Singapore – Viddsee, a short film platform, has announced key appointments to advance its content development and marketing capabilities. Christopher Cumming has been named as  Viddsee’s vice president of commercial and Irsyaduddin Ifwat as associate creative director.

Leveraging his leadership skills, Cumming’s new role requires him to push for the company’s business growth while executing marketing strategies. Meanwhile, Ifwat is at the helm of developing creative solutions for Viddsee’s clients.

Both new team additions have notable experiences in the field. Prior to his appointment at Viddsee, Cumming served as general manager at CUE Group and group business director before that. He also held leadership roles at Wavemaker and Wunderman Thompson. Ifwat was a communications design lead at SATS Ltd. and a senior designer at PropertyGuru Group.

“I am thrilled to join Viddsee at such a pivotal time in its growth journey. I look forward to working with the talented team to enhance our commercial strategies and deliver outstanding value to our clients through innovative content solutions,” Summing said. 

Ho Jia Jian, founder and chief executive officer of Viddsee, commented, “The addition of Christopher and Ifwat, combined with our commitment to growth, reinforces our dedication to creativity and excellence. We eagerly anticipate their contributions to our mission of empowering storytellers and enhancing client experiences.”

Singapore – Viddsee, a short-form drama platform, has joined forces with Chinese content investment and licensing company Risingjoy to bring and introduce the popular Chinese micro drama content to Southeast Asia. 

Microdramas, known for their concise narratives and compelling storylines, have surged as a cultural phenomenon in China and globally in recent years. The market value of China’s micro-drama industry hit around US$5.3 billion in 2023, with projections soaring to USD$233 billion by 2028.

This partnership capitalises on the growing global appeal of microdramas, a trend gaining significant traction in China and worldwide. As a short-form drama platform, Viddsee strategically expands its diverse content offerings by bringing these compelling microfilms to Southeast Asia, meeting the evolving preferences of regional audiences.

Since 2022, Viddsee has been producing original vertical microseries, leading to a notable increase in viewership and engagement on the platform, underscoring the growing popularity of microdramas.

Viddsee’s partnership with Risingjoy is expected to accelerate this momentum by presenting selected Chinese micro-drama titles to Southeast Asian viewers while initiating cooperative production ventures in the region. 

The initial batch of Chinese micro-drama titles is scheduled for release on Viddsee in the latter half of 2024. 

Ricky Ow, board of directors at Viddsee, commented, “With over 10 years of experience in short form content, Viddsee has honed its expertise in understanding and delivering what audiences crave. The growth of micro dramas, coupled with Viddsee’s expanding capabilities as a studio and platform, ensures that they are uniquely positioned to lead in this emerging entertainment format and excel.”.

Ho Jia Jian, CEO and founder of Viddsee, added, “We are excited to partner with Risingjoy to bring fresh and engaging content to our audiences. This collaboration marks the beginning of several such partnerships, through which we aim to diversify our content offerings and maintain our leadership in the short-form drama space.”

Meanwhile, Cassandra Yang, general manager at Risingjoy, said, “This is a tremendous opportunity to bring rich and diverse Chinese content to Southeast Asia. Viddsee’s studio and extensive network of creators, the largest in Southeast Asia, also make them an ideal partner to facilitate localization of such micro dramas in the region. We look forward to solidifying our competitiveness and sustainable growth in this dynamic content landscape.”

Singapore – In a move to bolster its platforms, video entertainment platform Viddsee has announced the addition of media veteran Ricky Ow to its board of directors

With a distinguished career spanning successful roles at WarnerMedia, Turner, and Sony Pictures, Ow brings to Viddsee a deep understanding of the media landscape, notably in market development, content production, and IP investment.

Ow’s appointment to Viddsee’s board of directors aims to lead its transformation into a dynamic entertainment hub that nurtures and promotes impactful creative content. Leveraging his extensive media background and leadership in Web3 enterprises, Ow will play a pivotal role in steering Viddsee’s direction and spearheading new initiatives under ‘Candee Labs’, Viddsee’s innovation venture into the Web3 AI space.

Viddsee has evolved from a platform primarily focused on showcasing short-form content with a network of storytellers to placing a stronger emphasis on the production of award-winning original content and expansive brand campaigns. This pivot leverages its network of over 5,000 creators to not only expand in size but also enhance the quality and scope of its content offerings. 

Moreover, Viddsee is enhancing its methods for scouting creators to better identify and cultivate emerging regional talent. Drawing upon Ow’s expertise, Viddsee seeks to navigate the intricacies of the media landscape, cementing its status as a premier hub for creative content across Asia. 

Ow’s addition to Viddsee marks a significant milestone as the platform continues to lead and innovate in digital content, promising exciting new developments for brands, streamers, and entertainment partners.

Commenting on his appointment, Ow stated, “I look forward to guiding and supporting Viddsee’s journey at this transformative phase as we strengthen the platform and empower regional talent, setting new benchmarks in the creative industry.” 

Ho Jia Jian, founder and CEO at Viddsee, also said, “We are incredibly privileged to welcome Ricky to our board. His extensive experience and deep industry insights will be crucial as we advance in innovation and leadership, particularly through challenging yet promising environments.”

Singapore – Creator platform for short premium content Viddsee has appointed Esther Yue as its head of brand entertainment, and are set to infuse a fresh perspective and enhance the team’s growth momentum.

In her new role, Yue will leverage her experience in business development and client retention to generate new clients and branded partnerships. She is charged with leading Viddsee’s branded entertainment team, bolstered by the inclusion of new, experienced hires. 

This fresh and proficient team is set to bring a new level of dynamism to Viddsee’s branded content business. Collaborating closely with internal studios and the marketing team, she will help pioneer integrated strategy solutions for Viddsee’s clients.

