Chapter 4: Press Start
Growing up, my career heroes have always been movie and video game critics.
My childhood companions were the many iterations of the PlayStation console; my first cinema experience was E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial; and my dad invited an ignorant, innocent 3-year-old me to watch Predator on TV via the LD player.
It's very easy to marry the love for pop culture, cinema, and video games with the desire to be a writer or video producer. The problem in Singapore is that the market for this passion is incredibly small, and if you have more than 2 mouths to feed at home, writing for these media full-time may not be sensible.
Still, my journey began on my own during a trip to Los Angeles.
PlayStation had invited me to their annual PlayStation Experience in LA for a discounted rate.
Being young and dumb, I bought tickets for both the convention and a plane ticket to LA with my entire salary.
I became young, dumb and broke.
LA was my first solo trip at 23, and it was worth it.
Nevertheless, I met my heroes at the convention. Greg Miller, who left IGN to create the Kinda Funny brand; Andy Cortez, a pivotal member of the Kinda Funny Team; and Brian Altano from IGN (who has now left the company after 18 years).
Beyond the ceremonial selfies, I took the chance to hear their thoughts on how I can become a movie and video game critic in Singapore's small industry.
Their advice was simple:
"Just start somewhere yourself"
So, I started a personal brand called "Playbomb Review" or "PBRV".
PBRV, which covered video game reviews and video essays on movies, is no longer active today as I joined Geek Culture, but long story short, I wrote my own video game reviews, familiarised myself with the WordPress user interface, and made video essays on the media I love and experienced.
And then, I set my sights on Geek Culture. In my opinion, Geek Culture is Singapore's IGN. You can't find another establishment as well-known among the vox populi, and even SPH doesn't cover this niche as extensively as Geek Culture does.
For years, I've been emailing Geek Culture to join their team. I knocked on their door thrice, and the third time's the charm - They invited me to be a freelance correspondent.
There, I got to write about pop culture, tech, and everything I love. I also get to keep a full-time job in my field of expertise that feeds the family, and write for them in my free time.
Win-win for everyone, and I hope the partnership keeps going for as long as possible.
Andy Cortez from Kinda Funny and 23 year-old me
Greg Miller from Kinda Funny and 23 year-old me
Brian Altano from IGN and 23 year-old me
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What is Geek Culture?
Geek Culture is a Singapore-based media and news platform. They feature stories on all things geeky, from pop culture to tech, movies, and video games.
How was I Involved?
Freelance Correspondent
Mar 2023 - Present
Mar 2023 - Present
I write feature articles, reviews, and news stories on tech, movies, video games, and pop culture.
Read My Work
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Screenshots
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Reflection
In the film At Eternity's Gate (2018), a priest, played by Mads Mikkelsen, speaks to Willem Dafoe's Vincent van Gogh.
The priest asks van Gogh whether he thinks God planned to give him the gift to paint so he could live in misery and poverty, even though he believes his paintings are for an audience from a different time.
Some people fully commit to their passion and live a life where they can only sustain themselves; if they're lucky, they reach exit velocity and become rich, or they become a slave to their calling.
Others have commitments beyond themselves yet want to pursue a passion that may not be lucrative in their current environment.
You can pursue your passion at your own pace without committing to it full-time, while still fulfilling the obligations that demand of you.
To think otherwise is foolish.
Still, my relationship with Geek Culture is incredibly treasured. Beyond giving me the grace to write about the media I love on their platform, I have had many opportunities to catch movies before they are released, play games weeks before they launch (provided I write about them), and meet pivotal people in the gaming, film distribution, and media editorial industry.
I cannot say I have fully earned my place as a full-fledged freelance correspondent; people have taken a bet on me for this role, but I must also admit that my years of writing have helped me prove myself useful to the editorial team.
I am nothing but thankful to be on their team and to share the same passion.
Valar Morghulis - all geeks must serve!
Press Start to Begin Your Brand Journey
