Feng Zhu has worked on some of the greatest films and games ever produced – Star Wars, and Command and Conquer – and created some of the world’s best-loved characters in Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
He has taught in two world-renowned design schools – Art Center College of Design and Gnomon – and is ranked among the likes of Chris Bangle, ex-Chief of Design for BMW, and Stefano Marzano, Chief Creative Director of Philips.
Given his prolific portfolio and extraordinary talent, he could choose to concentrate on developing more blockbuster productions.
Yet he chose to set up a design school - not for practicing professionals, but for early learners. Not in a city with a long art history, but in Singapore with a fledging production industry.
Setting Up In Singapore
“I chose Singapore for many reasons,” Feng explained. “Firstly, it is in a central location, surrounded by China, Japan, Korea, India and Indonesia, which is important as I want the school to be international.”
“Secondly, English is widely spoken, which makes communication much easier and allows me to invite guest speakers from the U.S. and Europe. Thirdly, the Singapore government is very supportive of the media and educational sectors.”
“And lastly, I love Singapore and I think this is the place for establishing a business and a home. The government is efficient, business processes are transparent, and the environment is clean.”
Feng’s initial plan was to start a production studio in Singapore after having sold a games studio he started in China. But shortly after sizing up the local market, he realized there were not enough creative talents in the entertainment design scene and decided to start the FZD School of Design instead.
Feng’s First School
“Many countries don’t offer as good support or as many avenues for businesses as Singapore. With the help of the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA), my team and I managed to build a sizeable facility within a short time. ”
Feng’s goal is to prepare students to become designers by covering all the areas necessary for them to become professionals. To achieve this, the school focuses mainly on design and fundamental skill development, where all the instructors are experienced designers from the entertainment industry. The school’s curriculum does not teach art or anything related to art. Rather, it develops the students’ understanding of what they are drawing or painting and how things work in the entertainment design world.
“I’ve found students in Singapore very under-exposed to entertainment design, and most are only exposed to cartoons. This knowledge gap makes it difficult to teach and I hope to change that with the school,” Feng shared. “Students are encouraged to go to countries such as Japan and Korea for inspiration and they are constantly exposed to real time developments in the industry. The syllabi are simplified and have adapted content to help students catch up with various developments in entertainment design.”
Feng’s efforts and perseverance are certainly paying off, with more than 80% of his students from the WSQ Diploma in Industrial Design finding jobs after graduation, some securing positions in reputable companies such as Lucasfilm, Double Negative and Kingsmen Exhibits. Graduates of his school have been getting some of the highest paying jobs within the creative industries and many of them also cite improved job performance, increase in job scope or new responsibilities.
Sharing with the Wider Creative Community
“Right now, my programmes on YouTube present design tutorials that the school is doing. I teach topics aligned to the WSQ framework such as lighting, sketching, digital painting just as how it is done in the school.
Feng’s Personal Goal
Going forward, Feng sees much is needed to take Singapore’s entertainment design industry to the next level.
“Singapore is still in the early stages of production. Many large foreign production houses are beginning to set foot here, but they are mainly carrying out piece-meal jobs and not contributing much to the local economy,” Feng explained.
“What Singapore needs is home-grown local creative companies, carrying out projects and productions for an international market that can contribute to the economy. This is where I see a role for myself.”
“Besides that, Singapore needs more local talents, people who have wider experience and deeper knowledge in entertainment design. To get there, education is a huge factor. We need to groom people who will become creative entrepreneurs that will go out into the world and make an impact.”
For more information on the Creative Industries WSQ Framework, please go to www.exploreciwsq.sg
Please visit WDA Facebook to leave your suggestion.