On set
23 Aug 2026

Waiting at floor 118

By Danny Yeong, Creative Director

The short answer

Put a camera at every part of the story: the booth, the crowd, the stairwell, the medics and the finish line. Over two days at The IHH Sky Race, we covered all of it for IHH Malaysia and sent photos and reels for their social media on the same day.

22 August, before sunrise. Thousands of climbers in blue tees are walking up to Merdeka 118, and we’re already in place at the start line, in the stairwells and on floor 118.

Two race days with the title partner

IHH Malaysia is Title Partner and Official Medical Provider of The IHH Sky Race, a climb of 118 floors and 2,845 steps up Malaysia’s tallest building. This year more than 8,000 climbers from 78 countries took part over two days, setting a new Malaysia record (IHH Healthcare Malaysia). Our job was photos and video for IHH Malaysia on both race days, for their social media and PR.

Merdeka 118 rises above climbers walking up the lit steps to the start of The IHH Sky Race before sunrise — Merdeka 118 before sunrise, as the first climbers arrive

Everywhere IHH showed up

A title partner shows up in many places, so our coverage followed IHH all day. At the Sky Race Village, the IHH booth was busy with health checks, InBody scans, the name wall and the Pedal Power bike. In the tower, IHH medics waited on the landings and at the Rest Zone halfway up. We covered the crowd and the vibe in between, so every part of IHH’s day was on camera.

Crowds of runners visit the IHH Healthcare booth at the Sky Race Village beside Stadium Merdeka — The IHH booth at the Sky Race Village

Runners gather at the IHH Sky Race Runners Check booth at the Sky Race Village — The IHH booth at the Sky Race Village

The first five at the top

The moment we remember most came on floor 118. The first five runners reached the top still pushing, still racing the clock for a record. The winner, Ryoji Watanabe from Japan, finished in 15:38, just one second slower than the course record (Malay Mail). Nobody eased off near the end, and that spirit is what we wanted IHH’s audience to feel.

When the first five runners reached the top, they were still fighting for every second. That never-give-up spirit is something we respect and admire.
Danny

Fighting spirit on every floor

Behind the leaders came thousands more. Groups cheered each other up the stairs, runners caught their breath at the Rest Zone, and medics checked tired legs before sending people back up. Those moments show IHH’s care for climbers in action, so they sat alongside the finish line in our coverage.

IHH medical staff kneel to get stretchers ready in the medical bay at The IHH Sky Race — The IHH medical team getting the stretchers ready

Same-day photos and reels

A race weekend moves fast on social media. So we sent IHH Malaysia a set of photos and reels on the same day, ready for their social media while the climb was still the talk of the weekend.

If you’d like to see more, there’s the medical drill we covered a week before the race, or a look at what we do.

More from the notebook

All notes →

A Creo crew sets up lights and cameras beside the hydrotherapy pool at Prince Court Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur

On set

One shoot day, a whole library of clips

We planned lots of short moments that each work on their own, framed them to fit any screen, and added a couple of long takes that can be reels by themselves. That was our day at Prince Court Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

→ read the note

22 Oct 2026

A tablet on a dark marble kitchen island showing the cover of a Creo prototype guide for the PFP Financial website, next to a coffee mug and a phone

At the desk

Two websites on our desk right now

We’re in the middle of designing two websites for sister brands in finance, where every word needs approval from several levels. With every prototype, we send a short guide, a clear list of what’s done and what needs feedback, and a checklist their team can work through.