Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1521244
E X P A T S | P E R S P E C T I V E 7 7 Back in 2002, during my days as a fashion editor, I embarked on a brief work trip to Hong Kong (HK) for fashion week. Anticipating a bustling week filled with meetings and dim sum, I was struck by the cacophony of languages that echoed throughout the city. From various English accents to the melodic tones of Cantonese, the clear distinction underscored a deeper societal divide akin to a form of classism. This realization stayed with me until my recent visit to Hong Kong for the Amazon miniseries Expats. I was reunited with The Farewell team, the series' creator Lulu Wang and cinematographer Anna Franquesa-Solano. During quarantine in Hong Kong, each of us in isolation, we shared the unique experience of watching reference movies, ordering meals from the same restaurant, and brainstorming ideas over the only available means, a Zoom call. In a weird way, I believe the six weeks, separate but together, helped the team bring up ideas that might have never been born with normal everyday interactions, and being solely able to concentrate on design concepts in perfect solitude was a rare but welcome luxury. After being released from the confines of the shoebox-like quarantine hotel room, the three of us began scouting Hong Kong, fully immersing ourselves in the role of expatriates: foreigners working in Hong Kong, striving to make it our home, albeit temporarily, much like the main characters in our story. Expats is set against the backdrop of Hong Kong in 2014, a year marked by significant turmoil and political unrest. As I began to design the lives of the expatriates living in Hong Kong during this period, I started to feel the weight of the city's tumultuous past. 2014 was a confusing year for Hong Kong, filled with uncertainty and restless societal commotion leading to the Umbrella Movement, which is also part of the background climax of Expats. Having said that, it was critical for the production to stay truthful to Hong Kong while filming there. The original plan was to film as much as possible in Hong Kong and then move to Malaysia for the majority of the stage build. However, as the COVID situation worsened and the Malaysian government enforced shutdowns, we had to quickly improvise and reallocate the stage builds to both a Hong Kong sound stage and stages in Los Angeles. As a result, we ended up constructing over ten sets on LA stages, which included a night market and an occupied protest set on the LA stage and backlot. While it may seem logical in hindsight, each relocation decision was made mere days before the deadline. Keeping up with the ever-changing schedule became a daily struggle in Hong Kong. Another daunting task was managing the international crew. Per the show's original plan to shoot in Hong Kong and Malaysia, I tried to assemble a crew from locals, as well as from nearby countries. The Supervising Art Director was from the UK (Hong Kong unit only), two Set Designers were from Korea and Singapore, the construction coordinator was from Malaysia, and the set decorator, Lauren Richard, was Australian with other HK local crew and American crew, including me and Haley Ho, the Senior Art Director. Though I was confident from my experience working in Korea and China, integrating everyone smoothly was a huge challenge due to how vastly different they were each trained to work, from team structure to allocated responsibilities at each position. It took quite a lot of time and effort to seamlessly reconfigure this without losing sight of our main goal. Expatriate, creating an illusion The apartment homes of Margaret Woo (Nicole Kidman) and Hilary Starr (Sarayu Blue) were the first main sets the principal team aimed to scout. Located in the prestigious Mid-Levels, an upscale residential district nestled between Victoria Peak and Central on Hong Kong Island, these luxurious apartments offer stunning views and convenient access. As a key focal point in the story, exploring these sets would lay the foundation for the Production Design. However, the production encountered challenges due to location constraints and limitations. Many affluent complexes in Hong Kong prohibited film crews, citing privacy concerns as a primary reason. Additionally, the director of photography struggled to find a cityscape that met her preferences during our scouting efforts. A. DINGY NOODLE SHOP EXTERIOR. CONCEPT ART BY ANGELA LIU. B. DINGY NOODLE SHOP IN PRODUCTION ON STAGE IN LA.