不再被愚弄-Don't get fooled again-

        2009年夏天，曾在美國與某一經濟公司合作（未簽約），失心瘋付了500美元拍了宣傳照，成為他們網站上的一名talent。從這合作關係中得到東尼獎的後台工作經驗，跟加國流行歌手與某位CSI邁阿密探員拍了一隻MV，又因東尼獎的同事，切進服裝走秀。好加再，我當時鬼迷心竅花的五百美元幸運回本。不過，我告訴自己，再也不當這種公司的口邊肥羊。返台後，由於經濟不景氣，許多人除了正職以外開始考慮私下接案，有不少人問我該不該付宣傳照錢給經紀公司。以下是我經過許多面試後的小小心得，主要提供給所有對演藝事業有興趣的人做參考（對一般面試整理思緒也能以此類推）。希望能幫助大家分析對方誠意或純粹詐財，讓我們跟CSI邁阿密主題曲中說的一樣-不再被愚弄-

一、面試以前準備事項

        1. 我的熱情(目標)是什麼，寫下來（比如：電視、電影、平面、喜劇、舞臺...）

        2. 我的強項(技能)是什麼，寫下來（比如：歌唱、體育項目、語言...）

    熱情是讓我們在這番事業走得長久的關鍵，而強項能幫助我們把速度加快。列出這些點的時，能越明確越好。

        3. 網路上查詢這些公司資料（了解是否合法立案與成立時間，以及相關藝人）

            要是沒有合法立案，還不快逃？立案時間一年以內，或是沒有任何招牌的，大概就可以先跳過，要是它在你一交完錢不久馬上倒閉，就有人要哭哭了。若已有我們看過的名藝人背書，它存活的機會可能會高一點。

4. 把寫下來的東西整理好，變成相關的面試問題

5. 針對以上資料特製一份履歷

二、面試時該問對方的問題

        1. 目前貴公司最多的案件類型為何？

                如果答案是什麼都有，無明確答案，表示面試你的人或該公司根本就不知道自己在做什麼。或是他們的案件離你的目標很遠，就沒有投資價值。

2. 你們覺得我的發展可能是什麼？

    如果你得自費拍宣傳照，當然有權力知道對方怎麼看待你。若他們什麼也說不出來，就表示他們對你荷包以外之才毫無冀望。

3. 我能夠怎麼使用我的強項更快達到我的目標？

    若對方對經營你的強項沒有經驗，只是一味想說服你從付費照相開始，東西收好，趕快離開。

4. 我能用自己的 宣傳照／攝影師 嗎？

    就算你已經有職業宣傳照，他們一定都會堅持要你重照．目前碰到的都會說只照一次就好，但是問問不犯法，誰知道會不會碰到有良心的人，同意使用你原本就美美的宣傳照。

三、面試中碰到以下情形，建議馬上離開，因為你不會錯過任何機會

        1. 公司的人們跟你說「我們不用你的履歷（或已有的宣傳照）」

        表示他們對於你的才能完全不感興趣，只是想把你當笨蛋叫你乖乖付錢．聽到這句話，請不要懷疑，馬上往出口移動。

        2. 「恭喜你進入第X輪甄選，你只有一次機會，要是你現在不做決定，就再也沒有機會跟我們合作（或是：你之後要是反悔就得重頭再來過）」

沒有人該被逼著馬上做決定，講得出這種話的公司，表示他們相當短視，我會馬上逃之夭夭。

        3. 「要是你不同意付錢照宣傳照，我就不能跟你解釋接下來的發展如何」

        付錢的人就是投資者，投資者投資時當然有權力知道集資者打算怎麼，處理公司財務。聽到這句話，怎麼還能坐著？

        4. 「XX公司哪裡哪裡不好」

        不停道人是非者，人恆惡之。我喜歡與正面思考的人們合作，只能以數落他人來推銷，沒有自我求進步的能力，因此完全不用考慮。

        我現在三十歲，一直以來沒有與任何經濟公司簽約，純以網路與人脈找工作，到目前為止演出超過三十部歌劇，受過電視專訪兩次，跨歐亞美版圖參與過各種形式演出上千場，音樂作品被樂團與競選團隊雇用，也曾在美國大學內當講師...等。自回國後，受許多學校之邀提供音樂與表演藝術講座。由於長年來受到歌劇業界語言洗禮，自2012年開始從事口譯與翻譯工作，專走影片、電玩、與科技產業等方向。這條多元化職業路與父母原先的期望完全不同，但似乎還讓我在苟延殘喘之虞能孝敬他們一下。現在台灣就業市場的22K加上二代健保，逼得許多小老百姓都得重新思考工作與上班的定義。政令讓我們賺得錢越來越少，想做副業時又有豺狼虎視眈眈，等著削這些善良小綿羊一筆。以此文勉勵所有對演藝事業有興趣的同好在網路上多做功課（若有能力配合其它外國資料更好），讓我們能真正有效運用有限金錢投資自己，Don’t get fooled again!

