2023

27 Sep, 2023
27 Sep, 2023
Filming With A Japanese Masterchef
Content Producer

It was my last shoot with Pan Pacific. Among their many planned promos was the new menu launch of their Japanese restaurant, Keyaki. I was responsible for liaising with the client, developing the content plan, and organising the production schedule.


With no specific featured dishes, I proposed a cooking montage to showcase the culinary cornerstones of Japanese cuisine. The variety of shots would also prove useful in serving a more dynamic and visually engaging picture.


This deliverable was amended to a shorter runtime; leaving the original proposed content to be reconceptualized. Instead of playing up the menu’s variety, the focus was shifted to the dedicated and refined artistry of Head Chef, Kawakami Hiroaki. We had the narration limited to a simple few sentences to allow for more freedom during the editing process.


Chef Hiroaki was a delight to work alongside! To ensure an authentic depiction of expert Japanese cooking, we periodically consulted him regarding set dressing throughout the shoot. His playful charisma and impeccable sense of professionalism made this one of the most enjoyable shoots of my career.


https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyubdHGMANg/




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14 Sep, 2023
14 Sep, 2023
Collaborating With One Of The Best Clients I've Ever Worked With
Content Producer


Here was a fresh opportunity outside the retainer accounts I’d been working with. Here came my second reel for Pan Pacific. We aimed to highlight the fine dining brunch menu from one of the hotel’s signature restaurants, Hai Tien Lo.


I was responsible for communicating with the client, suggesting content ideas, handling prop logistics, and supervising the shoot. The assigned deadline was demanding, set at a week and a half. Like the previous deliverable, its contents were focused on the client’s products so much of the logistics would be provided by them.


With limited details provided, I had to conduct extensive independent research. I searched through libraries for an appropriate soundtrack while developing the content plan and storyboard. Thus, ensuring the tone and pacing would align with the planned concept.


In anticipation for the volatile nature of a kitchen environment, we prepared for many shots to be readapted. There were camera angles around the stove scenes that needed adjustment. Particularly, the truffle shaving scene needed the prop substitution of a microplane for a more visually captivating shot.


Executive Chef Ricky was an absolute delight to work with. While experimenting with extra shots, he was extremely sporting and proactive in sharing his culinary insights. He was even insistent on feeding our crew the dishes that were already shot.


https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cx4aMqzNLw8/




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14 Sep, 2023
14 Sep, 2023
Leading My Own Production in Social Media Production
Content Producer
Prop Master
Art direction
+1
I was assigned to spearhead a project as the lead producer with a seasonal client. This deliverable was a shoutout to their premium mooncake box set for the season’s end.


I was charged with corresponding with the client, proposing content, managing props and logistics, and overseeing the shoot itself. The deadline was a tight week and a half.


As mooncakes are often indistinguishable by their exterior alone, I went in a creative direction that would highlight the cross-sections – showcasing the colourful design and unique flavours. I constructed a narrative demonstrating the entire customer experience of buying the mooncake box; featuring the free leatherette bag, tea set and overall packaging.


Both the baked and snow-skin mooncakes were manageable in terms of styling. I requested the snow-skin mooncakes be provided frozen to better maintain their appearance as they’d melt at room temperature.


One notable challenge was the inability to use the actual tea set as the only units available were meant for sale. To circumvent this, I prepared near-identical teacups while having the tea-pouring scene off-camera with a different teapot.


All in all, it was a good shoot. Everything was wrapped on time and the client was pleased with the final deliverables. Props to the client for their incredible hospitality and cooperation.


https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxriN7mNBZr/




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12 Sep, 2023
12 Sep, 2023
Prepping Alternates: The Magic Behind Filming Food
Food Stylist
Prop Master
Food is a delicately decaying subject that requires planning contingencies. Whether it involves backup ingredients, dishware, or complete dishes, everything must be ready to be alternated. In the context of this shoot, the primary focus was on the prep process.


Given that the medium was an Instagram reel, the recipe needed to be quick and simple. This aligned with the strategic perpetuation of this frozen food product's “convenience” unique selling point. I hired a hand talent for this shoot; so we needed to balance off-camera preparations and on-camera segments.


