Behind the scenes of Mediacorp’s realistic hospital set, where almost every TV drama ends up
From functioning hospital beds and heartbeat monitors to transformable wards spanning different eras, here’s a sneak peek into how the versatile hospital set brings countless medical scenes to life.
Romeo Tan and Felicia Chin on set, filming for Brighter Days. (Photo: CNA/May Seah)
New: You can now listen to articles.
This audio is generated by an AI tool.
Read a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
Any drama worth its salt has to have at least one hospital scene. Heck, every couple of years, there’s an entire drama set in a hospital.
Did you know that Mediacorp has a set that’s built to resemble a real hospital, complete with wards, an operating theatre and actual functioning equipment?
Felicia Chin and Romeo Tan have lost track of the number of hospital scenes they’ve filmed throughout their careers. The two actors star in currently-airing drama Better Days, along with Jeffrey Xu, James Seah, Meixin and others. The show’s storyline calls for several scenes set in a hospital – and even spans more than one era, as the drama follows the story of neighbours who reconnect after a long period of time.
“I would say that in most dramas, there would be at least one hospital scene,” Tan mused. “I think, this is life. We try to show that to the audience.” For that reason, the set is an essential part of studio production, he added.
Mediacorp senior art director Chen Jia Gu explained that the set is continuously evolving, with the crew switching things up between dramas so it isn’t too recognisable.
“Because it’s so difficult to film in real, busy hospitals, our set is often booked by multiple productions at once, including external projects. So, the set is designed to be highly customisable – the same space can be transformed from a B-class ward (four beds) into an A-class ward setup with added fixtures like a sink and bathroom, depending on the story and shooting requirements,” he said.
Most of the equipment, like beds, gurneys and monitors, are exactly the same as what you’d find in a real medical facility.
“We try to use authentic equipment whenever we can to help the actors get into character. The hospital beds and heartbeat monitors aren’t just for show – they actually work, and we also stock supporting props like bandages and oxygen masks to complete the look,” Chen said.
What’s the priciest piece of equipment on set? It’s the heartbeat monitor, Chen revealed. “It’s been with us for a few years and is definitely the ‘MVP’ for adding that incessant beep and essential hospital atmosphere.”
A lot of work goes into building the set. “We’re creating a workspace that needs to feel authentic for the actors while staying practical for the crew,” Chen shared. “Before constructing it, we produce detailed floor plans, construction drawings, and 3D models. This helps every department – from producers and directors to lighting and camera – visualise the space so we can plan for everything, like giving ‘worried family members’ room to hover outside the ward, while allowing crew to work safely around cables, cameras, tripods and other equipment.”
Fun fact: One thing that people are often surprised by, Chen said, is the lack of ceilings. Walls and rooms open up to the rafters. “The ceilings are not installed due to safety reasons, but it means the production team has to be very careful with how they angle the cameras so you don’t accidentally see the studio rafters!
“But, because there’s no ceiling to hold the tops of the walls in place, we also had to get creative with the engineering. We use heavy iron frames to fix the framework into position. This ensures the walls stay solid and don’t “wobble” if an actor leans on one or shuts a door firmly.”
For Brighter Days, which jumps between 1996 and 2026, “we had to be quite resourceful”, Chen divulged. “For example, we used wooden bed heads to capture that 90s nostalgia and vinyl stickers to quickly switch up room colours between eras. In the latest build, we’ve also added additional windows in the corridor, allowing family members – and cameras – to peer into the hospital wards and make scenes feel more authentic.”
So authentic, in fact, that actress Meixin, while in the midst of filming a few days’ worth of scenes in which her character lies unconscious in hospital, was sleeping like a baby while her co-stars were emoting at her bedside.
It’s inevitable, when your job is to spend the entire day lying motionless in a bed. ““Many people are envious. They are working very hard – crying, quarrelling, shouting. Me, I come here to sleep,” she quipped.
Catch Brighter Days on demand for free on mewatch, or on Channel 8 on weekdays at 9pm.
Source: CNA/my
RECOMMENDED
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
About The Author