Don't get fooled again

2009, I paid 500$ for my new pictures on my comp card through an agency and got so disappointed by the result. That company had an office around 34th St. As much as I remembered, that agency changed its name to something I could no longer remember. Through that same agency, I got the chance to work in XXmy award, and got a gig playing cello in Melanie Fiona's music video, "it kills me". Because of the backstage work at XXmy's, I made a few friends who got me more gigs modeling and so on. I could safely say that I got my 500$ back but I told myself  never again.

For all these years I've occasionally wondered around in Taiwan. There are quite a few aggressive ones trying to cash-cow people. I can't tell you which one I think is(n't) a fraud, but I can tell you how to tell whether the agency only looks at you as a sugar mom/dad. First, you have to be honest to yourself and brave to others. Here below are some stages/situations I've been through. I hope they can be somewhat helpful, or at least sadly amusing.

What you should think about as specific as you possibly can before you meet with any agencies.

1. What's my real passion in this field

  Nothing is more important than your passion. Be really specific! For instance, comedy, drama, movies, TV, modeling, and etc. Write them down.

2. What's my strength

  Your passion will lead you a long way, and your strength will speed it up. Also write them down.

3. Google the agency you are going to meet with and find out for how long it has existed.

  If you can't find any legit info online, don't even go! If the company has just started, you can skip it for now.

4. Google the agency and see if any celebrities you know coming from it.

5. Generate questions from what you just wrote down as in the next paragraph.

6. Prepare a specific resume for this talent agency

Questions you should ask during the interview/audition

1. What's the main direction of this agency

  Every agency has its strength. if the people there can't tell you the specifics, it's clear that they don't know what they are doing.

2. What do you see in me

  If any agency wants you to pay anything, of course you have the right to ask them what they see in you. If they can't tell you anything immediately, it means that they see nothing else but the money in your pocket.

3. How will I get closer to my passion by using my strength
  If they can't work with your strength, why bother?

4. Can I provide my own pictures for my comp card?

  Trust me, every agency will tell you to get a set of new photos for your comp card no matter whom you've worked with before. They will tell you that your comp card may not suit their needs. But no matter what, show them your pictures(if you've got some professionally done already). If they don't even look at what you've got, there is no point continuing at all. 

If you don't get any satisfying answers, you know this agency probably lives in days.

You don't lose anything walking right out if you face any of the situations as below,

1. "We don't need your resume" or "We don't need your photos"

 This means that they have no interest in you. Go as quickly as you can!

2. "Congratulations for getting into this round, but this is a one-shot opportunity. If you walk out right now, you will lose the chance forever(or you will have to reapply and start from the first round again)"

 Don't be scared! Don't be bullied! It's so telling you, "just walk out, please", and do it!

3. "If you don't agree to pay for the new photo shoot(for the comp card or any other fee they make up) fee, I can't tell you anything further."

 No one can invest money without knowing how they will be benefited. People who come up with this phrase clearly have no interest other than in your money.

It's a jungle out there! Taiwanese government has minimized all the newbies' income to 22K limitation with the 2nd generation of health insurance. Without signing with any agent, I've performed in over 30 opera productions, been interviewed by TV stations, walked a few modeling gigs, got a few scoring gigs, and more if you are really that interested. Stop paying every agency for useless one time only comp cards. Be smart! Don't get fooled again!

Be sure to tell me your stories!

roguegov.com.tw

One of the recent news was about some buildings of 4 families in ML county. The county government said that the existence of those buildings could endanger the intersection of traffic, especially when there are trucks trying to make a turn. Those families didn't come to any agreement with the government. They didn't move and the government gave them the ultimatum. When the time comes, the county peops will take down the buildings at all costs. The time came this morning when lots of them gathered a protest in front of the office of the president in Taipei. The county government grouped an army of policemen in front of their unattended houses, and took down their years of lives. Many of them didn't even have any chance to see their houses one last time.

Other than the sneaky move, the county government spent millions of New Taiwan Dollars posting half a page advertisement in order to "educate" people that they are doing the right thing. The righteousness claimed that the existence of the house may become the blind spot for cars and huge trucks while making turns. Before pointing fingers to anyone, my questions are, "did the families settle there first", "how long have them being there", "what happened to the previous county government if these houses really endanger the traffic"?

