The journey of a young storyteller

The journey of a young storyteller

RMIT Vietnam student Nguyen Thi Minh Chau has built a rich portfolio of music video (MV) scripts, including the recent viral hit Em gai mua (The rain sister).

Nguyen Thi Minh Chau, a Bachelor of Design (Digital Media) student and the scriptwriter of many viral music videos in Vietnam. Nguyen Thi Minh Chau, a Bachelor of Design (Digital Media) student and the scriptwriter of many viral music videos in Vietnam.

Ahead of her graduation in December this year, she looks back at her five-year journey from a young lover of words to a design-savvy scriptwriter. She notes that her journey may sound effortless to some, but in fact it included many days of hard work and a firm determination to pursue the career she loves. 

Chau’s path was winding, starting with a digital design course at a vocational centre before undertaking the Bachelor of Design (Digital Media) degree at RMIT Vietnam’s Saigon South campus. 

“It [taking the design course at the vocational centre] was a test to see whether I liked design or not, while preparing for my IELTS exam,” Chau recalled. 

“I was usually the one who generated the ideas and wrote the script for my group assignments, and that then somehow led to my career in script writing.”

While learning by doing, Chau took every opportunity she got and made the most out of them. 

“Normally I visualised the scenes and script while listening to the music,” she said. “It could take up to ten or twenty times.”

“After my first successful collaboration with a foreign singer, and the second, the third, and so on, I was lucky enough to meet a group of very creative and talented people that then formed the Alien Media team,” Chau shared.

Minh Chau (first row on the left) and the Alien Media team. Minh Chau (first row on the left) and the Alien Media team.

In the multimedia age, Chau is aware of the need to tell stories through different mediums. This understanding is demonstrated in the way she explores new approaches to her work, adopting a strong sense of humour and vulnerability. 

“I worked for Yan News as a video editor and for Alien Media as a scriptwriter while undertaking my degree at RMIT Vietnam,” Chau said. 

“I had a chance to be exposed to the latest trends in social media and news, and to apply the skills and knowledge acquired from my degree and work to develop my creativity.”

For example, Chau’s humorous poem about the Pikachu-dragon in Hai Phong went viral and caught the attention of young audiences in Vietnam. 

“The feeling of seeing your work go viral is so good,” Chau said about her motivation to continue creating trendy content. 

Chau never thought that someday she would work closely with popular singers in Vietnam, including My Tam, Huong Tram, Minh Hang, and Truc Nhan.

Minh Chau with My Tam, a well-known singer in Vietnam. Minh Chau with My Tam, a well-known singer in Vietnam.

Her work for the Em gai mua MV marked a significant milestone in her career, as it was viewed more than 110 million times shortly after being launched. 

“The online community craves stories, and an MV is the easiest way to quench this thirst,” Chau said. 

“Em gai mua gained the attention of audiences as it captures the love story of young people at school, which tends to remind people about the most beautiful time of their lives.”

The MV was then developed into a movie which recently appeared on the big screen. Although the film was produced in a very short period of time, it was well received, especially among young audience. Chau has maintained her high spirits and are planning other projects. 

“I feel very fortunate and always try my best in every opportunity I get so that I will never regret anything,” Chau said. 

Story: Ha Hoang

05 November 2018

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