The bowl of water for the sliced cabbage needed an alternate as each redo take needed to be neatly reset – especially with the literal transparency of the glass. I prepared the finished dish ready for substitution with some oil on hand to revitalize the chicken’s shine. The sauce was the only constant maintained on camera: from the assembly to the final plating.


In addition to these efforts behind the scenes, omitting redundant steps keeps content quick and focused. Consumers could reference the packet instructions for the product. Similarly, the simplicity of slicing lemon wedges rendered the process redundant on camera. It’s this kind of thoughtful editing that prioritizes relevant on-camera action.


https://www.instagram.com/p/Cyfp0dgyHUz/




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2022

16 Jun, 2022
16 Jun, 2022
Scriptwriting For a 3-Part Sarawak Road Trip Web Series (Including the Promo Video)
Script writer
Wrote content copy
Tourism was all the rage as the post-pandemic era was rearing its thirsty head. This program was more targetted towards locals to encourage domestic travel and rural tourism 😎
Among the many tourism productions to have hit my desk, this was among the most memorable 😊 The project proposal was outstandingly detailed and chalked full of content 🤓 My contributions to the production were:
1. Copywriting for the Pitch Deck
2. Scriptwriting the Narration for the Episodes & Promo
3. Transcribing the Episodes
The script I prepared still underwent revisions between myself and our lead cast member as it was meant to appear partially scripted - if at all 😄
If you’re ever in the mood for a road trip, maybe this will inspire some ideas!
https://www.youtube.com/@asiaSarawakInboundAgents/videos
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23 Mar, 2022
23 Mar, 2022
Tracing Traditions: Chinese New Year Documentary (Coming Soon)
Wrote content copy
Designed a Pitch Deck
My team sure loves documentaries! This instalment is one for the history buffs 🤓 It’s a journey through the many lost traditional Chinese arts. A host will visit different masters of different crafts and learn about their history, importance, AND technique 😉 That’s right! It’s a vicarious experience through the learning experience of the host.
For this production, I was assigned to design the pitch deck as well as the copywriting 😁
Usually, it would have aired by now (1 year later) but with all the many masters to schedule and film with, there’s been just the slightest delay. So, I'm not permitted to share the deck yet either. However, I can tell you it reminds me of the style from the work we did for a past production of ours 🧐
https://poly.work/michelle_kiew/highlights/N5OJYgde
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07 Feb, 2022
07 Feb, 2022
The Deputy Premier of Sarawak’s Talk Show (Copywriting, Scriptwriting, Pitch Deck Design, & Proposing Content)
Script writer
Wrote creative copy
Designed a Pitch Deck
Created a Brand Strategy Pitch Deck
+2
I need to be honest. The work I get related to politics is not my favourite but a job is a job 🤝 Nevertheless, I still genuinely appreciated the rare and unique learning experience 🙏
There was a lot of care in being mindful of any topics and scripting that could be salacious or controversial in the slightest 🤨 My boss and I brainstormed as much content as we could. Then, I threw it together into a pitch deck for the PR agency. Fast-forward to a couple of weeks and I had to get going on the scripted interview content ✍
Due to confidential reasons, I’m unable to share the pitch deck I worked on 🤐 Due to personal reasons, I prefer not to share/promote political content 😜 (regardless of the party).
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17 Jan, 2022
17 Jan, 2022
Sarawak Tourism Board Chinese New Year Short Film 2022 (Simple Scripting & Copywriting)
Script writer
Wrote marketing copy
This shoot was thrown together in quite the haste 😮 Honestly, that's just how some productions go... The entire video only needed general direction and ad-libbed moments. So, I simply played my part of:
1. Scripting the Deputy CEO's closing message
2. Writing the social media caption (Company's + Client's Accounts)
After the pleasing job of our Chirstmas collaboration, they requested me to do the copywriting again 😆
Fun fact: All of casting is from the company only!
https://vimeo.com/678042583
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2023

27 Feb, 2023
27 Feb, 2023
An Education in the Value of Animated Content for Businesses
Writing a Blog Post
SEO optimized Blog Writing
I love and admire the world of animation. Having studied and practised it myself, my appreciation for the craft has only grown since. When the time came to finally write an editorial SEO piece, I was thoroughly overjoyed! Moreover, this self-learning of SEO writing has been one of the most exhilarating experiences in my career.
This was the hardest I've ever pushed concerning strategizing content. I took it upon myself to have a go at some basic SEO tools and conducted my own deeper research. Also, based on what the SEO agency has been tweaking, I made sure to include more statistics this time.


