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Can’t get enough of ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) videos? One artist has elevated the trend of oddly satisfying clips in even more captivating shots of things being sliced, squeezed, squashed, and smashed.
For many fans of the online phenomenon, Lioncolony’s animation is a technicolor wet dream of sneakers being shredded to pieces and bags being inflated, among others. Global brands like Gucci, Fenty Skin, and even Marina Bay Sands, are already tapping into the creative mind of Singaporean Dave Oh.
The 29-year-old is the founder of the local design house specializing in sensuous 3D animated videos, some of which have raked in millions of views on TikTok.
“ASMR, I believe, is still quite niche in this industry, in terms of what I create. Because you have to find the satisfying factor and you have to be able to think of how to incorporate this factor into the product,” he said. Oh sometimes records his own sound effects, like crushing plastic bottles, to match the sound of a ball being squashed or cracked. Otherwise, he mostly splices up audio found from royalty-free websites and mixes them up to match the video.
From social media to the world
Oh jumped on the ASMR trend after watching a viral video of slime being cut up into pieces back in 2018. Within three years, he scored collaborations with brands, including the city’s iconic tourism landmark.
“I just happened to see a video of something being sliced up and then I was wondering how come these kinds of videos can generate so much attention,” he said. “So, I set out to try to create my own videos, which was quite simple.”
His works have been featured in brand campaigns and their social media platforms. His most memorable project yet was the one he did for Marina Bay Sands shopping center The Shoppes in 2019. He was tasked to recreate products in animated ASMR for six luxury brands, including Italian jeweler Bulgari and British high fashion brand Jimmy Choo, that were showcased on LED displays at the mall’s foyer.
“I can just go to the booth and have a look at my work. I see people looking at my work as well so it was quite memorable,” he said.
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That same year, Oh was roped in for a Gucci campaign highlighting artists around the world and their interpretation of the brand’s Ace sneaker. While the rest mainly did photo and video collages, Oh decided to “chop” the shoe up.
Fenty Skin, the beauty brand by singer Rihanna, commissioned Oh to recreate its eye cream product in 3D. He added a quirky touch to it by making rows of products slide down a ramp against the sound of splashing water. The brand loved it so much that they subsequently called him up again to collaborate on the launch of its body cream.
Oh enjoys the creative freedom in these projects, which usually bring out the “fun side” and are geared towards social media.
“It’s not like I’ll follow, very strictly, on the brand guide kind of thing. So, it’s very rarely seen on the bigger screen on those billboards,” he said.
It usually takes him days to weeks to complete a video project, depending on the number of visual textures he wants to add. He designs products from scratch instead of building on images scanned into the computer, he said.
“I will always take this additional step to 3D model it out instead of using photo scanning apps. I don’t usually use this method because I feel that it is not as realistic as I want it to be,” he said.
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Jumping on NFTs
Fans can look forward to owning his work as non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, as Oh is considering listing them on marketplaces, depending on how much the fluctuating gas fees costs.
“I’ve been actually monitoring it for the past few months. When it’s the right time, I probably will upload both my previous work and my new work because they are just lying around,” he said.
In the meantime, Oh dreams of seeing his work entering the pop culture realm.
“In the future, I want to convert ASMR from like a subculture to a pop culture icon. I will want to create streetwear and all this kind of like different things that can wear ASMR. I hope that when all these collaborations and videos are done, it’ll bring emotions to people so they can remember it when they wear the clothes,” Oh said.
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Other stories you should check out:
Capturing Singapore’s vanishing sense of community through its concrete gathering spots (Photos)
Singapore mom creates exquisite slime treats, destroys them on camera for fun (Videos)
A Singaporean visual artist swims through dimensions following TikTok success
