Quickie

There's only so much I can do.

Got a brief for a :15 TVC cutdown. Fifteen! One. Five.

Every part of it is important! The story. The close-up shot. The consumption. And not to forget, the last 3-second of mandatory - product shot, masthead, Facebook page icon, and corporate sign off - and still, client complained there are not long enough!

What's the point of having a 15-second? Might as well do a montage slides than wasting airtime. It's like having sex without foreplay.

We already have a :20 cutdown.

I remember hearing every single person who are involved in this project had at any one time, cursed at it. I'm not aware if I've blurted out any "fucks" looking at the commercial for the 3,564,164.3th time. Under my breath, maybe.

I've timed every single storyboards I've made. If Tissot has a prize for the most presses on the stopwatch function, I could've won something.

Before I bleed my eyes to death, I made a rough cut on my own. Yeah, this is it. Not gonna look at it again.

How does it look? Saying it a quickie was rather underrated.

Imagine you're having one of the most passionate sex, and you're about to reach an intense orgasm, your legs cramp.

Itu macam lah...

More than a cycle

This past week was hell, really.

Deadlines were crazy. The loads was more than we could handle, even with Diam-Diam and studio to backup. I snapped at the suits. More Than a Cycle snapped at the clients. Diam-Diam snapped at us. We were angry. We were emotionally distressed.

I seldom came home to see my family awake. I missed Mother's half-boiled eggs. I missed Father's mumbling of me not padding the extra lock. Of course, I remember. Just that I did that on purpose. Why? Come to me. Scold me. Let me hear your voice. And when's the last time I had a bottle of Hoegaarden with Bro? I really missed them.

Young Albert Einstein once said, there will never be lights without the existence of darkness. And how can we not agree with that? We strive better when we were challenged. We managed to pull it through after a long week. Came Friday, me and my partner caught up on things.

Though we still have a lot to rush, we chucked all those aside. I'm much relaxed after talking with him. After an hour slacking off work, we decided to call it a day. No point doing so much when we can't focus any more. After all, we're tired and it's Friday. I'll be going in on the weekend anyway after a day rest. I'll enjoy my leave and Wesak later then.

More Than a Cycle. 13 years my senior.

Was from the client-side for a decade before engulfing the pleasure of writing.

Having to partner with him for nearly a year, we created a bond as a team. As friends. As someone I take as a big brother. Despite being in his 40s, he's young at heart. A big child, I must say. He don't even look 40s. And no, this is not a compliment.

We are very neutral on our part as a team. We have similar liking on things. Similar thoughts. I've lost count on the amount of jokes we choked our saliva on. Advices we shared. And not to forget, the girls we stalk stare admire aesthetically around the mall every meals.

He's more than a cycle of experience. More than a cycle wiser. More than just a cycle of a Chinese calendar.

He's more.

Well, knocking off in 5 for a pint or two.

I'll see you when I see you.

Milk poisoning, petrol intoxication

It's always been you two.

What about The Bank? What about The Credit Card? Not to forget The Soft Drink. Juice. Ice-cream. Yogurt. Have I left out The Toothbrush? The Toothpaste? The Shower Foam? And The Hair Gel?

Oh? The Cosmetic? The Car? The Cinema? The Apartment? The Trade Agency? How I had wished...

Milk. Petrol. Milk... petrol... you've been occupying most of my time.

Don't I wish to queue in a bank too? Or online banking like everyone else? I swipe cards. I wouldn't mind having diabetic soft drinks every now and then. Or engulf in the artificial freshness of a juice. Oh, that rich and creamy ice-cream. That taste buds stimulating yogurt. You only live once. I sleep with minty breath. And wake up still smelling like a baby. I do my hair if I'm out.

I wouldn't mind a little lip balm. I like cars. I love cars. Look at what I did to Slow White Poke. I enjoy watching movies on a big screen. If I'm with someone I'm fond of. I dream of resting my feet on a coffee table in studio suite. On a non working day. Trading? That would come in handy one day.

So, get out of the way. Don't jammed me up.

It's time to milk the petrol dry. And loose guard patrolling the dairy.





Yeah. Just back from work. At least I managed to sneak out for dinner and a couple of beers with Zoky earlier.

Good night, and good morning, people.

Whichever deem fits.

Unofficial Dear Mr. Client

It's good for you to have your off day. Which is a luxury to us.

It's sweet of you to accompany your missus for shopping. Which for days we don't even catch a glimpse of our love ones.

It's nice of you to dropped by the office, and brought us donuts. Which sometimes we don't even have a second spare to munch.





But it's very, very rude of you to barged in without prior informing any of us. You are not from the health department. You are not from the anti-piracy. This is not a school. Neither is a university. We don't need spot check. Evolution tells us we have the capability to communicate. Alex invented the telephone for that reason.

This is a privately owned office premise. Our office. Our agency. Which is fully owned by the largest global advertising holdings. You are not a shareholder. You are not a staff. This is not a public area. Neither is a restroom. Trespasser will not be shot. But will be taken legal actions. Heavily.

The mall is downstairs. There is also another one nearby. If you lost your wife, information counter would be glad to lend their intercoms. If walking is not your thing, there are benches. There are toilets. So are restaurants. So are cafes. Even cinemas. And there are plenty of things you could do. Or imagine doing.

Two campaigns, and two promos with multitude items are fairly impossible to be changed with just a single click. Not with keystrokes. Not with shortcuts. Not even with both divisions combined. We are an international agency. We have other accounts as big. If not bigger.

We will not start work from scribbles on the printed presentation deck. Not with verbal briefing. Not without an official stamped and signed job req. This is what we called the "black and white". We have a system. Which can be broken under very, very special and rare conditions. Yours, is not.

We are pleased that you are aware of the production deadline. But we are not pleased for the number of times you requested for "non-conventional" ideas. Which ended up as a bunch of things that everyone would flip away. Along with 250 ads in a dailies. Average. From different advertisers.

Never abuse words like "idea" and "concept". Leave it to us. The marketers. The creatives. Don't waste our time. Don't waste your time. By you constantly abused such terms, we have lost half of it.

When we agreed to omit the rest, and work on the key items, don't come telling us you have something new in mind. Not when we are almost done with them. Especially not with assumptions. We understand the term of pleasing your boss. If you aren't sure, a discussion with him is best. First. We knew you are in-charged of these projects. But he have the final say. Not you.

Customer is always right. You are not a customer. You don't buy products from us. You don't buy services from us. We are a business partner. We offer them. For your marketing and advertising need.

We are not prostitutes. We are not here to please you.

Thank you. But no thanks.





Speaking on behalf of my team. Other team. The agency. And other agencies.

Yours truly.

Client's comment of the day...

...or would I say, the year?

"The picture and the text same size."



I never see this coming. I'm impressed. Wow. If comments can be awarded, this would at least claim a Gold, if not a Grand Prix.

So, is this a comment or a request? To make the pictures the same size as the body copy? Same size proportionately to the column width? To the point size? To x number of lines? To the paragraph length? Which paragraph?

Clients.

You'll never know what can be blurted out by them at any time of the day. Till the servicing is back from them, I'll just do nothing.