What brings you to Asia?
I think the question should be what brings me back to Asia, since I was born and raised in Malaysia. I spent most of my adult life in the US (about 14 years), and the transition back to the region has been nothing short of surprising. I had returned home frequently enough during my time away to get a sense that something had been brewing in the arts and entertainment scene in the region over the past 10 years. I looked-on at these exciting changes as an observer. A part of me feared that I was missing out on a new wave in Asia, and the other part of me was transfixed on by the allure and illusion of New York City - which was my home for the last 9 of 14 years that I spent in the US. The decision to return was about weighing opportunity (unknown opportunity) against living in one of the most exciting cultural cities in the world. I miss New York City, but as a an artist I know I am making more change here then I did before.
As Group Vice President of Content and Strategy at Enfiniti Vision Media, I spend my days thinking up stories, working with writers and recommending creative properties for the company to consider investing in. It’s a very young environment, and the pace all around the region is dizzying. You’ve got to have the stomach for it.
What are your thoughts on the Creative Industry in Asia?
These are exciting times for the creative industry in Asia. Asia is a big region, and as a region, the collective identity of creative industry is very young. For the longest time, the kinds of content that crosses the boundaries of these highly diverse regions have been American programming. But that’s changing. We want to hear our stories, and want those stories to reach across boundaries that have been traditionally dominated by American programming. For the most part, what that translates to remains uncertain. But the demand to fill that gap is huge, and the earliest adapters to these opportunities stand to gain a great deal. Also, the region is desperately in need of good writers.
How has your education at Tisch helped you with your work?
I graduated from Tisch in 2001 with a Masters in Fine Arts in Musical Theatre Writing (which is the only program of its kind in the world). Currently I am developing two major projects at Enfiniti which directly tap into my Tisch education. I am working on a 13-episode Asian version of the American TV-series FAME, and a stage musical based on a Malaysian female spy in the 1960s. But a Tisch education is so much more then the craft you learn. It’s about an educational environment that challenges you in ways that is hard to describe here with any justice. At Tisch I learned to ask better questions, and to allow my work to exist with a greater degree of ambiguity. I have a hunch that these two things have set me apart in my work here in Asia. Also, the enormous value of an NYU education to employers in the region is worth noting.
What advice would you have for creative professionals intending to work and study in Asia?
Firstly, come. Secondly, abandon expectations. Thirdly, let opportunity be your guide…and there will be many!!!
