Sylvia Chan

Sylvia Chan (born 2 January 1988) is the co-founder of Night Owl Cinematics (NOC) alongside her ex-husband Ryan Tan. NOC officially shut down their Youtube channel in September 2022.[1] As of As of 18 March 2024, Sylvia holds the title of Regional Head of Content and Intellectual Properties (IP) with GushCloud International and she has 187,000 followers on Instagram.[2][3]

Sylvia Chan
Sylvia Chan Profile.png
Born2 January 1988
EducationDegree in Sociology and Economics
Alma materUniversity of London (Singapore)
Spouse(s)Ryan Tan (m. 2010 - 2020)

Background

Early life & childhood

Sylvia was born in Malaysia and grew up in Kampong Saleng in Johor Bahru. She received her early education in Malaysia but subsequently completed her secondary education in Singapore where she was a student at Nanyang Girls’ High School. In her second year of junior college, Sylvia was diagnosed with clinical depression that had been triggered by the passing of her grandmother.[4]

Education

Sylvia pursued her pre-university studies at Anglo-Chinese Junior College. However, she did not complete her time there due to her diagnosis. While undergoing treatment for clinical depression, Sylvia took up a six-month-long psychology course. Subsequently, she pursued a private degree in Sociology and Economics from the University of London in Singapore.[5]

Personal life

Marriage to Ryan Tan (2010)

 
Ryan and Sylvia pictured in 2015. Photo from Today.

Sylvia first met Ryan when she was modelling part-time at 16 years old.[6] They were friends before they started dating. In an interview with Her World that was published in 2015, Sylvia shared that she developed feelings for Ryan after he had helped her to confront her ex-boyfriend who owed her money at the time.[7] In another interview with Cheryl Fox for On The Red Dot, the couple shared that they got together the very next time they met.[8] The couple got married in 2010 when they were both 22 years old.[9]

Professional partnership

Following the failure of their first business, the pair decided to explore making videos professionally.[10] 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.[11] Although Ryan and Sylvia are divorced, they remain as business partners and continue to work closely at NOC.[12]

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.[13] 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.

TikTok Exposé (2021)

Sylvia was involved in a TikTok exposé which involved leaked texts from a group chat, which shows her using vulgarities and abusive language towards an employee in NOC. Netizens also alleged that she was discriminating against a particular employee and attempting to 'manufacture' her exit.[14]

Night Owl Cinematics (2013 - 2022)

Founding (2013)

While trying to hone their skills for scripted videos, Ryan and Sylvia posted videos on YouTube. 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.[15]

Content

 
NOC produces lifestyle content that Sylvia (pictured) occasionally hosts. 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.[16] 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.[17] As of 1 June 2020, the company has expanded to a total headcount of 50 people.[18] 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.[19] NOC has collaborated with many content creators on YouTube. This includes local YouTubers like Dee Kosh (Darryl Koshy) 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).[20][21][22][23]

Closure (2022)

On 3 September 2022, NOC’s Food King announced that they would be shutting down “for real” on Instagram.[1] All previously uploaded videos and content across NOC platforms were also taken down. All that remained was 2 farewell posts on Instagram and TikTok to officially address the departure.[1] As of 13 November 2022, those posts have since been removed as well.

After NOC

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Sylvia with her Gushcloud Team. Photo from Instagram/ @sylsyl.chan.

Gushcloud International (2022)

Following the closure of NOC, it was announced on 3 November 2022 that Sylvia joined Gushcloud International as the regional head of content and IP (intellectual properties) in Asia.[2] The co-founder and group CEO of Gushcloud International, Althea Lim, expressed her excitement in welcoming Sylvia to their team.[24]

Sylvia is said to have been brought on-board to develop media channels & content.[24] According to Sylvia’s Instagram Stories, she mentioned that she was planning Gushcloud’s upcoming brand launch for Savour365, a community, wellness and experiences lifestyle media site.[25]

