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Picture a game of Tetris where colorful blocks fall not from the top of the screen, but from the sky onto Hong Kong’s famous, Choi Hung Estate-style archery.
Such amazing features are the expertise of Ben Mok Wang-hin. The 24-year-old visual artist is known for revitalizing the city, reimagining its famous streets and spaces.
“I spent more than 30 hours after the release … but before that, I had to think of ideas and think of a possible plan to make it happen,” said Mok about his video. Tetris has over 15 million views on Instagram. when the popular meme account, 9gag, revealed it in June.
For Mok, his art is not just about presenting specific features to impress the audience. It’s also about turning Hong Kong’s unique features into a must-see for those outside the city.
“I want to show Hong Kong elements in all my videos… I want people to know that there is a person from Hong Kong doing these special effects,” said Mok.
Hong Kong is where the magic happens
Visual artists work magic on screen – using digital art software to create everything from explosions to extremes.
Some of Mok’s most popular works include short clips featuring Marvel comic characters. One shows the hand of the Creator picking up Thor’s hammer, a storm in the Tsim Sha Tsui estuary.
In another clip, a popular Hong Kong phone operator has its store closed and reduced to ashes, showing how the government’s reform plans are trying to prevent ghost businesses from closing, or moving.
The artist draws inspiration from his everyday life and from famous characters. For example, the Tetris video celebrates his love for the classic arcade game.
From filming to adding effects, Mok creates these videos himself, but the post-production process is difficult. His videos take between 20 and 100 hours to make. Aside from his brand collaborations, the artist makes most of his videos for fun.
“I’ve never seen anyone else do it for free because it’s a very time-consuming and labor-intensive job,” explains Mok, citing YouTube as his “teacher”.
“I learn everything I need to through social media, and I put these skills to work.”
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The epidemic sparked a new beginning
Mok started making special effects a year and a half ago – although he’s been making videos for eight years, starting in high school.
He recalled how enthusiastic he was in school computer lessons, as he volunteered to help his classmates who were struggling to learn video editing. In 2017, the young artist began producing short films and vlogs about traveling and posting them on YouTube.
But due to restrictions during the epidemic, Mok was forced to quit. “Since I couldn’t go, the restrictions forced me to do something else,” he said.
On his idle days at home, he watches all kinds of YouTube tutorials to learn new skills. “My passion is video editing, I don’t want to be idle,” he emphasized. “I could watch video tutorials all day … learning how to do certain effects.”
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Two years ago, he uploaded to YouTube his first exclusive video, in which he incorporated classic game elements into landscapes from old travel footage. It’s a way to introduce his new perspective on his art.
“There was no income in the beginning,” Mok said, adding that he had only been doing visual arts for the past six months.
But the positive feedback he received for his video of Choi Hung Estate gave him the confidence to make a career out of these skills.
Now, Mok is a video-on-demand producer who has worked with popular brands including Discover Hong Kong, Times Square and 9gag. “Working with brands to work on videos and exclusive ads is something I’ve always wanted to do,” he said.
Growing the right way
On his YouTube channel, Mok includes tutorials that unravel his magic by explaining complex editing techniques for those interested in learning about visual effects.
She said that she is not afraid to teach others about her techniques and styles, adding, “Of course, I hope that the style of fashion artists will grow in Hong Kong.”
For those who want to develop these skills, Mok said that they should start with special characters from Marvel Studios movies, as there are many tutorials and guides on the internet about these characters. popular movie.
While social media efforts help creators’ short videos gain exposure, Mok isn’t interested in capturing views.
“Some people have the opportunity to copy other people’s work just to get out. It’s not healthy,” he said, adding that he likes to spend time making quality videos.
Although his life was “very unstable”, Mok said, he had no intention of giving up his creativity to join a manufacturing company.
“My ultimate goal is to make a living by creating content that I love and that doesn’t require me to compromise my ideas,” he said. “Right now, I feel like I’m living a dream.”
Click here for a printable worksheet and interactive activities for this story.
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