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Step Aside, Marie Kondo: How To Spark Joy, The Jeremy Phun Way

By Jeremy Phun December 13, 2019 No Comments

No, that’s not my studio. It belongs to my friend Casey.

Life might be a mess but your things shouldn’t be. I mean, why do you have to ask yourself whether something in your life sparks joy before you can start organising? All you need to do is to store things nicely and keep things tidy™.

My mum calls me a hoarder but I would like to think of myself as a collector. I love ~~hoarding~~ collecting all sorts of things from random coffee cups to Eclipse mint boxes (you’ll see). I mean, you’ll never know when you need inspiration from these items.

So I’m gonna show you how I organise my life without spending too much money (sometimes).

Unless your room looks like this:

Then I think only Marie Kondo can help you.

BAGCEPTION

All your items should have a place they belong to. Get smaller bags or pouches to categorise your items. This creates a modular system so you don’t need to dissect your bag every time you need to find something. Nothing should have too much freedom.

I personally like to use different bags for different occasions; it makes it easy for me to swap them around for different events. Here are some of the pouches I have and how I use them.

THE TECH POUCH

The pouch that I have in my bag every day for work. Everything that I need can be found in this pouch. I have 3 different types of phone cables here: USB-C, lightning, and micro-USB (I’m that one true friend you need). There are also compartments for ~~drugs~~ pills like painkillers (for when somebody tasks me at 6pm and the deadline is at 7pm), charcoal pills, and motion sickness, and storage systems for my 2TB hard drive and a thumbdrive (so I can pass around my emo mixtape).

I usually carry my camera (never know when there’s a freelance job, I’m always ready) around with me daily so I have some essentials such as a charger for batteries and an SD card reader. On top of that, I have some pretty random stuff like a hairpin and a food “kiap kiap“ thing (lol what are those things called?)

Here’s where you can get it. (Don’t judge me. I got it for a good price second-hand.) This also doubles as a sling bag with the Peak Design anchor hooks.

THE WEEKENDER

It’s like a daily tech pouch, but compressed. This is the pouch I bring along when I want to travel light and give my back a break. I only store my essentials here (but I still bring along 3 types of cables. Why? I don’t know ?).

THE WINDOWS LAPTOP LIFE POUCH

For my big ass charger and big ass mouse (I love you though). This is super useful because it keeps my mouse safe and it’s easy to throw this into any bag I have my laptop in. It being a bright colour also helps when it’s stored deep in your bag.

THE “MIC CHECK, ONE, TWO” POUCH

For the time I ever bump into Wes Anderson on the streets and I get the opportunity to interview him– this bag holds everything I need: an audio recorder, wind muff, extension cables, and a fresh AA battery (just in case our conversation goes well).

THE “I FEEL LIKE A ROCKSTAR” POUCH

For whenever I have to play the guitar on the weekend, this is the bag I carry with me: a capo, tuner, tin (thanks Abu) of picks and an in-ear monitor with an extension. This automatically lets people know that you are legit.

DRAWER INSERTS

Remember that episode when Marie Kondo told you to use random shoe boxes to organise your things in drawers? No thank you. It is ugly and makes your drawer feel like an old newspaper or sao kao pou chi bin.

Use drawer inserts instead – they are usually the same size as your drawers. Make each section to store a particular item. Once you make a mental visualisation of where each of the items belong to, you should be able to keep them organised. Easy.

I only have 2 drawers in my office table (pictured below) and this is what I do with them.

MY PERSONAL PANTRY

I LOVE COFFEE, but buying and drinking kopi peng or flat white every day isn’t too kind on my wallet (I need to fund my pouch obsession). So I’ve resulted in drinking instant coffee (the only reason I bought Essenso is because they have the best packaging). Other times when my tummy doesn’t allow me to drink coffee, I have a nice collection of tea (thanks Jon) on top.

Yes, those are all mint boxes but no, sadly they are all empty. I like hoarding mint boxes because they are good for storing things. And they look nice.

This is actually a kitchen drawer insert from IKEA. I believe there are different sizes for this, and are also very affordable.

ALL MY OTHER RUBBISH

Without these inserts, my drawer would be a chaotic mess with the amount of stuff I have. The smartest thing I’ve done? I created a spot for me to throw all my coins in. Brilliant. Definitely made my quest to be a billionaire much faster.

I found this insert from DAISO, but I’m not sure if they still sell them. Fun fact: They are actually stackable.

And that is all, folks! PM tepi if you guys need links to any of the stuff above. Most of the pouches I’ve purchased are either from Bay or Lazada. Have fun organising your things!

Jeremy Phun

Motion lead by day, bird impersonator by… all other times.

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By Jeremy Phun

Shit We Like

Mental Health Through a Designer’s Eye

By Liyana November 28, 2019 No Comments

It’s 9pm — I’m sitting in front of the laptop, staring at the screen. Blank. “What do I write?” I scroll through Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Nothing. I write a sentence. “Doesn’t make sense.” My chest sinks and I auto-roll myself into my blanket.

