Thursday 30 June 2016

Dream Defenders VR Phase 2


We are in progress with the 2nd phase of our plan. That is to bring Dream Defenders Series into the world of Virtual Reality. A whole new experience of storytelling that allows the audience to participate in the story. Not only will it allow you to look around in 360, but you can also walk, run, jump and fight side by side with Zane and Zoey against the evil queen Icela and her momoks (The nightmare monsters). You will be able to fire laser beams at the momoks, just by staring at your targets like Cyclops in X-Men. 

In the 3rd phase, we plan to allow audiences to decide their own path in the story. And also allow multiple audiences to go into the same world simultaneously. 

Now we are waiting for Microsoft's Hololens to be released in Asia. Next, it will be bringing Dream Defenders into the world of Hololens. 

In July, we will be making another announcement of our 4th entry into the US market. The first 3 entries were 3net, Hulu and Discover Family. Together with our new US partner, we will be launching a campaign for Dream Defenders in the next 9 months. 

Next stop will be China. In August, we will go to Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing to go into the 2nd phase of partnership discussion. 

Currently the series is distributed by DreamWorks and the series has reached out to 80 countries world wide. Stay tuned for more news coming up. YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/i_JzLPPIs_M

Tuesday 28 June 2016

Our New Home Is Finally Ready

Thank you Sisca, James Phang, Chun Hsian Goh, Linda, Chwee Hock, Denny Iskandar, Yi Yong, Max Leong and many more (Sorry if I have missed out anyone) who has helped us set up our new home. It wasn't easy. But we have made it. I am very proud of the crew. You have made it all possible. And thank you Steven Huang for all the awesome photos.






Wednesday 22 June 2016

Event: 2 Days Workshop on Entrepreneurship and IP Creation Master Lecture organised by the Cimahi Creative Association.


To Our Indonesian Friends:

Ever since we came back from our last Seminar in Jakarta and Cimahi, many Indonesian Artists have been writing to us. We are very touched by the warm support. As such, we are now exploring to run a 2 Days Workshop on Entrepreneurship and IP Creation Master Lecture organised by the Cimahi Creative Association. <The association that brings you the Baros International Animation Festival (BIAF)>

Topics we have been sharing
(https://entrepreneurshipinanimation.wordpress.com)

If you are interested, please register yourself below. (Details in the form) Payment procedure will be notified later http://goo.gl/forms/w22KeN1Off2nllFv2

Date: 23-24 July
Venue: Ministry of trade auditorium. Jl.M.I.Ridwan Rais no.5 Jakarta
Price: Idr 800.000

Once again. Thank you for your support.
(Please help us to spread the word to your friends who are interested.)

Tuesday 21 June 2016

CEO's Thoughts: "养兵千日 用在一朝: Soldiers are to be maintained in the course of long years, but to be used in the nick of time."



Besides running an animation studio and an animation school. I also provide consultation for companies in Entrepreneurship in Animation.

Something I shared in class the other day that I have learnt in my journey. There is a Chinese saying.
"养兵千日 用在一朝: Soldiers are to be maintained in the course of long years, but to be used in the nick of time."

Application:
Establish healthy relationship with good talents that you are not ready to hire.
1) Having a strong team is more important than having lots of money. With a strong team, you can overcome anything in the future.
Good and loyal people are hard to find. Money cannot buy loyalty. Some times you meet good people but you do not have the capacity to hire them. Put in effort to maintain this relationship. Be sincere. Even though it might take years. Don't go to others only when you need them.

Identify what role they can play in your team ahead of time. Map out a rough plan. It's like assembling and planning for your best soccer team. Prepare for the backups as well. Only when you have a plan, can you identify your missing jigsaw pieces. This will take time. It's ok if you are not sure when you will hire them. Don't do this only when you have urgent needs. When the time comes, you know that you are ready. Else overnight, you will be unable to bring a good team together.

(That is why when other companies asked me to recommend talents, we always have someone in mind)

Maintain relationship with good talents who has left you
2) When I was in Indonesia giving a talk in Entrepreneurship in Animation, several founders of companies told me this. "We always have manpower problems. We lose our talents after training them. It's frustrating."

I don't believe a company can be successful with only mercenaries. Money cannot buy Honour and Loyalty. Use your heart. Not money. Trust and Loyalty takes time to build.

I want to share another approach of ours to manpower.

Make an effort to maintain the relationship with those you value but has left you for whatever reasons. (Could be, their contract is up). Especially those who are loyal and have contributed to the company in the past.

At times, when we identify a new skill needed for the industry, we will engage foreign expertise to conduct internal training to upgrade our staff. Besides training our internal staff, we also invite those who have left us to join the training at our cost. This is a little effort to show appreciation to those who have contributed to the company in the past. This includes the freelancers and those who are currently working for other companies.

When those who have left us, have finished their contract with other companies; when we have new projects and money, we welcome them back to rejoin the crew. From our own experience, these talents will become more dedicated than before.

Hope it helps.

Event: Changing Trends in the Animation Industry

I have been invited to present a talk on Changing Trends in the Animation Industry

Visual SG Forum
Date: 22 - 31 Jul 2016
Location: Science Centre Singapore

10.05 am: 22nd July 2016, Friday
Speaker – David Kwok
(CEO) Tiny Island Productions

Changing Trends
http://www.science.edu.sg/even…/Documents/VisualSg/Forum.PDF

Event website:
http://www.science.edu.sg/events/Pages/VisualSg.aspx

Tiny Island Productions Mentioned in "Animation: A World History"

Both CG Protege and Tiny Island were mentioned in Mr Giannalberto Bendazzi book (Animation: A World History: Volume III: Contemporary Times). Honoured to be recorded as part of Singapore Animation History.

Available on Amazon



"A continuation of 1994’s groundbreaking Cartoons, Giannalberto Bendazzi’s Animation: A World History is the largest, deepest, most comprehensive text of its kind, based on the idea that animation is an art form that deserves its own place in scholarship. Bendazzi delves beyond just Disney, offering readers glimpses into the animation of Russia, Africa, Latin America, and other often-neglected areas and introducing over fifty previously undiscovered artists. Full of first-hand, never before investigated, and elsewhere unavailable information, Animation: A World History encompasses the history of animation production on every continent over the span of three centuries.

Volume III catches you up to speed on the state of animation from 1991 to present. Although characterized by such trends as economic globalization, the expansion of television series, emerging markets in countries like China and India, and the consolidation of elitist auteur animation, the story of contemporary animation is still open to interpretation. With an abundance of first-hand research and topics ranging from Nickelodeon and Pixar to modern Estonian animation, this book is the most complete record of modern animation on the market and is essential reading for all serious students of animation history."

Friday 17 June 2016

10 Years. Installing our Signage

Installing our new signage. Since we have started our journey till now. (Wow coming to almost 10 years. ) This is the first time we have a proper signage. It feels like we have reached another milestone in our journey. Its like seeing your child finally graduating from the university.



A Birthday Celebration

Happy Birthday, Lesly! Lesly is our Lead Animator.


Tuesday 7 June 2016

Company Outing at Pulau UBin + Wrap Party for Talking Tom and Friends Season 2

A wonderful Pulau Ubin Trip

Thank you Chwee Hock, Sisca, Yi Yong and everyone for putting together this awesome trip. I really appreciate it. Let's work together and create more awesome time together in coming years. Thank you everyone.