TOPS + my own style in concept thinking

All creatives will tell you that they suffer various kind of mental block in different moment. Most creatives will also tell you that they are inconfident to spot the one: such insecurity may then become self-doubt.

It's a year and more since I rejoined as an agency creative. Needless to say my insecurity and self-doubt reoccurs every single day. Whenever there's a new brief to tackle, my mind wanders off the wall and really in doubt if I can come up the one in time (before Internal Review) or, if I did come up with something is a really good concept.

Way back from the beginning at my first interview, Endy emphasized the needs of Problem and Solution methodology. I'm no doubt in agreeable terms coz my own life-philosophy based upon a similar Causes and Consequences theory. Endy encouraged our mind training up with TOPS formulae: T: step into the life and mindset of the Target Audience; O: the project objectives: what to sell, what to be achieved; P: the problem regarding the brand, the product, the objective, the target and the relationship between; And S: the solution, the concept, or in simple terms, the message and how it is executed.

TOPS: which is the basic principle, can often crashed with my own brainstorming session. Which way to start, which way to end the thinking... so so often I keep doing research on the subject matter (target, products, the brand itself). I filled up many pages of tiny writings. And most of them are JUNKs.

The results: the first IR had been disaster. But amazingly after my re-grouping thoughts under my senior's direction, I am able to nail down the one. Haha~

This blogging piece is just to remind myself, that when can I really be confident enough to nail down the one? This is what I m missing to really achieve the next level of creative career. This is one of my 2007 resolution. Marked my words.

p.s. I really love my job.

HP5 movie teaser

HP5- The Order of the Phoenix movie has just published a teaser trailer hidden within another movie's site. For a direct link, click http://www2.warnerbros.com/happyfeet/videoplay.html?id=HarryPotter&type=quicktime&speed=500000.

Somehow I find myself having boys-like spirit when watching the HP books and movies~ and of coz, the trailer features Harry kissing Cho Chang.

Fish and Chips + Mash Potato + Onion Rings

Tasty food... from Chippy at Central.. what a lovely evening!

It reminds me of the school days having Fish and Chips from the Midway shop.... yummy yummy...

But one down side is that Chippy don't have any chicken salt.

My First Silver at IDA

We've won 15 awards at IDA. And, I won my first Silver IDA with the us theme project! yeah! See the result at http://www.aaaa.com.hk/awards/interactiveAwards.shtml

It's unbelivable that it is such a rare occasion that any banking project can win creative awards. The mindset had always been that banking projects are boring and un-attractive. Now we've proved everyone wrong.

Jerry was the happest person for the whole night. I'm so grateful that he gave me the chance to hold the art direction and production of us theme... while he's the senior and he can take the lead on his own.

For the upcoming tv projects, Endy had taught me so much, lifting me up from a mind stuck to create a concept differently.... I knew my weakness all along but somehow I keep falling into the same trap that I set upon myself.

More projects, more works, hopefully more money and fun!

Everyone can be an art critic, so can you!

Just been to the "Artist and Their Model" exhibition at Art GAllery today. It's an exhibiton that, in my opinion, so roughly set up with various protrait painting from Musee National d'Art Moderne (龐比度). My girl had a very hard time in the show, trying very hard to understand what's going on... and what's the "center theme" of the show. Judging by the fact that it's all protraits, and most are from the period between 1850 - 2000, I can say the range of works are so vary in subject matter and styles.... indeed, I'm more than agree that the show lacks a theme. Curation is in such a mass that it tries to guide audience with topics such as "distortion" or even an unspecific "vision" umbrella.

I tried to pick out that, if this show is all about protrait, then the best way to see, to learn, to appreciate the work is through thinking the relationship between the artist and their models, just as what the exhibiton titles asked for.

With my 4 years studying visual art (from year 9 to year12, thanks to Mrs Alon at St Patrick's), I've been to many art exhibitons at Sydney's Art Gallery of NSW and Camberra's National Gallery of Art, got to see art pieces from Renaissance masters, to my favourite Romanticism, to modern and even contemporary works. I learnt that everyone can interpret the same piece of art differently, depends upon the education and experience that ones obtained. For most of the time, without any tour guides, curation booklet, and audio headsets, the audiences only hint to guess an artwork's message is through its title given by the artists himself. Though, with knowledge on the artist's upbringing and periodic background, they may learn some insights on the artist's personal history and emotional mindset, and even a side record of mankind history.

