#ArtDirection for Long & Short Form Television Broadcast
I can count on one hand how many long-form broadcast shows I have been involved in, for the entirety of my working days in the local media industry. With the bulk of my portfolio being "Set Design" (as featured HERE), with "Variety" being the primary focus.
During my tenure in TCS (1994-1998/99) I very rarely, if at all, was involved in drama shows, save for short-form variations of, such as "Love Of A Lifetime" for Current Affairs (which featured limited scripted dialog), and even a 'variation of" for Fame Awards Semi-Finals (1998), only by virtue of "all encompassing set design", versus entertainment/variety stage sets, as per my job/function in the Television Corporation of Singapore.
My curiosity for long form had somewhat been addressed with my involvement with Feature Films during my time in TCS (Forever Fever & The Teenage Textbook Movie), and subsequent features, totally 6 thus far.
[ ROUGE Featured on #andyhengart ]
It was only after I'd left TCS in 1999, that I'd had the opportunity to be involved in Long and Short Form Television Broadcast projects, most notably 2004's "Rouge" (for MV Asia), 2005's "Dream Chaser(s)" (for Channel U), "Project Peter" (for Arts Central, 2005), and most recently "Kisses From Death" (for Viddsee).
[ Dream Chaser(s) Featured on #andyhengart ]
With Long+Short Form TV programs, it is more of Art Direction and Art Department logistics wrangling, then it would be "Production Design". The local production culture for TV production is vastly different than that of feature film, with each department focused and protective of their own job scope, and works independently per their own departments. The notion and concept of "Production Design" is not an active aspect folks are looking for, nor willing to work with, unless specifically designated.
And while disciplines might crossover between long and short, the resulting pace is different. A story told across X-number of episodes (aired per week or fully streamed these days), versus a story condensed within 90 minutes (or 60 minutes), be it telemovie for silver screen feature, presents it's own set of challenges, each came with differing results. Subject to themes and intent, they are a mixed bag of creative journeys, as they were logistical challenges. How we tell the story with "Art Direction & Design", as well varies with the show/propgram's theme and expectations, and of course budgetary boundaries.
[ Kisses From Death Features on #andyhengart ]
And it had been a jolly good eighteen-years since my last long form project, until my very recently completed "Kisses From Death", which is scheduled to be broadcast on meWatch in the first quarter of 2024, and I cannot wait to share more on the project, and hopefully it would remain online for a longer duration.
Cheers,
Andy
