TV2 Groups

It's very important to have good mechanics with your team. The machine may not be well-oiled but if the parts are still in good condition, the car'll still run.

I've been paired (Okay, not really. Alex asked me.) with Alex and her smoking buddy Bree. For the lack of an operative word, smoking buddy will do for now. I haven't seen enough of Bree in campus in the last 12 months apart from fleeting glances at her.

I worked with Alex in Broadcast Media last year and I know she's a good worker. Reported to work in the cold, sick and couldn't give a rat's ass about the assignment yet she still put on a smile and showed lots of enthusiasm. Always turned up for lab work as well. Which scores high in my books. :O

Bree, I don't know. Easy on the eye, but comes highly recommended by Alex. So, I'm taking a leap of faith here.

Less people to work with this semester. But I already have an ally in Alex. Yay.

Docu Concept

"I feel slightly more empowered than most students as I’m a mature-aged student so I don’t have to put up with all the childish teenage ways that all adults had to go through. Teenagers are too fucking concerned about what people think of them to see what the fuck is actually happening. Because I’m past that stage, I have noticed lots of interesting facets of life that teenagers fail to see."

This is an area I'm really keen to explore. When asked to elaborate, I cited the rising cost of property prices in Melbourne and young Melburnians' apathy to their empty finance as a prime example.

I've spent the last three months looking for a house and find myself slapped in the face every weekend by the steep cost of property across Melbourne. I'm almost a decade older than all my uni mates, and I'm wondering how much they'll struggle to pay off their own homes in ten years' time.

Yet, alarmingly, these teenagers are completely oblivious to that, choosing instead to spend their hard-earned casual work money on booze and frivolous stuff. 95% of my uni friends under 20 have no money in their bank, with the other 5% more 'mature' ones having in excess of $10,000. Which is good. Pity there aren't more young Australians who possess that habit.

The idea is not set in stone. Perhaps I might focus more on the the activities adults my age USED to do and what they USED to believe was cool. When I look back at the stuff I've done, purchased or committed myself into, I laugh at my silliness. I'd like to use the documentary to give teenage university students an insight into what goes on in the mind of a mature-aged university student.

Couple of good ideas I reckon.

Integrated Media 2 LMFAO

Turns out, Media students this semester are playing a fucking free and bastardised version of The Sims in Integrated Media 2.

LMFAO. It's like Seth Keen and Co. can't afford to pay monthly fees, so instead of levelling up and spell-crafting in WoW, students now have to resort to short skirts and fake jobs to get their rocks off.

Seriously, WTF? This explains why all the Media students were talking about it last week. Cmon guys, I know the men have to suck in their tummies and the women have no boobs, but surely there're EASIER ways to score an easy fuck? And online??

Geme Neverwinter Nights 2 or Football Manager 2007 anyday.

Second Life. LOL.

Dear Christine R

"Hello Christine,

just wana congratulate you on your reference to Saturday's Stage 13's time trial of the Tour de France. Some of the hairpins were indeed slippery and the race leaders lost a lot of time. As a huge HUGE HUGE fan of the Tour, it's pleasing to hear it being mentioned in a lecture of all places. Music to my ears.

Been up every night watching it till 2am btw. Not good for the heart as I get excited and cheer for the riders. As a result I only fall asleep at around 4 as I feel like I just ran 10 miles.

Great lecture btw:O "

Lecture Two post-mortem

Christine R mentioned this today:
- Documentary is an intimate conversation
- Best documentaries tells you "This is the way I see the fucking world."
- To tell something original & unique

Well this is becoming easier than I had envisioned! Just do a documentary on myself! Seriously, I'm so bloody interesting. Here's why:

a) Mature-aged student with several years work experience. You 20yo kids wana know what the real world is like, flock to Big Brother here. There's a lot from where that came from.
b) Asian editor of a white people university magazine. Herro!? There's something not quite right there! Asians don't speak English!
c) Tactless - I say things that other people are too afraid to say. What're you gona do? Swallow your pride and take it to your grave?
d) I am extremely popular in campus. It's not who you know, but how much cock you've to suck. Okay don't quote me on that.
e) I collect action figures, quote Buffy lines, listen to dance music and shave my pubes.
f) I'm not gay.
g) If I were to be stranded on an island for a year and I was allowed to bring one essential along with me, it'd be moisturizer. Can't live with chapped skin.

With all these reasons above, I can think of so many permutations. Enough material for a three-season arc.

TV2 Errands Week Two Update

Ok. I've spoken to Paul and he's cool with me using my camera as it has widescreen and miniDV capabilities. Seriously, who would buy a 4:3 video camera!?

