Derek is the cofounder of Viddsee, a creator platform for premium short form content with over 3B+ views, 40M+ monthly reach, and 5K+ filmmakers.
With 15 years as a media and technology leader, Derek has worn multiple hats – from developing products to selling content IPs. And his passion lies in growing communities around content, building empathy with IPs and characters, and driving action through impactful storytelling to shape culture.
Guest Author: Derek Tan
Once in a lifetime, you meet someone who changes everything
I didn’t have an ambition when I was in secondary school. I would deliberately choose the simplest co-curricular activity (chess club). So that I could just clear 1+ hour every Sat to mark my attendance.
This changed one day, when I raised my hand to be the videographer for a school trip. I loved watching tv/films, so I thought why not.
Off I was sent to attend a 3-day crash course. Mr Malik, an ex-student of our school, was now managing the audio-visual department in the school.
“I’m going to change (or rather ruined) the way you watch tv/films after this crash course”, Mr Malik exclaimed.
And literally, it changed (and ruined) how I watched tv/films. I saw the editing cuts. I saw camera angles and techniques. I saw story structures.
I saw the magic of tv/films disappear. But at the same time, I grew closer to content creation. I loved the art and science of video to create what’s in my head, and to show it to the world.
But I realised that it’s not because Malik did the 3-day crash course and introduced me to content creation.
It was how he pursued his passion. Malik was a self-taught videographer/cinematographer. He came back to the school to learn and work on his craft with the equipment in the school. He discovered that teaching made him a better student to the craft. And he continued doing so with my juniors thereafter.
It was more than a job for him, but a passion that followed him in years to come. I came to realise that it was his passion and pursuit for knowledge that changed my perspective of life.
I became more inquisitive more directed in my ambitions and life. I learnt to be a learner.
And the best way to learn, is to teach and empower others. I built my own version of the 3-day crash course into 3-month film school programmes in my junior college and university film/video clubs.
This continued when I started my company Viddsee, a creator platform for filmmakers, to empower storytellers to make films and share their stories to the world.
And today, I’m continuing my role as a Creator Operator to empower impact creators to transform and inspire lives with their positive stories.
Thank you Mr Malik for igniting the spark that changed the course of my life.
How has someone changed the way you approached your life?
#gratitude #lifechanging #mentor
[Photo of me teaching video in university]
