FEATURED WORK

SMU IIE: many student stories, one unmistakable voice.

Singapore Management University
Brand film

Participant grid from the SMU IIE brand film
SMU IIE / selected film still

IIE wanted to raise its profile among students already at SMU and those who might join. Red Ink made a brand film that gave different students different visual treatments, then brought their stories together in one energetic idea.

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CLIENTSingapore Management University
THE WORKBrand film
RED INK’S ROLECreative and production end to end

THE STORY BEHIND THE FILM

01

The brief: raise IIE's profile

The institute needed to speak to students inside SMU and to prospective students considering its opportunities. A conventional overview could list programmes and facilities, but it would be less likely to convey the energy of the people involved. The challenge was to introduce several student experiences without making the film feel like a disconnected set of profiles.

02

One theme, different treatments

Red Ink built the film around students rather than an institutional monologue. Individual stories receive different treatments, including direct-to-camera moments that break the fourth wall, time-lapse, drone imagery, motion graphics and split-screen compositions. Rhythm-driven editing gives the film momentum while a common theme holds the experiences together. At the end, the audience learns that the voice connecting the film belongs to the dean: a reveal that gives the different stories a shared frame.

DIFFERENT STUDENT VOICES

A student story from the SMU IIE film.
A student story from the SMU IIE film.
One of the individual student portraits in the film.
One of the individual student portraits in the film.
03

A coordinated production

Red Ink handled the creative and production work end to end, from the approach through filming and post-production. The shoot took two days. A split-screen sequence involved close to 30 students, making participation, timing and direction a significant part of the job. The film's sense of ease was made through careful coordination of many people and performances.

A COORDINATED SHOOT

Crew and students working on the SMU IIE shoot.
Crew and students working on the SMU IIE shoot.
A portrait behind-the-scenes frame from the SMU IIE production.
A portrait behind-the-scenes frame from the SMU IIE production.
04

What the film delivered

The finished film introduced IIE with energy and a point of view. The client responded positively to its distinctive visual treatment and the way student profiles were shown. The work demonstrates Red Ink's ability to make corporate and institutional storytelling feel specific, human and formally inventive.

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THE NEXT FRAME

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