Crazy Smart Asia

“I wasn’t given a racing car. I chose it. But for other girls, it’s never an option," says motorsport star Bianca Bustamante, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Tatler Gen.T’s Chong Seow Wei, the GB3 racer discusses her social media game, the sacrifices her family made to finance her dream, how racing lets her escape societal expectations and why she can no longer watch anime.

00:00 Introduction to Crazy Smart Asia

00:25 Meet Bianca Bustamante: Breaking Stereotypes

01:30 Quick Fire Questions with Bianca

03:11 Bianca's Early Racing Journey

04:15 Family Sacrifices and Support

08:36 Realising Racing as a Career

14:20 Overcoming Financial and Pandemic Challenges

17:44 The Whole Package for a Racing Driver

18:31 Building a Personal Brand

20:07 Challenges in the Racing Industry

21:49 Gender Dynamics in Motorsport

23:59 The Importance of Representation

26:24 Preparing for GB3 Debut

27:37 Managing Life as a Racing Driver

31:20 Hobbies and Downtime

33:11 Would You Do It All Again?

33:56 Conclusion and Farewell

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“You can always turn something bad into good,” says 9gag co-founder Ray Chan, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Tatler’s Chong Seow Wei, the Hong Kong entrepreneur discusses building one of the world’s largest online meme platforms, the time he brought a rice cooker to a startup accelerator programme and how experiencing baby loss puts petty crypto drama into perspective.

00:00 Introduction to Crazy Smart Asia

01:11 Meet Ray: The Man Behind the Memes

01:17 Quick Fire Questions with Ray

03:38 Ray's Childhood and Early Career

04:58 The Birth of 9GAG

14:40 Navigating Co-Founder Relationships

19:39 The Genesis of Meme Land

22:47 Web3 Needs More Customers, Not Investors

23:28 Navigating the Fast-Paced Web3 Market

24:06 Challenges and Criticisms in Web3

25:19 The Importance of a Flexible Roadmap

27:23 Investment Tips for Newbies

28:59 Acquiring Hong Kong's First Meme Stock

32:43 Personal Tragedy and Resilience

36:04 Turning Misfortune into Positive Action

44:03 Balancing Faith, Family, and Fitness

45:34 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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From a visual development artist who’s worked on major Hollywood animations to a horror filmmaker terrifying audiences without the jump scares, season 11 of Crazy Smart Asia presents powerful lessons on work and life from Asia’s film industry leaders. Listen for five of the most powerful mindbombs from the season’s guests, designed to help you think bigger, braver and more creatively.

If you enjoyed these short clips, why not go back and listen to the full episodes:

• Your music is only as good as your instincts, says composer Elliot Leung
• Taking Southeast Asian narratives to the world, with film producer Tan Si En
• The Projector effect: How Karen Tan built Singapore’s coolest cinema
• Auditions, exorcisms and the art of reinvention, with writer and actor of “Good Cop/Bad Cop” fame Grace Chow
• Beyond jump scares: film director and writer Kenneth Dagatan on the art of terrifying audiences

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“If you don’t start calling yourself an artist, no one will,” says Singaporean-Taiwanese actor and writer Grace Chow, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Tatler Gen.T’s Chong Seow Wei, the ‘Good Cop/Bad Cop’ star discusses how to cultivate and protect your creative outlook, how she landed her breakout role in Australian TV series ‘Mystery Road: Origin’ and why she was encouraged to be an exorcist when she was younger.

00:00 Introduction to Grace Chow

01:37 Quickfire Questions

03:33 Grace's Creative Childhood

09:54 Pursuing Drama School

16:58 Early Career Milestones

18:52 Creating and Performing in shows

20:13 The Joy of Performing

20:58 Diverse Roles and Joy in Acting

21:56 Mystery Road Origins Experience

23:26 Good Cop, Bad Cop Audition

25:06 Memorable Moments on Set

27:41 Preparing for Auditions

31:58 Asian Representation in Film

35:31 Advice for Aspiring Artists

38:52 Surprising Facts About Grace

40:57 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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“The Projector is a space for people who are curious,” says Karen Tan, the co-founder of Singapore’s only independent cinema, The Projector, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Tatler Gen.T’s Chong Seow Wei, she discusses the benefits and challenges of disrupting a traditional industry, balancing creativity with business demands and why she lets people throw toilet paper at each other in her cinema.

01:18 Quick Fire Questions with Karen

03:02 Karen's Childhood and ADHD Journey

06:10 Early Entrepreneurial Ventures

09:29 From Architecture to Investment Banking

12:07 The Birth of The Projector

15:06 Discovering the Golden Mile Tower

20:58 The Birth of an Independent Cinema

21:47 Overcoming Initial Challenges

22:35 Embracing Failure and Experimentation

26:17 Building a Cultural Institution

30:10 Balancing Business and Culture

34:24 Unforgettable Moments at The Projector

36:44 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

38:07 Conclusion

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“Horror is like a rollercoaster ride, it mirrors us as human beings,” says Kenneth Dagatan, the film director behind the Philippines’ first scary film to premiere at the Sundance’s Midnight Section. On Crazy Smart Asia, Dagatan shares with Tatler Gen.T’s Chong Seow Wei his philosophy of horror beyond cheap thrills, the joy of directing with playfulness and why nothing scares him more than the realities of adulthood.

