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Ryan Tan (Singapore Entrepreneur)

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Ryan Tan (born 1 August 1988) is the co-founder of Night Owl Cinematics (NOC) alongside his ex-wife Sylvia Chan. Ryan is the Chief Operations Officer (COO) of the company while Sylvia is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Ryan oversees NOC's video direction and Sylvia handles the company's corporate matters and public relations. The duo occasionally appears in some YouTube videos.[1] As of 1 June 2020, their YouTube channel has over 990,000 subscribers.

Ryan Tan
Ryan Tan NOC Profile Picture.jpg
Born1 August 1988
Alma materInstitute of Technical Education (ITE)
Spouse(s)Sylvia Chan (m. 2010 - 2020)

Background

Early life & family

Ryan was born in Singapore on 1 August 1988. During his teenage years at Kent Ridge Secondary School, Ryan's studies were affected by the souring relationship between his parents. He was also involved in a gang and had been arrested on one occasion.[2] After completing his secondary education, Ryan enrolled in the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) but left after six months.[3] Subsequently, he worked as a model and dabbled in model management.[4]

Early career - Business ventures

After completing his National Service, Ryan ran the food and beverage (F&B) franchise New York New York.[5] He also set up Shi Wei Tian at Joo Chiat Place[6] which eventually closed down due to high rental costs and manpower issues.[7] In an interview with Adrian Tan that was published in 2016, Ryan shared that following the failure of his two businesses, he was at "rock bottom" when Sylvia suggested that he pursue videography.[8] Additionally, the failed business ventures had left him in debt.[9]

Personal life

Marriage to Sylvia Chan (2010)

 
Ryan and Sylvia at work. Photo from Asian Entrepreneur.

Ryan first met Sylvia when they were both modelling part-time at 16 years old.[10] They were friends before they started dating. Feelings developed between the two when Ryan helped Sylvia to confront her ex-boyfriend who owed her money at the time.[11] In an interview with Cheryl Fox for On The Red Dot, the couple shared that they got together the very next time they met. According to Ryan, Sylvia had left a perfume bottle at his house on purpose as a set up for their next meeting. He only came to know of the plan on their wedding day through a mutual friend.[12] The couple got married in 2010 when they were both 22 years old.[13]

Professional partnership

Following the failure of their first business, the two decided to explore making videos professionally.[14] The duo's first paid video assignment was a funeral montage. They had then gone on to produce videos for weddings and corporate events. During this time, Malaysian YouTuber Dan Khoo was their main supporter as he had taught them the ropes of the YouTube industry.[15] Although Ryan and Sylvia are divorced, they remain as business partners and continue to work closely at NOC.[16]

Divorce (2020)

Sylvia and Ryan divorced in March 2020, citing differences in personal goals and a lack of space as the main reasons for the split.[17] The pair announced their divorce on YouTube on 31 May 2020. They shared that the mounting pressure of having to be both business partners and a married couple was what lead to their current position.

Relationship with Cherylene Chan (2021 - Present)

He is currently in a relationship with Cherylene Chan, an influencer with Titan Digital Media.[18]

Career

Night Owl Cinematics (2012 - 2022)

Aside from being the lead videographer, Ryan's role in NOC ranges from being in charge of video edits to executing NOC's social media campaigns.[19] Ryan and Sylvia first posted videos on YouTube in 2012 while trying to hone their skills for scripted videos. Unexpectedly, one of their first few videos titled 'Shit Singaporean Girlfriends Say' went viral. Following their rise in popularity, they became full-time YouTubers with their own production company called Night Owl Cinematics in 2013.[20]

Content

 
Ryan occasionally appears in NOC's videos as the character Xi Guay Ong (pictured first from left). Thumbnail from YouTube.

Night Owl Cinematics (NOC) is a Singapore-based production company that focuses on YouTube videos, offline activation videos for corporate clients and talent management.[21] Their first ever client was a local consulting firm, RecruitPlus. As of 2019, their clientele includes notable companies including Daniel Wellington, Media Development Authority Singapore, ASUS and Airbnb.[22] As of 1 June 2020, the company has expanded to a total headcount of 50 people.[23] NOC has developed signature series like Food King, Do It For The Money and Shit Singaporeans Say. On top of YouTube, NOC publishes articles on their website which commonly feature their travels, local events and posts that accompany their videos.

Mentorship & collaborations

 
Filterspell - an interactive adventure where viewers can choose their own narrative.