Also me: “Shit my room’s a mess. I have uneaten leftovers on my table.”

Also me: “Ughh, this idea is terrible. Stop it”.

Before I continue drifting off with my inner monologue, I’ll just say that I struggled pretty hard with writing this article (as you can tell). Sharing a bit of what’s going through my head is quite nerve-wracking.

So hi, my name is Liyana and I have anxiety and depression. ?‍♀️

The Journey

(Source: Geoffroy De Crecy)

Mental health is a loaded topic. I see it as a roller coaster ride that you are forced to get on against your will. A bit melodramatic, I know. ? But you see, roller coasters aren’t all that scary – it might look it but when you’re on it, you accept the ride and just go with it. You learn along the way and it gets a tad bit easier. Little wins. ✨

I started realising that I wasn’t alone in this and met new friends that felt the same way. They had their own experiences, lived their lives with it, and are still able to adult. Probably most of us have noticed a huge wave of people sharing their mental disorders publicly and created an amazing community with the help of the Internet.

Mental health is a broad spectrum; one person could have social anxiety and the other could be schizophrenic. I just found out that 1 in 3 Malaysians struggle with mental health. I’m not surprised but that’s still crazy! Yet we don’t have proper channels to help these people in need. Heck, most people don’t even realise they have it.

Creative but Crazy

(Source: Michael Driver)

Creativity and mental health have gone hand-in-hand for a long, long time. Sometimes I think to myself, “Maybe that’s why I’m a designer? ?“ Famous artists or musicians have expressed their art through their suffering and even sometimes taking their own lives.

Aristotle once said, “No great genius has ever existed without a strain of madness.”

In a way, areas like the creative industries, for instance being a musician or artist, were fields where being a little crazy wasn’t as much a problem as it was a necessity for the job. The problem with that, is that we end up romanticizing the idea of the “tortured genius” in a way that could undermine the seriousness of such conditions. In reality, we don’t have to be crazy to be creative. We’re all a little crazy inside but it needs a bit of TLC too.

Discovery

Fundamentally, design is communication. How it interacts and connects with the audience is all part of the design experience. I think it’s pretty exciting to imagine the possibilities of design for mental health specifically. During my mental health journey, I found a couple of things that resonated with me.

Social Media

(Source from left: Gemma Correll, Melanie Johnsson and Adam J Kurtz)

There’s a whole new wave of creatives sharing their work and perspectives on mental health. It’s vulnerable. It’s transparent. It’s encouraging. It’s relatable. I started with browsing through Instagram and found a few artists that made me say, “YEAH!” every time I scrolled through.

I began following more artists, creatives, and even agencies. This was the start of a new discovery and it felt comforting. It opened up my eyes to what designers could do to spread awareness or inform the community.

Social media can be tricky – you start spiraling down into this deep void of nothingness and feel empty after 30 minutes or even 2 hours of scrolling. It was hard to stop social media cold turkey and instead I unfollowed and unsubscribed unnecessary content and started following substantial content that could help my mental health.

This was when I started watching School of Life! I don’t remember how I encountered it but every time I watch their videos, I feel like I’ve learned so much. The animation is great; I got so into it because of how it was done. Every episode was illustrated differently and the motion graphics behind each video convey the message so well. The topics are somewhat heavy, but the way they communicate the topic makes it nicer to watch.

Apps

(Source from left: Fabulous & Headspace)

Lets face it, we’re all on our phones day and night. We work long hours and sometimes have no time or money to go for therapy or even drink 8 glasses of water.

I was targeted with these two apps on my feed once and got hooked! They have personalised activities and you can set how frequent you want to be reminded everyday. These apps focus us in on our thought process, emotions, breathing, and stress levels — all of which have an enormous impact on our overall functioning.

I gave it a go and saw how super user-friendly it was. We’re all visually stimulated with our phones and somehow these apps manage to grab my attention. I think they tick all the boxes for good UI/UX design.

There are tonnes of self-care apps in the market now and a lot of them are well designed and well thought out. We have that choice to use what suits us best and at the end of the day help us with our mental health.

On the other end of the spectrum, designers themselves have done so much to help raise some awareness on mental health. It’s not just about brochures and pharmaceutical packaging; designers can venture into interior, publication, commercials, and whatever you can think of. In the new age of creation, we can use design as a tool for educating society – like some of these notable campaigns:

The Calmingstone: A Panic Attack Prevention Device

Originally designed by Ramon Telfer

Mindscape: the AI voice tool talking to people to ease their anxiety

Developed by creative studio Cult Ldn alongside MassiveMusic

Burger King: Real Meal campaign

by MullenLowe US

Overall, the creative world is a turbulent place and mental health can be a fragile thing. This is where design can be used as a tool to raise awareness, mindfulness and open conversations.

Phewhh this was a lot, kepada para pembaca. Kalau silap cakap atau banyak sangat cakap, saya minta maaf dari kepala ke hujung jari kaki. Sekian terima kasih.