I'm still picking it up but I'd love to hear some feedback!
https://www.motionfoundry.com.my/post/how-hiring-animation-services-can-positively-impact-your-business-in-sarawak
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03 Feb, 2023
03 Feb, 2023
An Event Video Production Entry for Our “Before, During, & After” Blog Series (SEO-Optimised Blog Post)
Wrote a Blog Post
SEO optimized Blog Writing
As our 1st “Before, During, & After” format was so well-received, we decided to expand it into a blog series 😆 Yet again, I was faced with writing about a subject matter I was not fully versed in. It’s all part of the gig though 😁
Like before, I interviewed my colleagues on their professional experiences and standard practises. I also conducted my usual online research 🤓 While this was a series with a format, I still wanted to make sure the structure didn’t feel automated. It’s important that each article feels like its own piece with a unique voice to command it - despite being part of a series.
Do check it out and let me know your thoughts 😊!
https://www.motionfoundry.com.my/post/what-to-expect-from-your-event-service-company-in-sarawak-before-during-and-after
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16 Jan, 2023
16 Jan, 2023
A Recap on The Event Production Industry in Sarawak After COVID (SEO-Optimised Blog Post)
Wrote a Blog Post
SEO optimized Blog Writing
Since the aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the event production industry was thrust into a whole new industrial evolution 😵🤩 Hence, the idea for an update for potential clients lacking a frame of reference of how event videography teams operate in our post-pandemic era.
There was no shortage of information which gave me a lot to work with. On the flip side, it took me some time to determine the most appropriate way to frame the article 🤔
Take a look at the finished product, why don't you? 😁
https://www.motionfoundry.com.my/post/everything-you-need-to-know-about-event-production-companies-in-sarawak-during-after-the-pandemic
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2022

06 Dec, 2022
06 Dec, 2022
The Value and Marks of Good Corporate Video Productions
Writing a Blog Post
SEO optimized Blog Writing
This was one of the most clear-cut writing tasks that had been handed to me. The primary subject matter was something I was already familiar with. So, I felt relatively confident in my understanding of the content and intended audience.


Of course, I still followed my standard procedure of conducting more research. After that, it was just a matter of coming up with a new writing format - as we’d never put out a post like this before.


Business people always need to get things done, right? So, I did my best to keep it concise and easy to digest.
https://www.motionfoundry.com.my/post/elements-of-a-good-corporate-video-production-and-why-you-need-it-for-your-business-in-sarawak
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2022

19 Jul, 2022
19 Jul, 2022
Our Director's Artistic Sharing Experience (Writing Our 3rd Blog Post)
Wrote a Blog Post
So, we're on our 3rd blog post. This would also be one of the last behind-the-scenes stories for a while (with the content planned ahead 😉).
It was a promo shoot for a pre-wedding package. There was quite a bit of outdoor filming required and some unexpected wardrobe revelations 🤭
Here's an account of how our director found a silver lining of inspiration through a gloomy day of filming 🤩
https://www.motionfoundry.com.my/post/a-shot-in-the-dark-er
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24 Jun, 2022
24 Jun, 2022
Sharing A Whimsical Wedding Video Production Experience (Writing Our 2nd Blog Post)
Wrote a Blog Post
Wrote Engaging Caption
My boss wanted to kick off the website blog section with more personal stories of shared experiences - a kind of insight into what it's like behind the camera 🧐
For this post, we wanted to share the inspiration of a particularly adorkable wedding video. As each special day is unique to each couple, the story behind the opening song was too charming not to share 😊 I even had to whip up a copy for sharing on our Facebook page too 🤓
Have a walk-through of our director's experience, as retold by yours truly 🤓
https://www.motionfoundry.com.my/post/the-things-we-do-for-love
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31 May, 2022
31 May, 2022
My 1st Post On Our Company's New Blog Section (My Newly Added Role as Blog Writer)
Writing a Blog Post
After a decade-long update to the website, it was only fitting to feature a new blog section. I did feel just a tad of pressure but remembered that it's just a little introduction to say, "This is us so far". So, I did what I did to keep it short and sweet - to not overwhelm readers.


