Rant & Roll 3: Portfolio Nite 7 - Student 0

I thought the Tourism Selangor pitch was a fanboy experience

with Hwa, Ted, Iska all in suits doing the Reservoir Dog standoff to one another

This was a totally different league

like ... ECDs galore

as i entered the hall, some of the students eyed me as i walked to the registration desk

and past it towards the judges desk

Yeah i couldn't believe it myself

oh well it was as good as any an exposure into the cliquish big-league that was the CDs circle

I know a few of them 

so let's do a quick drive-by on my encounters and fleeting conversations

Fanboy, 'Hi Dani, congrats on your new child'

Dani Coumar (ECD Ogilvy) - 'congrats on your wedding proposal'

Fanboy, 'Hey Andy, how're you'

Andy Soong (ECD Publicis) - 'hey hey, good. you want a beer? How's work? busy? that's good...'

Fanboy, 'Hey Szu Hung, i liked you in Sell out. Chow Chee Fai!'

Szu (ECD Mccanns) - 'oh my god, you saw it? How horrible...'

Fanboy, 'Hey Adrian'

Adrian (ECD Saatchis) - 'hi hi....'

Later while spotted smoking in the corner

Adrian - 'smoking's bad for you!'

Fanboy, 'Hi Lakshmi'

Lakshmi (ECD FCB) - 'Hey, how's TM? Which part of it do you all really handle?'

Fanboy, 'Hi Mun'

Mun (ECD BBDO) - 'Hi! Hmmm... where's my table and what's my table number'

Fanboy - eyes Ted Lim

Ted Lim (ECD Naga DDB) - eyes fanboy

they both continue their respective conversations with other people

Fanboy - Would you like to go first? (in reference to a post Portfolio nite interview session)

Tan Kien Eng (GOD Arc and LB) - Nah nah it's ok  (looks away)

As you can see from the above

They were the who's who of the Malaysian creative scene

The above were only bout half of them

The rest i didn't get meet

but god i wish i was a participant instead of a judge

Back in those days, we would've killed to be given the opportunity to splay yourself and work in front of these people

But today

all i saw were half-hearted people who haven't bothered to prepare themselves for Portfolio Nite

I should give them credit though

because at least they turned up.

There are 30,000+ advertising/marketing/design/communication students in Malaysia and TWENTY turned up? 

come on...

the ratio of 1 CD to 1 student was pretty good value

i just wished there was more time to attend to more of them

i only got 45 minutes, 15 each so that's only 3 candidates.

Pretty tiring, but a rather interesting event to be a part of.

VIDEO Interview Curve Ball moment

interviewer, 'so, what is your criteria for creative work'

bimbo noob fanboy zen-like answer 'i dunno... i guess as long as it makes you smile.'

Urg, i still cringe.

The ECDs are mingling post Portfolio nite.

I rolled myself a cancer stick

Organiser, 'Won't you stay? Your boss is still around, and so are many of the ECDs. It'll be fun'

Fanboy, 'No thanks, my team's waiting back at the office'

Organiser, 'Well thanks for coming'

Fanboy, 'Thanks for having me'

The distant laughing and camaraderie 

Already just a murmur in the background

as i head back to the people that matter the most.