Students pick up content creation tips at ST’s Future Forecast workshop

To create a successful TikTok video, consider what is already trending, such as a viral song or sound effect, and adapt some of these elements. This was one of the tips given by Straits Times audience growth specialist Farzanah Friday at a free workshop for students aged 13 to 25.

About 90 students participated in the session on June 8 at the SPH News Centre auditorium to hone their illustration and video-creation skills.

The event was one of the outreach activities for Future Forecast, a storytelling competition organised by investment firm Temasek and The Straits Times. Open to secondary- to tertiary-level students, the competition gets young people to visualise what the world could be like in 30 years. Participants can submit their entries as essays, artwork or videos.

Ms Friday, who makes videos for ST’s social media platforms, shared different ways creators can produce content that amplifies their reach on TikTok. She also showed TikTok videos made by The Straits Times and other creators to highlight aspects that helped them become popular. Watching other TikTokers was also helpful for getting inspiration for videos, she said.

At the workshop, author and illustrator Quek Hong Shin explained the basics of visual storytelling, including research, conceptualisation and storyboarding. Participants learnt how drawing characters from different angles achieves different effects, and also got a hands-on experience by sketching characters based on descriptions provided by Mr Quek.

School of the Arts student Cheryl Kwan, 13, attended the workshop to learn more about character design as she enjoys reading comics and webtoons. She found Mr Quek’s tips on drawing characters interesting. She said: “The angles capture the expressions and actions of everything that the characters are doing.”

ITE College East student Justin Yew, 19, said the workshop was an avenue to pick up skills and prepare for the Future Forecast competition. He said: “I think these tips will help me become a better photographer or videographer.”

He hopes to study mass communication in a polytechnic and believes the Future Forecast competition would add to his portfolio.

Winners of the competition will each receive $1,000.

Apart from the cash prize, those from secondary schools, junior colleges or the equivalent will also have a chance to attend workshops conducted by Temasek and ST on how these organisations share stories with the public. Winners from institutes of higher learning will be able to attend workshops by ST and will get the opportunity to do a short attachment with Temasek.