The views expressed by the authors on this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of C27, our CEO, the management, the fish in our fish tank, and/or all the awesome people within the agency. The content and opinions shared are the personal views of the author so please don’t sue us.

…or the author.

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By Liyana

Shit We Like

The beauty of blur photography

By Yvonne Loh November 8, 2019 No Comments

Discovering blurness in photography was a beautiful accident, and I’m deeply in love with it. Growing up with no interest in photography at all, my knowledge was shallow as I was only aware that a photo had to be clear and sharp.

I only picked up a legit camera when my college assignment required me to. It was about 7 months ago when I found my passion for photography. I had my first impromptu shoot with a bunch of great photographers and models.

The theme of that day was “KTM Train” and I can still remember clearly the first thought that came into my mind: “Hah? KTM station wor, got feel meh? Inside a train? Walao eh so shaky how to take sharp sharp photo?”

Well, I was so wrong. Thanks to that shakiness, I managed to discover the style of photography that I personally preferred.

Yes, through this journey, people asked me, “Yvonne what are you capturing? What is your focus?” But I believe blurry photos communicate something. As I ventured into capturing blurry photos, I started to understand what made it so beautiful.

It felt right to capture the movement of people in that way. Hand gestures, avoidance of eye contact, flinches – all these movements indicate an unspoken inner world of the subject. These movements capture and communicate an expression with deeper emotion from the subject to the audience.

As a photographer, it is important to capture the subject or individual’s truth which is often from the various emotions that they may be feeling at any given moment. This would bring us back to the importance of using blurry images – to immortalise emotion and showcase it in its realest form.

Pictures like these will make us feel something. Or at least, it does for me.

These imperfect photos reject focus and in a way, give us a sense of nostalgia. They symbolise memories. For instance, the blurriness of inexpressible moments in life or the beautiful memories of first love.

A blurry photo is perfect to communicate a feeling that perfection never will.

Yvonne Loh

When she’s not busy making things look pretty, Yvonne loves to cook and bake delicious homemade food.

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By Yvonne Loh

Shit We Like

Fashion In The Digital Space

By Steven Lo September 13, 2019 No Comments

Traditionally, when we speak of fashion, we immediately think of a size 0 lady walking down the street in her skin-tight dress and 5-inch heels, carrying the latest designer bag, thinking she’s above everyone else. For years, I personally thought that way and fashion magazines, sadly, fuelled that fire.

When I was growing up, I wasn’t exposed to high fashion and the only way for me to get access to it was through the glossy magazines. And it was limited. I only got to know all these major fashion moments when I went to fashion school. And BOY! It SHOOK me to the core.

I grew up when Gisele Bündchen, Coco Rocha, Natalia Vodianova and Liya Kebede were the it models. They were in all the branded campaigns, sporting luxurious outfits and accessories. I had this habit of mimicking the way they posed and imagining as if I was in the campaign with them. I would get into character – sucking in my tummy, standing on tippy toes and posing for hours in front of the mirror. All these big publications dictated my views on fashion and beauty. The standard back then was that you needed to be skinny and tall, with a size 0 figure.

The 90’s was one of the most iconic eras in fashion (and my personal favourite too). It was a turning point for the industry. Young designers and models were fuelling each other’s careers but really, there were five models who really made a mark in the industry. They were known as The Big Five which consisted of supermodels Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista and Tatjana Patitz.

(Source: The Star)

Cindy Crawford was the highest paid model on the planet in 1995, according to Forbes.

Christy Turlington was known for being on over 500 covers during her career and signed a contract with Maybelline for an annual fee of $800,000 for a campaign.

Linda Evangelista was known as the industry’s “chameleon” for her ability to suit a multitude of styles. And let’s not forget her infamous phrase, “We don’t wake up for less than $10,000 a day.”

Tatjana Patitz, the last of the Big Five, continues to be known as one of the “original supermodels” and even after her retirement, she remains in demand for high-end fashion labels such as Jean-Paul Gaultier and Chanel.

Tatjana was later replaced by Claudia Schiffer, who is one of the most successful supermodels in the world, holding the record for the most magazine covers according to The Guinness Book of World Records.

And in came Kate Moss. She rose to fame later in the 90’s when she was just 14. Her presence shifted the world of fashion by storm when she entered into the scene and turned the Big Five into the Big Six. Her figure set a new fashion standard and that became known as “heroin chic.” Back then, the stick-thin stature and pale, ghostly look was the thing. But due to Kate’s extremely skinny frame, she was often criticised for allegedly promoting eating disorders.

On the other end of the spectrum, we had other iconic moments by fashion designers themselves too. This era was dominated by the likes of Alexander McQueen, Helmut Lang, John Galliano, Perry Ellis, COMME des GARÇONS, Hussein Chalayan, Azzedine Alaïa, Yohji Yamamoto, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Ann Demeulemeester.

These designers created a new path for current designers and some even tried to emulate them.

(Source: Vogue)

Well, a lot has changed since then.