Ryan and Sylvia are known for being mentors to newer Singaporean YouTubers such as JianHao Tan who has spoken favourably about the couple.[24] NOC has collaborated with many content creators on YouTube. This includes local YouTubers like Dee Kosh (Darryl Koshy) and TheSmartLocal (TSL) and international YouTubers like Ryan Higa, Dan Khoo Productions, The Ming Thing and Steven Lim from Buzzfeed. In April 2020, NOC and TSL released their first-ever collaborative project, FilterSpell with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) and National Youth Council (NYC).[25][26][27][28]

Departure from Night Owl Cinematics

Following the NOC Sgcickenrice Saga in October of 2021, Ryan announced that he was “no longer involved” with the company in an Instagram post on 19 January 2022.[29][30][31]

Get Lost (2022 - Present)

Ryan set up a channel aimed at creating cinematic travel vlogs, Get Lost, in November 2021, but only posted the first video in June 2022.[32][33] As of October 2022, the channel has amassed around 43,400 subscribers and more than 2 million views.[32] Get Lost also features several ex-colleagues from NOC that Ryan has maintained close friendships with, including Franster Wong, Michelle Tan and Rao Zijie.[34][35]

Other updates

On 24 June 2022, Ryan put up an Instagram story, stating that the combination of legal fees, starting up his new company and having no income had caused him to lose “more than 90 percent” of his money, sending him into debt.[36] It was also revealed that in July 2022, NOC took Reno King, a production company set up by Ryan during his time with NOC, to court for “employment issues”.[37]

In an interview with The Daily Ketchup Podcast, Ryan expressed that while his legal battles are still ongoing, he hopes they will be ending soon. He also said that he and his ex-wife and former business partner, Sylvia Chan, are not on talking terms, preferring to go through their lawyers instead.[34][38]

Awards & accolades

Year Award/Title Awarding organisation Refs.
2016 Influencer of the Year 2016 Gushcloud [39]
Forbes’ 30 Under 30: Media, Marketing & Advertising Forbes Asia [40][41]
2015 Best YouTube Channel (Singapore) Gushcloud [42]
Influencer's Choice Award
Best Comedy Video of the Year Singapore Social Media Awards (SMA) [43]
Best YouTube Channel
2013 Best Marketing Campaign The Global Recruiter Asia Pacific Recruitment Industry Awards [44]

