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Bringing words to life

The next time you catch an interesting anecdote on a talk show or a punchline in a comedy, it could be the brainchild of television research writer Mildred Ang. The 22-year-old works in the English Entertainment Department at national broadcaster Mediacorp.

Her job revolves around words — scripting and researching for television programmes ranging from comedies, game shows to talk shows. Besides script writing, she also brainstorms fresh ideas for television programmes, conducts field research, and scouts for locations and talents.

She applied for the Singapore Digital (SG:D) Scholarship (Undergraduate), an industry scholarship given to students who are interested in enrolling in Infocomm Media (ICM) related studies at the undergraduate level, choosing to study at the University of Queensland in Australia. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (with
majors in Film & TV Studies and Writing).

Scholars under the programme have the flexibility to chart their career in the ICM industry. They can serve their bond in an ICM-related job role in the organisation of their choice. For Ms Ang, she chose Mediacorp
as it presented a promising career in the media industry.

The scholarship offered her the opportunity to intern at Mediacorp during term breaks, which helped her to gain an understanding of different aspects of the industry.

She says: “When I started working, it made transitioning into work life easier due to the stints I had done at various departments.”

A love for text and context
As an undergraduate, Ms Ang immersed herself in the academic world of film and television studies. She explored and analysed theories on genres and historical movements of film and television, as well as audience behaviour she also wrote and adapted screenplays from comics, novels and video games.

A love for watching films that were adapted from novels ignited her interest in writing for the big screen. She explains: “What started off as an interest in picking apart the differences between the Harry Potter books and the film adaptations led to an exploration of the medium of film and I got more intrigued by the processes
behind them.”

Ms Ang, who also enjoys writing short stories, poems and novels, took an unconventional career route. At 16, she made the “tough decision” of leaving the Integrated Programme at Nanyang Girls’ High School to pursue a polytechnic education. She graduated with a Diploma in Creative Writing for TV and New Media from Singapore Polytechnic in 2017.

For now, her latest chapter is firmly embedded in the media industry, as she hopes to develop her interest in comedy writing and try her hand at penning scripts for animation works. She says: “I am thankful for my job as there is hardly a dull moment.”