duped

Yesterday he taught us how to lie our way to being noticed. I chose to ignore that. Today he spoke more about how to oversell yourself and your film project. If it's 20-50-200-500k, just say it's a 'project that is just under a milliion dollars'.

I realise, we've been duped. This will be the last time, I am ever going to another lecture or talk given by some non-Muslim guy from the west. We think he has credibility just because he was from the west??

Seriously now, I am doubting his selling points for this lecture event, because he is always talking about overselling - that's how they do business right? You cannot trust these people. Did Quentin REALLY gained anything from him??? He sells himself as the 'greatest film lecturer' - seriously, I thought the two other film/movie related courses, conducted by a Malay (Jins Shamsudin and Faisal Chal Ahmad) were way much better, honest, relevant and beneficial for me.

Like he said himself, Americans, there are a lot of crap out there, but they are so damn good at advertising. For me, American advertising is basically tricking others into thinking that something is way much better than it really is. Dang.

He also joked (?) that being Jewish, he did wrong by paying for something at retail price. He would always want to buy as cheap as possible. Then the idea is to oversell as high as possible. That's it - make money. You know, as Muslims, we are expected to be honest, and to give and take. There is a particular ayat** on being so calculative about our own measure, and then giving others less than their due measure - it is a sin. So NO! I AM NOT TAKING YOUR ADVICE ABOUT OVERSELLING AND LYING OUR WAY THROUGH.

Then the notes.. pfft the notes are just pieces of information he picks up from the web, prints them and binds them into a plastic booklet.

For today's lecture, he spoke about how to sell our film. Granted, I learned a thing or 2 today, that I can summarise in 2 sentences about press kit. The rest are very irrelevant to us - about sales in America.. I mean c'mon.. if this is going to be our first low budget feature film, what chances does he think we'll have to contact those people in America and sell our films?? He doesn't know the situation in Singapore and our market. He cannot give us relevant information about how to sell our films. I quite sure I can learn much more from Sujimy or Jack Neo (if they hold classes).

Here is another thing that I chose to ignore yesterday, with just good assumptions. When he started the class, he did say, it's all about MONEY. Give him a cheque then he'll talk business. No bullshit about love for movies or anything.. just give him the money and he'll lecture. He's NOT COMING TO SINGAPORE TO TRAIN UP A TERRORIST!! Now, I seriously wonder what on earth he meant by that. I mean seriously, what has Singapore, got to do with terrorism in their world? By the way there were 2 Muslims ladies in the class, including me.

Just now another caucasian female participant was telling me, she will leave half way, cause this man seems to be repeating a lot, and she doesn't like him because he is obnoxious.

I regret having paid for this event - but I'll take it as a mistake, turned into a lesson learnt. No more.. no more courses by bragging mat sallehs after this. Illa masyaAllah.

Then just now he asked if we want certificates for this course. He promises the certificate will look like UCLA certificates - same printer, same paper. Thanks, but no thanks. I left the class at lunch time. By this time, I feel like it's a class about how to cheat people.

Haih.. he is so much older than me la.. 70-71.. and I respect him as a person older than me and that's all. Hish.


**
"WOE UNTO THOSE who give short measure:
those who, when they are to receive their due from [other] people, demand that it be given in full –
but when they have to measure or weigh whatever they owe to others, give less than what is due!"

Mutaffifin 83:1-3 (transliteration by Asad)