Since 2013 when we founded Manner, we had almost zero income during the first few years. I personally funded Manner’s operations with earnings from performing magic tricks. We didn’t have much skills and knowledge back then but only got by through trial and error. Without a stable source of income, we lost some of our staffs, while those who stayed behind were determined to carve out a niche for Manner.
At the time, Manner was filming and publishing various nine-seconds videos online which broke the language barrier across countries. Among those nine-seconds video clips, one titled “handpicked ice cream” proved to be most popular. Before the clip was released, our partners were not being taken seriously and no affirmation or recognition were given to them which some might even consider our work as childish and idiotic. Yet when that clip had gone viral and reached record-high hit rates, what was once considered as naïve behaviour was suddenly being recognised. From that moment on, I believe that you can never tell who will have the last laugh, so there’s no need to care about how others see you. Be someone you aspire to, this will go a longer way than merely becoming what others expect of you.
In the blink of an eye, Manner entered its seventh year. What started as a two-person company now employs a team of over a hundred people, yet we never forgot why we started Manner at the first place. In search of the meaning of “existence” was our initial aspiration and is still valid today. By “existence”, we refer to that of Macau’s people and things. We hope people from abroad can learn about the city’s people, events and works, we consider this our mission. Traditional MNCs generally pay attention to its market share, while At Manner, we emphasize on “mind share.” We do not need Manner to gain wealth through occupying a high market share in Macau. We only wish that Manner can occupy the hearts and minds of our fans and customers, so they will love our shows and value our products. We hope they genuinely like us and support us - this would be our greatest achievement in the creative industry. It is actually difficult to stay profitable in the creative industry so those who joined Manner and are willing to stay, all share the same core values as Manner. I am very grateful to pursue a dream with this group, consisting of people who gave up high-paid jobs to work with us, whether backstage or in front of the camera. While we may not be well-known figures, we honestly wish to be a living example of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. We see that as our mission and a continuation of our original intentions.
