Behind the scenes: How TV looks are created

SINGAPORE — Men’s cuffs in the shapes of boats and airplanes are the bane of image stylist’s Tee Yu Yan’s life right now.

The 27-year-old is responsible for the looks that Paige Chua, Desmond Tan and James Seah will be sporting in the upcoming drama, When Duty Calls.

Tee, who spends up to a month pulling together items of clothing and accessories for TV series she is working on, is furiously shopping for looks for the military drama.

“For When Duty Calls, (the actors) need cufflinks in the shapes of boats and airplanes. Airplane ones are quite common in Singapore, but I can’t find the boats — only anchors,” she said in exasperation.

Tee, one of six imaging stylists at Mediacorp, knows that a characters’ wardrobes and styles — the gorgeous togs, spiffy haircuts and trendy make-up — are a huge part of a show’s aesthetics. They may even be a TV show’s main draw for viewers.

But how a character appears onscreen — no matter how effortless they look — requires a careful and elaborate planning process that can take months. How an actor looks and what he wears, after all, is an integral part of his on-screen personality. When Duty Calls, to be aired in July on Channel 8, explores the work and private lives of military officers.

Typically, Tee will see the first draft of a script, and begin forming ideas for each look — which include hairstyles and colour palettes for each character — before hunting down clothes and accessories. The actors will then spend a day with her trying on looks and being photographed in them. The process is known as “imaging”.

There are always challenges.

“Sheila Sim is easy to style because she’s a model,” says Tee. “But most of our artistes have normal human figures. They come in different shapes. It’s about making them look good and making them look different from their previous shows, while still keeping them in character for the current show.”

For example, actress Chua will be seen in apparel in clean lines and earthy tones that emphasise her character’s strength and independence in When Duty Calls. Chen Meixin, who plays Romeo Tan’s submissive and dependent wife in the show, will be wearing lots of flowy skirts.

Pierre Png, whose character is a playboy, gets loose-fitting trousers and sunglasses. Richie Koh, who plays a mummy’s boy, will be seen in pastel colours. Felicia Chin had to undergo a drastic change: Her hair was cropped short in order to play Desmond Tan’s playful buddy.

BUILDING CHARACTER

For the actors, imaging day is a crucial part of their character creation process.

Chua plays a naval officer who has a firm and no-nonsense attitude at work. “I had this image of her as an androgynous-looking tough cookie, but I’ve gone through half of the imaging now and I’ve realised that off-work, she’s actually quite ladylike,” she said. “I was taken aback. I have to rethink how I’m going to set this up, character-wise.”

Her wardrobe is in a “zen-like, almost a Muji style”, and has inspired the way she looks at her character.

“I think I’m going to play it cool, rather than be very tough”.

Tan has to transform not just his mindset but also his body — he wears a lot of tank tops in the show.

“I play a siao-on NSman who is crazy about fitness and sports. That’s why I’m hitting the gym again after a year in which I played a father and an IT guy, who were both average Singaporeans,” he said.

Seah certainly felt like a different person after he tried on his navy officer’s uniform.

“I feel a sense of empowerment. Suddenly I’m walking straighter with my chest out. It’s proper. No misbehaviour. No naughty-naughty,” he said.

When Duty Calls premieres on July 31, weekdays at 9pm on Mediacorp TV Channel 8.