Boris Miljkovic
Encyclopedia
Boris Miljković (born 3 April 1956 in Zagreb
, Croatia
, FPR Yugoslavia), is a prolific Serbia
n artist of many talents - TV and theatre director, video artist, creative director in advertising
, writer and a lecturer at the Belgrade University of Arts. He is also the creative director at RTS
, Serbia's public television broadcaster. He resides in Belgrade
, Serbia
.
at the University of Belgrade
's Faculty of Philosophy before transferring to Faculty of Dramatic Arts (FDU) where he eventually graduated at the Department of TV and Film Directing. Together with Branimir Dimitrijević he became a part of the directing tandem Boris and Tucko that authored many TV programs and films in the 1980s, including Niko kao ja (Nobody Like Me), Rokenroler (Rockenroller), Ruski umetnički eksperiment (The Russian Artistic Experiment) and Šumanović - Komedija umetnika (Šumanović - A Comedy of an Artist). The latter two video dramas were awarded at the prestigious Festival de Télévision
in Monte Carlo
and are a part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade. Their TV engagement is considered to be an integral part of the early '80s new wave movement in ex-Yugoslavia (see: New Wave in Yugoslavia). Miljković has also directed a countless number of TV commercials and music videos.
At the beginning of the 1990s when the Balkan conflict broke out Miljković moved to Cairo
, Egypt
, where he spent five years working as an advertising director for Saatchi and Saatchi for the Middle East
. Upon his return to Belgrade, he continued with the post for the Balkan region, but was later headhunted by rival McCann Erickson
.
Miljković has contributed to the development of theatrical art in a capacity as a director and a creative stage manager. He directed Nevjesta od vjetra (The Bride of the Wind) (2003) at Belgrade's National Theatre
and Stravinsky's Soldier's Tale (Prica o vojniku) (2005) at Atelje 212 Theatre. He was also a creative director of a number of theatre plays at the Yugoslav Drama Theatre
, such as: Dog Waltz (Pseci valcer) (2004) - for which he received Set Design Biennale Award for creative direction, Locust (Skakavci) (2005) and Barbelo, of Dogs and Children (Barbelo, o psima i deci) (2007), all directed by Dejan Mijač.
Miljković was appointed as the Arts Director of the 53rd edition of Eurovision Song Contest 2008
, the biggest TV show in the world, held in Belgrade, Serbia. The theme of Eurovision 2008 was based around the Confluence of Sound. It is symbolic as Belgrade lies on the Sava and Danube
rivers and is the place where the two European rivers meet. Confluence of Sound also played a key role in the production of the postcards, the short introduction videos before each song and during the show. Boris commented: "With this theme, we chose a more emotional approach, reaching out to the senses, instead of the traditional touristic, commercial approach". The European Broadcasting Union
(EBU) recognised Miljković's originality and voted his team's work the best ever done for the Eurovision Song Contest.
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, FPR Yugoslavia), is a prolific Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n artist of many talents - TV and theatre director, video artist, creative director in advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
, writer and a lecturer at the Belgrade University of Arts. He is also the creative director at RTS
Radio Television of Serbia
Radio Television of Serbia or Serbian Broadcasting Corporation is the public broadcaster in Serbia. It broadcasts and produces a variety of news, drama, and sports programming through radio, television and the Internet. RTS is, since July 2001, a member of the European Broadcasting Union. RTS is...
, Serbia's public television broadcaster. He resides in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
.
Professional life
Miljković first studied art historyArt history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
at the University of Belgrade
University of Belgrade
The University of Belgrade is the oldest and largest university of Serbia.Founded in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School in revolutionary Serbia, by 1838 it merged with the Kragujevac-based departments into a single university...
's Faculty of Philosophy before transferring to Faculty of Dramatic Arts (FDU) where he eventually graduated at the Department of TV and Film Directing. Together with Branimir Dimitrijević he became a part of the directing tandem Boris and Tucko that authored many TV programs and films in the 1980s, including Niko kao ja (Nobody Like Me), Rokenroler (Rockenroller), Ruski umetnički eksperiment (The Russian Artistic Experiment) and Šumanović - Komedija umetnika (Šumanović - A Comedy of an Artist). The latter two video dramas were awarded at the prestigious Festival de Télévision
Festival de Télévision de Monte-Carlo
The Monte-Carlo Television Festival was created in 16-20 January 1961 by Prince Rainier III of Monaco, who wished to “encourage a new art form, in the service of peace and understanding between men”....
in Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
and are a part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade. Their TV engagement is considered to be an integral part of the early '80s new wave movement in ex-Yugoslavia (see: New Wave in Yugoslavia). Miljković has also directed a countless number of TV commercials and music videos.