It's a simple telling of our journey so far... and asking, "Where were we?".
https://www.motionfoundry.com.my/post/where-were-we
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2023

22 Feb, 2023
22 Feb, 2023
A Taste of Chinese New Year Food Documentary Series (My First Day of Production with My New Team)
Assisting video production
Shadowing an Audio Engineer
While I'm officially a copywriter/producer, I'm open to crew work as I love filmmaking and learning - as I mentioned in my job interview.
SO! Here I am joining production a couple of days of late to the gig. I'd tackled video assistance at my last internship but this round, I was put on audio assist 😎 What an honour to be able to join such a fresh and unique food documentary that happens to connect with my cultural background!
You can check out the whole season on YouTube but here's the trailer!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBSyl2xWiJA
This episode happens to be vegetarian/vegan! (So funny to look back on now that I'm vegan🤭)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBgHEXEZq70&t=138s
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2021

13 Oct, 2021
13 Oct, 2021
Sarawak Tourism Board Christmas Short Film 2021 (A More Comedic Production)
Script writer
Assisted video production
Created a Storyboard
+1
They asked for comedy. So, comedy was what we delivered - with a sprinkle of friendly pandemic SOPs. There's a particular brand of Malaysian humour that our creative director had fun with. 🥴 My role was in:
1. Scripting the narration & the CEO's closing message
2. Creating a storyboard (simple)
What a gag! My bosses told me that their CEO liked it! 🤭I suppose that means I'll expect some copywriting requests from them in the future (spoilers: they did 😉).
I hope y'all can have a good laugh over this one.
https://vimeo.com/658461793
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21 Sep, 2021
21 Sep, 2021
Babor Cosmetics Commercial (Making Simple Videos Pop)
Assisted video production
Script writer
Wrote marketing copy
+1
It had been a minute since I'd last joined a shoot 😆Yay! Our client was a local entrepreneur who hauled over the German cosmetics franchise, Babor. I was brought in to:
1. Design interview questions
2. Interview the client
3. Prepare a social media caption (for later)
This commercial was short and sweet 😉 The lady boss herself was extremely nice and amusingly self-aware of her wardrobe. While I think it would've been nice to make it a little snappier... but there were a number of keywords they wanted to incorporate that altered the pacing a tad. It still worked though!
Also, can you believe the whole thing was shot in the store itself? It's just good angles, lighting, and a trusty turntable 😎
Take a look now at the link below!
https://vimeo.com/678049668
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02 May, 2021
02 May, 2021
Deputy Premier of Sarawak Dr Sim Raya Gawai Short 2021 (A Doubled Holiday PSA Skit)
Assisted video production
Script writer
Created a Storyboard
+1
As the celebration of Hari Raya and Hari Gawai intersect this year, it only made sense to feature both in this seasonal PSA skit 😏 While many establishments re-opened in the era of the new normal, our Deputy Premier wanted to share a friendly but comedic PSA about remaining vigilant with our SOPs 😉
I was part of this production to:
1. Script the Deputy Premier's closing message
2. Create a storyboard (basic)
3. Assist as a production crew member
This production was a little more fun as we had a very fun combination of cast members. Our Miss World Malaysia 2018, Larissa, returned for this production with us again. We also had our semi-regular collaborator, Sarawakian influencer and YouTuber, Ngektsai star in it too! 😎
You can spot our entire team (myself included) featured!
https://vimeo.com/678043271
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