Also, I've attended the first two lectures with time to spare before Paul R, Dave C and Christine R started rapping their latest rendition of "Your Got To Fight For Your Right (To Party)"

Well-prepared & Punctual.

Fuck I'm good.

Theme for the TV2 Documentary is belief.

From The Free Dictionary:

be·lief (b-lf)

n.

1. The mental act, condition, or habit of placing trust or confidence in another: My belief in you is as strong as ever.

2. Mental acceptance of and conviction in the truth, actuality, or validity of something: His explanation of what happened defies belief.

3. Something believed or accepted as true, especially a particular tenet or a body of tenets accepted by a group of persons.

Belief is a word I hold very close to my heart. It's a word that has driven me to the ascending heights that I sit on today; without Belief I'd still be a boring Advertising Executive at the bottom end of the food chain in sterile and culture-less Singapore.

Here are ten things that I believe in. I live by it.

"I Believe..."
1) "...I have left a poorer country for a richer one. If I cannot exercise choice, there's no freedom."
2) "...I have witnessed the media manipulation by the autocratic regime. At least here in Australia, both parties get a fair go."
3) "...truth will always be a casualty in Singapore."
4) "...I can control my pursuit of truth. I can shape my own future, my own fame, my own accolades and my own destiny. All this in Australia."
5) "...I will not return to a country that practices meritocracy and considers anyone over 40yo as over the hill."
6) "...I can change the world 'coz I'm not in Singapore."
7) "...as a child, I was villified and heckled by other Singaporeans 'coz I am different. They're afraid of me. They're myopic and cannot see the forest for the trees. What do they know?"
8) "...I can practice my own beliefs, cultivate my personality, say what I want and not be afraid to be myself 'coz I'm not in Singapore."
9) "...I am fucking talented, in spite of my limited talent."
10) "...I deserve a chance to be here, 'coz Australia is my calling and I can make a difference."

"No hard feelings mate. i just thought the wrongs had to be made right again." - Lily Goh, 16 June.

None taken.

There were no wrongs in my post. All were assumptions, or has the vagaries of the English language gone out of your window lately?

Case(s) in point:

“As far as I know, ALL Prof Comm students are pursuing TV as an interest, but do not see TV as a career”

I represent all the Prof Comm students who have told me how challenging and richly rewarding it is to work with the Media kids as they get to see ideas and practices from peers. These are also the same kids who have professed no desire to work in the television industry, but only to learn the ropes. Having said that, you and I have not had enough conversations about what you - as a Prof Comm student - intend to do. Perhaps, if you spent less time knocking me for my beliefs (non-Christian, Asian racist or not), we'd be able to sort it out :) Nobody is right here, and nobody is wrong.

"...also do not find it difficult for any Prof Comm student to make input in discussions..."

You were speaking for yourself here Lily. How much feedback have you received from your fellow Prof Comm friends? As a member of the Student Staff Consultative Committees (SSCC) it is my job to check on my Prof Comm friends. I'm also speaking from the guy-about-town's opinion, as I'm quite the social butterfly in the Prof Comm circle. Or haven't you already discovered that? :O Well I'm glad that you and I do not have any problems with the Media kids. There are some out there who do. And I'm speaking for them.

"Lastly, i would just like to say that i think Bill is an amazing person and an amazing student slash team member..."

Not once did I mention Bill being egotistical male chauvinist who doesn't value Prof Comm opinions. What I said was "Perhaps he's an egotistical male chauvinist who doesn't value Prof Comm opinions..." I have not made any accusations nor have I put Bill up for slander. Look, I'm sure Bill is the bloody Messiah and the one to end all wars, but all I said was he has to put his emotions in check and realise that working in a team means to watch out for your team members as well.

Perhaps you have a counter-argument to mine. That's great. But do we need another Malaysia - Singapore spat here? Let our governments deal with that. Between the two of us, we have bigger fishes to fry :O

Looking forward to seeing you on Monday!

Yours sincerely,
John Ng
Catalyst editor 2007

Camera

Am all primed for the new semester. I can't wait to work with a new bunch of students. New ideas, new egos. Haha.

Having said that, I know I have to make up for the poor Credit for TV1. Armed with my miniDV camera - bought specifically to arrest any annoying camera borrowing debacle for TV2 - I'm ready to kick some arse.

Bring it on, documentary.

Credit

So I scored my credit for the semester. Am contented with the mark. No guilt, no need to lie through my teeth to justify a fake score. With the amount of work I've put in last semester across the board and working for a better resume, I'd say God Damn! the result was justified. Something had to give; can't be scoring four distinctions when you're the man about town aye?

Now, if only the rest of the students can justify their distinctions....what have you done to justify the score?