These people must have bought their houses which were approved by the county government years or decades ago. Later, their county government also approved many other buildings to construct your current traffic lines. After the later ones were built, this county government came back to you and said that your building now is a threat to the current traffic flow. Something must have gone extremely wrong somewhere. Perhaps the local development plan came a lot later than the time these families purchased/built their buildings. If so, what stopped the government taking care of these 4 families as well? Or perhaps these buildings had been illegal all along(or, never in the development plan), and the filthy middle connections had been taking money from the residents to smooth the county government for all these years. I don't know the answers but I find this really scary. Trust is the base of any relationship. What happens when we can't trust our government?

This is the time we live in. Our government would rather waste millions(NTD) of tax payers' money to post half a page of advertisement through several medias just to tell that they were not wrong, instead of giving their millions to these families for their new settlement or for just simply some compensation. You can purchase the government approved construction now, but if you are so lucky that one day you may find your legal home endangering the later development. Our government set a minimum college graduate monthly wage at 700 USD(more or less). This makes corporate's heaven. They used to pay over 1000 USD for a college graduate, and now, nobody is paying that anymore. Until now, we still don't get any higher.

Many of the Taiwanese politicians have the options of immigrating to other countries. When the end of someone's 2nd presidency comes, we see the ugliest and the least responsible acts throughout. It looks like people just stop working hard when they know that there is no further goal. If these previous presidents, or soon to be previous presidents decide to own a different citizenship, can we stop their retirement paychecks?

What are you? I'm Ü

I remembered our graduation party thrown by the youngsters. Everyone got a special prize with a special title. The name of my prize was called, "Just being Ü". I've been confused all my life telling people who I am and what I do exactly. To find a specific title is for people who have very limited imagination. I happen to be capable of a few different things, and I so happen to meet many people who trust and hire me for these employments. Who am I, or what am I? If anyone is looking for an answer, I think I finally figure it out. It's as simple as the title my college friends came up with, Just Ü. Right! I am Ü, and I do whatever whoever pays me for.

It's really annoying when I hear the sentence, "Don't you feel bad that you've spent so much time on xxx?"

"Never"

This is how look at things. My value is only valid for "now". A value of an item, an event, or a choice could change at different periods of time just like how stock price varies. The only time I can really tell whether it is a good investment or not is the moment right before I exhale my last breath. For that, it is absolutely pointless to define a success or a failure at this moment. We can all make choices. Some of us choose to differ as little as possible, and some of us choose the other way around.

Before I came back to Taiwan last year, I could never imagine having a job interview as a GM. (Although most likely, the reason they were interested in me was because they wished to pay less for lots of localization work.) I even skipped the first interview and went directly to meet with the boss. He even told me to name my price. However, with the suspicion of extra localization work, I gave him the number over twice of the minimum wage.(Trust me, it's still not high. Thanks to the thoughtful Taiwanese government, especially thoughtful for the co-ops!) According to my contact in the firm, the boss didn't think that we could negotiate at all. After I heard the phrase, I told my contact that I was the person who wouldn't have wasted my time interviewing with him if he had told me that he was only looking for a cheaper translator.

No matter what, the fact is I've got 10 grand out of this company this month and according to the first update, it is still growing. I've signed the contract to protect my continual right to localize this game if there are further updates. I surely hope that this game goes as long as possible!

So, how did this come to the stage? It all started when I came back to Taiwan and had a cup of coffee with a friend I went to MSM, NTNU, and KSHS with. She introduced me to a TV/Film translation company and I began to freelance in localization. After that, I applied an account on a job search engine. I paid 30 or 50 USD to read 25 full ad-posts since Nov 2012. I still have more then 10 reads left. So far, the game comp was the only success from that site. It was indeed, "三年不開張, 開張吃三年"(You have no business for 3 years, but once you have one business, you can survive for three years.)

If I weren't a music major student going through the schooling system, I wouldn't have met this friend who lighted up the path for me today. If I weren't a voice major student, I wouldn't have felt the need to get acquainted with foreign languages. If I had got married, I wouldn't have come back to Taiwan. Let me not forget about the games I've played. They became my conversation topic to impress the interviewer, and how much I've learned from my previous roommate E about dressing like a classy professional. Oh, and thanks to my parents for doubting me every time I wanted to do something else. Because of their questioning, I felt more determined to follow through. Don't get me wrong. They only provide reasonable doubts but never stop me from doing anything.

Why would anyone bother to ask me whether I am a D soprano or a M soprano? From my tax report, I am so not a musician this year. And at the end, do the titles matter at all? The question should be, "can you really do it or not?" Why do I have to draw the boarder when I can have the whole universe?

I'm here sending my deepest appreciation to all the people who have accompanied me until now. If I am ever defined in any form of success, you've all been parts of it.