HELLO AND WELCOME!
Posted: August 4, 2011 Filed under: Blog, Home 54 Comments »Update 16 Oct 2011- This post will always remain at the top as a sticky to inform new readers about My ASDS Fund- for more recent updates and developments, please see below for new blog posts!
*Update 18 Aug 2011: Thanks to a combination of scholarships I have received since setting up this site, my 2011/2012 tuition fees (as well as MOST of my tuition for the other 2 years) are now sorted! This page will therefore focus on trying to raise the little extra I may still require fees-wise, as well as living expenses for the duration of the course.
Thank you for visiting my ASDS fundraising page!
My name is Samantha Tan, and I recently became the first Malaysian ever to be accepted into the 3-year MFA Acting programme at the prestigious Actors Studio Drama School in New York. I’m THRILLED of course, but now comes the hard part: paying for it. This website has been created as one of many avenues I am using to raise the tuition fees I need, and as a means of presenting all the information that interested parties have been requesting into one easily accessible organised page.
I’m 26, born and bred in PJ, have been working in dance/musical theatre in London for the past four years and am currently in a perpetual mental state of screaming excitement mixed with extreme stress as I attempt to raise the money I need for the biggest opportunity of my life. If you are interested in helping please click on the button below to make a secure Paypal contribution, or make a bank transfer (which will save me some charges!) by contacting me at myasdsfund@gmail.com (for security reasons bank details will be provided on request).
Any contribution of any amount is hugely appreciated, and I’d love it if you could leave a note saying who you are so I can thank you personally!
CONTRIBUTE BY PAYPAL
CONTRIBUTE BY BANK TRANSFER:
Get in touch at:
Email: myasdsfund@gmail.com
WHAT IS THE ASDS?
The Actors Studio Drama School, of the global TV series Inside the Actors Studio fame, is the only MFA programme in existence officially sanctioned by the legendary Actors Studio, whose illustrious membership have received over 150 Oscar, Tony and Emmy awards and whose current presidents are no less than Al Pacino, Ellen Burstyn and Harvey Keitel. Currently run under the banner of Pace University, the ASDS is widely considered to be one of the most reputable drama conservatoires not just in the US but the world. Entry is by a rigorous and competitive audition process, and the Method-based training it provides is notoriously tough and challenging. This is without a doubt a huge once-in-a-lifetime chance to train amongst the world’s elite. Read more about it here.
HOW MUCH DO I NEED?
2011/2012 fees are a whopping $34,510- I have been awarded an annual $5000 President’s Graduate scholarship, but I still need to raise a further $29, 510 (or about £18,000/RM88,000) for the first year’s tuition. And just so you’re assured that I’m not marking up those figures to swindle your money:
As you can see the fees are not actually all I need; however they represent the largest most urgent chunk at this point, and if you can help me raise that it will make dealing with the rest (as well as facing Year 2 and Year 3′s expenses later on) a LOT easier.
So please, click below to contribute or request my details for bank transfer- every little helps!
CONTRIBUTE BY PAYPAL:
CONTRIBUTE BY BANK TRANSFER:
Request my bank details at:
Email: myasdsfund@gmail.com
WHAT ELSE AM I DOING TO RAISE THE FUNDS I NEED?
It goes without saying that this website is of course not the be all and end all of my fundraising avenues. In addition to my own personal savings from my performing work so far as well as the in-between day jobs all artists have to go through (in my case reception work at a dance studio, meet-and-greet at a restaurant, ushering/hostessing at corporate events, catering through my food blog):
TRADITIONAL ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS: I am currently under consideration for several other conventional merit-based grants including the CIMB Regional Scholarship, which is awarded to 5 outstanding individuals each year from the South East Asian region who have chosen to pursue a Masters/Doctorate in specific unique fields including theatre. However, due to the extraordinarily tight timing- the CIMB deadline was only on August 3rd and I have been told I may not get a result until many months later- this page has been set up as an additional measure so I can at least get started with raising what is obviously a phenomenal amount, instead of wasting my time waiting and hoping. I am also a candidate for Pace University’s “Dyson College Fund For International Students”, but like the former this grant is competitive and will likely not be awarded until I am already in New York. Hence the whole point of this site- to try and make sure I leave no stone uncovered and at least get to New York in the first place.
PRIVATE SPONSORS: Several private parties (which will remain unnamed) have also stepped forward to show an interest in possibly providing support. At this point everything is still at the discussion stage, so again instead of wasting time banking on them working out, this fund is aimed at generating exposure and reaching out to as many other potentially interested parties as possible.