References / Citations

  1. ↑ “About Night Owl Cinematics”. Night Owl Cinematics. Accessed on 29 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://noc.com.sg/about-us/
  2. ↑ Ryan Sylvia. "Draw My Life - Ryan Sylvia". YouTube. April 9, 2016. Accessed on 27 February 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ0AK4gJ7GM
  3. ↑ Ryan Sylvia. "Draw My Life - Ryan Sylvia". YouTube. April 9, 2016. Accessed on 27 February 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ0AK4gJ7GM
  4. ↑ Ryan Sylvia. "Draw My Life - Ryan Sylvia". YouTube. April 9, 2016. Accessed on 27 February 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ0AK4gJ7GM
  5. ↑ "Singaporean YouTube stars make their mark online and offline". The Straits Times. April 13, 2014. Accessed on 20 November 2019.
  6. ↑ "Singaporean YouTube stars make their mark online and offline". The Straits Times. April 13, 2014. Accessed on 20 November 2019.
  7. ↑ Ryan Sylvia. "Draw My Life - Ryan Sylvia". YouTube. April 9, 2016. Accessed on 27 February 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ0AK4gJ7GM
  8. ↑ Tan, Adrian. "Interview With Media Entrepreneur Ryan Tan". Adian Tan. May 24, 2016. Accessed on 20 November 2019.
  9. ↑ Chow, Pamela. "Who’s The Boss Of Night Owl Cinematics? Hint: It’s Gotta Do With Xi Guay Ong". Weekender. April 5, 2016. Accessed on 20 November 2019.
  10. ↑ Tham, Raymond. “Q&A with Night Owl Cinematics’ Ryan and Sylvia”. TodayOnline. December 15, 2015. Accessed on 29 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.todayonline.com/entertainment/celebrity/qa-night-owl-cinematics-ryan-and-sylvia
  11. ↑ Tan, Felicia. "5 RELATIONSHIP TIPS FROM NIGHT OWL CINEMATICS' SYLVIA CHAN". Her World Brides. September 23, 2015. Accessed on 20 November 2019.
  12. ↑ Yap, Jacky. "Night Owl Cinematics' Ryan & Sylvia Reveal Juicy Story Of How They Met!". Vulcan Post. 18 June 2015. Accessed on 20 November 2019.
  13. ↑ Tham, Raymond. “Q&A with Night Owl Cinematics’ Ryan and Sylvia”. TodayOnline. December 15, 2015. Accessed on 29 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.todayonline.com/entertainment/celebrity/qa-night-owl-cinematics-ryan-and-sylvia
  14. ↑ Tan, Felicia. "5 RELATIONSHIP TIPS FROM NIGHT OWL CINEMATICS' SYLVIA CHAN". Her World Brides. September 23, 2015. Accessed on 20 November 2019.
  15. ↑ Tham, Raymond. “Q&A with Night Owl Cinematics’ Ryan and Sylvia”. TodayOnline. December 15, 2015. Accessed on 29 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.todayonline.com/entertainment/celebrity/qa-night-owl-cinematics-ryan-and-sylvia
  16. ↑ Ryan Sylvia. "We Got A Divorce". YouTube. May 31, 2020. Accessed on 1 June 2020.
  17. ↑ Ryan Sylvia. "We Got A Divorce". YouTube. May 31, 2020. Accessed on 1 June 2020.
  18. ↑ How, Mandy. “Girlfriend of NOC's Ryan Tan releases statement defending allegations of his infidelity”. Mothership. October 28, 2021. Accessed on 5 October 2022.
  19. ↑ Chow, Pamela. "Who’s The Boss Of Night Owl Cinematics? Hint: It’s Gotta Do With Xi Guay Ong". Weekender. April 5, 2016. Accessed on 20 November 2019.
  20. ↑ Tham, Raymond. “Q&A with Night Owl Cinematics’ Ryan and Sylvia”. TodayOnline. December 15, 2015. Accessed on 29 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.todayonline.com/entertainment/celebrity/qa-night-owl-cinematics-ryan-and-sylvia
  21. ↑ Studio AC. “#09 Sylvia Chan (Content Creator) - Become A YouTuber”. YouTube. October 30, 2017. Accessed on 29 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0XiJmI5W5E
  22. ↑ “Our Clients”. Night Owl Cinematics. Accessed on 29 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://noc.com.sg/client/
  23. ↑ "About Night Owl Cinematics". Night Owl Cinematics. Accessed on 1 June 2020.
  24. ↑ Ibid. Retrieved from: https://www.todayonline.com/entertainment/celebrity/how-night-owl-cinematics-ryan-and-sylvia-became-youtubes-power-couple
  25. ↑ "MCCY and NYC unveil interactive digital content to engage youths on SG Youth Action Plan". Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. April 29, 2020. Accessed on 1 June 2020.
  26. ↑ Chin, Nigel. "Be in control of the characters' next steps in FilterSpell by Night Owl Cinematics and The Smart Local". Youth.sg. May 5, 2020. Accessed on 1 June 2020.
  27. ↑ Ng, Lucia. "S’pore Short Film Lets You Choose & Decide Characters’ Fate, Just Like Netflix’s Bandersnatch". MustShare News. April 28, 2020. Accessed on 1 June 2020.
  28. ↑ Farzanah Farveen. "MCCY unveils Netflix Bandersnatch style interactive YouTube film". Marketing Interactive. April 28, 2020. Accessed on 1 June 2020.
  29. ↑ ryanxgo. “Hello, goodbye”. Instagram. January 19, 2022. Accessed on 5 October 2022.
  30. ↑ Lui, Karen. “Ryan Tan 'no longer involved' with Night Owl Cinematics”. Mothership. January 21, 2022. Accessed on 5 October 2022.
  31. ↑ Seng, Sabrina. “Ryan ‘No Longer Involved’ With Night Owl Cinematics, Says He’s Finally Happier”. Mustsharenews. January 23, 2022. Accessed on 5 October 2022.
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 Get Lost. “About”. YouTube. n.d. Accessed on 5 October 2022.
  33. ↑ Get Lost. “[4K] Sydney Like You Never Seen Before | Cinematic Travel Film”. YouTube. June 4, 2022. Accessed on 5 October 2022.
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 The Daily Ketchup Podcast. “Ryan Tan A Year After The NOC Saga | TDK Podcast #136”. YouTube. September 26, 2022. Accessed on 5 October 2022.
  35. ↑ getlostsg. “Let us know your favourite part of the first episode!!😍OUR NEW WEB SERIES, PEE EYE👀, IS FINALLY OUT!!! We spent many hours filming and editing this so make sure to watch it NOWWWW. Chow, an out of luck private investigator “reluctantly” comes out of retirement to join ‘PEE EYE’, a company of incompetent rookie investigators led by his former partner, N. Unbeknownst to them, they are brought back around, full circle, to the ‘Black Lotus Gang’. The arch nemesis that caused Chow and N to go their separate ways a decade ago. Watch this 4-part series to see how ‘PEE EYE’ manages to stalk, infiltrate and take down the BLG in the most… interesting way. LINK IN BIO!!!☝🏻” Instagram. October 2, 2022. Accessed on 5 October 2022.
  36. ↑ Ang, Matthias. “Ex-NOC Ryan Tan says he's 'officially broke', receives S$1,000 donation from follower”. Mothership. June 27, 2022. Accessed on 5 October 2022.
  37. ↑ Ang, Matthias & Lee, Wei Lin. “NOC taking Reno King to court, NOC subsidiary goes against ex-talents Samantha Tan & Grace Lim”. Mothership. August 1, 2022. Accessed on 5 October 2022.
  38. ↑ Tan, Claudia. “'We needed to have a future after divorce': NOC founder Ryan Tan opens up on public split from Sylvia Chan”. AsiaOne. September 28, 2022. Accessed on 5 October 2022.
  39. ↑ “Ryan Tan”. LinkedIn. Accessed on 29 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/ryan-tan-aa9532149  
  40. ↑ “Ryan Tan”. LinkedIn. Accessed on 29 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/ryan-tan-aa9532149  
  41. ↑ "2016 30 Under 30". Forbes. Accessed on 20 November 2019.
  42. ↑ “Ryan Tan”. LinkedIn. Accessed on 29 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/ryan-tan-aa9532149  
  43. ↑ “Ryan Tan”. LinkedIn. Accessed on 29 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/ryan-tan-aa9532149  
  44. ↑ “Ryan Tan”. LinkedIn. Accessed on 29 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/ryan-tan-aa9532149  
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