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Our Grandfather Story

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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.

OGS is a Singapore-based media production company. Photo credit to Fable.

Background

 
The OGS team as of 2020. Photo from Our Grandfather Story.

Origins (2016)

 
A screengrab from OGS' first video in 2016 - Fluffy Rainbows. Photo from YouTube.

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] In September 2019, Kai Yuan partnered with Singapore Management University (SMU) to offer lectures on digital film and video for individuals interested in digital film and the media industry.[10]

Content growth

 
The four content pillars of Our Grandfather Story. Photo credit to Fable.

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.[11][12] As of 2020, most of OGS's documentaries include interview footage and voiceovers - which is a break from their early style.

YouTube series

 
Can Ask Meh? is a series tackling difficult issues through honest dialogue. Thumbnail from video.
Year Series Seasons Episodes Playlists
2018 - ongoing Offbeat: Can Ask Meh? 4 First episode airing on 2 April 2020 Playlist
3 4 [13][14][15][16]
2 6 Playlist
1 6 Playlist
2017 - ongoing Offbeat - 45 Playlist
Neighbours - 150 Playlist
Generations - 53 Playlist
2016 - ongoing Flavours - 111 Playlist

Branded content & collaborations

 
Video thumbnail for The Machinist (2018) that had been produced for the Singapore Heritage Festival. Photo from Run and Gun Media.

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.[17] Since then, OGS has worked with clients such as Temasek,[18] National Heritage Board,[19][20] Nippon Paint[21] 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

In May 2018, OGS collaborated with Geylang Adventures to feature the story of 70-year-old Yeo Li Ying and the Cheng Xing Provision Shop before its slated closure. They also organised two guided tours to educate participants about the shop's heritage.[22]

References / Citations

  1. ↑ Then, Chloe. “Snapshots Of The Past”. WKWSCI Alumni Magazine. Accessed on 4 March 2020.
  2. ↑ Chin, Daryl. “Not the same old grandfather stories”. The Straits Times. October 23, 2016. Accessed on 4 March 2020.
  3. ↑ Tee, Cheryl. “Hit video clip on ice-cream bread leads to start-up”. The Straits Times. May 30, 2018. Accessed on 4 March 2020.
  4. ↑ Chin, Daryl. “Not the same old grandfather stories”. The Straits Times. October 23, 2016. Accessed on 4 March 2020.
  5. ↑ Tee, Cheryl. “Hit video clip on ice-cream bread leads to start-up”. The Straits Times. May 30, 2018. Accessed on 4 March 2020.
  6. ↑ Our Grandfather Story. “Fluffy Rainbows - Singapore’s Ice Cream Sandwich”. YouTube. November 30, 2016. Accessed on 4 March 2020.
  7. ↑ Tee, Cheryl. “Hit video clip on ice-cream bread leads to start-up”. The Straits Times. May 30, 2018. Accessed on 4 March 2020.
  8. ↑ “OUR GRANDFATHER STORY”. Singapore Business. Accessed on 4 March 2020.
  9. ↑ “Our Team”. Our Grandfather Story. Accessed on 4 March 2020.
  10. ↑ “Certificate in Digital Film and Video - Video Content Creation (Production)”. Singapore Management University. Accessed on 10 July 2019.
  11. ↑ Our Grandfather Story. "Fluffy Rainbows - Singapore's Ice Cream Sandwich". YouTube. November 30, 2016. Accessed on 1 April 2020.
  12. ↑ Our Grandfather Story. "Nanyang-styled banana pie". YouTube. December 1, 2016. Accessed on 1 April 2020.
  13. ↑ Our Grandfather Story. “People Battling Death | Can Ask Meh?”. YouTube. October 15, 2019. Accessed on 1 April 2020.
  14. ↑ Our Grandfather Story. “Caring For People with Mental Health Conditions | Can Ask Meh?”. YouTube. October 28, 2019. Accessed on 1 April 2020.
  15. ↑ Our Grandfather Story. “Survivors Of Sexual Violence | Can Ask Meh?”. YouTube. November 19, 2019. Accessed on 1 April 2020.
  16. ↑ Our Grandfather Story. “Beauty Pageant Winners | Can Ask Meh?”. YouTube. November 25, 2019. Accessed on 1 April 2020.
  17. ↑ Tee, Cheryl. “Hit video clip on ice-cream bread leads to start-up”. The Straits Times. May 30, 2018. Accessed on 4 March 2020.
  18. ↑ Our Grandfather Story. “We Call This Rail Love”. Facebook. June 8, 2018. Accessed on 4 March 2020.
  19. ↑ “The Machinist”. Run and Gun Media. April 9, 2018. Accessed on 4 March 2020.
  20. ↑ “Our SG Heritage - The Family of Hawker Chefs (in collaboration with Our Grandfather Story)”. Our SG Heritage. Accessed on 4 March 2020.
  21. ↑ Nippon Paint Singapore. “Mooving House”. Facebook. June 9, 2017. Accessed on 4 March 2020.
  22. ↑ Lim, Min Zhang. “Last hurrah for 70-year-old Geylang mama shop”. The New Paper. May 11, 2018. Accessed on 1 April 2020.
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