What I am trying to say is that, whenever you try to appreciate an artwork without outside help, all you can do is asking:
a) What's the art piece is showing? Any color? Any form? Any mood?
b) Is what's showing in sync with title? Does the title hints something more?
c) Is there some hidden symbology, or iconic graphic to help enhancing the message?
Keep the cycle to see if the artist is trying to send you a message, if not, then,
d) Is the artist message was intended to show for someone else, if then, who is he/she trying to communicate to, and what is the message?

I remembered the joy and excitement when I got the time to wander through Sydney's gallery, on a weekday afternoon, alone by myself. Cross-fold my arms and try to appreciate every pieces in the hall. Sometimes I got afraid with sculpture and I am more comfortable with paintings. But with the above questions in mind, there's always rooms to get inspired.

Everyone can be an art critic, so can you!


side note: Captioned from HK magazine, bidding the last day of Central Star Ferry pier with the following poem....

A Ferry Farewell

Oh, Star Ferry, I hear you're moving home

To somewhere far away, all on your own

Getting there is going to be such a to-do

I guess we'll be seeing a lot less of you

Those snapping pictures as you cross the water

Will have to be fast as the journey's much shorter

At $2.20, you're still a good deal

But to reach you now, we'll need a good meal!

After this weekend, you won't be so near

Only tourists will trudge to your distant pier

And when they get there, what will they find?

A pseudo-pastiche that brings Disney to mind

Oh, Star Ferry, we were such a pair!

I loved your green-and-white style and your flip-back chair

But now I'm afraid that this is farewell

It's too far to run for your digital bell.

人都癩

Work, seems to everyone else at my office, is a never-ending story. On average I spend 3 out of 5 nights working til 12. Then all in sudden flu catches everyone of us. Today I took 2 cold and flu lemon drinks, 2 charotyne and many many cups of water. Everyone else are sneezing and coughing... at the funny side of all things, my ocassional cough sounds really like Lorraine Swanson from madtv....

Weekend is coming... and weekend is never going to be the end of the week.. it's just gap between 2 overloaded working weekdays. Hope I can get a bit relax, recharge my brain, thing of somethings that helps my TV project next week.

1 year at ec

(photo showing my working desk exactly a year ago)

Yesterday November 7th marked my 1 year anniversary at ec. It's been an amazing year at this *new* job. Learnt so much, getting inspired by seniors, met new colleagues and friends, holiday together, doing sports. Desprite occasional (in fact, very often) OverTime work, the projects are getting more satisfy than ever.

The doubt, the fear, the worries that haunted me in finding the right job had long gone. I'm really grateful to be part of ec. I believe I'm here to stay... as long as my body and soul can tell me to!

Be determined, ObiRay, show your jedi spirit!

ec 越南遊記 + ec 大日子

2006年11月27至30日（星期五至一），一行36人浩浩蕩蕩出發乘坐CX767到越南胡至明市，即係以前的西貢。先講講36人包括：（以Equartorial Hotel房計)

• 706房 wai+hauman，
• 843房 helen +danny，
• 633房 endy+erica，
• 921房 brian +friend，
• 635房 kit+jerry，
• 929房 phyllis+yon，
• 931房 jade+suki，
• 935房 esther+grace，
• 702房 bun+ron，
• 902房 janet alvin，
• 639房 wing+menu，
• 615房 jacky+mandy，
• 629房 我+fish，
• 631房 davy+jim，
• 927 房 opal+ida，
• 903房 joeling+ada，
• 707房 stanley+ben，
• 603房 lynette+nicola。

Day1

好，先講下個領隊欄Gag王，成個trip都冇乜表現，又講錯好多Info。不過導遊偉哥就風趣好多。教我地呢班香港人原來「不留洞拉」意思只是「從今天起」。一落機我地就去食濛粉，我就叫錯咗，碗濛唔好食，我又終於試到越南咖啡！越南的滴濾咖啡是蒸餾及格濾的合體，味道濃郁。向cafe如果你只叫Coffee，佢地只會俾Jai啡你，Coffee with Milk呢，佢就會向滴濾之前落一大匙煉奶，好甜架。

