What life’s like as a writer, producer, and showrunner in Malaysia’s leading entertainment company

Growing up, Lemuel Ong heard multiple iterations that he wouldn’t find success in the Malaysian entertainment industry.

From well-intentioned advice to pursue the entertainment industries abroad in the US or the UK to flat-out dismissive statements that he’ll be “making peanuts and won’t be able to sustain himself,” Ong’s heard it all.

That said, he’s been doing pretty well for himself.

With a US degree in a creative field and six years of work experience under his belt now, he can safely say that it’s not a choice he regrets — even if he never expected to even set foot onto the Malaysian entertainment industry all those years ago.

Ong pictured having a discussion with Director Norhanisham Muhammad. Source: Lemuel Ong

What it takes to win a scholarship from the entertainment industry 

Like many bright-eyed teenagers fresh out of high school, Ong had no clue what he wanted to pursue for his university degree.

All he knew was that he wanted to study abroad, but that led to somewhat of a dead-end as he was financially strapped. The solution? Earn himself a scholarship.

“When I looked at my friends studying abroad, I admired their maturity, the way they think, and how they carried themselves,” says Ong. “They became a lot more open-minded too.”

With that decided, Ong joined an A Level programme — one of the more financially viable ways to secure a scholarship — and got working.

He took four subjects: business, accounting, economics, and maths, none of which he was particularly passionate about, but still managed to score himself straight As.

Even at that point, Ong still wasn’t sure what he wanted to pursue, but he knew he wanted to go for something in the creative field.

Ong having a chat with actor Marisa Yasmin on the set of “X-Change.” Source: Lemuel Ong

“There were only two organisations in Malaysia that offered scholarships to pursue a creative degree — Maxis, a communications service provider, and Astro, a content and entertainment company,” shares Ong.

Prompted by that, Ong decided to pursue a degree in creative writing, something he picked up as a hobby during his gap year before starting A Levels. 

He applied for Astro’s scholarship, where he got to the final round but ultimately failed to secure it. 

“I was devastated,” says Ong. “I was 20 at the time. All my friends were already two years into university. I really wanted to pursue my degree abroad, so I had to ask my parents if I could wait for another year to re-apply again.”

To make matters more nerve-racking, Astro’s scholarship was only for those 21 and younger — Ong was just shy of 20, so he only had one last shot at the opportunity.

Ong pictured brainstorming for ideas for a drama in the writer’s room. Source: Lemuel Ong

With his parents’ support, he decided to take another year off and wait for Astro’s next application. 

“I felt like I was lagging behind,” shares Ong. “My family were supportive of me, but it was everyone else around me who’d look at me and go, ‘Who takes gap years? Why are you wasting your time? You’re destroying your future.’ It was quite harsh,” he says.

Ong knows the path wasn’t the traditional way, but he stuck to his guts. 

It turned out great in the end, especially because he bagged the scholarship and proceeded to earn his BA in Film, Cinema, and Video Studies from Calvin University.

There, he fell in love with the entertainment industry and the craft of becoming a filmmaker, eventually leading him to his role today as a writer, producer, and showrunner at Astro.

“I’ve never seen myself as a director, writer, or producer,” admits Ong. “I thought it seemed too specialised for me, someone who has never had an interest in it, to begin with. But as soon as I joined Astro under a two-year management trainee programme, trying out several roles, it opened up many new opportunities for me, and I’ve been here for the past six years and a half.” 

Ong, alongside the Head of Astro Shaw, Raja Jastina Raja Arshad (middle), at the screening of “X-Change.” Source: Lemuel Ong

The recent rise of the Malaysian entertainment industry

In recent years, Malaysian films have made their way locally and internationally.

“Abang Adik” a Malaysian film portraying a poignant relationship between two orphans with no blood ties, was directed by Jin Ong. The film has bagged over 20 awards worldwide — a proud moment for the Malaysian entertainment industry.

Some awards won include Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor at the Malaysia Global Golden Awards, Best Film at the 10th Asian World Film Festival in LA, Uncaged Award at the New York Asian Film Festival, and Golden Mulberry at the 25th Far East Film Festival.

“Tiger Stripes” — a coming-of-age film about an adolescent girl — premiered at the International Critics’ Week section of the Cannes Film Festival in 2023 and became the first Malaysian film to win the grand prize for Best Feature.

“Mat Kilau: Kebangkitan Pahlawan” — a movie about a legendary warrior leading his people into guerilla warfare to protect their home from the threat of colonisation — made it to the top of the box office at US$21.8 million (RM97.4 million). 

With these wins, things are looking up in the Malaysian entertainment industry — and for Ong’s career prospects after graduating from the US.

Ong at a recording for the OST of “X-Change” with singer Joey Leong and composer Farouk Roman. Source: Lemuel Ong

Here’s what a showrunner of a premium Malaysian series does

Each day is never the same when working as a showrunner in the Malaysian entertainment industry, especially when you’re working for the country’s leading media and entertainment company.

A showrunner is a person who is in charge of a TV series and controls its creative and management decisions. That’s one of Ong’s many job roles, besides being a film studio executive.

“Working in a studio, most of the work is very much seasonal, and it depends on what project I’ve been assigned,” says Ong. “If I’m assigned as a showrunner, my life would essentially revolve around the show for an entire year.”

As a showrunner for “X-Change”, one of Astro’s Originals, he knows the role all too well.

Development and pre-production

During the development phase, Ong prepares documents to pitch to his management for approval. Once approved, he will then head to the writer’s room to write the show’s scripts.

He’ll also be in charge of managing the budget – figuring out how much money can be spent on the show, and he’ll relay it to the producers. They’ll work together on figuring out where they should allocate the budget.

That’s not all; here’s a list of everything he has to prepare for the show during pre-production.

• Scout for locations
• Plan the shooting timeline
• Gather a production crew
• Secure sponsors
• Cast the actors and actresses
• Prepare the wardrobe, cars, and makeup
• Acting and stunt training for actors and actresses

Ong monitoring a filming session alongside producer Natasha Azlan. Source: Lemuel Ong

Production

When production starts, it’s the “most intensive time” of the show. 

“I have to work six days a week, anywhere between 12 to 24 hours, depending on the day,” says Ong. “I’m on set every day to supervise the shoot. I’ll sit next to the director as the shoot is happening to ensure my vision for the show is protected.”

If the actors are not delivering the dialogue as he envisions it, he will voice his concerns and ensure that everything goes according to plan.

Post-production

At this stage, it’s back in the studio for Ong.

“I’ll usually sit with my editor to edit the show,” he says. “Once we’re done editing the first draft, we’ll screen it with the studio and management to see if they’re happy. This matters because that’s when we get all the feedback and head back to the editing board.”

They would then work on the VFX colour grading, sound design, and even the original soundtrack of the show. 

“I’m very much hands-on for the entire process,” he says. “Once we’re done with the post-production, I’ll work with the marketing team to help them understand the vision and story of the show so that they can market it to the best of their abilities.”

However, when Ong is not involved in a project, he’s free to choose whatever roles are available.

He can either join as one of the writers to brainstorm and write up scripts or work as a studio executive to host stakeholder meetings with production houses, talents, or government agencies.