Timestamps: 

00:33 Meet Kenneth Dagatan: Filipino Horror Film Director

01:34 Quick Fire Questions with Kenneth

02:42 Kenneth's Favorite Horror and Non-Horror Films

03:56 The Art of Atmospheric Horror

07:11 Balancing Creativity and Adulthood

08:50 Kenneth's Early Influences and Education

12:48 Discovering Filmmaking in University

14:10 The Journey of a Filmmaker

21:51 The Role of Extras in Films

24:58 Challenges of Filmmaking in the Philippines

25:36 Background Talent and Acting Aspirations

26:42 Success of 'In My Mother's Skin'

29:13 The Journey of Making a Horror Film

34:34 Differences in Horror Across Cultures

37:39 Creative Process and Challenges

44:23 Upcoming Projects and Advice

47:10 Final Thoughts and Farewell

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“Animation is a magical thing that can bring ideas and beauty to people who don’t get access,” says visual development artist Desiree Ong on the Crazy Smart Asia podcast. In conversation with Tatler Gen.T’s Chong Seow Wei, Ong shares about the film that sparked her curiosity in animation, being a graphic designer for Guillermo del Toro’s award-winning stop-motion musical ‘Pinocchio’ and navigating the international film world as a Singaporean artist.

Timestamps

00:29 Meet Desiree Ong: Rising Visual Development Artist

01:26 Quickfire Questions with Desiree

04:22 Desiree's Journey in Animation

14:05 Working with Guillermo del Toro on ‘Pinocchio’

30:19 Challenges and Reflections

34:07 Future Projects and Closing Remarks

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“The more specific you are, the more global you are,” says Tan Si En, an award-winning Singaporean film producer and founder of Momo Film Co, on the Crazy Smart Asia podcast. In conversation with Tatler Gen.T’s Chong Seow Wei, they share why the best producers are like rivers – they flow with the bends, why the best films tell stories that are true to personal experiences, and dreams of an alternate career as a champagne grower.

Timestamps

00:20 Meet Tan Si En: Award-Winning Producer

01:06 Quickfire questions

03:06 Tan Si En's Early Inspirations

05:01 Journey to Becoming a Producer

10:03 Founding Momo Film Co

12:21 Collaborating with Southeast Asian Filmmakers

20:02 Challenges and Successes in Film Production

22:48 Future Projects and Aspirations

33:22 Personal Passions and Final Thoughts

34:34 Conclusion and Credits

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“Being a film composer is about how good your instincts are,” says music composer Elliot Leung on the Crazy Smart Asia podcast. In conversation with Tatler Gen.T’s Chong Seow Wei, the Hong Kong native discusses the process of composing big orchestral scores for blockbusters, why the ultimate compliment is the audience humming the main theme song in the bathroom after watching a film and why the voice memos app is his secret weapon in composition.

00:34 Meet Elliot Leung: award-winning composer

01:29 Quick fire questions 

03:20 Elliot's musical journey

06:06 Mentors and musical influences

08:15 Transition from cellist to composer

09:05 Breaking into the film industry

13:40 Role and responsibilities of a film composer

16:38 Designing memorable film scores

17:38 The creative process behind 'Operation Red Sea'

19:48 The Importance of musical pacing

20:50 Mapping out the score

21:34 The reality of creating film music

25:29 Cultural differences in film scoring

27:18 Experiencing the world through music

31:07 Balancing creativity with deadlines

34:17 Reflecting on the composer's role

37:10 The unexpected side of composing

38:17 Conclusion and credits

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This week, we present five motivating quotes from the guests of Season 10 of Crazy Smart Asia. From understanding what real confidence looks like to grasping every opportunity that comes your way, these mind bombs tackle what it means to build a better world, better business or better you.

If you enjoyed these short clips, why not go back and listen to the full episodes:

• Tech founder and ex-Green Beret Gene Yu on his journey from fighting terrorists to fighting online crime
• Building an empire inspired by the K-pop business model, with Tier One Entertainment’s Tryke Gutierrez
• 20,000 customers in 48 hours: YouTrip’s Caecilia Chu on nailing product-market fit
• Putting the Philippines on the global stage, with event and PR maestro Tim Yap
• Beating death while building an eco empire, with Christophe Bariou

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction and Season Reflection

00:14 Real Confidence: Handling Failure

00:53 Long-term Problem Solving

01:52 Achieving Product-Market Fit

02:41 Mastering Networking Skills

03:21 Seizing the Moment: No Regrets

04:14 Season Finale and What's Next

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