Now with the rise of social media and everything digital, fashion has come a long way from what it was back then. For starters, the standard of beauty isn’t just a size 0 anymore. Models like Candice Huffine, Denise Bidot, Tara Lynn and Ashley Graham are breaking those standards. The first high-end brand I actually noticed doing something different was Marc Jacobs when Beth Ditto from the Gossip walked in one of his shows back in 2016.

And thanks to the digital sphere, some people have turned their social media presence into a full-time career and brands are endorsing them with products. And I don’t mean those little Instagram shops but legit fashion houses.

Compared to the 90’s, where fashion seemed to be very elusive and intimidating to “normal” people, the birth of social media influencers gave the fashion industry a breath of fresh air and it became a way for people and fashion labels to converge. Today they are paid as much as models were paid back in the 90’s. Reason being, these influencers are more relatable to the masses as compared to models, and being relatable has never been so important especially in this modern era.

These are some of the “influencers” I’m obsessed with:

1. Rina Sawayama

(Source: rinasonline)

Rina Sawayama started off as a model but her big break came after she became a singer with her single Cyber Stockholm Syndrome. Her music literally reminds me of 90’s pop but with an Asian twist, but it’s her sense of style that I can’t get enough of. She is slowly becoming a fashion icon in her own right.

2. Susie Bubble

(Source: susiebubble)

Susie Bubble is known as one of the OG fashion bloggers. She started her career with her blog Style Bubble in 2006 and was known as the editor of Dazed Digital from 2008 to 2010.

3. AYA & AMIAYA

(Source: ayaxxamiaya)

Aya and Amaiya have been getting international recognition from the global fashion industry just recently. They’re known for their neon pink aesthetics and killer eye-liner which could cut a b*tch up! Brands like Fendi and Alexander Wang just can’t get enough of these twins.

4. Charles Jeffrey

Let’s not forget that fashion at its very core lies in clothing and visual representation. Designers in this modern age utilise social media to their advantage by connecting with their fans and following.

Charles Jeffrey has been breaking the internet with his Club Kids antics and sharing key messages to young people. He isn’t afraid to make things weird and follow what is widely accepted by the general public.

5. Molly Goddard

The queen of tulle herself, Molly Goddard has made an impact on her own with her strong vision of how women should dress for themselves and nobody else. Her collections usually draw from the different scenarios of girlhood, without being stereotypical or overly twee. For example, her Autumn- Winter 2015 collection was inspired by boarding school style life-drawing classes.

The bottom line is, fashion has evolved with the times and we have seen this with each changing era. From women wearing poofy corset dresses in the 18th century to women wearing pants in the 19th century, fashion has always been at the forefront of change, regardless of what is going on in the world.

Steven Lo

Meet C27’s very own fashion diva and expert.

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By Steven Lo

Shit We Like

7 Plantstagrams You Need To Follow

By Harish August 23, 2019 No Comments

Maybe you’ve always had green fingers. Perhaps you’re now 25 with “disposable income” for the first time. Or maybe you’re just looking for some companionship without the soul-crushing levels of commitment required by pets and humans. If that’s the case, love, it sounds like you need some plants.

Enter: plantstagrams, the portmanteau of plants+Instagram. Think I’ve made the word up? A quick search will show 933,230 plantstagrams from folks ranging from beginner pothos parents to certified fanatics who’ve turned their whole apartments into giant terrariums. As for myself, I’m somewhere in between.

Sunlight requirements and humidity were once words I’d associate with homeless begpackers, but now, these words are key pillars of my plant mantra. I chose the plant life, and in due time, it chose me too. After two long years of overwatering and “Ah, little bit only lah the yellowing,” I can finally (with some authority) recommend the best plantstagrams you should be following on Instagram.

1. @hiltoncarter

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A post shared by Hilton Carter (@hiltoncarter) on Dec 27, 2018 at 9:00am PST

@hiltoncarter is my go-to guy for all things plant care and aesthetic. His account features mostly shots of his home, which is basically a mini jungle (no mosquitoes, don’t worry) with plants covering nearly every surface. If you’ve noticed an abundance of fiddle leaf figs (amongst other plantstagrams) on your feed and IRL lately, Hilton and his tree, Frank, are likely to blame as they were at the very front of the trend. Also on his feed is this repurposed tiger-head-vase-thing (above), which is perhaps the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.

2. @botanygeek

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by James Wong (@botanygeek) on Jan 9, 2019 at 7:50am PST

The only thing better than watching a Malaysian make it big time is watching a Malaysian make it big time as a plantstagrammer. @botanygeek is a Malaysian dude who works for the BBC and is an ambassador for Kew Gardens. He does Q&As on the reg, answers DMs about plants (when he can), and just generally makes #plantlife so accessible to us normal folk. He’s also worked on incorporating a living terrarium into furniture (tables, etc.) so if you’re into furniture as well, be sure to check him out (don’t make me write another article on that or you won’t hear the end of it). Also, he put a plant on volcanic rock WTF THAT’S SO COOL.