Training to be a life coach

An article published by MS News on 25 May 2023 revealed that Sylvia had been studying to pursue a career as a life coach.[26] In a series of Instagram Stories that she posted, she called out for sign ups via a link to a Google document. In this form she detailed some flexible coaching rates - $35, $60 and $88 - she was offering for a 60-minute consultation over the phone until the 1 June 2023 for those interested.[26]

Dirty Messy Free (2024)

On 10 March 2024, Sylvia launched a lifestyle podcast alongside her life coach and founder of life coaching academy Lito, Daniel Lim.[27][28][29][30] The podcast, Dirty Messy Free was made available on various platforms, including Spotify and YouTube.[31][32] The unveiling of this new podcast also made several headlines, 8days, 8world, MustShare News, and Today Online, marking Sylvia Chan’s comeback as a life coach.[3][28][29][30]

With Dirty Messy Free, she hopes to share her life experiences and the lessons that she has learnt from them, calling for her audience to “get dirty, embrace the mess, and emerge free – together”.[30][31] Right off the bat, she and her co-host open the podcast by delving into the aftermath of the NOC saga, including year-long police investigations, seven-figure company debts that she unknowingly inherited, and genuine self-reflection.[31]

12 months of police investigations into over 100 cases lodged against Sylvia

In the first episode of Dirty Messy Free, Sylvia recounts the cold and unnerving experience with the Singapore police, of which she came out innocent on all accounts after 12 long months.[31] According to Sylvia, the police had to handle over 100 cases that were lodged against her. The officer handling her case had also made it known that she had an “entire floor [working on her] case”.[31] Overall, some of the crimes that Sylvia was accused of include embezzling company funds and prostituting staff.

“And to put such a scary crime on me that could really, possibly put me into jail, [the embezzlement case] was so painful. And the prostitution one was painful because it was my group of girlfriends, right? And you’re always, like, sisters, you know…Now that I’m divorced, now that my company has issues, this is what our friendship meant to you?"[31]

Self-reflection helped her realize that she actually “betrayed” herself

In the first episode of the podcast, Sylvia reflects on her healing journey after the NOC saga, and how she also held herself accountable for how things turned out. She recounts a “particularly painful” question that one of her life coaches asked her: why do you think you are so unlucky that all these things happen to you only?[31]

Sylvia shared how this question prompted her to view the incident from a different angle, to discover how the public persona and seemingly happy marriage that she had been projecting had a part to play in creating unhealthy relationships with those around her.[31] She acknowledged that she had been swept away by the business and a desire to continue pushing the bright narrative that the public had of her.

“This is why until today, I can tell you I lied. I lied for money, for fame, for the work that was supposed to push this forward.”[31]

Awards & accolades

Year Award/Title Awarding organisation Refs.
2016 Influencer of the Year 2016 Gushcloud [33]
Forbes’ 30 Under 30: Media, Marketing & Advertising Forbes Asia [34][35]
2015 Best YouTube Channel (Singapore) Gushcloud [36]
Influencer's Choice Award
Best Comedy Video of the Year Singapore Social Media Awards (SSMA) [37]
Best YouTube Channel
2013 Best Marketing Campaign The Global Recruiter Asia Pacific Recruitment Industry Awards [38]

