Brendan Mayle Kor: The Maximalist Creative Director Behind The Most Kitsch Creations

Who: Brendan Mayle Kor, 27, creative director, spatial designer and co-founder of the production house Chunkie Filmhouse and photo studio Say Chunkie!

His achievements: Even before he became a film student at the School of Art, Design and Media (ADM) at the Nanyang Technological University, he already made waves with his vivid portraits of the elderly vendors of the now-defunct Thieves Market, scoring an exhibition at the (also now-defunct) Substation. The plan post-school was to become a freelance art director and set designer, but fate – or, should we say, gumption – wouldn’t have it. In 2022 – together with fellow ADM coursemates Chan Ying En, 24, and Ryan Wong, 27 (both prefer to stay behind the scenes) – he set up Chunkie Filmhouse, a production company specialising in film and spatial design that today counts lifestyle bigwigs ranging from Dyson to Pedro among its clients.

One year later, the trio took up another unit in the same industrial building on Aljunied Road and launched Say Chunkie! – a photo studio that Kor describes as “a passion project to share (their) love for ’80s glamour shoots”. (Gen Z-ers love it for its kitschy props and backdrops that allow them to recreate dreamy portraits reminiscent of a time past.) And, yes, he still art directs with his signature playful eye as well as comes up with Wes Anderson-ian sets and props for the Chunkie brand.

How he describes his profession: “I’m a professional Carousell user, prop/furniture hoarder, spray painter, painter and van-packer. I’m also a creative director who dabbles in various roles within art direction: spatial designer, object fabricator, mural painter and an actual art director. It’s been two years, a hell of a ride and I’m thirsty for more.”

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The story behind his businesses: “I got the opportunity to direct my first commercial project during my graduating year and Ying En and Ryan were also part of its core production team. Working on that project was what sparked our idea to build our own multidisciplinary production house. We all came from a filmmaking background and aimed to do video projects such as commercials, but ended up doing a lot more non-film-related work in art direction. This made us realise how saturated the filmmaking market is and that we had to differentiate ourselves. Chunkie Filmhouse is strong in art direction, and we aim to redefine production that way. Say Chunkie! complements our work by showcasing our capabilities in creative direction, serving as a soft pitch to clients.”

On funding: “I’m not good with numbers and am learning from big brain Ying En about how to look at numbers and run a business. We invested our profits from that first project that we did together into our first studio space, so we didn’t make anything. I think the starting capital was around $5,000. As with every startup, you pay yourself peanuts for the first five years or so all in the name of investing in your assets and talents to expand your team.”

Does he receive any external support? “My dad, who recently retired from selling batik, is my go-to for business advice. My brother, who’s like that nerd from class 4A, reads into the details of insurance policies and gives great advice too. And project leads usually come through word-of-mouth. Singapore is so small that if you do good work and archive it properly on social media, people will want to work with you.”

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A typical day in his life: “It starts with hitting the snooze button on my alarm clock for an average of two times. Then it’s a bath – guys, you know you sweat in your sleep, right? Please bathe and try not to forget to drink a cup of water in the morning. I would usually pass by the 7-11 along Jalan Besar opposite Hotel 81 to get a discounted sandwich or wrap before I take the MRT to work. My go-to morning drink is teh ping from a stall in Mattar MRT station. Work changes daily based on our projects and can range from research and making pitch decks to heading out to suppliers, collecting materials and props, and fabrication in my workshop. My work day usually ends at 7 pm – that’s when I head home for a home-cooked dinner and see if I have the energy to squeeze in a workout. And I end my day by planning for the next – and engage in a little bit of revenge procrastination on TikTok, doom scrolling with moderation.”

How he manages his time: “By taking things one day at a time. I dedicate my Sundays to planning my team’s weekly to-do list and reshuffle this daily. I’m still learning to balance and to let go of responsibilities, entrusting them to my collaborators. The more I let go, the more I can do and the faster the company can grow. I’d say 70 per cent of my time goes to work, 20 per cent sleep and 10 per cent my social and personal life.”

How many hours of sleep he gets daily: “Enough!”

And how does he spend his free time? “I’m a big fan of doing nothing during my leisure time – just space out at home with a little dose of brain rot from social media. Weekends are for family, friends and casual strolls to Toa Payoh Cash Converter, which is low-key a work hazard.”

The most rewarding aspect of his life: “Building a team of creatives with empathy and heart, and still being passionate about our work is the most rewarding and heartening aspect of our growing business. Ultimately, I hope to have a community of like-minded and understanding creative collaborators.”

The first thing he bought with his earnings: “iCloud Storage. Just get it. It’s life-changing.”

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Important lessons learnt: “I’m trying to unlearn working solo – something I’m so used to in my own creative endeavours because I respect time and don’t like wasting other people’s time, and processes can be faster if I do things myself. This has led me to find it difficult to let go and split the work when working as a team. The idea of losing control scares me, but I’m slowly learning to trust my collaborators and team. Another painful lesson has been that it’s often inevitable to have to sacrifice creative expression on corporate jobs. Such clients are still pretty safe in Singapore, but these big gigs pay the bills so I navigate by building trust and delivering ‘safer’ work. With time, clients and brands will want to hear your creative input more.”

Is school important? “I’m not too sure. Maybe when you’re in other industries, yes, but not in the creative industry, I feel. I believe that your portfolio and connections are what makes you king. Many mediocre people with great connections and a talent for self-marketing thrive in this field. I admire their confidence and have learnt a thing or two from them.”

His definition of success: “That’s kinda deep. I measure success by being self-sufficient so, by that, yeah, achieving success is important to me. Have I achieved it? In primary school, I said I wanted to be an artist and my teacher commented – in red ink – that I should have a more realistic job as a backup plan. I feel that what I’m doing now as a creative director strikes a good balance.”

Advice for other Gen Z dreamers: “Don’t let your dreams be dreams. Pick up that crown, king/queen/jester.”

What’s next: “I want to revive my currently dormant clothing brand TheToxicFriendsCo. It’s been on a hiatus for ages. I plan to have a two-year plan for it and I’m trying my best to see it through.”

THIS INTERVIEW HAS BEEN EDITED FOR CLARITY AND BREVITY.

PHOTOGRAPHY LAWRENCE TEO ART DIRECTION JONATHAN CHIA COORDINATION PAIGE BOON HAIR VANESSA DREA MAKEUP SARAH TAN, USING IT COSMETICS  

A version of this article first appeared in the July 2024 Overachievers Edition of FEMALE