With our multicultural and racially diverse background, Malaysia is never short of interesting stories waiting to be told. While documentary-like video styles are not new, one platform is changing how we consume media through thoughtful storytelling and naturalistic filmmaking.
Introducing Human Edition, a social media platform uncovering and documenting extraordinary stories of ordinary Malaysians. Since beginning in April 2023, Human Edition has gained nearly 70,000 Instagram followers, with their Reels garnering an average of over 100,000 plays (their most popular at 1.5 million) and tens of thousands of comments. When you watch their videos, it’s not hard to figure out why they’ve gone viral online.
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With its impressive video production, you would think that Human Edition has a sizeable team behind it. As it turns out, the viral platform is only helmed by a couple: Shi Han and J. The former is the affable person you meet in front of the camera whilst the latter sets the scene behind it.
“My role in Human Edition encompasses a few things. I’ll source for stories, come up with the storyboard, write the script and also do the final edits,” Shi Han explains. “I ensure that the video flows naturally with the script and that it’s engaging and relevant for everyone to watch before posting it up.”

“As for me, I mainly focus on the cinematography and visual composition. I’m also the on-site director in the sense where I film Shi Han while she can focus on interviewing people on camera, “ J elaborates. “Shi Han already has a lot on her mind during filming so I assist in shooting her interactions with the interviewees, behind-the-scenes footage and the like.”
As we follow the two creatives around Chow Kit Market to understand their creative processes and how they bring their stories to life, Shi Han and J share their goals for Human Edition and the importance of authentic storytelling.
HAPPY ACCIDENTS
As with most things that take a surprising turn in life, Human Edition happened by complete accident. Shi Han was working as a creative manager for a resort on Langkawi Island—and her time there saw a paradigm shift.
“While I was in Langkawi, I discovered that there were so many interesting stories on the island that many people didn’t know about. The people here live such intriguing lives and have amazing stories to tell,” she shares. “They were just fully living their lives in the present and I thought that was so inspiring.”
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After Shi Han and J failed to secure scholarships for their masters in architecture, she took this opportunity to pursue her passions. As a result, Human Edition was initially envisioned to be a book about Langkawi and its people. “I chose the name Human Edition because there is so much potential in the word ‘human’. There is no age, culture or ethnic limits which is why I went with it.” And so, the pair decided to spend a gap year on the island to dedicate themselves to this project.
Soon enough, this initial seed of an idea grew to become bigger than anything they dreamed of. “At first, we were just going around Langkawi photographing and interviewing people for our book but then J pushed me to start a social media page, so I give all credit to him for that!” Shi Han laughs.
“Everything needs marketing, right?” J remarks. “I think putting your work on social media is a good way to not only market what you’re doing but also gauge if people are actually interested in your topic.” Having experience managing his own social media page, Arch Library, J understands the importance of building an online presence to maximise reach and engagement. “Social media is something everybody can consume and we wanted to maximise exposure of our stories.”
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“Watching Shi Han interview people was also really interesting to me. I thought it would be a waste to not document and include that process in our content so people can maybe learn and be inspired from it,” he goes on. “I filmed her interactions and that’s how our Humans of KL and Humans of Langkawi series began.”
Their thoughtful considerations were vindicated when they dropped their first video to much success. “We posted our first video during Raya 2023 about Lemang and it just blew up! Through this, we noticed that people like this kind of storytelling so that was a great validation for us,” Shi Han recalls.
THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

When asked about how Human Edition brings emotion and depth to their stories, the duo reveal that they combine both traditional media practices and modern social media tactics.
“Social media has been dominated by fast-paced content. Everybody tries to churn out content as quickly as possible, sometimes even within hours of filming, which is very different from traditional media,” Shi Han explains. “But I think to have a story that can leave a long-term impression, you need to really know someone to tell their story. This is why our backend processes such as purposeful research and interviewing are special.”
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“We take our time and immerse ourselves in the story or place. In most of the stories we cover, our interviewees end up becoming close friends of ours. When you get to know people on a deeply personal level, that kind of genuineness comes through in our storytelling.”
Indeed, as we were walking through Chow Kit Market, a vendor who was previously interviewed by Human Edition immediately recognised the pair and chatter quickly ensued. Witnessing their lit-up expressions, it’s clear that Shi Han and J form special connections with those they speak to that inevitably become tangible on screen.
ARCHITECTURE AT PLAY
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As students of architecture, Shi Han and J also have a natural keen eye on how to design a story that captures people’s interaction with the space around them. “Storytelling is similar to designing a building,” J starts. “From how you want people to enter a doorway; go through a corridor to reach a living room or the bedroom, there’s a journey that architects take people on to experience a space and we bring that same principle to how we produce our content.”
“A space in itself is interesting but without humans, it lacks the colour or essence of it. Similarly, humans without a space are also without context—you don’t know where they come from, or what they do. So this interaction between humans and space is an important core value to us,” he concludes.
TAKING A LEAP OF FAITH
While listening to their story of quitting their full-time jobs to pursue a scholarship and taking a gap year for their creative pursuits, we can’t help but admire the two 26-year-olds and their courage. When asked what advise they would give to others looking to pivot, Shi Han believes in the importance of exploring your creativity and not being defined by labels. “The best way to start something especially when you’re not sure is to have a passion project where you have full creative freedom to create and explore.”
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“When you have a dream or a goal, there is always time you can carve out to work on them. Meet different people, and expose yourself to new materials and books to increase your knowledge. There is nothing to lose because you’re doing something you love and you never know where it’ll lead you,” she shares.
“Also, don’t be defined by your job. Just because you’re an accountant doesn’t mean you can only be that one thing. J and I didn’t even know roles such as screenwriter and director of cinematography existed but here we are, a full-blown production team doing all these things!”
As for J, “Be humble and keep learning. Don’t listen to people who don’t understand or judge you but instead, find people with the same niche and learn from them.”
THE FUTURE OF HUMAN EDITION

Much like their aversion towards labels, Shi Han and J wish to steer away from being treated as influencers or content creators. Instead, they hope to turn Human Edition into a production company that offers something meaningful to the social media landscape.
They recall an eye-opening experience while they were in Europe earlier this year. “After being invited to an art residency in Barcelona where we spent 10 days with artists from around the world, we decided to extend our trip to Europe for six weeks. It was the longest time and furthest we’ve been away from home but it was such a revelation,” Shi Han shares.
“We noticed that everyone in Europe was taught to have their own voice and opinion on things. They question the media they’re consuming, call out something if it’s not right and generally don’t take online content at face value. Perhaps it’s a cultural difference but we feel that in Malaysia, there is still a lack of discernment in the digital sphere,” she continues.
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“Because most Malaysians tend to perceive the things they consume online as the truth, that can create a dangerous environment where content creators and the media don’t feel the need or are not aware of how to ethically produce content. As a result, fake news is easily spread and left unchecked.”
“We want to reshape the social media landscape in Malaysia where research, authenticity and value-rich content are championed. What can we do to share on topics that matter whilst also making sure they reach many people? We believe that’s something Human Edition can bridge to show what quality media looks like. We hope to branch out from just videos and explore more mediums such as photography and scriptwriting in the future.”
For more interviews on inspiring individuals, head here.
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