Rudy and Bruno may be young, but there is no shortage of ambition in the dynamic partnership behind Dinkum Productions, Macau’s hottest video production company. They don’t waste words: “We decided to make a change in the video production industry here in Macau.” But it isn’t magic, and their business is built on core values. “Every video, movie, commercial has a story to tell,” says Bruno. “Stories that will not only engage, inform, surprise and impact the audience, but that will also deliver business goals.”
Tell us a bit about your background and what you both do.
Rudy: Born in Hong Kong, moved to Macau when I was young and after high school, I went to Sydney to study culinary arts at Le Cordon Bleu. After I graduated, I moved back to Macau and I started making videos on my own until one day, Dinkum happened. And at the moment, Bruno and I run Dinkum Productions.
Bruno: I was born in Macau and raised in Brazil until the age of 17. Moved back to Macau late 2009 and went to TIS for high school, and that’s where I met Rudy for the first time. After high school, I went to Switzerland to get some work experience. Had the chance to pick up a little bit of French as well so that was a plus. I came back to Macau again in 2013 and went to USJ to study communications and media. And shortly after, I went to Brisbane to study film. I moved back to Macau this year 2017 and had Dinkum happen together with Rudy.
What is your connection to Macau? How did you come to be here?
Rudy: My dad’s side of the family lived in Macau and my dad wanted my brother and me to live closer to my grandparents so we decided to move to here.
Bruno: My dad’s family side has been a big part of the Macanese community for many years. ‘Lots of history in the family Ritchie’, I could say. My Mom wanted me to experience the roots of the Macanese blood, hence why I came back in my teens.
How did your interest in production and filming develop?
Rudy: The first video I made was a stop motion video when I was 14, and when I got older, I started making travel videos on every trip I went to. My favorite part of creating anything is being able to share it and see the reaction of the person I show it to. That’s one of the reasons I fell in love with cooking and went to culinary school. It’s an amazing feeling creating something from nothing.
Bruno: When I was 14, my sister got me a Sony Cybershot camera and ever since, I’ve always had an interest in taking photos and even filming. I started filming my friends dancing back then, edit on Sony Vegas and put it out on YouTube. Some of the films are still available to watch, but somewhat hard to find. But what really got me going was during high school, when I first got my Canon DSLR 1000D from my sister. She was my biggest influence in getting started in this area. I still have the very first SD card with all the first pictures I’ve taken with her and me. It’s a trophy that I carry around.
How has Macau shaped you as a filmmaker?
As videographers, we were always inspired by Macau’s culture. Just as we started our company, we set ourselves a motto, a lifestyle for our own in our creativity—Macau is full of expats, rich in culture with a million different faces, and we want to show that off with videos.
What would make the Macau film industry better?
Educating and motivating the youth in Macau on the film industry will be a very good step to take. Having classes and more events on this industry will be important as well. We are also starting to see this industry grow, seeing more and more people from Macau posting their video’s online.
Tell us about Dinkum productions. How did you come up with the name and what does Dinkum do?
Bruno: It all started with a cup of coffee over at Ocean Gardens Club on a Tuesday afternoon, April 25. We were friends since high school and we both just got back from Australia. We thought about getting together and doing videos ever since our first gig for “Greens”. And on that day, we decided—let’s make it happen. We were thinking of a name for our startup media company. We came up with lots of them but none of them clicked. Until I decided to do some research on words, description, meanings, etc. And I came across Dictionary.com. The word of the day was Dinkum. I’ve heard it before back in Australia but never knew what the meaning was. Dinkum means genuine, authentic. The word Dinkum originated in Australia and New Zealand and was used for commerce with China back in the 19th century. I looked over to Rudy and instantly we clicked with the name. “Dude! This is it. Dinkum Productions. Not taken, A word from Australia used in commerce with China. We’re both from China, studied in Australia, it’s meant for us. We both agreed with the name and went 1000% forward with it.
Rudy: We also talked about what we will focus on when it comes to video. We both agreed on doing commercials, ads, marketing-related media, and corporate. We did our research and we saw how Macau lacks in a few areas when it comes to creativity. Our “type” of videos has this Westernized touch. And from a true Macanese, Macau is full of expats, full of culture and we want to make sure that we keep it like that—bringing that European style into Macau in the form of videos.
What are you working on at the moment?
At the moment, we’re working on a commercial, a few photoshoots here and there, and soon a big project for the end of this month. You can check them out on our Facebook and Instagram under “Dinkum Productions”.
What’s next?
What’s next? Our foundation year is coming to an end. Big stuff will be happening soon. Big projects, big screens, and a big team.
Follow Dinkum Productions on their company site: dinkum-productions.com, Facebook: www.facebook.com/DinkumProductions, and Instagram: @dinkumproductions
