KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA — Digging into Chinese New Year legends for inspiration, Entropia and Tenaga Nasional Berhad’s (TNB) ‘Nian-tastic New Start’ film wittily reimagines the timeless folklore which inspired many Chinese New Year traditions as we know it.
The tale about the Nian – a mythical beast terrorising people every Lunar New Year’s Eve – sees a group of terrified villagers seeking the help of a wise master, believed to hold the secret to defeating Nian, and returning peace and prosperity to their village. While the wise master teaches them to scare off the monster with red colours, loud sounds and bright lights, they also realise that as a community they ultimately hold the power to defeat Nian with a joyful spirit and positive energy. They find that in the midst of hardship, finding joy is the key to unlocking prosperity and moving forward.
Commenting on the campaign, TNB’s Chief Corporate Services Officer, Mohamad Ariff Zainol, said, “Many are looking to make a new start in 2021, especially on the back of the multitude of challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Offering an age-old wisdom and timeless folklore, this short film weaves the legend of Nian with a slight twist, and we hope it inspires people to embrace the new year with the spirit of joy and unity that underlies Chinese New Year traditions.”
April Toh, principal at Entropia, added, “Chinese New Year symbolises new hope and prosperity to many of us. And there’s no better time to re-tell the tale of Nian, as it metaphorically explains the situation we are currently in. We’re facing a common enemy that requires us to join forces to rise above adversity. And that’s precisely what this TNB film wanted to remind us of: together we can conquer anything! We hope Malaysians love this film as much as we enjoyed making it.”
Filled with amazing stunts and fun antics, the film, directed by award-winning director Quek Shio Chuan, was shot and completed right before MCO 2.0, with strict adherence to SOPs. The collaboration required the vision and passion of a team spread between Entropia, TNB and the production company to craft every single detail of this cinematic universe, with 100% virtual post-production.
Zaheer Kaisar, creative director at Entropia commented, “Legend has it, an old wise man got the villagers together to defeat the monster Nian by beating drums and gongs, and lighting fireworks with bright red decorations and clothes. When we dug deeper, we realised it was not so much the actions that chased the Nian away, but it was all about joy and good energy. Inspired by beloved old Chinese comedy action films and with a mix of modern elements into this classic tale, we retold this story in the most entertaining, action-packed and cinematic way.”
TNB and Entropia aimed to create an entire ‘Nian-tastic’ cinematic universe to delight people beyond the film. With good energy as the core thought, the team then also curated social content from the film’s main character, the wise master, so he can continue to spread joy and unity. Illustrated 3D portraits on Facebook give further insight into each character, and the print advertisement doubles up as a festive greeting and movie poster for the epic film. Besides that, they also created an interactive filter that serves CNY wishes on Instagram and Facebook, with the keywords ‘Nian tastic’ and ‘TNB CNY’.
Watch the film via TNB’s YouTube channel (Tenaga Official) https://youtu.be/dYAxupHx3L0; engage with the wise master on IG at instagram.com/cavemaster88; or dive deeper into the Nian-tastic universe at www.facebook.com/TNBCareline and www.instagram.com/tenaga_nasional.
