The Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) is proud to announce a partnership with Snap for the #YoungCreators event in conjunction with Merdeka celebrations this year. The partnership will provide Malaysian Snapchatters with the opportunity to explore the world of Augmented Reality (AR) as the nation prepares for the upcoming Merdeka celebrations.
Snap is keen to empower young digital creators in Malaysia to develop a Merdeka Lens in conjunction with the country’s Independence Day celebrations. MDEC is supporting these efforts via the #YoungCreators event which will see the launch of a new platform to nurture the creative digital skills of youths in the country.
Placed within MDEC’s on-going #SayaDigital movement, the #YoungCreators will provide an opportunity for young and budding content creators to learn how to leverage digital platforms as a means to upskill, empower creativity and generate income. Programme participants can strengthen their capabilities and visibility on a regional or international stage. Featuring top influencers, talents and industry giants within the creative space, the two-day event took place on 28th and 29th August 2020. #YoungCreators is expected to reach 1,200,000 people worldwide.
As digital transformation becomes a key focus, the digital content industry in the country will be increasingly in the spotlight. Leveraging on the diversity in talent as well as the youthfulness of the workforce, the addition of Snapchat into the ecosystem will see more Malaysian youths empowered to create AR experiences of their own through Snap’s Lens Studio desktop app.
One Lens creator who will be actively participating in this endeavour is Eswar Mohan, Snapchat’s first Southeast Asia Official Lens Creator (OLC) based in Malaysia. Eswar turns drawings or animations into AR experiences (Lenses) using Lens Studio.
“I think that the Malaysian digital creative content industry is great as it provides endless opportunities for young people like myself to harness our creativity and potentially monetise from it. Having started with zero design and coding knowledge, we learnt everything along the way, relying on the work of experts and their past failures. If there is one thing I have learnt, it is that there is never a right time to start something. Just go for it. I think the future is bright for this industry as everything has moved online and people love to consume creative content digitally. You just have to be creative, persistent and never give up,” he said.
MDEC’s Chief Executive Officer Surina Shukri continues being encouraged by such partnerships as it reiterates the trust held by the government and private sector in the Malaysian digital content creation ecosystem.
“The partnership with Snap is yet another vote of confidence for the Malaysian digital content industry. I’m excited to see homegrown Malaysian talent starting to be recognised internationally, and while we have seen global successes, we should not rest on our laurels. Part of MDEC’s mandate is to ensure a holistic digital ecosystem can be formed and sustained, To that end, the content creation industry has shown significant promise and as such, I believe by harnessing opportunities, we can better overcome challenges faced from the global pandemic. Through #YoungCreators, MDEC can leverage its unique position to help cushion the blow by empowering the younger generation to embrace digital technologies, believe in their creativity and monetise their creations, whilst based in Malaysia and serving both the local and global market. This will ultimately help enable the younger generation with a new and sustainable form of living,” adds Surina.
“Eswar Mohan is a shining example of success that can be attained when a youth is provided with the right avenue to have his or her skills harnessed. Through our partnership with MDEC, we believe that his success story will inspire youths across Malaysia to demonstrate their creativity on digital platforms and motivate a whole new generation of digital content creators. With this partnership, Snap seeks to identify the next set of young Official Lens Creators from Malaysia,” explains Nana Murugesan, Managing Director for International Markets at Snap Inc.
Malaysia is home to a rapidly maturing digital creative industry which includes animations, movies, and video games. It has proven to be a significant growth driver within the national economy and has the potential to shape the country’s growing digital economy. In 2018, the industry created 11,590 jobs, raked in RM7.9B in revenue as well as RM1.42B in export sales. Malaysian grown animation and video games like Upin and Ipin, Re:Legend, King’s League II, BoBoiBoy and Ejen Ali are well known internationally and inspire global confidence in the local digital creative content industry.