Simmon Tan

Simmon Tan is the director of Gusto Productions, involved in script editing, writing and content creation services in various formats for broadcast, film, web, and other media. He has also worked as a script consultant with Dream Forest Productions, a production company supplying various Sitcom, Drama, and Dramedy Serials to television stations in Singapore and South-East Asia, as well as other formats to a worldwide market.

Simmon has worked as a senior scriptwriter for the Television Corporation of Singapore. He was one of the scriptwriting team that developed TCS's hit sit-com, Under One Roof. Simmon also worked as head writer for another TCS Sitcom, Happy Belly.

"In the back of my mind, I knew I had to get a degree because it was of paramount importance in the -society from which I came. Like many others, I couldn't decide which uni to choose. I wanted to study something like Communications Studies / Mass Communication because I wanted a career in this area, and Murdoch happened to offer the right course, and it was near home."

Simmon enrolled in Murdoch in 1987 and graduated 1990.

Of his Murdoch years he recalls: "I had a lot of fun although the theory units blew my mind initially. Like any other S.E. Asian students, I found the sudden availability of choice bewildering. Having the freedom to put together a degree of my choice was something I'd never heard of and allowed me to experiment like crazy."

"My sampling of the different areas of Communications Studies gave me a well- rounded perspective. It taught me to shed my rigid mental make-up and made my thinking process more fluid-sort of like a psychological lubricant."

"Taking advantage of the wide range of electives available, I took up units that were of personal interest -like the creative writing unit, Reading & Writing and Japanese language. Being Malaysian born, it's embarrassing to say this, but I also learned Malay formally for the first time in Murdoch."

"After graduation. I was hired as an R&D Executive, later Manager, in a Chinese publishing house in Malaysia. My work was mainly to computerize various aspects of internal operations, and coordinate various departments for special projects. Since I was thrown into the deep end, I had to learn fast. This was where I felt my all-round training in Murdoch helped me most. I had to see a project through from conception to execution and run like crazy from the marketing department, to the editorial department, to the circulation department, to meeting with clients. The most valuable skill I learned was the ability to adapt to a variety of situations without fear. I think I learned that from Murdoch."

"In my final year at Murdoch, I took a shot at creative writing by entering a Tele-playwriting Contest held by the then Singapore Broadcasting Corporation. I won 2nd prize (and $2000), and this later helped me land a job as a TV scriptwriter."

"TV production is a complex and fast- paced profession, where you have to swim or sink. The various units I took as an undergraduate helped me to get a better grasp in this confusing environment. When I chose units like Television & Popular Culture and Screen Texts at Murdoch, some friends asked me what use they would be when I got out. Now, years later, I think I can safely say they helped me get my job and helped me stay in it."

"In retrospect at Murdoch, I was encouraged to develop an inquiring mind. The lecturers and tutors had a policy of letting you propose the topic you wanted to explore -provided you follow through with your intended idea."

"The hard work and the mounds of reading seemed impossible at the time. But the skills that I developed to cope with this provided a solid foundation that I could build on in later years. It taught me to be dynamic in my response to any project I came across. I learnt how to be independent."

Recent escapades: (1998 - 2001)

After five years in the television industry, having written countless scripts for four different Sitcoms, a Dramedy and several movie screenplays, I became interested in digital animation and games design.

In 1999, I took a break from TV and accepted a position as Lecturer in Nanyang Polytechnic, teaching the subjects of Creative Processes in Design, Animation Storyboarding, and Design Fundamentals. My non-teaching hours were taken up with semi-commercial projects for Nanyang Polytechnic, developing feature animation projects and computer games - one of which was subsequently marketed in the form of a CD ROM.

This little detour gave me the chance to learn the new technology, and to gain some fresh perspectives. Again, I recalled the flexibility of choice encouraged by the Murdoch lecturers, and was glad I learnt never to be afraid to venture out into unknown territory.

I received a great buzz from teaching - absorbing the enthusiasm and energy from excited kids with a million and one brilliant ideas. I had little teaching experience then, so I merely repeated my university experience by supporting the students' ideas - no matter how wacky or strange - as far as they were willing to take them. The result was amazing. Collecting homework had never been easier.

The television industry started to boom in 2000 -2001, and I set up my own service as a Script Consultant, working on CD ROMS, animation projects, children's programmes, Dramas, Sitcoms and Dramedies for STV12 (Singapore Television Twelve), and TCS (Television Corporation of Singapore).

In April 2001, the children's Drama series, "Kid's United", for which I was Script Consultant and Head Writer, premiered on STV12, receiving high ratings and sparked a popular following amongst the kids. I guess this means I've really managed to expand my repertoire. I was glad to have made the choice to pick up something new.

I went on to join Dream Forest Productions, an independent production house, developing and producing scripts for a new Singaporean Sitcom, "Brand New Towkay", and also tried my hand at writing for a serious Docu-Drama serial, "A War Diary" - both slated to be telecast in August 2001. I am looking forward to sinking my teeth in my new project, writing for and producing a new Dramedy series to be telecast by the Television Corporation of Singapore in 2002. It's really exciting.

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