Showreel Though the Ages
- Mar 12, 2017
- 3 min read
I’ve been working as a freelance animator, illustrator and designer since October 2014.
I remember the name of my first client, the exact moment I went from unemployed to freelancer, how much I got, everything (mostly because any good freelancer should track their projects and invoices :P).
While I love doing projects, the best part has to be the Showreels, a compilation video consisting of all the projects I’ve done so far that best represents my abilities.
It started with this old thing set to the tune of chiptune artist Anamanaguchi, made before I even finished college. Watching it now, I’m surprised at the quality for the time, a lot of notable works – some even award winning.
Tick Tick, my A+ Final Year Project at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) that also won a Crowbar Award.
Reign of Heroes, a mobile game I did during the SUTD Game Innovation Programme.
NAFA GradShow Intro, which was proudly displayed at the opening ceremony of the NAFA Graduation Show.
I mean, we’ve even got some old 3D stuff – something I was kinda good at but have since stopped doing – in the form of Waiting for the Bus.
It continued with the 2015 Reel with music by Immortal Beats I still find super catchy today. I did a lot of motion graphics work then, and learned After Effects from scratch. Each project was a new exploration of style and technique.
Six Things: University of Essex, where I first explored After Effect’s 3D layers.
Five Things: Birmingham City University, where I played with simple colorful forms and 2.5D.
UOP's Conditional Exemptions, one of my first few forays into a character animation focused video.
As with anyone starting out I wasn’t exactly flooded with work, but I used what time I had doing personal projects like The Moron or Splitting Headache.
Last year I went all out with a new intro from scratch. Felt like yesterday, really, all set to the tune of Rapture by ThisNameIsAFail. I love the art style so much that my website – the one you’re currently on – is still using it. It’s the first time I could showcase my more fully animated works.
I Am Bread was a wonderful project with YouTuber iHasCupquake, as was the then unreleased GangBeast Christmas.
There was also the visually striking pixel art game assets for Curse of Ale.
It was also the year I worked a lot with Wunderman Singapore, with projects like the Pixel PAdang campaign to celebrate SG50.
Of course there were yet more motion graphics work such as Seven Things: Kaplan Singapore and Five Things: Kaplan Diploma for Kaplan, and the 2015 Salary Guide for Robert Half.
It brings me so much joy reflecting upon these. Honestly, this is what it’s all about. This is why I do what I do. That moment where you can display all you’ve worked on and just marvel at how much you’ve grown, as well as the many trials and tribulations, the various people you worked with.
I love this job. I love creating, and looks like it ain’t stopping anytime soon. Since the creation of that last reel I’ve done yet so much more…
Nusantara, a one-off educational piece about Indonesian pre-history.
Adidas Interactive Retail Display, worked on with Wunderman and Adidas.
#agodabasecamp Instagram Cinemagraph, worked on with Saatchi & Saatchi and Agoda.
An animated rendition of Ode to Joy, a project so recent the full version isn’t out yet.
There’s even stuff still in the works I’m excited about that I can’t tell you yet. I’m still making some finishing touches to the 2017 reel, as well as having to handle… oh I dunno, the delicious but time-consuming pile of projects I have on my plate? Hahahaha.
I’m excited for the future, and I hope you’re equally excited to see what I have to show you in the coming blog post.
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