3. @planterina

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A post shared by Planterina (@planterina) on May 3, 2019 at 5:02am PDT

@planterina is probably the chillest, most helpful plant lady you’ll ever come across. Most of her posts are IGTV videos showing you how to do every part of plant care from watering to repotting as well as helpful tips on caring for and troubleshooting specific species. Unlike some plant people who can be admittedly a little pretentious (shots fired @homesteadbrooklyn), @planterina doesn’t make you feel like an idiot when you’re just trying to figure out how to add some green to your life.

4. @thesill

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A post shared by The Sill (@thesill) on Apr 27, 2019 at 5:01pm PDT

Need some inspiration on how to incorporate plants into your urban apartment life? Check out @thesill, the account of a New York plant shop that likes to show off its collection of city-friendly plants as well as the ways its customers choose to display them in their homes. Fair warning though, you’ll probably come away from this account inspired to redo your whole apartment too.

5. @boyswithplants

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A post shared by Boys with Plants (@boyswithplants) on May 28, 2019 at 7:43pm PDT

If anyone tries to argue that plants are too “domestic” for guys, just show them this account. @boyswithplants aims to dismantle the false notion that plants–and the domestic sphere in general–are the domain of women. It does so by juxtaposing “traditionally handsome,” hyper-masculine men with the softer, more feminine images of leaves, flowers, and interiors. It’s totally not just an account full of beautiful men in varying states of undress posing suggestively with plants…

Ladies and gentlemen, you’re welcome.

6. @plantsonpink

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A post shared by @plantsonpink on May 30, 2019 at 12:24pm PDT

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last couple years, in the world of design right now, there’s nothing cooler than a lush screen of green set against a pink wall. @plantsonpink, exactly as its name might suggest, brings you a feed full of green plants against, you guessed it, pink backdrops. If you’re into mid-century modern design or just need an excuse to go to whatever new cafe that just opened up, take a picture, and tag an account in hopes of a feature or story shoutout, this account is for you.

7. @underwaterroots

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A post shared by Jackie ? (@underwaterroots) on Mar 25, 2019 at 4:40am PDT

Would it even be a Harish-written article if it doesn’t include a biased shoutout to an account he treasures dearly? No.

@underwaterroots is where all of my “disposable income” goes to, as it’s a feed curated by my oh-so-lovely plant kakak Jackie. If you’ve read this article, you’ll see that this account features pink walls and plants fit to qualify as a Tier 1 plantstagram – repurposed Ayam Brand containers and all. The previous accounts were goals you should strive for, this one’s where you should start. Go follow.

And that’s pretty much it, folks! Stay tuned for the next article on “Unlikely Ways to Kill Your (Malaysian) Plants”. Feel free to buzz the admin if you’d like recs on where to buy plants (FOR CHEAP!). Till then, ciao cincau.

Harish

An occasional traveler, fueled by curiosity and Tinder matches. I aspire to become Buzz Lightyear but I’m willing to settle for the life and times of Tony Stark.

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By Harish

Shit We Do

Motion Design YouTube Channels You Should Subscribe To

By Teresa Tan April 26, 2019 No Comments

So many people assume that I studied Motion Graphics or Broadcasting in college since I carry the title “Production Designer”. Truth is, no, not at all. (Haha. ?) I actually studied Mass Comm, and Broadcasting wasn’t even my major during my final semester. Yes, I learnt the basics in college but really, most of what I know now, I learnt through watching countless amounts of YouTube tutorials. Thank you, internet! Without you I might not have had this job.

Here are some YouTube channels I love and learnt from.

1. Peter McKinnon

This is one of the first channels I subscribed to when I gained interest in motion. He actually started off as a photographer so there are tons of Photoshop and Lightroom tutorials as well (which I love!). What I really like about his videos is actually the way he speaks. Super enthusiastic, easy to understand and straight to the point without leaving out important information.

2. Daniel Schiffer

One word: aesthetics ?

His videos look so pretty that it makes you wanna know how he does it! I particularly like his tutorial on sound design which I think is so important in video editing. Most of his tutorials are on camera hacks/tips, and the ones on editing are usually done on Final Cut Pro instead of Premiere Pro. But if you understand the common functions between the two programmes, it’s pretty easy to understand what he’s doing. I also watch his videos just for inspiration.

3. SonduckFilm

Now on to more After Effects-skewed channels. Here’s one that teaches a lot of vector/text animations. The tutorials are pretty easy to understand and straightforward. I usually watch these tutorials to see what After Effects can do and my reactions are usually like:

4. MOBOX Graphics

MOBOX Graphics is a whole other level. They focus a lot on 3D and 4D animations and the videos are pretty cool to watch – mainly because I have not actually tried these myself. BUT ONE DAY I SHALL! Yes, I watch these to inspire and motivate myself to reach a level where I’m able to understand what they are actually saying.

Inspiration is important!

In the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, he says;

“You need to develop a palate capable of discerning good and bad. Without good taste, you can’t make good food.”

I think this applies to everything we do as well. Which is why I find it really important to watch lots of good content so I can try to reach that level. Here are some channels I follow for inspiration!

