“One Under 30” is a special ongoing feature that highlights up-and-coming young talents making waves in the ad world by Branding in Asia magazine, a dedicated source for news, creative work, profiles and insight on branding, marketing, advertising and business across the Asia-Pacific.
The spotlight was on Michael Lim Chung Leong, a 24-year-old creative who is now making a name for himself as a Junior Art Director at TBWA Malaysia. A BA (Hons) Graphic Design graduate from The One Academy, Lim is no stranger to the ad competitions scene as he has recently won a Yellow Pencil (Gold) in the D&AD New Blood Awards 2021 and 4 Golds, a Silver and a Bronze in the Kancil x sCooler Awards 2019. He has also won Silver in the Digital Animation category in the Taiwan International Student Design Competition in 2019.
Although he majored in graphic design, he fell in love with 2D animation after realizing that he could make stories come to life without any limitations. After his internship, he took a break and a trip to Europe to view one of his animations that was being screened in Croatia. The amazing experience he had coupled with his achievements encouraged and led him to make up his mind about continuing his exploration into the 2D animation field.
“It’s important to have hobbies, remain curious and passionate about exploring and developing new interests. Even better if these hobbies not only take you away from your work for a while, but they also enhance your thinking and spark new ideas,” said Lim about his personal mantra.
Lim expressed that he loves the aspect of his job where he can create cool works that make a difference and be a part of the creative journey of solving clients’ business problems creatively. He revealed that he draws inspiration from the world around him, in anything that makes him stop in his tracks, and in work that makes him go “wow”.
Though he quipped that the one thing he is not so crazy about his job are the tight deadlines that are a norm in the fast-paced ad world. He explained that quality work and all good things take time. Therefore, it is frustrating when quality work is required but a short turnaround time is given.
The interview wrapped up with Lim being asked if he had to choose another career and what it would be. He shared his dream of starting a gallery café and organising exhibitions every month for artists to exhibit their art to the public. He envisioned a setting where people can enjoy coffee, ambience and art at the same time, while he gets to enjoy people-watching and conversations.
His animated work “Transmutation” had won Gold in the D&AD New Blood Awards 2021.
The One Academy is committed to providing the best art education programmes and continues to nurture its students passionately through its “Masters Train Masters” coaching philosophy, which has been practised for the past three decades, by providing diploma and degree courses namely Advertising & Graphic Design, Digital Animation, Digital Media Design, Film Visual Effects, Interior Architecture & Design, Illustration, Fine Arts and Paris Fashion Design & Pattern Making. For more information on The One Academy, visit www.toa.edu.my or call +603-7875 5510 or e-mail your enquiries to [email protected].
Online Education Fair 线上教育展
The One Academy of Communication Design
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