越南洗美金同越南盾，港幣$1對$2000越南盾，忽然我地個個都係百萬富翁：啲錢好似洗極都有！感覺幾豪！

另外，越南成街都係電單車，差唔多每4個人就有一架！成個旅程中我地見到4同人一齊坐一架電單車，用電單車載貨，載大玻璃，大床玉，過馬路要好小心，因為一堆堆電單車會無啦啦出現！而且又有電單車黨，專搶啲單肩maae的手袋！

食完午飯去古芝地道，即係當年越戰時北越軍向西貢古芝，以游擊方式打美軍的藏匿地道，入口好狹窄方可令細細粒的北越軍對付大大隻的美軍。地道有三層，個cross section好似IA Chart，第一層乃廚房，其他層乃藏匿地方，成個地道都橫掃好大片地。行落去狹窄得來又黑，唔怪得美軍打極都輸。我只係行了一段30米的地道已經好鬼辛苦！

第一晚的「富貴」越南餐，不提也罷。夜晚再一大班人落一間有菲律賓人唱歌的Bar，玩到High哂，返酒店即瞓。

Day2

第二日一早去Dong Khai行街，成個朝早用佐3個鐘只係行企2x2個Block。主因有間由一對法國夫婦開的Gallery+Boutique好好行，我之後一連3日都有陪其他同事去，仲同老闆娘Tara傾佐好多計。Lunch就去佐個到食生牛肉河的連鎖店Phu24：Phu即係生牛肉河，好好好好味！

下午跟團去總統府、戰爭博物館、大教堂加郵政總局。心情簡直似過山車一樣，由好開心、好玩的去影全公司的You Jump I Jump相，到感受的戰爭的非常非常殘酷的一面，到讚嘆法式建築...... Highlight of the Day: 阿魚部Horizon相機真係好得！

第一晚的「富貴」法國菜好好多，至少食個環境都夠！同阿Wing、Menu、Joeling等等一齊影佐好多靚相！一面天堂一面地獄，個領隊去後特意安排的一間Bar（仲安排埋free drink），其實係間香港酒樓格局的賭場！悶到我地呀...... 有部份人醒水去做Massage..... 同導遊講早啲返酒店！沖個涼後一大班人玩Killer到3點幾，好彩冇俾人投訴我地嘈！

Day3

Day3呢，嘿嘿！一大早就出發去湄公河，出發前Endy收公司Faxes所以delay佐一個鐘。去到又即刻食lunch：個Signature Dish係一條炸魚，旅行團原本包餐的好極好限。坐船游湄公河，冇乜野好睇，不過啲芭蕉樹就好多好靚，去到另一個呃遊客的景點泰山島，厚文、Ben同Endy試佐45度的酒，我地又試過直接用手指liu蜜糖食。跟坐又黎20分鐘的遊歷小河流山板，又係一排排芭蕉樹，如果唔係同船的Joeling及Ada玩芭蕉樹芭蕉樹芭蕉樹同扮Disneyland泰山島導遊，都好悶下！

其實戲玉向夜晚，我地4點幾返到市中心Dong Khai，厚文、我、Ron、Fish、Wai、Opal、Joeling、Stanley、Ben一行九人行夜街。戲玉1：Joeling差啲俾人偷野，個賊仔抄小販將一啲公仔浢Joeling買，企圖庶住被開緊的手袋，好在我同阿Ben一齊推開個賊仔先冇事。戲玉2：終於見到電單車黨搶人手袋！戲玉3；街頭晚餐9人食完晒又蝦又蜆都只需每人港幣$22！戲玉4：923公園見一對情侶向電單車攪野！戲玉5：向我間房玩Killer到4點幾，終於俾人投訴我地嘈！

Day4:

又一Day的Shopping，到Ben Thanh買買買！食佐一億的Lunch，好好味！終於我地到佐西貢河畔，冇乜野睇！第4日就係咁完佐！4點到機場，遇到一個miu咀的移民官，加上班CX764又delay半個鐘！返到香港已經係11點，Kit又向機上丟了新買的古董表，攪攪下成點鐘先返到屋企。

Day after:

返到公司，三大老闆宣佈eC被美國最大digital marketing公司收購，原來Day3 Endy收faxes係咁嘅！