5. Kraig Adams

I first watched this video with the motion team and it was pretty amazing! We spent close to 40 minutes in the meeting room enjoying his travel vlog in Japan. It’s a combination of vlog and cinematic styles which I think makes the video easy to watch. It really made me feel like going to Japan again. Watch the whole video when you can! And check out his other stuff too.

6. Vox

Vox is a pretty great inspirational channel for title or vector animations. The motion design really makes the videos a lot more interesting than they already are.

7. CrashCourse

Just for LOLs. CrashCourse is super educational and cute! Check out their character animations. ?

And that is all from me! Now go be inspired.

…or the author.

Teresa Tan

Teresa may be quiet, but she owns two geese. How badass is that?

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By Teresa Tan

Shit We Like

Malaysian Music You Need to Check Out

By Farhana Osman April 12, 2019 No Comments

Assalamualaikum and welcome to a crash course in Malaysia’s indie music scene.

First off, let me just say, one’s taste in music is highly subjective and I wouldn’t expect you to like the same things. The least I could do is broaden your horizon on the many flavours that our local music scene has to offer.

So if you haven’t been exposed to the sounds and successes of Malaysia’s indie music, here’s a list for you to start off with. They’re mostly indie because if you want mainstream, pegi la layan era.fm. Okay?

1. alextbh

[spotifyplaybutton play=”https://open.spotify.com/track/1gTr1tAEJCmTLROnWy8azb”/]

Malaysia’s quintessential queer pop icon Alextbh is here and ready to bless your ears. If you’re into the whole bedroom-electro-chill R&B vibe ala Majid Jordan or Daniel Caesar, then Alextbh’s music is right up your alley. Although ‘Stoop So Low‘ might have been his breakthrough track (13 million plays on Spotify to date), my pick has gotta be ‘Like That’ — it’s the perfect song to listen to if you’re about to head out for a night out with your girlfriends. Or boyfriends because equality ✊.

Other notable tracks: no space, still mine

2. Zamaera

If y’all haven’t heard of Zamaera, y’all are missing out. This lyrical queen raps like nobody’s business. This song ‘Helly Kelly’ wasn’t just a mere introduction to the hip hop scene. No. This song datang tak bagi salam. It was more like – nah amik kau! She has certainly asserted her dominance in the rap arena and showed everyone what a badass female rapper can do in a field that is very much saturated with male rappers.

Sorry guys, I get a bit aggressive when I listen to her rap. It’s just really cathartic.

Other notable tracks: Wanita, Z vs Z

3. The Impatient Sisters

[spotifyplaybutton play=”https://open.spotify.com/track/4dMjW4y0dv9gnnuxANk6Mi”/]

The Impatient Sisters are “three sisters who write songs sometimes but fight all the time” – to quote their own description. Their music is best described as a blend of quirky, whimsical folk-pop with a hint of romantic depth. Most of their songs are played with the acoustic guitar with an interesting combination of the cello, xylophone and kazoo (just imagine what a small penyet plastic trumpet would sound like. Yup, that’s a kazoo.), but their most notable instrument is their enchanting harmonizing vocals.

‘The Ark‘ is definitely one of my favourites. The playful nature of the song keeps you on your toes as you listen to more and more instruments being added into the mix.

Other notable tracks: Comet and Stars, Hey There Young Sailor

4. Toko Kilat

[spotifyplaybutton play=”https://open.spotify.com/track/4Wtgzu0FTaLlVdPZVunHuz”/]

Toko Kilat is an indie rock band with a vibe that is reminiscent of Interpol, but with more rounded and fuller vocals. Their song ‘Pemacu Api‘ is about an arsonist who will set your house on fire AND WATCH IT BURN if you piss him off. With a steady build-up of bass, guitar and percussion, it’s the kind of song I’d listen to IF I enjoyed running. Unfortunately, the only running I do is towards my car when I see abang JPJ giving out summons.

Other notable tracks: Ratu Malam, Satu Suara

5. Ramayan

Ramayan is a band whose music is best described as psychedelic pop infused with blues and Malay music. I’m gonna sound like an idiot trying to paint a picture of their sound but here goes! Think of maybe Tame Impala or MGMT plus.. Nasi lemak? ??‍♀ Anyway, this song ‘Sepintas Sastera Hati’ starts off very noire, then slowly transitions to a more contemporary melody with a hint of acid trippin’ down Petaling Street. I swear I’m not high. Just watch their video clip and it’ll make more sense (maybe).

Other notable tracks: Oh Dewiku, Akhir Kalam

Well, there you have it. If you think there are other good ones I should’ve mentioned, lemme know in the comments. The whole point here is to discover more of our local gems!

Sekian.

Farhana Osman

Pizza connoisseur, pineapple hater.

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By Farhana Osman

Shit We Like

Our Creatives Share Their Favourite Typefaces

By Neko Loh February 26, 2019 No Comments

Even if the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog, there is still no such thing as the “best” font. Every typeface serves a different purpose for different platforms, and it isn’t an easy task to narrow down your choices to just one. I mean, there are probably over 500,000+ options out there. How la.