Yue will be joining Viddsee’s robust management team, which includes Ho Jia Jian as the CEO, Michele Schofield as the senior vice president of commercial, and Kenny Tan as the vice president of Viddsee Studios.

She is a seasoned industry professional, bringing an impressive wealth of experience from her past leadership roles at Saatchi & Saatchi, BBDO, Dentsu, Craft Worldwide WW and most recently at Distillery. 

During her tenure at these esteemed advertising agencies, she had the privilege of collaborating on noteworthy projects, alongside top-tier creative teams and clients throughout the region.

Ho Jia Jian, CEO of Viddsee, said, “Having Esther on board is a huge win for us. Her experience and proven record will boost our business offerings. This appointment shows Viddsee’s commitment to strengthening our storytelling brand, reaching more clients, and growing faster.”

Singapore – Storyteller platform Viddsee has announced today that Derek Tan, co-founder, has stepped down from his operational role as Viddsee’s chief business development officer, and will be transitioning to a non-executive director role on the board.

Despite stepping down from his executive role, Tan will continue leading Viddsee’s future with his tenure and experience from his previous role, guiding the company strategically as a non-executive director.

Throughout his career, Tan has immensely contributed to the company’s growth and success. By focusing on strategic partnerships and business development initiatives, he played a substantial role in expanding Viddsee’s commercial offering, user base and strengthening its position in the industry. To date, Viddsee has amassed over 3 billion views with its rich repertoire of over 5,000 films.

The business, under the guidance of co-founder and CEO, Ho Jia Jian, senior vice president of commercial, Michele Schofield, and vice president of studios, Kenny Tan, will continue its journey after the tenure of Tan as the chief business development officer. Their collective vision is to persistently uphold the company’s commitment to promoting narratives and empowering diverse voices in this digital era.

Ho Jia Jian said that the company is very grateful for Derek Tan’s invaluable contributions over the years.

“He has been instrumental in fostering partnerships that have elevated our platform’s status internationally. We appreciate his expertise and dedication, which will continue to be a resource in his role as a member of the board,” he added. 

As this executive transition takes place, Viddsee remains in its goal of empowering storytellers and delivering quality, entertaining and engaging content to its global audience.

Singapore – Candee, the parent group of storyteller platform Viddsee, announced the launch of its entertainment ecosystem Candee Labs, which aims to empower the creator and fan community via innovation, experiences, and data insights to develop next-gen stories. 

Candee Labs will enable creators and fans to monetise through ownership while fostering community building and loyalty. Moreover, brands and businesses can leverage its expertise to unlock maximum storytelling potential across different ecosystems. 

The new project also seeks to support content creation across Web2 and Web3 ecosystems, push the boundaries of traditional storytelling, and solidify the group’s position as the region’s creator ecosystem.

According to Candee, this likewise allows the group to support the creator economy by allowing for more raw talents and potential to be discovered to support the future growth of storytelling.

“We’ve witnessed how Viddsee became the platform for creators to showcase their storytelling skills, distribute content and gain audiences from unique stories. We want to continue developing content through creative and innovative ways that will evolve the future of storytelling,” said Ho Jia Jian, CEO of Candee.

He also added that Web3’s open web allows more equitability for creators and fans to collaborate, share experiences and develop next-gen stories, which in turn challenges how stories are told and remembered.

The group is also working alongside prominent Web3 projects such as BBRC x IVY Boys, to bring next-gen stories to their communities.

“We’re excited to work with Candee Labs, with their track record of Viddsee and its relationship with creators, to bring the BBRC x Ivy Boys IP to reality. The goal in this collaboration is for it to be developed into an entertainment IP and create an amazing show out of it,” said Nelson Yap, co-founder of BBRC.

Last September, Viddsee also expanded its IP incubator Viddsee Labs in Asia-Pacific.

Singapore – Storyteller platform Viddsee is expanding its IP incubator Viddsee Labs in Asia-Pacific following several deals with filmmakers in the region to develop original titles for the platform. Interestingly, South Korean filmmaker Doyeon Noh is one of those who signed the deal.

The regional expansion of Viddsee Labs comes after the success of its first two ‘Shorts to Series’ projects in Singapore with ‘The Lying Theory’ and ‘Home Is Where the Heart Is’.

Viddsee Labs will work with a diverse group of storytellers from South Korea, Hong Kong/Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines with Indonesia, making up most of the slate with six projects. 

Other titles from the ‘Shorts to Series’ project include Indonesian short horror film ‘Stratagem’, Indonesian social commentary film ‘In The Middle of Blackhole’, Indonesian comedy film ‘Opor-Operan’, Filipino post-apocalyptic film ‘LOLA’, Malaysian post-apocalyptic film ‘Hawa’, Singaporean film ‘How To Bury a Dead Cat’, Singaporean original series ‘The Multiverse At 13 Hill Ave’, Indonesian tragic comedy film ‘Antar Ibu Pulan’, Malaysian film ‘Longhouse Chronicles’, and a film adaptation of the book ‘Fallen Butterflies’.

As an IP incubator, Viddsee Labs helps facilitate the growth of Asian storytelling by identifying and developing talent and testbedded IPs. Its long-term goal is to support the region’s democratisation efforts of the creator economy by disrupting how stories and talents are discovered and developed; to bring more authentic Asian stories to bigger audiences.

Derek Tan, co-founder and chief commercial officer at Viddsee, said, “We recognise talent and IPs are key aspects of our storyteller community, which encouraged Viddsee Labs to tap upon its existing regional footprint to develop these diverse range of projects. Moving forward, we hope that this first look deal will help to further support Asian filmmaking talents by enabling entertainment partners to discover the next generation of storytellers with us.”