Finding Candice: videos, volunteering, and vegetables

“I always try to inject some sense of magic and wonder into everything I do. And that’s because doing so evokes hope. When people go to places like the Grand Canyon, all the thoughts running through their mind shut down because they’re in awe and inspired by what lies before them. They’re reminded that there’s more to life than the working nine to five.”

More screens than I know what to do with. / Photo credit: Candice Lee

Chatting with Candice Lee – creative executive producer and video team lead of Tech in Asia (TIA) Studios – has always been a philosophical, bohemian affair, and this time was no different. As a fellow lead in the creative team, I deeply enjoy our conversations and appreciate the alternative viewpoints she brings to just about any discussion.

In this conversation, Candice took me through a typical day in her life, shared some thoughts on the work she’s done as part of Studios, and how both her personal and professional lives inform each other.

Keeping it real

Apparently, the first thing Candice does upon waking up each morning is to … stay in bed a little longer.

“When you first wake up, you’re in a state of semi-consciousness and I feel that’s your truest state,” she explains. “Doing so anchors me, reminds me of the bigger things in life. It sets me up to face the challenges of the rest of the day and, in fact, makes doing so fun.”

Taking this holistic view of life is what leads to video projects like this one for employment marketplace firm Seek, which follows an engineering manager through a work day at the company.

While day-in-the-life vlogs aren’t uncommon, convincing a client representative to actually film their day – complete with casual interactions with colleagues and even personal moments – is. Making this happen involves a level of trust that goes beyond the typical client-creative relationship.

“The day-in-the-life angle itself enhances the authenticity factor, but it was really the camaraderie between myself, our account manager Miguel, and the client that really allowed this project to shine,” Candice recalls.

Creatives clashing with clients over balancing artistic goals and business outcomes is an old cliché. But Candice’s first priority when starting any project is to understand what clients are looking for and how she can connect the dots for them. The emphasis is on collaborating in a win-win-win manner.

For the Seek project, conversations began flowing freely – like everyone was long-time friends – as the shoot progressed in Kuala Lumpur.

“That’s one of the magical parts of this job: forming these connections with the people we work with, including clients,” she says.

Feeding the body and soul

The conversation Candice and I had for this article took place over lunch. As someone who cares a lot about her health, she cooks her own meals and tends to eat the same thing for lunch every day: pan-fried cod fish with a variety of vegetables.

She also tracks her sleep quality religiously. / Photo credit: Candice Lee

I, on the other hand, allow myself to partake in the food paradise that is Singapore, so I had a lot of questions. Chief among them was, doesn’t she ever get bored?

“It took some adjustment, but it helps that I actually really like this dish,” she says. “Sure, it’s healthy, but a change like this can only really stick if it’s something you look forward to.”

This philosophy of loving what you do (and eat) also extends into her creative proclivities. In the past couple years, she has:

• Started writing a fiction novel
• Undertaken a part-time internship at the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children
• Done some investigative journalism work for the TIA newsroom
• Experimented with AI filmmaking

This yearning for the fresh and new means that she particularly enjoys the ideation part of partnership work. After sussing out the client’s objectives, it’s off to the races.

“It’s like a playground for me,” says Candice. “By nature, I’m someone who’s very imaginative and observant, and I’m able to synthesize and join together all these disparate ideas to create something novel.”

That sense of wonder comes up again in how she executes projects – every scripting and editing decision is made to evoke emotions in the viewer.

Of course, evoking emotions isn’t just about tugging on heartstrings and inducing tears.

In another example of that creative-client syncing magic, Candice and her team were given free rein to bring Grab’s tech stack to life, showing how it guides riders to ensure they deliver food in the best possible quality. A video game concept quickly emerged during brainstorming and … well, check out the result above.

The process and final product was so fun that the team also decided to do a behind-the-scenes video explaining its conceptualization and execution.

A new inspiration each day

Candice closes each day with a sunset hike and goes on walks along the beach with friends whenever possible. She loves being outdoors with others, as it “clears the mind and opens the soul.”

For this self-professed extrovert, TIA’s move to the Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) offices this year represented more than just new career opportunities.

She certainly does not lack for new experiences and opportunities. / Photo credit: Candice Lee

“When I first walked into the SPH building, it was like a younger version of me ticked off an item on my mini bucket list,” Candice shares. “It’s really about the buzz of being surrounded by storytellers of all stripes, exchanging and hunting down stories. It’s something I’ve always resonated with.”

At the heart of it all is having the opportunity to continue telling great stories.

“It’s a dream position to be in. And I really don’t take it for granted.”

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