organization (titled "The Organization"), as they take on a counter-espionage network known as "The Brotherhood." The cast includes:
Mariel Rodriguez as "Pam" (bassist)
Denise Laurel as "Pat" (lead vocalist)
Desiree Ann Siahaan as "Ling" (Guitarist)
Ngo tanh Van as "Thuy" (Drummer)
Pierre Png as "Hong"
Pamela Fields as "Jazz"
PRODUCTION SYNOPSIS (megamedia.com.sg): ROUGE, a team of four sophisticated professionals, armed with good looks, musical talent and kick-ass martial arts skills. Working for The Organization and headquartered in Singapore under the guise of a music channel, they become part of a covert team with agents and assets all across Asia. With missions as varied as technology retrieval, foiling biological warfare attempts, kidnappings and sabotage endeavors, Rouge soon discover a sinister menace, The Eternal Brotherhood; the most intricate counter-spy network in the world, with intentions on global domination.
Together with their operations handler cum band manager, Hong, these rock stars by day and undercover agents by night keep Asia safe from The Brotherhood, all in the name of peace, justice and freedom.
I was the Production Designer for the entire series and production (IMDb), and as well functioned as Art Director on set/production, and associated productions, incuding the music video for "Girl You Used To Know". In addition to that, I was involved in designing the Opening Credits and contributed in 2D Graphics Support.
[ ABOVE: ROUGE HQ Images on FB ]
[ BELOW: "Isle of Phi Kra" Episode Images on FB ]
This was half a year in production (which included 4 months of filming), and I had a dedicated in-house team powering the Art Department full-time, where we concocted most of the props set dressing and settings, while larger sets were dependant on external contractors. This division was conservatively blurred though, as I'd re-used some sets and constructed items, to create other set(s). This had been physically the hardest project I've had to work on, and as well the most satisfying creatively speaking.
[ ROUGE Music Video Images on FB ]
There is no physical media for this show (s far as I have dug through the www), as well digital traces, in fact sourcing for videos online proved exceedingly challenging, but for the few featured (Some re-featured here from previous features on #andyhengart), and scattering of low-resolution images online, and my small collection of images (primarily of the SETS too), available online via my dedicated Facebook page (linked throughout this post). The collection continues...!
[ Assorted Sets/Settings for ROUGE ]
[ "Interstellar Overdrive" Episode images on FB ]
Additional images via: kenh14.vn
