Set Design for Television Corporation of Singapore & Beyond
I joined the Television Corporation of Singapore (TCS) in 1994 as a "Set Designer", after a short stint as a Junior Interior Designer, straight out of National Service. I was promoted to "Senior Set Designer" by 1995, and left the company in 1998/1999.
I was assigned to the Variety Unit in Production Services, designing stage sets for English and Chinese programs. Studios I've designed for (in Caldecott Hill) include Studio 1, TV Studio, Studio A (in Radio Building) and the TV Theater. Outside Broadcast ("O.B.") shows and events included Sentosa and Hotel ballrooms (not specific to variety per se, but included the Silver Screen Awards in 1997). I had designed for Channel 5, Channel 8 and Current Affairs departments.
Set Designs for Music / Talent Shows
Top-Left: Family Talentime 1994 [ Images on FB ]
Top-Right: May Day Special [ Images on FB ]
Bottom-Right: Asia Bagus 1998 [ Featured HERE / Images on FB ]
Bottom-Left: Asia Bagus 1998 [ Featured HERE / Images on FB ]
ALL Asia Bagus features on #andyhengart
From Entertainment (Singing & Talent shows), to infotainment. From morning shows to children game shows. From variety shows to debate shows. From weekly programs, to one-off specials, the portfolio ran the gamut of genres, ages and languages, and I am grateful for the opportunity and range achieved during that time, and as importantly educated myself through literal work experiences.
Set Designs for Talk Shows / Infortainment
Top-Left: Selamat Pagi Singapore 1998 [ Featured HERE / Images on FB ]
Top-Right: 早安您好! (Good Morning Singapore) 1998 [ Featured HERE / Images on FB ]
Bottom-Right: CRIMEWATCH [ Featured HERE / Images on FB ]
Bottom-Left: Mind Your Body (1998) [ Featured HERE / Images on FB ]
Most that I know in designing for media, I'd learnt and experienced-on-job from my tenure at TCS. Besides conceptualising and designing the sets based on given or developed themes, we were responsible too for "Construction Drawing" documentatio, which included elevational dimensions and basic details, which in turn would be interpreted by our in-house contractors. Also not to downplay the importance of reference books, which played a huge part in expanding my knowledge beyond the broadcast station. It helps that I was pretty invested in my job then, and held my interest, beyond "just a job". Nothing beats "youthful vigor".
Set Designs for Children's Shows [ Images on FB ]
Top-Left: Kids @ Work
Top-Right: Kids @ Work
Bottom: Kids' Games
As well an essential aspect are the Studio Layout Plans, which would be mass distributed to all departments involved in the production of said programs, including Lighting Department, Setting & Striking Depts, Electrical Dept etc.
We were essentially Designers, Draftsmen, Site Supers, and Art Directors, all job-scopes collapsed into one job title.
Set Designs for Chinese Variety Shows (Images on FB)
Top-Left: Econ Nite 1997
Top-Right: Chinese Lunar New Year
Bottom-Right: Samsung Nite
Bottom-Left: Eversoft - Face of a Star
Most everything associated wth the program production was "in-house", from construction to setting and striking, from dressing props to action props, from setting to striking of both studio sets and for outside broadcast. Everything we took for granted, that compared to "world outside of TCS", would mean multiple vendors.
Set Designs for Games Shows & Weekly Shows
Top-Left: Intervarsity Debate [ Images on FB ]
Top-Right: Pyramid Game [ Images on FB ]
Bottom-Right: Comedy Nite [ Features on #andyhengart / Images on FB ]
Bottom-Left: Gurmit's World [ Features on #andyhengart / Images on FB ]
Trained in Interior Design, adapting space management and scale was a easier transition for myself, as well whatever rudimentary elevational understanding and drafting. In addition I had freelanced my way through two years of National Service in "exhibition design", helped paved my insert into the genre of designing sets for television.
I remembered my interview process. I had cold-called a number scribbled off a television ad for "Set Designer", a couple of months passed the cut-off date. I had insisted and hustled my way through to a in-person interview, with the caveat that they did not need to be beholden to hire me, by helping me "gain experience" from the interview process too.
I remembered what I had shown during the interview, were my work in Interior Design - from both illustrations in my ID firm then, and my past freelance designs for a event company.
I guess my hustle worked, and after a short wait time, I was granted the employment opportunity, and I'd stayed with TCS for four and a half(ish) years.