At the beginning of the 1990s when the Balkan conflict broke out Miljković moved to Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, where he spent five years working as an advertising director for Saatchi and Saatchi for the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. Upon his return to Belgrade, he continued with the post for the Balkan region, but was later headhunted by rival McCann Erickson
McCann Erickson
McCann Erickson is a global advertising agency network, with offices in more than 130 countries. McCann is a subsidiary of the Interpublic Group of Companies, one of the four large holding companies in the advertising industry....
.
Miljković has contributed to the development of theatrical art in a capacity as a director and a creative stage manager. He directed Nevjesta od vjetra (The Bride of the Wind) (2003) at Belgrade's National Theatre
National Theatre in Belgrade
The National Theatre was founded in the latter half of the 19th century. It is located on Republic Square, in Belgrade, Serbia.The National Theatre was declared a Monument of Culture of Great Importance in 1983, and it is protected by the Republic of Serbia....
and Stravinsky's Soldier's Tale (Prica o vojniku) (2005) at Atelje 212 Theatre. He was also a creative director of a number of theatre plays at the Yugoslav Drama Theatre
Yugoslav drama theatre
Yugoslav drama theatre is a theatre in Belgrade, Serbia. The theatre was established in 1947 with an intention of consolidating actors and writers from all over the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
, such as: Dog Waltz (Pseci valcer) (2004) - for which he received Set Design Biennale Award for creative direction, Locust (Skakavci) (2005) and Barbelo, of Dogs and Children (Barbelo, o psima i deci) (2007), all directed by Dejan Mijač.
Miljković was appointed as the Arts Director of the 53rd edition of Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Eurovision Song Contest 2008
The Eurovision Song Contest 2008 was the 53rd edition of the Contest. It was hosted in Belgrade, Serbia after Marija Šerifović won the 2007 Contest in Helsinki, Finland. This year was the first contest to have two semi-finals which were held on 20 and 22 May, and the final held on 24 May 2008...
, the biggest TV show in the world, held in Belgrade, Serbia. The theme of Eurovision 2008 was based around the Confluence of Sound. It is symbolic as Belgrade lies on the Sava and Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
rivers and is the place where the two European rivers meet. Confluence of Sound also played a key role in the production of the postcards, the short introduction videos before each song and during the show. Boris commented: "With this theme, we chose a more emotional approach, reaching out to the senses, instead of the traditional touristic, commercial approach". The European Broadcasting Union
European Broadcasting Union
The European Broadcasting Union is a confederation of 74 broadcasting organisations from 56 countries, and 49 associate broadcasters from a further 25...
(EBU) recognised Miljković's originality and voted his team's work the best ever done for the Eurovision Song Contest.
Books
In recent years Miljković has become a fixture on the Serbian literary scene with a number of books all published by Geopoetika, Belgrade:- Čaj na Zamaleku (Tea at Zamalek) (2002), a collection of short stories, which won him a prestigious Serbian literary award Isidora SekulićIsidora SekulicIsidora Sekulić was a famous Serbian prose writer, novelist, essayist, adventurer, polyglot and art critic....
, - Fabrika hartije (Paper Factory) (2003), a collection of short stories,
- Uspavanka za Lalu (A Lullaby for Lala) (2004), a novel,
- Poljupci, sećanja i razgovori (Kisses, Memories and Conversations) (2006), a novel with didascalic notes.
Awards for work in advertising 1982-2004
- Clio AwardsClio AwardsThe Clio Awards are annual awards bestowed to reward innovation and creative excellence in advertising, design and communication. The categories include work in nearly all types of media, and the judges are advertising professionals from around the world....
- MTV Video Music AwardsMTV Video Music AwardsAn MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
- Epica D'Or
- Golden Drum Award, Portoroz, Slovenia
- Grand Prix Golden Rose of Montreux
- Eurobest, London
- New York Festival
Interviews
- Vreme Magazine (in Serbian)
- Glas Javnosti Newspaper (in Serbian)
- Radio B92 (in Serbian)
- Politika Newspaper (in Serbian)