The Client & Objectives
The Star Publishing on behalf of Ministry of Education Singapore approached us with a clear goal:
To create engaging, culturally authentic, Malay-language educational videos that support classroom learning. The content had to feel relevant, friendly and digestible for young students in Singapore’s multilingual environment.
And of course, it needed to be visually rich, character-driven with subtitles so everyone could follow along.
They gave us scripts for multiple core topics including:
- Bahasa Melayu – Pengenalan (An introduction to the Malay language)
- Salam Dunia (Greetings around the world)
Each video had to deliver real educational value, not just surface-level entertainment.
How We Did It
Pre-Production
We kicked off with storyboarding. For this animated series, we started with hand-drawn sketch frames, then refining them into full-color vector storyboards. Here is a sneak peek:
This visual blueprint helped MOE’s review team see how we’d bring the lessons to life. We collaborated closely to fine-tune character design, attire (it was an important element culturally) and scene pacing.
Every storyboard was formally approved before animation began. And once the storyboard was locked, we synced the Malay voiceover perfectly with character lip movements (lip-syncing) during animating stage.
The Animation Style
We kept things clean and vibrant.
- 2D vector art (with texture)
- Youthful characters with expressive faces
- Smooth transitions that make the scenes flow
- Subtle cartoon elements to keep it fun but not distracting
In Bahasa Melayu – Pengenalan, we explored how the Malay language is used across Southeast Asia. We added visual metaphors like speech bubbles, animated maps, cultural costumes and borrowed word pop-ups.
It wasn’t just informative. It was actually enjoyable to watch.
Salam Dunia followed Adi, a young Malay student from Singapore, as he traveled the world experiencing greetings from different cultures. Then he brought the focus home to explain local Malay customs like the “salam” and respectful gestures among elders.
It ended with a thoughtful question posed to the viewer. A nice way to prompt class discussion.
Expanding the Series
The first batch included four videos. That led to a second batch of three, with two more in development now. One standout: Misi Mencari Nama yang Hilang, a detective-themed short about Malay personal pronouns, framed as a mystery.
It used dramatic pacing, cartoon suspense and even a quiz-style game sequence to teach grammar.
The Result
The client loved it. They said it connected well with students.
Their team was happy with how the videos turned out and we’ve been collaborating together ever since. Right now, Kasra Design’s team is also helping them create new content including Chinese language lessons releasing later this year.