Set Designs for Mega Variety Shows
Top-Left: Star Awards 1998 [ Featured HERE / Images on FB ]
Top-Right: Presidents Star Charity Show 1997 [ Featured HERE / Images on FB ]
Bottom-Right: Fame Awards 1998 Finals [ Featured HERE / Images on FB ]
Bottom-Left: NKF Charity Show [ Images on FB ]
A few reasons which endear themseves to me personally for "Set Design". One was the quick turnaround involved, where I am able to gratify my desire to see a result as quickly as I had intended for them to be, when I first designed them. And two: The non-permanent nature of the sets, up a day or two, then struck the next. Even for weekly shows like Gurmit's World or Comedy Nite, there would be multiple swing sets to fuss over and relish, as much as the standard compared sets. The irony being the effort involved in collecting images and video of what I had done, simply to archive them, and showcase them on my blog and socials.
Featured in this post is a glimpse at what I have done for the Television Corporation of Singapore, and as well non-TCS set design work, specifically or Variety Stage Designs (Long and Shot Form Dramas in another dedicated blogpost, cheers), with clickable links to features on this blog, and to my dedicated Facebook page for ANDYHENGART, cheers.
Non-TCS Set Design Projects
Top-Left: MTV LOADED (1999) for MTV Asia [ Featured HERE / Images on FB ]
Top-Right: Samsung Sports World [ Images on FB ]
Bottom-Right: HACK TEST DUMMIES (2020) for Hoodz Inc [ Featured HERE / Images on FB ]
Bottom-Left: Corporate Raiders for Reg Grundy Productions, for ABN [ Images on FB ]
During my tenure at TCS, I had managed to complete two feature films - "Forever Fever" and "The Teenage Textbook Movie", the former I'd taken unpaid leave to do so (which severely impacted my "13th month bonus"), and the latter I'd sacrifice my personal paid leave for (I really wanted that 13th Month Bonus)., and Bless my boss (then) Andrew Cheng for allowing this! Shortly before my third feature film started, I had decided to leave the station, to pursue the pasture that awaited me beyond Caldecott Hill.
I had subsequently joined Monster Films as an Art Director" (1998-1999), and after that as the Creative Director at Mega Media Pte Ltd (1999-2004), and freelanced from 2004, to current.
Above: Set Design for Channel U Launch @ University Culture Center (2001)
[ Images on FB ]
I was assigned to the Variety Unit in Production Services, designing stage sets for English and Chinese programs. Studios I've designed for (in Caldecott Hill) include Studio 1, TV Studio, Studio A (in Radio Building) and the TV Theater. Outside Broadcast ("O.B.") shows and events included Sentosa and Hotel ballrooms (not specific to variety per se, but included the Silver Screen Awards in 1997). I had designed for Channel 5, Channel 8 and Current Affairs departments.
Set Designs for Music / Talent Shows
Top-Left: Family Talentime 1994 [ Images on FB ]
Top-Right: May Day Special [ Images on FB ]
Bottom-Right: Asia Bagus 1998 [ Featured HERE / Images on FB ]
Bottom-Left: Asia Bagus 1998 [ Featured HERE / Images on FB ]
ALL Asia Bagus features on #andyhengart
From Entertainment (Singing & Talent shows), to infotainment. From morning shows to children game shows. From variety shows to debate shows. From weekly programs, to one-off specials, the portfolio ran the gamut of genres, ages and languages, and I am grateful for the opportunity and range achieved during that time, and as importantly educated myself through literal work experiences.
Set Designs for Talk Shows / Infortainment
Top-Left: Selamat Pagi Singapore 1998 [ Featured HERE / Images on FB ]
Top-Right: 早安您好! (Good Morning Singapore) 1998 [ Featured HERE / Images on FB ]
Bottom-Right: CRIMEWATCH [ Featured HERE / Images on FB ]
Bottom-Left: Mind Your Body (1998) [ Featured HERE / Images on FB ]
Most that I know in designing for media, I'd learnt and experienced-on-job from my tenure at TCS. Besides conceptualising and designing the sets based on given or developed themes, we were responsible too for "Construction Drawing" documentatio, which included elevational dimensions and basic details, which in turn would be interpreted by our in-house contractors. Also not to downplay the importance of reference books, which played a huge part in expanding my knowledge beyond the broadcast station. It helps that I was pretty invested in my job then, and held my interest, beyond "just a job". Nothing beats "youthful vigor".