References / Citations

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 “NOC’s Food King Announces Closure On 3 Sep, YouTube Channel Taken Down”. Must Share News. September 3, 2022. Accessed on 10 November 2022.
  2. 2.0 2.1 NOC Co-Founder Sylvia Chan Joins Gushcloud International, Will Oversee Southeast Asia Content”. Must Share News. November 5, 2022. Accessed on 10 November 2022.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Chan, Sylvia. “sylsyl.chan”. Instagram. n.d. Accessed 18 March 2024.
  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. 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
  6. 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
  7. Tan, Felicia. "5 RELATIONSHIP TIPS FROM NIGHT OWL CINEMATICS' SYLVIA CHAN". Her World Brides. September 23, 2015. Accessed on 20 November 2019.
  8. Yap, Jacky. "Night Owl Cinematics' Ryan & Sylvia Reveal Juicy Story Of How They Met!". Vulcan Post. 18 June 2015. Accessed on 20 November 2019.
  9. 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
  10. Tan, Felicia. "5 RELATIONSHIP TIPS FROM NIGHT OWL CINEMATICS' SYLVIA CHAN". Her World Brides. September 23, 2015. Accessed on 20 November 2019.
  11. 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
  12. Ryan Sylvia. "We Got A Divorce". YouTube. May 31, 2020. Accessed on 1 June 2020.
  13. Ryan Sylvia. "We Got A Divorce". YouTube. May 31, 2020. Accessed on 1 June 2020.
  14. The Must Share News Team. "NOC Co-Founder Sylvia Allegedly Caught Using Abusive Language Towards Staff In Leaked Audio". MustShare News. October 8, 2021. Accessed on 8 October 2021.
  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. 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
  17. “Our Clients”. Night Owl Cinematics. Accessed on 29 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://noc.com.sg/client/
  18. "About Night Owl Cinematics". Night Owl Cinematics. Accessed on 1 June 2020.
  19. Ibid. Retrieved from: https://www.todayonline.com/entertainment/celebrity/how-night-owl-cinematics-ryan-and-sylvia-became-youtubes-power-couple
  20. "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.
  21. 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.
  22. 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.
  23. Farzanah Farveen. "MCCY unveils Netflix Bandersnatch style interactive YouTube film". Marketing Interactive. April 28, 2020. Accessed on 1 June 2020.
  24. 24.0 24.1 Gushcloud brings on board Sylvia Chan to develop media channels & content, names new commercial head”. Gushcloud International. November 5, 2022. Accessed on 14 November 2022.
  25. Sylvia Chan Appears to Be Making a Comeback With Gushcloud Under Savour365”. Goody Feed. U.D. Accessed on 14 November 2022.
  26. 26.0 26.1 Tan, Tammi. "Sylvia Chan Studying To Be Life Coach, Wants To Use Past Experiences To Help Others". Must Share News. May 25, 2023. Accessed 6 June 2023.
  27. Tan, Claudia. “'I got cancelled, criminalised and investigated by the police': NOC founder Sylvia Chan recounts her ordeal in new podcast series”. AsiaOne. March 13, 2024. Accessed 18 March 2024.
  28. 28.0 28.1 Koh, Jiamun. “Ex NOC CEO Sylvia Chan Was Investigated By Police For Embezzlement, Prostitution For A Year; Says An Entire Floor Of Police Station Was Working On Her Case”. 8days. March 12, 2024. Accessed 18 March 2024.
  29. 29.0 29.1 Ang, Amber. “Sylvia Chan back as life coach with tell-all podcasts about getting ‘cancelled’”. MustShare News. March 11, 2024. Accessed 18 March 2024.
  30. 30.0 30.1 30.2 Koh, Jiamun. “Ex NOC CEO Sylvia Chan Was Investigated By Police For Embezzlement, Prostitution For A Year; Says An Entire Floor Of Police Station Was Working On Her Case”. 8days. March 12, 2024. Accessed 18 March 2024.
  31. 31.0 31.1 31.2 31.3 31.4 31.5 31.6 31.7 31.8 Dirty Messy Free. “Dirty Messy Free”. Spotify. March 10, 2024. Accessed 18 March 2024.
  32. Dirty Messy Free. “Sylvia Chan: I Got Cancelled, Criminalised & Investigated by the Police”. YouTube. March 10, 2024. Accessed 18 March 2024.
  33. “Ryan Tan”. LinkedIn. Accessed on 29 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/ryan-tan-aa9532149  
  34. “Ryan Tan”. LinkedIn. Accessed on 29 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/ryan-tan-aa9532149  
  35. "2016 30 Under 30". Forbes. Accessed on 20 November 2019.
  36. “Ryan Tan”. LinkedIn. Accessed on 29 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/ryan-tan-aa9532149  
  37. “Ryan Tan”. LinkedIn. Accessed on 29 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/ryan-tan-aa9532149  
  38. “Ryan Tan”. LinkedIn. Accessed on 29 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/ryan-tan-aa9532149