Samsung honours Yee in an animated feature
SAMSUNG is saluting Malaysian figure skater Julian Yee ( below) for doing what many say he can’t – winning a spot in the Pyeongchang 2018 Games – with a short animated feature titled Julian and His Magical Skates which was recorded and illustrated using the Samsung Galaxy Note8 and the S Pen.
“We are reaching out to this generation of doers, people who go out and make things happen,” said Samsung Malaysia Electronics president Kim Yoonsoo ( far right with Yee).
“We want them to know that if the phone in your pocket can do anything, so can you. “When the opportunity to support our first national figure skater Julian Yee came about, we jumped at the chance because Julian is a prime example of what it means to ‘do what you can’t’.” The phrase holds a special meaning for the South Korean tech giant. Its meaning of ‘never be complacent, to keep defying barriers and ultimately achieving the impossible’ fits Samsung’s own goals when it comes to creating innovative technologies. Kim continued: “Against all odds, Julian is today an Olympic contender in a sport that isn’t even common in Malaysia – and for that we are very proud of him, and we hope others would see him as an inspiration to achieve greater things.” Yee, who was at the event with his mother Irene Cheow and coach Michael Hopfes, was moved by the short film. He said: “The only time I really cried was when I qualified for the Winter Olympics. Watching the film made me recall the moment. The ending was like the icing on the cake. Just awesome.” Yee, who started skating at age four, said he has no regrets pursuing this sport, adding that qualifying for the winter Olympics not only allows him to compete, but also watch and learn from other greats in the skating world. His idol is retired Japanese skater Daisuke Takahashi, who he said could transform what he skates into a story.
Chan Woei Hern, the executive creative director of Ensemble Worldwide Malaysia, the company commissioned to produce this film, said: “The best technologies are often the simplest ones.
“Like a pair of skates or the S Pen: two seemingly ordinary tools but in the rights hands, or in Julian’s case, feet, it can capture people’s attention and imagination.
“As we heard Julian’s story, we wanted to get into the mood of the Do What You Can’t as well. And that meant scripting, sketching and creating the story entirely from scratch with a Galaxy Note and S Pen.
“That’s the magic of technology at world. We’ll be releasing a behind-the-scenes video soon, shot entirely on a Galaxy Note as well, so everyone can experience the journey as we brought the video to life.”
To view Julian and His Magical Skates, visit www.samsung.com/my/magical skates/. – S. Indra Sathiabalan