Hahh! After a stressful week and now I can take a minute or two to blog. Now I'm just sitting on my workbench waiting to train our Sohu friends.
I wonder, with Twitter and Facebook is so convenience to get a short update on my thought... then what role will this blog be?
VDOdiscuss.com, the first Microsoft® Silverlight™ project ever launch in Hong Kong... is coming live today in promoting the new movie "戲王之戲".
Hmmm... so glad to see one of our works getting launched. MIX was such a fun and excited event to see all our Beta test went public.
Stay tuned....
Tag:
silverlight,
web,
work
Just yesterday my blog piece mentioned this Microsoft Surface technology. Today news and podcast and everyone around the world (except those in HK, I think), are talking about how Microsoft is creating the world from Philip.K.Dick famous work, Minority Report...
Hey guys, remember this cool scene?
Hmm, last month some tech firm showed us a flexible lcd screen, now MS gives us touch screen control. All left is that finger gadget that allow us to control remotely (Isn't that what Wii is doing?)
The future, definitely, is here.
Years ago I saw Yogo had done this for Sony... how come they didn't really get them into products? Now Microsoft (our holy MS!) has developed Surface technology. Hmm... exciting future is coming.
Imagine your living room equip with one of these....
Microsoft Surface website : http://www.microsoft.com/surface/
A sudden thought leads to to post some of my old comics drawing scan onto Flickr: My comics drawing 1991-1998 and 表弟出城...
Just reminded me of how much I love drawing... my eC visual diary are full of character drawings too... over the years I seldem finished any story but create a dozen unfinished tales... mostly in fantasy genre... my favourite hero and wartales...
When will i have a chance to dg my heads into comics drawing again? Being an adult, an employee, a good future husband and a good family member now have filled my life... old habits, old fantasy seemed very far away.
All surprises came just an hour ago. Our parent-parent company aQuantive was acquired by Microsoft.... all in a sudden eC-ers are now Microsoft-folks.
What a change that our client now are our colleagues...
Does that mean...
a) we call need to upgrade to Vista?
b) we can only use WPF and Silverlight for our projects?
c) we cannot buy a Mac?
d) we cannot use Google?
e) we need to use Msn?, no Google talk?
f) we cannot use Flash?
g) we cannot use Adobe products?
anyway.. so much happened since our eC vietnam trip....
and now it's my last night at Beijing Trip #3
Tag:
work
I got to know this new book from PPaper magazine (taiwan), "F30: 30 Essential Typefaces for a Lifetime"... from the cover there's the list of 30 fonts mentioned, namely:
首批限量絨布質感封面，紫、藍、紅、米四色隨機出貨，欲購從速！
The Face雜誌美術總監、也是字型設計名家Neville Brody曾說：「精通一種字體需耗費十年光陰。」如此類推，本書絕對足夠終生研讀。
每個月總有數千種以上的字型問世，對於許多專業人士和藝術工作者而言，如何選擇適合的字體並精確運用得當， 是專案企畫或設計作品能呈現出最佳效果的關鍵因素。《ppaper》的發行人包益民和School of St. Martin、Art Center Pasadena、Rhode Island School of Design、Basel、Yale的教授們共同編纂此書，介紹30種最著名經典的字體，以及其運用方式。
每種字體分析均有三大部分，精簡好讀，首先是專家觀點，再來是字型起源、特色，最後則是囊括了各類型領域的作品實例介紹。特殊四色印刷與精美彩圖，一次收藏創意大師們對字體的珍貴剖析與精彩案例。
Finally... after all the hard works.. the demo of the Disney Gadget Demo revealed on MIX'07... to take a look, I recommend you guys to see this keynote video:
http://visitmix.com/Blogs/Joshua/disney-keynote-demo/
Tag:
work
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.
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!
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.
Tag:
work
(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!
Tag:
work
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)
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！
Schumacher 4th. Alonso 2nd. Alonso champion. Schmacher retired: last lap of the race: 1:12.162: fastest lap = out with a bang!!