Set Designs for Children's Shows [ Images on FB ]
Top-Left: Kids @ Work
Top-Right: Kids @ Work
Bottom: Kids' Games
As well an essential aspect are the Studio Layout Plans, which would be mass distributed to all departments involved in the production of said programs, including Lighting Department, Setting & Striking Depts, Electrical Dept etc.
We were essentially Designers, Draftsmen, Site Supers, and Art Directors, all job-scopes collapsed into one job title.
Set Designs for Chinese Variety Shows (Images on FB)
Top-Left: Econ Nite 1997
Top-Right: Chinese Lunar New Year
Bottom-Right: Samsung Nite
Bottom-Left: Eversoft - Face of a Star
Most everything associated wth the program production was "in-house", from construction to setting and striking, from dressing props to action props, from setting to striking of both studio sets and for outside broadcast. Everything we took for granted, that compared to "world outside of TCS", would mean multiple vendors.
Set Designs for Games Shows & Weekly Shows
Top-Left: Intervarsity Debate [ Images on FB ]
Top-Right: Pyramid Game [ Images on FB ]
Bottom-Right: Comedy Nite [ Features on #andyhengart / Images on FB ]
Bottom-Left: Gurmit's World [ Features on #andyhengart / Images on FB ]
Trained in Interior Design, adapting space management and scale was a easier transition for myself, as well whatever rudimentary elevational understanding and drafting. In addition I had freelanced my way through two years of National Service in "exhibition design", helped paved my insert into the genre of designing sets for television.
I remembered my interview process. I had cold-called a number scribbled off a television ad for "Set Designer", a couple of months passed the cut-off date. I had insisted and hustled my way through to a in-person interview, with the caveat that they did not need to be beholden to hire me, by helping me "gain experience" from the interview process too.
I remembered what I had shown during the interview, were my work in Interior Design - from both illustrations in my ID firm then, and my past freelance designs for a event company.
I guess my hustle worked, and after a short wait time, I was granted the employment opportunity, and I'd stayed with TCS for four and a half(ish) years.
Set Designs for Mega Variety Shows
Top-Left: Star Awards 1998 [ Featured HERE / Images on FB ]
Top-Right: Presidents Star Charity Show 1997 [ Featured HERE / Images on FB ]
Bottom-Right: Fame Awards 1998 Finals [ Featured HERE / Images on FB ]
Bottom-Left: NKF Charity Show [ Images on FB ]
A few reasons which endear themseves to me personally for "Set Design". One was the quick turnaround involved, where I am able to gratify my desire to see a result as quickly as I had intended for them to be, when I first designed them. And two: The non-permanent nature of the sets, up a day or two, then struck the next. Even for weekly shows like Gurmit's World or Comedy Nite, there would be multiple swing sets to fuss over and relish, as much as the standard compared sets. The irony being the effort involved in collecting images and video of what I had done, simply to archive them, and showcase them on my blog and socials.
Featured in this post is a glimpse at what I have done for the Television Corporation of Singapore, and as well non-TCS set design work, specifically or Variety Stage Designs (Long and Shot Form Dramas in another dedicated blogpost, cheers), with clickable links to features on this blog, and to my dedicated Facebook page for ANDYHENGART, cheers.
Non-TCS Set Design Projects
Top-Left: MTV LOADED (1999) for MTV Asia [ Featured HERE / Images on FB ]
Top-Right: Samsung Sports World [ Images on FB ]
Bottom-Right: HACK TEST DUMMIES (2020) for Hoodz Inc [ Featured HERE / Images on FB ]
Bottom-Left: Corporate Raiders for Reg Grundy Productions, for ABN [ Images on FB ]
During my tenure at TCS, I had managed to complete two feature films - "Forever Fever" and "The Teenage Textbook Movie", the former I'd taken unpaid leave to do so (which severely impacted my "13th month bonus"), and the latter I'd sacrifice my personal paid leave for (I really wanted that 13th Month Bonus)., and Bless my boss (then) Andrew Cheng for allowing this! Shortly before my third feature film started, I had decided to leave the station, to pursue the pasture that awaited me beyond Caldecott Hill.
I had subsequently joined Monster Films as an Art Director" (1998-1999), and after that as the Creative Director at Mega Media Pte Ltd (1999-2004), and freelanced from 2004, to current.
Above: Set Design for Channel U Launch @ University Culture Center (2001)
[ Images on FB ]
