Large-scale productions used to dominate the animation industry, but a new wave of creators is proving otherwise.

We speak with Charlie Chan, Managing Director of Metal Brain Studio, about how Malaysian-made Oko Lele became a worldwide sensation on YouTube, amassing 3.6 million subscribers and over 4 billion views. From monetising content like an independent creator to licensing IP and launching merchandise, we explore the unique path of growing a slapstick series into a scalable business, and what it would take to build Southeast Asia’s next global franchise.