Ciao Schumacher, hope someday you will drive DTM, Le Mons... whatever on auto racing.
Hell of a week is over. Vietnam here I come!
"Draining the creative to death" is something that clients like to treat their agencies. "What a fantasic schedule" means we would tell our amazing clients that we will deliver on time, hebce meeting their supernova demand. It's the NORM, not just for advertising agencies, but for Hong Kong general industry as a whole.
This coming weekend and weekday, marked until Thursday, will be (again) an enjoyment in hell. Though I need to stay very positive and make something cheerful enough to sell. Irony, it is.
My girl got her hell of a week just then, preparing for her school great mass with choir. Plus what had happened this week: German class + grandma's funeral + dad's birthday dinner + Bach choir. But nothing can help out apart from urging her to get more sleep.
3 continous weekends with "bring-home" works. I am so so so looking forward to next weekend: Vietnam here I come... hope it will not be rushy duckies.... because all I want is a relax holiday + great coffee.
Tag:
work
My boss had arranged this wonderful training session this evening: the digital marketing scoup from global (mainly US) and local Hong Kong point of view.
I dare say Hong Kong companies still have a long road to understand what online advertising really means. And how we can prove that this medium worth the money. It sounds like such a good motives to be here, like a warrier, to tackle these goals under the umbrella of eC.
Read some news regarding US women prefer digital gadgets than jewelleries as gifts. More and more women can trouble-shoot their pc / gadget related problems. Beware guys, we are losing our USP as "gadget and computer fixing experts".....
Tag:
work
I wonder how many in Hong Kong did dig in seriously with WEB2.0.
Web2.0: I am a believer, but not a seriously player. (but I do Flickr and Youtube)
Web2.0: refers to websites that provoke social networking, making something a hit but each contribution and systamic tagging.
Web2.0: are what you seeing in Flickr, Youtube, Bloggers, MySpace...... etc.
Hong Kong net-users are fad-enthusiasts. The media promote one-off hype: from mongkok food to bus uncle. The Web2.0 played into the hands of hong kong youth as a one-off. We all so hook up and bust up the popularity and soon we will leave that and move onto something new and "more fun". I am talking about sustainability here: which is why web2.0 exists. If the players can keep digging and digging these website will meant for something great.
Also, how many do care about the legal and business model aspects of web2.o?
/ Flickr finally get some money after yahoo's acquisition.
/ Youtube is dying, guys, get some notice. They are free (and for HKers, it means a great bargain). But there's no proper income (except you call those Google Adwords). Soon they will run out of money to cover the bandwidth... Rumours say eBay and Yahoo are interested in buying. Still, if there's no money, who would know what happen to Youtube in 3 months?
Tag:
work
I am on my week-long annual leave. Big news is that I've finally get my online photo album published to my family and friends: http://www.flickr.com/photos/raymondwoo/.
So here it is. At the pacific coffee and mid-way thru the week. This week is without a plan and without a proper schedule: want to do a lot of things but end up just slacking thru most of the time.
I sure say this holiday is more of a "well-earned" after 7 months of non-stop busy works. But my selfish retarded mind resists anything like sticking to a "meeting friends" schedule. The result? is probably getting my friends mad once they heard the "oh! I dun have time for dinner with you guys, sorry mate!"
It seems I am such a hopeless a selfish bastard! cheers!
Tag:
work
Yesterday was a busy-busy-busy-busy day: Meeting with "Photo Project" client at work. Revised and the new target deadline is in 3 weeks time. Hmm, it would be a marathon to squeeze 6 weeks work to half: I wish someone would tell me how to get these through.
Another meeting at work on eC project methodology: it's nice and neat. Off work at 9 and rushed to Eaton for March MFG. I kept my promise with President Kenneth and celebrate our wonderful birthday party together. Very pleased to see Thames shine at his MAO position. And more pleased to know Hughgus and Alan are as popular as they deserved to be.
Nice to be part of CJC.
Tag:
work
