Director: Raymond

Assistant Director: YS 

DOP: Nick Lee

Producer: Jing

Storyboard: Raymond

Script: Sean Tan, Raymond

Editor: Raymond

Post Editor: Xiang, Raymond

Colorist: Production Team

Project Overview 

 
Ebene (2024)
Format: 20sec Commercial Ad
My role: Director / Editor 

Ebene, a brand known for products that support and relieve knee pain. While the category traditionally targets older consumers, the campaign aimed to reach a younger demographic audiences in their late 20s to early 40s, who are increasingly experiencing knee discomfort due to modern lifestyles, long working hours and reduced physical activity.
It is produced for Chinese language broadcast, airing on 8TV alongside the program Family Singing Show 5. The ad features Jasper Lai (暴牙菇), a Malaysian Singaporean influencer.

To break away from the conventional “medical” style often seen in this category, we proposed a fresher and more energetic approach inspired by short form social media content. Drawing visual and pacing references from platforms like TikTok and Xiaohongshu, the ad adopts a fast paced storytelling style designed to resonate with younger audiences.

Storyboard

One key constraint from the client was that the product had to appear after the first 10 seconds, leaving only half of the runtime to establish the story before introducing the brand. This limitation shaped the structure and pacing of the narrative.

Pre Production 

After the story flow was approved, we searched for a single filming location that could accommodate all scenes to stay within budget. I provided prop references to the team so they could source and propose suitable items for the scenes. 

Shootboard 

Once the location was secured, we planned the shoot in detail, mapping out shot compositions, the set design and lighting approach. Our DOP also help created a rough sketch to help the client visualize the final scene.

Having collaborated multiple times before, we already had a strong trust and workflow, which made the planning process smoother.

Production 

The team began setting up the set and props as early as 6 a.m. We also prepared a monitoring area so the client could review the footage in real time and share feedback during the shoot.

As the director, I had to balance directing the scenes while staying in constant communication with both the client, team and the talent. One of the main challenges was that our talent needed to wrap before a certain time, and his grandmother, who had no prior filming experience was understandably nervous and struggled with remembering her lines.

To help her feel comfortable, I had to adjust my directing approach. Instead of calling “Action,” which felt intimidating, we kept the camera rolling and allowed multiple takes naturally. Sometimes I encouraged her to try another take after a good one without cutting it. Gradually, she built confidence and delivered a great performance, allowing us to complete the shoot on schedule.

Special thanks to the entire team from makeup, sound, DOP, camera crew, art team, producer, and my assistant, along with the talent, who was incredibly easy to work with and quickly adapted to the tone and pacing of the shoot.

Post Production 

The edit was done in Premiere Pro. As per client's request, the storytelling had to be tightly structured within that timeframe in order for product to appear after 10sec. All scenes were filmed in 4K, allowing flexibility to crop and zoom during editing. 

We also incorporated practical sound effects recorded on set, including mopping, chopping, and dishwashing, while the final voice over for the ending was recorded separately.

After receiving client feedback, I made adjustments to the edit, particularly refining the sequence, placing the cooking scene before the dishwashing scene to improve the flow. The footages was then sent to the production team for color correction based on the visual direction we discussed.

One of my favorite shots from the ad features contrasting blue and red tones behind the two talents, matching their clothing, with subtle green and yellow elements framing the scene.

We also added animation elements, including a visual effect when the grandmother stands up with the product attached to emphasize its boosting effect. I worked closely with my colleague Xiang to refine details such as improving the product visibility and fixing a minor issue with the talent’s hair in the shot.

To fix issue with the talent’s hair, Xiang removed it in Photoshop for a single frame, then used the Lockdown plugin in After Effects to track and apply the fix seamlessly across the original footage. Using Adobe’s Dynamic Link workflow, I moved between Premiere Pro and After Effects to refine small details, balancing tones after color correction and adding subtle effects to the logo.

Overall

After making a few final adjustments to certain shots and compiling the updated voice over and sound effects, the commercial was finalized. 

This project successfully delivered the client’s goal of presenting Ebene in a fresher and more engaging way for a younger audience. By combining a fast paced narrative style inspired by social media content with a relatable story, the ad was designed to resonate with viewers while still clearly highlighting the product’s benefit.

It was a rewarding experience working with both an experienced influencer and a first time talent, each bringing different dynamics to the production. In the end, the project not only met the campaign objectives but also strengthened my experience in directing under tight timing constraints and adapting quickly on set.

The commercial was used for offline marketing campaigns through the end of 2025