But we still do have our list of go-to typefaces we like to use when it comes to our designs. So we asked our UX Designer, Junior Art Director, Motion Lead, and Creative Directors to share their top picks, and here’s what they have to say.

Neko Loh, Junior Art Director • @neko_loh

To me, I think everybody’s favourite typeface changes over time. Mine used to be Helvetica. Then Railway. And then Century Gothic and Futura. Followed by Montserrat and Roboto. As you can probably tell, I’m a sans-serif kinda guy. But that doesn’t mean I don’t like serif typefaces. It just depends on the situation. I used to like Perpetua and Garamond too; both of these typefaces give off a classic style and have character to them.

But at the end of the day, to be very frank, my favourite typeface would be my own damn handwriting. Oops, this might sound arrogant but why not? Everyone’s handwriting showcases their own personality. In fact, there is a lot you can tell by a person’s handwriting alone and that’s why I love it.

Kah Suit, UX Designer • @kahsweet

The bigger the family, the better. Typically these typefaces are found on the Google Fonts library, and are 100% free open-source fonts. (And we all love free things, c’mon.)

Some of my favourites include Roboto and Nunito; they have more than 10 depths to choose from, ranging from extra light to black. With a wide variety or widths and weights, these fonts help me to create a better typographic hierarchy when it comes to designing websites. Think of all the possibilities I could have with headers, paragraphs, buttons, and links using just one font family.

Jeremy Phun, Motion Lead • @imakethingsmove @jeremyphun

My favourite typeface is my client’s, Netflix Sans. I’ve been using and seeing this every day for over a year now, and I still don’t hate it. I’ve been so attached to Netflix Sans that writing this post with a different typeface already feels like I’m cheating on it.

I’ve always leaned towards sans-serif typefaces because of their flexibility and scalability. It also helps when this typeface is associated with all the show and movie titles that I adore. Netflix Sans is not only a beautiful font but it is saving Netflix millions of dollars a year. Fun fact: Netflix had to pay for font licenses every time they used another font, so they created their own.

San, Photoshop Witch Associate Creative Director • @blackodc

You might cringe knowing that this is my favourite typeface. But no, you are not wrong. This is one of my favourite typefaces. It’s so bad that it’s actually good. It stands out and everyone probably hates it but hey! Look at it. It has character. It could be regular. Sometimes slanted or bolded. But it still works. Look beyond the hate because no matter what, Comic Sans still gets your attention. Why be serious? Have a laugh at it. Shift your perspective a little.

But professionally, Futura, Garamond, Bodoni, and Gotham are some of the typefaces I personally admire. The extensive family which you can mix and match with is close to infinity. Sleek yet classic and timeless.

P/S: I was close to creating a GIF for this. With rainbows and stars and shiz. ?⭐

Nic Hon, Creative Director • @urbanweapons

When it comes to my favourite typefaces, it can go two ways:

1. Personal preference: Futura & Helvetica
If there’s one thing you should know about me, let it be this: I’m an innovation-based creative that loves the aesthetics of the past. I enjoy vintage clothing, classic cars and traditional tattoos. In my view, things made in the past were designed to be timeless. The minute details, aesthetics and functionalities put into design back in the day is unmatched. Futura and Helvetica have stood the test of time and are still one of the most used typefaces today. Not bad for typefaces that were designed in the late 1920’s and 1950’s, right?

2. Professional preference: Google Fonts
Yes, it’s not a typeface… but more of a font library. With our nature of work, I almost exclusively work with Google Fonts. If you’re designing for the digital landscape (websites, apps, progressive web apps, and such), Google Fonts should be your go-to library. The use of Google Fonts can help reduce page loading speeds and ease cross-platforms displays. And it’s also absolutely free to use! So if you’re sick of downloading (and re-downloading) fonts, I suggest you explore their extensive library and look at some usage examples.

So there you have it: a few typeface favourites from our Creative team. We know how Designers (and non-Designers) fall into a font-funk sometimes, and that’s okay. Just keep an open mind and experiment with new typefaces, or consider using one of our team’s top picks.

Neko Loh

He likes cats so much, he became one.

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By Neko Loh

Shit We Like

Underrated Movies by Popular Directors

By Grace Chow January 24, 2019 No Comments

Welcome to another edition of “Random Shits Grace Watches” that is thinly-veiled with faux-intellectual commentaries which I will just bullshit my way through.

TBH.

What marks a film as “underrated” by a popular director? For the purpose of this blog post, I’m selecting brilliant films that I felt got buried under more popular work by the said director. I’m gonna use the term “popular director” very loosely here. At the very least, these are the filmmakers with work(s) that garnered mainstream market accolade and presence.

Anywhoo, let’s cut to the chase and jump to the list!

1. Wes Anderson

Well-known films: The Royal Tenenbaums, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Rushmore, yada yada

Underrated film: The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

Love him or hate him, Wes Anderson has an array of acclaimed films under his belt. Now, can I get a show of virtual hands of those that have watched The Darjeeling Limited?

