From Shy Student to Confident Leader
School of Design & Media

Khairil Malik (second from right) with his course mates at Fusion’18, the School of Design & Media’s graduation show

 

Khairil Malik is the School of Design & Media’s top graduating student for 2018. His interest in Motion Graphics & Broadcast Design led him to enrol at NYP – his first choice. During his three years, Khairil transformed from a shy student into a confident artist and student leader. He won the prestigious Yellow Pencil from the London-based D&AD foundation, led a student team doing motion graphics for Singapore’s National Day Parade 2017, and another team creating a Virtual Reality experience for Rolls-Royce customers.  

 

He is a recipient of the Lee Hsien Loong Award and MediaCorp Gold Medal.

 

We quiz him on his experiences in NYP and his life goals.

 

1) Who is your BFF in NYP?

My friends are my BFFs. Jin Liang, Guan Jie, Matthew, Izz, Zul, Dean have made the past 3 years super fun one despite our course being tough as h*ll. Every one of them has been there for me when I felt down. One of my special moments was seeing the Super Blue Blood Moon this year together with my friends while we were in school doing our work.

 

2) What's your favourite food in NYP? Why?

Chicken rice. There used to be an uncle in Koufu that sells chicken rice and we were quite close to one another and he would teach me Chinese but sadly, after the Koufu renovation, he wasn’t there anymore.

 

3) If you could learn a new language, what would it be and why?

Chinese and French. Chinese so that I can understand my friends whenever they speak in Chinese. Also, so that I can understand the gossip in the elevators you know 😂. French because I’ve spent 3 months in Paris and just felt that it could have been a lot better if I understood French. I also think it’s a beautiful and poetic language, even when they are saying something unpleasant.

4) What were some of the more memorable aspects of your internship in Paris?

I actually wrote to Parallel Studios in Paris to request for an internship. I interned there for 3 months and got to work and play with the team. It was a valuable experience for me.

 

In Paris, I liked spending my weekends just going out without any plans and without looking at the map. Just people watching and enjoying my time there.

 

After getting back to Singapore, I did another internship at Genesis Motion Design. In Singapore, everything was more fast-paced so I had to work faster. In Paris, they focused more on quality than speed; they also played more.

 

Someday, I hope to form a team who believes that results is important as the process. I wish to bring that element of play I experienced in Paris into the Singapore industry. Having fun is what keeps us creative and passionate about the work we do.

5) What are some obstacles you had to overcome?

Before getting into NYP, I had social anxiety and I was very insecure about myself. I wasn’t just afraid of presentations, I was even afraid of ordering my own food. So, I started by setting many tiny goals for myself to be a more confident person, such as trying to maintain eye contact while conversing with people or trying not to stutter during presentations.

 

My course in NYP made me change. The lecturers were very tough and I wanted to win them.

 

I began trusting myself more instead of doubting every single choice I made. I wasn’t so critical of myself anymore and today, I am proud of who I am. But I believe that self-improvement never ends and I still have many ways to better myself.

 

So Thank YOU lecturers at NYP!

 

6) Who’s your favourite lecturer? And why?

Mr Charles Lee has to be one of the best lecturers out there. He is extremely passionate about what he teaches and demonstrates that very clearly to us. All of my course mates agree on this. He may be fierce at times and we may not like him at times but we do realise that everything he does is for our good. He brought us lots of opportunities to work with the industry, we had clients such as Rolls-Royce and Magnolia and I never would have thought I would be able to work with them before I joined the course. He is an amazing lecturer.

 

Because We Can