#19 /2017 02 Contents Editor: Editor’s Letter C2 Magazine Editorial Board Online celebrities have become a meme on the Email: internet for a while. A lot of creative practitioners have [email protected] made good use of the power of the online communities to launch their works and spread their whimsical ideas. In Produced by: the Feature, travel writer Sio Ng shares her experience in 100 Plus Cultural Creative running a facebook fan page which eventually brought her Development Limited an opportunity to publish her travelogue. Comedian duo Shoot & Chop, full-time online celebrity Carl Ao Ieong, and Published by: 002......... Feature renowned Hong Kong-based illustrator Tse Sai Pei also talk Cultural Affairs Bureau of Opportunities for Macao's Online Celebrities about how they made a name for themselves as cyberstars the Macao S.A.R. Government and their thoughts on web marketing. 008......... Brand Story Macao has no shortage of accessory shops, but O-Moon: The New Blood in Accessory Design in Macao only a few of them boast cultural and creative elements. Emerging brand O-Moon saw the gap in the market and 010......... Opinion has accordingly launched products flavoured with Macao Niche and Market Positioning characteristics. In Brand Story, the co-founders of O-Moon Interview with Branding Designer Mann Lao share their insight into how to tap into the market of creative merchandise and the key to successful operation 012......... Budding Talents and marketing. In Opinion, Mann Lao, Creative & Managing Life Observer Behind the Lens Director of Chiii Design Ltd. advises young designers to Interview with Up and Coming Director Hong Heng Fai carefully position themselves in order to stand out in a crowded market. Lao used to work in Hong Kong, the 014......... Event Calender Mainland and Portugal. He returned to Macao several years ago and now actively engages himself in grooming local 016......... Blogs design talents. In Budding Talents, up and coming director Joe Tang - From the Film Festival to the Fringe Festival Hong Heng Fai is in the spotlight. His short film Crash was Ho Ka Cheng - Creating a Sustainable Local Film Industry nominated in the “Best Live Action Short Film” category of Yi-Hsin Lin - Introducing the New Design Museum in London last year’s Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival, becoming the Yap Seow Choong - An Unconventional Art Gallery first Macao picture to be nominated for that award. Ron Lam - The Cultural Promotion of Wabi-sabi Our bloggers, as ever, continue to bring news and Lam Sio Man - Shall We Talk? Art and Business in Macao insight about creative industries around the world. The views and opinions expressed in this Cheong Sio Pang - Longings beyond Words publication are those of the authors and the interviewees, which do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of C2 Magazine Editorial Board the Macao S.A.R. Government. Feature managed to win so used to sustain these platforms. many projects. While most may assume that travelling around The advancement the world is a work of leisure, Sio revealed that the In the Mainland, “online economy” is thriving, with leading online celebrities enjoying much higher of technology means work is actually much harder than one can think. salaries than first-tier pop stars. Their popularity stems largely from fashionable trends, while some make that campaigns using “One of the most challenging things is that I have their fame by creative acts. For the latter, their work has given impetus to the arts and cultural industries. online personalities are to keep up with my fanpage daily, maintaining the Indeed, what are the prospects for these local online celebrities? In today's online world, how do they becoming more and more popularity ranking. Every day I have to come up with maintain their competitiveness? In this issue, we find out about the stories of local online celebrities Sio popular. Sio pointed out that at least one or two posts. This isn't always so easy Ng, the duo Shoot & Chop, Carl Ao Ieong, as well as Hong Kong-based Tse Sai Pei. this approach has gone on for to do! What's more, I am constantly responding to some time abroad, although messages from the online users too, so sometimes I at the present there are not so could barely find time to rest.” many of such instances in Hong According to Sio, she is someone who enjoys Opportunities Kong and Macao. She also urged a more leisurely pace. On the other hand, being an those interested to make a name online celebrity, she has to respond to a fast-paced for themselves in this industry to be online world where time is of essence. In producing more proactive. Sio felt that there are her own videos, Sio would usually set a deadline of for Macao's many mobile-friendly apps tailored around three days to herself. For her, there is hardly Sio Ng travels around the world for 800 days. She shares her for online celebrities. In the same way, a moment when she can be truly unwind. “Many experiences on social media and later on successfully publishes her travelogue. clients would upload the desirable projects such as the advertisement on car racing, Photo courtesy of Samsam Chao@Sam’s images, criteria for the advertised roles, so that have a definite deadline. But sometimes the pace Calvan sin ProductionText and by interviewees Jason Leong Online the prospective job-seekers could identify for video production is just so quick that it is hard to themselves and liaise with the company. catch up.” This convenient, one-stop procedure is not “Having the experience of running a Celebrities dissimilar to job-hunting. production house myself, I appreciate that the Sio added that nowadays, many online income of each production is quite high, and can Global Traveller Sio Ng: celebrities, especially those who focus on rise up to over MOP 10,000. However, my income Publication Opportunities cosmetics and beauty or gym industries, do not gained from my fanpage only comes up to know anything other than their own sector, and thousand dollars, which is very little compared to Having travelled around the world for some 800 Sio's overseas cultural experience is a rather unique don't understand the importance of marketing a proper full-time job. There are lots of untapped days, Sio's travelogue via social media has become a theme, and it has successfully gained for Sio tremendous or client communication. Therefore, those apps opportunities in online marketing. Perhaps in the tremendous hit. In just two years' time, Sio's fan page has popularity. Many commercial clients have also contacted mentioned are helpful in guiding them in the early future people can combine both elements in life, garnered the support of nearly 60,000 followers. At the her to get Sio advertise for them, hoping to leverage on stages. Of course, using these services will entail and that we are allowed to operate our pages with end of last year, she approached publishers in Taiwan for her publicity to produce short films for selling their own some additional middle-man fees, which will be the support of the company.” interest to publish her travelogue. Her book,The Heart's products. “To be honest, I don't know why they want to Freedom Lies in the Sky, rose to the top of chart as soon find me. After all, I am not even pretty. Perhaps they like as in its pre-launch, being ranked as one of the top ten my image, my ability to speak several languages or my books to read. However, Sio confessed that the process outlook in life?” has been somewhat challenging: “You may not know, Earlier, a Japanese property agency from Osaka but I have travelled for some 1,600 instead of 800 days, even invited Sio to Japan to shoot a promotional video and that the greatest challenge of this project is not on Japanese tourism and their products, offering to so much about the trip itself, but the work that comes sponsor her expenses and accommodation, including after it!” According to her agreement with the Taiwanese an income of over MOP 10,000 per episode. This is publisher, the publisher would help Sio execute the certainly a very attractive offer that Sio found hard to marketing and publicity for the book, provided that Sio turn down, although she admitted that such invitations first launch a personal webpage to amass interest. This do not always come so easily. means that the book project will only go ahead if there In building her success as an online celebrity, the is enough evidence of support, and will be scrapped self-defined “business-minded creative practitioner” if there isn't. “It explains why I was quite desperate for reveals how she would go through a project support at that time. I even call my friends individually to proposal with her clients, listing out in detail the explain my situation in order to secure more support. At number of followers, her online responses and first, I could hardly sleep, being so preoccupied with this posts, complemented by graphs and pictures as challenge. Once I realised that the project is going ahead, well as chronology. Thanks to her well-planned I was able to relax a little more,” Sio laughed. execution, it is not difficult to see why she 002 ISSUE19 ISSUE19 003 Feature Shoot & Chop: A Hilarious Take on Macao When browsing social media, have you operate Shoot & Chop from a rented unit in a noticed an entertaining viral clip that features a creative arts centre, where the wild and hilarious group of Western-looking friends conversing in materials are created.