The Darjeeling Limited is a gem that’s worth a little dusting and revisiting. Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, and Jason Schwartzman play estranged brothers, set out on a “spiritual” journey in India to mend their bonds – which quickly derails into a madcap adventure. As usual, this is a visual affair with the on-brand Wes Anderson style of deadpan humour. But what sets this film apart is the heart-tugging melancholia, behind all the razzle-dazzle, and quirky characters.

Watch it, fall in love with India, and follow me as we ponder upon men’s greatest mystery: Whatever happened to Oscar winner, Adrien Brody’s career?

2. Taika Waititi

Well-known film: Thor:Ragnorak

Underrated film: What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

If you like the humour you’ve seen in Thor:Ragnorak, or are a fan of The Office (US)’s style of mockumentaries, then do check out What We Do in the Shadows. It’s a horror-comedy mockumentary that follows a group of vampires, living a rather anaemic lifestyle together in a shabby house that has seen better days.

Taiki Waititi is a fairly new name in the scene. Before breathing a new life to the Thor trilogy with Thor:Ragnorak in 2017, he was an indie darling hailing from the land from down under… that is not Australia. I mean, the other land from down under, New Zealand that is.

To have a further taste of the kiwi’s brand of “polite humour”, you can check out his other film Hunt for the Winderpeople as well!

3. Wong Kar Wai

Well-known films: In the Mood for Love, Happy Together, Chungking Express

Underrated film: Days of Being Wild (1990)

“16th… April the 16th. At one minute before 3pm on April the 16th, 1960, you’re together with me. Because of you, I’ll remember that one minute. From now on, we’re friends for one minute. This is a fact, you can’t deny. It’s done.”

Gone are the days when such a cheesy pick-up line can be recited as suave as Leslie Cheung did in this movie. Could it be the penetrating gaze? The dreamy, saturated colour? Or the slow camera pan and cut, trying to bring meaning to the inanimate objects around the room? Most probably it was the combination of them all.

Days of Being Wild is a Hong Kong cinematic classic that lacks the attention that most other Wong Kar Wai’s favourites had garnered. For such a gut-wrenching, beautiful, vulnerable portrayal of flawed human characters, the critic’s reception to this film is rather tepid. Perhaps that’s due to it being one of Wong Kar Wai’s earliest films (second full-length film, to be exact), and a commercial dud at its time. Also, do check out his other commercial dud, and one of the prettiest wuxia film ever made, Ashes of Time.

Fun fact: Barry Jenkins’, director of 2016’s Moonlight has cited Wong Kar Wai’s moody, atmospheric style to be an influence for his Oscar-winning film.

Now for some honourable underrated mentions:

Full Metal Jacket (1987) by Stanley Kubrick

Similar to The Shining’s utilisation of quiet, stifling, claustrophobic atmosphere that set the precedence tone of horror, this movie is a masterpiece depiction of the uncomfortable, psychological horror of war.
Fun fact: Ever heard of the phrase “Me love you long time” and wondered where it came from? You’re looking at the origin right here!

Still Walking (1998) by Hirokazu Koreeda

A main-stay presence at Cannes Festival, Hirokazu Koreeda was just recently awarded the 2018’s Palme d’Or (fancy way of saying that’s the top dog movie of the year) for his film, Shoplifters.
Still Walking centres around the Yokoyama family that got together to commemorate the 15th death anniversary of a beloved son. Like a classic Asian family experience, the Yokoyamas hide their dysfunctionality and grief under layers of politeness and underhanded niceties. Wow! What a healthy combo.

And that’s my list of 3 underrated films to check out for now. Have you seen any of these films? And how do you feel about them? Do you feel that tingling, burning need to talk about them like me?

Say no more!

I’m amped up with tea, ready for some blazing chat. Drop me a comment on FB!

Disclaimer: The views expressed by the authors on this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of C27, our CEO, the management, the fish in our fish tank, and/or all the awesome people within the agency. The content and opinions shared are the personal views of the author so please don’t sue us.

…or the author.

Grace Chow

Grace’s happy thoughts usually include darkness, death, and destruction. And sometimes food.

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By Grace Chow

Shit We Like

Podcasts You Need for Your Dull Commute to Work

By Rathika Sheila December 5, 2018 No Comments

When I’m not spending quality time with Netflix or overthinking that one line of copy I wrote 2 weeks ago that could’ve been better now that I think about it, I’m listening to podcasts during my commute to and from work — unless Beyoncé’s got a new album (RIP everything else).

Here are some of my favourites channels to listen to:

Today, Explained

Brought to us by the same creators of Explained on Netflix, Today Explained condenses current affairs in America in 20 minutes…which can be exhausting because America.

The show breaks down everything from myths on metabolism to Elon Musk’s breakdowns (I was rooting for you!) to how the United States has a role (and a rather important one at that) in the funding for the war in Yemen. And if you’re anything like me, aka will cry at the mention of “children were killed”, then do not start with episode ‘Could one man’s death change the conflict in Yemen?’ unless you’d like to cry in the train. I’m sorry passengers, I’m not usually like this.