Building on the thrill and excitement from the previous two days of innovative tech showcases and insightful workshops, the third and final day of Kre8tif! 2024 concluded on a high note. This year’s edition of the festival was held at the Connexion Conference and Event Centre at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The celebration of South East Asia’s digital content industry was organised by Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC). The event brought together animation professionals, digital content creators, students, game developers, and industry leaders from domestic and international markets.
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The day kicked off with the official ceremony of MYDCF 2024 which was graced by Malaysia’s minister of digital Gobind Singh Deo, who gave a keynote address at the conference’s auditorium packed with attendees. “This event is a great platform by which we can all experience the latest in digital creative content in Malaysia and even beyond,” he said. Post the keynote, MDEC chairman Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh announced the appointment of Anuar Fariz Fadzil as the new CEO of MDEC.
In today’s session Navigating the Stormy Seas of the Global Animation Industry: Charting a Course Toward Success!, Cyber Group Studio’s Dominique Bourse presented viewers with an analysis that aims to encourage creative and agile players to become future leaders in the next phase of the animation industry. The session empowered professionals to be resilient, adaptable and proactive to thrive in the industry.
A crucial session for the day – Addressing Social Issues in a Psychological Thriller – was helmed by Rajat Ojha, the CEO of Indian gaming studio Gamitronics. The session explored the art of narrative game design where a message is hidden under several layers of a psychological thriller. The session’s highlight was Project Elsinore, a title about harassment at workplaces and subtly talks about Gamergate movement which shook up the industry without being preachy. The attendees learned how significant social issues can be addressed in narrative-driven video games. Ojha is currently developing India’s very own metaverse space called PartyNite, and is also an advisor to top Indian institutes like IIT Jodhpur, IIT Mumbai, and Mahindra University.
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The session Unlocking Global Opportunities: Partnering and Financing for Animation IPs explored key insights on finding international partners and investors for animation producers and creatives. The attendees learned strategies to finance animation projects, pitch them successfully, and navigate global opportunities to bring their creative visions to life. The session was co-led by Shaw Rocket Fund’s Agnes Augustine and Just B’s Justine Bannister.
In Riding on Generative AI: from Ideation to Production, panellists shed light on the use of generative AI in animation, commercial production, and filmmaking. The discussion explored important challenges, such as ethical concerns and maintaining the balance between human creativity and machine-generated content. The discussion featured speakers like Vitally AI founder and CEO Alvin Chiang and Tin Town Studios founder Sing Choong Foo.
An awaited session in the Xsolla Level Up lineup – The Epic Games Ecosystem – was a deep dive into the world of Unreal Engine 5, Reality Capture, Twinmotion, the Epic Games Store, and the Unreal Editor for Fortnite. The presentation showcased the cutting-edge tools from Epic Games that empower creators and see incredible projects from teams worldwide spanning games, animation, films, and even automotive design. The presentation was carried out by Epic Games senior business development manager Dean Reinhard. The showcase consisted of how Epic’s Unreal Engine 5 and Unreal Editor for Fortnite are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in video games. The attendees discovered what makes Unreal the go-to choice for developers and how its capabilities help create an immersive experience for its games. The session touched upon how the Fortnite community is leveraging the Unreal Editor to create fun bite-sized experiences that are on-par in quality with some of the biggest AAA games. Reinhard shared how Forntite is still able to enthrall players with its battle royale and other gameplay modes even after years since its initial release. He highlighted how Unreal Engine 5 continues to evolve with new features like Lumen and Nanite that redefine how video games are developed.
The Xsolla lineup kept on riding the high wave with another anticipated session Reimagining RPGs: The Potential of Storytelling in Games which explored the importance of storytelling in role-playing games (RPG) to further enhance the game’s immersion. The session was about designing the player experience of the 30 or 40 hours of gameplay in an RPG. It was led by JP Games game creator Hajime Tabata who has worked on popular RPGs such as Crisis Core – Final Fantasy VII-, Final Fantasy Type-０, and Final Fantasy XV from Square Enix.
The Immerse KL lineup had some transformative sessions like Mastering the Million-Dollar Pitch: Insider Tips on Raising $1 Million from Top VCs which provided insights into what VCs look for in startups, the dos and don’ts of pitching, and the key factors that can turn a business idea into a lucrative investment opportunity. The session explored the current investment landscape, industry trends, and how to effectively position a startup to attract significant funding. It featured speakers like Trive Digital general partners Shawn Tan and Daryl Chung Leng Lim, MDEC country manager Chin Bing Yong, and DTC chief business development officer Mocha Mok.
The Virtual Production: Future of Digital Content session showcased how virtual production revolutionises digital content creation, blends cutting-edge technology with cinematic artistry, empowers creators to push the boundaries of imagination, transforming how films, TV shows, and interactive media are made. The session featured speakers like Oceanus Media Global creative media technopreneur Nick GC Tan, Iskandar Malaysia Studios CEO Rashid Karim, Anomalyst Studio founder Ben Kee, Pixotope Technologies VP for APAC region Andrew Tan.
Highlighting the recent trends with NFTs was The Evolution of NFTs: From Hype to Utility, which shed insights on how NFTs have evolved from their 2021 hype cycle to become more integrated into real-world applications. It also delved into how NFTs are finding new life in 2024 by aligning with industries such as gaming, the metaverse, and traditional finance. Other areas the session touched upon were the current trends, innovations, and challenges surrounding NFTs, emphasising their shift from digital collectibles to utility-based assets. The panel featured speakers like Polkadot SEA lead contributor Patricia Arro, Trive Digital general partner Daryl Chun Leng Lim, Redacted co-founder and CEO Jian Yu and VirturalsGG founding partner Geston Yong.
The three-day conference concluded with a networking night where the attendees got to interact with the speakers at Annex Bangsar Shopping Center, Jalan Maarof, Kuala Lumpur.
Kre8tif! 2024 was sponsored by Air Asia, Warankala Studios, Lil Critter Workshop, Inspidea and Kisah Bawah Tanah. AnimationXpress was the media partner of the three-day event which ends with the Malaysia Animation Film Festival (MAFF) on 4 October 2024 at Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) in the city. The festival, organised by MDEC in collaboration with GSC International Screen, will feature award-winning animated short films from Malaysian creators.