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TALENTSPOTTING
FOCUSING ON TOMORROW’S GENERATION OF MOVERS AND SHAKERS
COMPILED BY BEN IRVING
New Talent, New Media
TALENTSPOTTING
DAVID MORELAND-GREEN
Studying graphic design and photog- raphy at St. Martin’s College of Art hardly seems like a traditional route into television. But in a visual age, 24-year- old Home Counties boy David Moreland- Green found the skills he acquired slotted easily into the medium.
Joining independent company Princess Productions (makers of shows like Light Lunch and Jailbreak), he soon found his job – which sees him create designs for pitches and propos- als – had its niche. “The people I work with don’t understand exactly what it is I do and how I do it,” he acknowl- edges with a grin. “People ask me to do things they don’t know how to do.” He laughs, “in some cases, I don’t know how to do them either.”
But while most designers are happy holed up in studios, Moreland- Green relishes the “field” side of his job. “On Jailbreak, I was creating stuff that was part of the major set, rather than just existing on paper,” he recalls. “I think every designer likes work that has existence beyond the paper it’s printed on.”
Working in television, perhaps he fancies himself as the next Tony Hart? He shakes his head. “There’s only one Tony Hart,” he says. “Anyway, I think teaching young people art is very dif- ferent to working in design.”
And does he have a favourite piece of work? “Actually, “ he reveals, “the piece I’m most proud of is something I did yesterday. But,” he deadpans, “I do a lot of work for shows that are in the pipeline and I simply can’t divulge the intellectual property of my employer.” ■
SARAH COOPER
Idid an installation for the window of Harvey Nichols,” explains art direc- tor Sarah Cooper of her first step into the business. “It was for designer underwear.”
Well, we’ve all got to start some- where – and for the 31-year-old New Zealander, who finally arrived in London via Toronto, New York
and Florence, it was the perfect transition following four years of studying printmaking, sculpture and installations at art school.
Since Harvey Nicks, she’s occupied her time working on pop promos, commercials and the odd feature film, like Hotel Splendide, starring Toni Collette and Daniel Craig – “which was
great because it was aesthetically very, very rich.” She continues, “I also helped design sets for a Duran Duran interview on VH1.” She grins, “which was something of a wish fulfilment.”
Now, she’s aiming to concentrate on breaking fully into movies, which she hopes to do through Semisolid, a Hoxton-based company that she set up with two colleagues. “The main thing will be to work with a really good director,” she admits. “I enjoy having a relationship with someone you under- stand and who understands you.”
She continues: “But I really don’t want to work on a movie about con- temporary everyday life. I prefer
Japanese film. There’s something very raw about the sets, but also very subtle.”
So she likes Oriental, but does her work have themes? “There is a link between a lot of them,” she reveals. “What is it?” she laughs, “erm, I think there’s a definite fusion of old with the new. Perhaps that’s to do with my Florence and London influence.” ■
ABDULLAI ADEJUMO
Iwas interviewing the pop band S Club 7 and I didn’t know any of their names,” remembers Abdullai Adejumo, with a grimace. “I had to refer to them by saying ‘Oi, you! And I also got stuck in a lift with an Irish rock band.”
Perils of the business for the 25- year-old producer/director, who arrived at independent production company The Lab, following stints at Carlton and Mentorn, Barraclough, Carey. As a member of The Lab’s “multi-skilled” personnel, the Berkshire-born Adejumo contributes to their phenomenal output of entertain- ment shows and documentaries.
“I’m planning to concentrate on my directing,” says the man who can also work a camera.
But would he be happy to direct a cheesy game show like, say, Blind Date? He laughs, “Absolutely – because the money would be phenomenal.” For now though, he intends to focus on smaller documentary-style material. “I think peo- ple that work in TV have a great respon- sibility to represent things properly. You have to be able to live the story.”
However, while production staff often whine that things would be a lot easier if it wasn’t for the presenter, Adejumo is not in a rush to step in front of the camera. “If it was a subject matter I was really into I would love to present.” He grins, “but I just don’t think I’m pretty enough.” ■
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