Our Grandfather Story
Our Grandfather Story (OGS) is a media production company based in Singapore with a focus on documentary content. As of March 2020, OGS has more than 300,000 followers on Facebook, 150,000 subscribers on YouTube and 45,000 followers on Instagram.
Background
Origins (2016)
OGS has its origins as a group assignment for a photojournalism class at Nanyang Technological University (NTU).[1] The students of the class had been tasked to document Singapore’s tradition and heritage through strong visual storytelling.[2][3] A group of four undergraduates then conceptualised a project that would later grow into a full-fledged production company. The project’s first video titled Fluffy Rainbows (2016) documented the inner workings of Jackson Bakery & Confectionery in Bedok. The bakery produces the iconic "rainbow" bread that is served with ice cream. Within a week of its upload, the video gained 150,000 views on Facebook.[4][5] The video was then posted onto the group's YouTube channel on 30 November 2016 where it has gained more than 114,000 views and 1,200 likes as of March 2020.[6]
After several successful productions, OGS attracted the interest of a production house that offered a $50,000 investment to turn the project into a business.[7] OGS was officially listed as a private company and start-up in February 2017 with an office space at Victory Centre building.[8]
Founders
The four NTU undergraduates who pioneered OGS were Matthew Chew, Ng Kai Yuan, Carine Tan and Cheah Wenqi. The four co-founders have since graduated with a degree in Communication Studies.[9]
Content growth
Documentary videos
While OGS always had a focus of curating features on lesser-known businesses and individuals in Singapore, the treatment of their storytelling has evolved over time. Their first few videos featured pop-up texts on a series of edited footage.[10][11] As of 2020, most of OGS's documentaries include interview footage and voiceovers - which is a break from their early style.
YouTube series
| Year | Series | Seasons | Episodes | Playlists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 - ongoing | Offbeat: Can Ask Meh? | 4 | First episode airing on 2 April 2020 | Playlist |
| 3 | 4 | [12][13][14][15] | ||
| 2 | 6 | Playlist | ||
| 1 | 6 | Playlist | ||
| 2017 - ongoing | Offbeat | - | 45 | Playlist |
| Neighbours | - | 150 | Playlist | |
| Generations | - | 53 | Playlist | |
| 2016 - ongoing | Flavours | - | 111 | Playlist |
Branded content
In April 2017, OGS received a $10,000 grant from NTU’s innovation and enterprise arm, NTUitive, with an agreement to secure at least one corporate client within six months.[16] Since then, OGS has worked with clients such as Temasek,[17] National Heritage Board,[18][19] Nippon Paint[20] and DBS.
| Year | Client | Video Links |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre | Singapore's Last Teochew Puppeteers |
| Bead by Bead - The Art of Crafting Peranakan Beaded Shoes | ||
| Cultures Alive: Preserving Peranakan Recipes | ||
| 2018 | National Heritage Board (Singapore Heritage Festival) | The Machinist: Hup Yick Engineering |
| Singapore's Oldest Sugar Manufacturer | ||
| Singapore Food Festival - The 50 cents Fest | A Taste of 1930s Singapore: Fish Molee & Walnut Cookie | |
| Temasek | Rail Love | |
| Can Ask Meh?] | ||
| National Council of Social Service | Can Ask Meh?] | |
| 2017 | Nippon Paint | Mooving House: The Hindu House Blessing |
| DBS Marina Regatta | Birth of a Dragon |
References / Citations
- ↑ Then, Chloe. “Snapshots Of The Past”. WKWSCI Alumni Magazine. Accessed on 4 March 2020.
- ↑ Chin, Daryl. “Not the same old grandfather stories”. The Straits Times. October 23, 2016. Accessed on 4 March 2020.
- ↑ Tee, Cheryl. “Hit video clip on ice-cream bread leads to start-up”. The Straits Times. May 30, 2018. Accessed on 4 March 2020.
- ↑ Chin, Daryl. “Not the same old grandfather stories”. The Straits Times. October 23, 2016. Accessed on 4 March 2020.
- ↑ Tee, Cheryl. “Hit video clip on ice-cream bread leads to start-up”. The Straits Times. May 30, 2018. Accessed on 4 March 2020.
- ↑ Our Grandfather Story. “Fluffy Rainbows - Singapore’s Ice Cream Sandwich”. YouTube. November 30, 2016. Accessed on 4 March 2020.
- ↑ Tee, Cheryl. “Hit video clip on ice-cream bread leads to start-up”. The Straits Times. May 30, 2018. Accessed on 4 March 2020.
- ↑ “OUR GRANDFATHER STORY”. Singapore Business. Accessed on 4 March 2020.
- ↑ “Our Team”. Our Grandfather Story. Accessed on 4 March 2020.
- ↑ Our Grandfather Story. "Fluffy Rainbows - Singapore's Ice Cream Sandwich". YouTube. November 30, 2016. Accessed on 1 April 2020.
- ↑ Our Grandfather Story. "Nanyang-styled banana pie". YouTube. December 1, 2016. Accessed on 1 April 2020.
- ↑ Our Grandfather Story. “People Battling Death | Can Ask Meh?”. YouTube. October 15, 2019. Accessed on 1 April 2020.
- ↑ Our Grandfather Story. “Caring For People with Mental Health Conditions | Can Ask Meh?”. YouTube. October 28, 2019. Accessed on 1 April 2020.
- ↑ Our Grandfather Story. “Survivors Of Sexual Violence | Can Ask Meh?”. YouTube. November 19, 2019. Accessed on 1 April 2020.
- ↑ Our Grandfather Story. “Beauty Pageant Winners | Can Ask Meh?”. YouTube. November 25, 2019. Accessed on 1 April 2020.
- ↑ Tee, Cheryl. “Hit video clip on ice-cream bread leads to start-up”. The Straits Times. May 30, 2018. Accessed on 4 March 2020.
- ↑ Our Grandfather Story. “We Call This Rail Love”. Facebook. June 8, 2018. Accessed on 4 March 2020.
- ↑ “The Machinist”. Run and Gun Media. April 9, 2018. Accessed on 4 March 2020.
- ↑ “Our SG Heritage - The Family of Hawker Chefs (in collaboration with Our Grandfather Story)”. Our SG Heritage. Accessed on 4 March 2020.
- ↑ Nippon Paint Singapore. “Mooving House”. Facebook. June 9, 2017. Accessed on 4 March 2020.