We are RAN, an impact storytelling studio driven by a love of nature.
We are creatives and producers with over two decades of combined experience crafting films, animations, games, and digital campaigns for world-leading brands. We now put those skills to work for people and the planet’s future.
The biodiversity and climate crises are the most urgent challenges humanity has ever faced as a species, yet how they're being communicated, whether via abstract science facts or doom narratives, is causing many people to disengage. We believe the missing ingredient is better storytelling. Story makes people engage, care, and act.
As David Attenborough puts it: "Saving our planet is now a communications challenge."
RAN exists to answer that call.
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I was born in Germany to Malaysian and Vietnamese-Chinese immigrant parents, and grew up with a deep appreciation for resilience, adaptability, and the power of storytelling, shaped by the histories and traditions my family carried with them.
I went on to amass over a decade of experience as an executive and creative producer in advertising and digital communication, leading multimedia campaigns for brands like Nike, Coca-Cola, Airbnb, and Adidas, spanning animation, digital, and experiential media.
After many years helping brands tell their stories, I began to question how my work could create positive impact for people and the planet. That journey led me through ventures in sustainability and creative fundraising, and ultimately to founding RAN Collectives, Asia’s first impact-driven creative collective. I believe creativity and storytelling, with the power to shape how we see, feel, and act, are essential, and too often overlooked, means of driving real world change for good.
YANYIE TRAN
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I’ve been making animation for TV series, commercials, and feature films for more than 15 years, working with start-ups, large studios, world leading brands, and everything in between.
After graduating in Character Animation from Central St Martins (University of the Arts London), in 2011, I moved to Shanghai, where I played my part in the explosive growth of the Chinese animation industry, worked with DreamWorks, ran a production company, and won an array of industry awards for craft and creativity along the way.
I’m passionate about supporting young people in their creative development by giving them access to educational opportunities that I’d have loved to have growing up. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed passing on knowledge to thousands of students at dozens of art schools, universities, training companies and high schools, in China and Europe. My mission is to guide young and less young people towards telling stories that make a difference for people and planet.
CHRIS COLMAN
Just a few of the schools where we’ve taught…
SCHOOLS & International Schools
Green School Bali
Dulwich College Suzhou
Beijing Huijia Private School Beijing
HD Beijing School Beijing
RGS Guildford Nanjing
Wycombe Abbey School (WASNJ) Nanjing
Canadian International School Hefei
Wenzhou Foreign Language School Wenzhou
Tianjin Yinghua Cambridge International School Tianjin
Thomas School Jinan
Kang Chiao International School East China Kunshan
Shanghai United International School Hefei
Universities & ART SCHOOLS
Central St Martins, University of the Arts London
GOBELINS Paris
Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) Beijing
Beijing Film Academy Beijing
Beijing Technology and Business University Beijing
Shandong University of the Arts Jinan
Soochow University Suzhou
Southwestern University Chengdu
Shanghai Institute of Visual Art (SIVA) Shanghai
Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology
Northwest University Xi’An
“Chris’ lecture created a bridge for students to engage with the animation industry. As a seasoned master in the field, he drew on his personal journey and representative works to guide the session, explaining the core challenges of animation creation, introducing fundamental industry knowledge, and skilfully inspiring students to reflect deeply on their own growth. The entire lecture was both educational and enjoyable, and it was widely praised.”
— Zhang Renjie
Deputy Principal, International Division
Wenzhou Foreign Language School
“Chris delivered an insightful lecture on the animation industry, showcasing several high-profile projects he has worked on. His professionalism and inspiring approach left a lasting impression on our students.”
— Shaun Clark
Course Leader, MA Character Animation
Central St Martins, University of the Arts London
“Chris came to CAFA to give a lecture with his ‘ita-bag’ full of sparkling ideas, witty animations, precious experiences and a lot of passion. Our students all enjoyed it and left inspired.”
— Qi
Associate Professor
Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), Beijing
RAN develops bespoke workshops and masterclasses for charities, conferences, and cultural organisations. We have also facilitated workshops for brands we believe in, including Yanyie becoming the first licensed facilitator in China of the now-iconic Climate Fresk workshops.
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RAN is currently collaborating with UK charity and media production studio On the Edge. Working on the ground in Flores, Indonesia with fishing communities over more than a year, we’re training and mentoring a cohort of local young storytellers in storytelling and content creation skills.
Partnering with marine conservation NGO Thresher Shark Indonesia, starting with a comprehensive workshop and continuing with ongoing professional guidance and content co-creation, the project seeks to unleash participants’ creativity and bring their stories to life through film and animation, with the ultimate goal of shining a light on endangered mobula rays, and tackling unsustainable fishing practices by steering fishers to alternative methods and livelihoods.
ON THE EDGE - INDONESIA
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We created and facilitated a professional masterclass in collaboration with VOGUE China for creatives, directors and producers at one of Asia’s leading advertising industry festivals, ADFEST in Thailand. The masterclass introduced participants to the concept of CG metahumans, provided cutting-edge case studies, and supported them as they created their own virtual avatar and metaverse application.
ADFEST - THAILAND
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Through her self-founded climate communication start-up, Yanyie and her partner became the first Climate Fresk representatives in Mainland China, delivering the now-iconic sustainability workshop to leading brands, schools, and institutions nationwide.
Participants included:
> L’Oréal, Shanghai
> AmCham Shanghai (American Chamber of Commerce)
> CCI France Chine (Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie)
> Club Med, Shanghai
> United World College Changshu
> Shenzhen University
> Sino-European School of Technology of Shanghai (UTSEUS)
CLIMATE FRESK - CHINA
Chris and Yanyie have produced world-class content for the world’s biggest brands, collaborating with industry leading directors, agencies and production companies including DreamWorks, Unit9, Pixomondo/The Hype, Wieden + Kennedy, Final Frontier, Jam3 and Wonderlabs on projects spanning all kinds of digital media and applications.
Airbnb - Fù
3D Animation
Coca Cola - CNY 2022
Game, Social, Mobile
Adidas - Love Unites
Film
Lego - May the 4th be with you
AR, Mobile
BMW - Bilibili Launch FiIm
Mixed Media Animation
Nike - Sneaker Slam
Interactive
“I worked closely with Yanyie and Chris on some groundbreaking projects in China that were only able to succeed due to their professional nature and their high level of aptitude for navigating complex commercial and social relationships. Not only are they are proficient at any project they do, but they are also lovely people. It’s always an absolute pleasure to work with them.”
— Ray Fu, Creative Producer
Vice / Airbnb / Vogue
