24.9.11

Neither here nor there

It was a long, tiring day.



When people asked what I do, some were surprised, even to an extend, shocked at the word "director" that came with it. As literal as it may sound, I direct art. No, serious. You can close your mouth now. 
Ad people generally has the most misunderstood job scopes.




The Village Restaurant at Pullman, Putrajaya Lakeside.




When I started with this agency, we are required to open an account. The officer who is handling my details, signaled his supervisor to join. I was then shown with all kinds of investment prospects, until they realized my pay is missing a couple of 0's.

They were embarrassed. I was blushing.




Compound near the reception lobby.




I give art directions in executions. Treatments. Styling. Colours. Layouts. Fonts. Et cetera. These whole lot come after the ideation stage.

Being a creative, specifically, just an art director, we are involved at all corners of work. We were there in every meetings. You'll see us in every briefings. We raise voice in all brainstormings. We have the privilege to go out for recces. Presos. Shoots. Recordings. Offline. Online. Blah, blah, blah.

Everything.

And best of all, we are not the lowest life form in the creative food chain. Let's put it, we are somewhere at the higher bottom half. Neither here nor there. Because of this, we do everything.

You see why I put that title now?




The weather was better during the recce.



The agency is in the midst of rebranding. Yours truly, yes, is involved. I designed and executed the hall deco all alone from scratch for the regional conference. I dare not ask my designers to help, as I've given them tons to do. I'm not a slave-driver you know.

Couple of intense weeks later, after many going in-and-out the office, hell lots of emailing and conference calls between the Mumbai, Hong Kong, and the Singapore office, uncountable caffs and nicks, and juggling between ongoing bread-and-butters, we pulled a job well done.

That's just part of it.




The fountain at the back of the halls.



We were at the conference for the setup, dry runs of softwares and presos. I was there since midday with our executive PA. The production manager was there earlier.

At times like these, free meals aren't that tempting anymore. But it's nice to be invited for coffee by the executive PA of the Hong Kong office.

Later that day, the regional big shots dropped by the hall. Shook some hands. Strike a conversation to shout my presence. And to claim credits. Though I was mentioned at their dinner, I'm not looking for a praise, but expecting something along the line without the "p".

Is 50% too much?




At The Village.



All these hard work, is nothing compare to driving your bosses back to the office. Two are Indians - satu local, satu import, both a little drunk. And one soon-to-be lady boss. Imagine 3 talk shows running at the same time. Crickets moment was only for a short while. But it was a very muhibbah scene.



Day 1. And I'm not required on Day 2 and 3. One less job to worry now.

Since our bosses will be at the conference for the week, we beerly!

Beer early lah. Cheers!

23.9.11

If Facebook a human

It would be an indecisive, dramatic mood swing bitch.

Changes are good. Only when they come with improvement.

16.9.11

Will you date me?

I stumbled a list, of why one shouldn't date a designer.

50 of it!? Are we that bad!? Well, I'm an art director - this list still apply.


  1. They are very weird people.
  2. There are billions of them in the world, like colors on the screen of your computer.
  3. They will analyse conversations in layers.
  4. You will spend the day assembling furniture from IKEA.
  5. They drink and eat all kinds of weird shit just because they like the packaging.
  6. They hate each other.
  7. You’ll come out the last out of the movies because you have to see the full list of credits.
  8. They cant change a light bulb or without making a sketch.
  9. They fuck up all the tables with their cutters.
  10. They rather study the paisley pattern on your outfit than listen to what you have to say.
  11. They will fill your house with magazines and whatever is out there that has drawings.
  12. You never know if it is really an original or a copy.
  13. They make collages with your photos.
  14. They do not know how to add and subtract, they just understand letters.
  15. They idolize people who nobody knows and speak of them as if they were his colleagues.
  16. They take pictures almost daily and all are cut in weird shapes.
  17. They ask your opinion about everything but they do whatever they want.
  18. Everything is left justified, right or center unless they arrive late.
  19. They hate Comic Sans with the same passion they love Helvetica.
  20. They use iPhone for everything, because everyone has one.
  21. You can not decorate the house without consulting them.
  22. They steal street signs.
  23. Always carry their hands painted with something.
  24. They buy dolls unfinished for them to paint.
  25. Everything becomes something other than what it really is: cards as tickets, cards as…
  26. When arguing, you will be nicknamed like the OSX spinning wheel (not affectionately)
  27. Do not know how to dress without consulting the Pantone book.
  28. They hate Excel.
  29. They read comics.
  30. They want to save the world only with a poster.
  31. You will spend the day brainstorming.
  32. On vacation they will take you to countries that you do not know exist and have no beach.
  33. Museums are their second home.
  34. They know more positions than the Kamasutra.
  35. They can’t go to a restaurant without secretly critiquing the menu design.
  36. They listen to music you have never heard of.
  37. They cant cook a normal dish, they always have to experiment with new ingredients.
  38. They read rare books: stories of children, Semiotics…
  39. When you are going to tell you something, everyone has read it in their facebook and twitter.
  40. They have own iPods before you knew they existed.
  41. The orgasm they remember is when they heard that Adobe was acquiring Macromedia.
  42. They have their own shops just for them and there are the most expensive in the city.
  43. They want to spend all the money in the Apple Store.
  44. You will never understand their gifts.
  45. They see ordinary objects and laugh.
  46. You wake up in the middle of the night hearing them screaming “When is the deadline?”
  47. They see CMYK and RGB like Neo sees the Matrix.
  48. They dream of the day nobody will make a single change to their designs.
  49. They rather pay for a font than for a special birthday gift.
  50. They are always sleepy because they work 24/7.


Wait! Before you run away, stay for a while.

I'll explain...

11.9.11

Outch!

My new way of saying I'm out.

Battled for paintball. Since Primary Two shot me on the pubic. Was too painful to raise my hand. Instead, I held on my pubic shouting that. Emphasizing on the "T". And yes! It's still functioning, okay!? I had morning wood. Duh.

It was a night game yesterday at an unused car park made into a paintball field. We have the whole field to ourselves. Nice, eh?

5.9.11

The first day of work

"Why it's a Monday after a Sunday?", wrote Hitam Manis.



Mondays.

The most feared day of the week. The blues crept in. The inactive, hibernating period during the first half of the day. Maybe week. The dozing off, or some say, the fishing. The day when you are so reluctant to get up. But there are works to be done, money to be made, to put bread on the table.
As much as you hated it, you have no choice, but to get up.

What Mondays had to do with you who are self-employed, or doing businesses? Or house-husband / wife? Do you feel the same getting up on Mondays? You still... sigh?

But do tell me about it.



My blues, apply to "every day".

I work through the weekends at times. Mondays do not give me any feelings at all. What I'm worry about, is my "first day of work" after a break.

Though my off days are given, it's a luxury to even fill the leave form. Key in, since we've been updated to the online leave application system recently. My breaks are usually a long one. My last break was early of the year, and during Chinese new year. That was three quarters ago.

I may start work any day of the week. So that's a blue tick on Mondays. Tuesdays. Wednesdays, and all the remaining days of the week.

I've hibernated for the past Raya's and independence day's week. That's nine days break including both the weekends with only two off days used. Nine days - you can imagine my "first day of work". And I still have over ten days left before the end of the year!



Guess I'll have more blues for the coming new year.

1.9.11

Berita hangat

No. Not hot news.

But reading news articles in a warm room.

Fuck the weather, really. It changes so fast that fixing a shower head in the bedroom would be irrelevant. It was so cold, we were shivering while having some drinks last night at the mamak.

What happened lah?