THEN OF COURSE, THERE’S CAKES AND STUFF: Whilst these endeavours will in no way fund my entire course, I have set up an online bake sale on my food blog The Mini Sam Tan Kitchen to give food lovers the chance to contribute what little they can whilst enjoying a treat or two in return. I have also been dedicating many hours towards obtaining my Stott Pilates instructor qualification, which will come through in a few weeks and enable me to start teaching. These are both small portable sources of income that I intend to maintain on a private basis alongside my studies in New York. Whilst unfortunately I am not allowed to legally seek employment outside of campus on my US student visa, thankfully I can partake in up to 20 hours a week part-time work anywhere within the university to help with day-to-day expenses.
OK, SO WHAT ABOUT YEAR 2 AND 3?
As I pointed out at the beginning, this site is not aimed at raising the full whack of everything I need for the entire course- it is a means of getting the ball rolling whilst I await confirmation of proper funding. The Year 1 figures provided are to prove to you that I have not invented the amount I need.
The scholarships I mentioned above may end up covering Year 2 and Year 3 too, but at this point I do not know for certain and am using this site to cover all my bases. In the event that absolutely no funding comes through once I am there, I am eligible for international student loans- however, this is a last resort as it entails getting a co-signer and therefore putting someone else at financial risk.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON’T RAISE ENOUGH IN TIME- WILL YOUR MONEY BE WASTED?
Absolutely not! Every contribution is definitely going into good use already to help pay for the start up costs of getting there (visas, flights, books etc). It should be noted that thankfully the school does not require the entire amount upfront and has a great payment plan that lets you split fees into 10 interest-free installments, so any contribution made even after my start date of Sept 6th will be helpful.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I RAISE TOO MUCH?
A lovely scenario if it were to happen! However I think you can agree it’s highly unlikely 
WHY SHOULD YOU DONATE?
BECAUSE I really, really need it- despite the willingness of my parents to show their support, they simply can’t afford this huge amount as they are both retired and surviving on my father’s pension. Even if they could afford it, I still want to raise what I need independently as I believe whatever retirement fund they have should be for their own enjoyment after decades of hard work.
BECAUSE what I do for a living is not usually “done” back home. Be it for economic or cultural reasons, there is a general disdain for anyone choosing to pursue an artistic field as anything more than a hobby, therefore being the first Malaysian to be accepted is all the more significant.
BECAUSE no government support is available. It is an understatement to say the arts are not particularly highly regarded in Malaysia; I was often asked whilst growing up why I would “waste” a straight-A academic record on something as “useless” and “low-paid” as the performing arts. Whilst the latter is unfortunately true (hence my needing this fund and not having a fat bank balance to count on), I am determined to show the former certainly is not. Your contribution would be hugely meaningful not just to me on a personal level, but towards changing archaic perceptions about the value of the arts too.
BECAUSE I intend to pay it back big time by reinvesting the knowledge I will gain at the ASDS into developing young talent back home. I cannot promise a large financial return or that I will earn millions to single-handedly change the local industry, but I believe my training at the ASDS will provide me with a unique knowledge that is unobtainable at present in Malaysia and the ability to teach and raise awareness through myself and/or the people I will no doubt meet during the course. The freedom to go abroad to train remains somewhat a domain of the wealthy, so my aim would be to share my own skills and know-how of the intricacies of the business with young, talented but less-privileged people who can’t afford to fly off themselves.
BECAUSE you would be supporting the idea that people CAN and SHOULD do something different with their lives if they want to, and that passion not money should be what drives you.
” Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference. “
(Robert Frost- The Road Not Taken, 1916)
AM I REALLY WORTH SUPPORTING?
If you like hard work and passion, then yes! It has taken years of single-minded dedication to get halfway around the world from Malaysia to building a career in London and now to being given this opportunity. I would like at least a fighting chance of seeing this through and making it a reality.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS/ACHIEVEMENTS SO FAR (for full CV please click here):
-Graduated from London Studio Centre (University of the Arts London) in 2007 as one of only eight students (out of a batch of over a hundred) to achieve a First Class BA (Hons) Theatre Dance.
-Awarded the Wall Trust scholarship, the Leverhulme trust bursary and the London Studio Centre grant for outstanding achievement
-Made West End debut as an ensemble member and first cover Kelsi in the original London cast of High School Musical in 2008
-Performed at the world-renowned Royal Albert Hall as part of The King & I, opposite Daniel Dae Kim of the hit TV show Lost.
-Actor in Carmen at the prestigious O2 Arena
- Played the lead role in independent Malaysian feature 5:13
- A main role in the permanent ensemble cast of Timedancer, an innovative interactive experience on Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7
You can check out more on my Spotlight Page and my website at www.samanthatan.co.uk
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, HERE’S HOW I GOT IN!
Although it is heavily discouraged, the Actors Studio Drama School are kind enough to accept video clips in the event that candidates cannot afford to fly to New York for an audition in person. Watch my audition scene below- an excerpt from Aaron Sorkin’s “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip“, made possible with the voluntary services of a lovely actor friend named Graham Vick and my ever-helpful partner Arivind Abraham (sorry for the snarly face- Youtube has a tendency to choose bad freeze frames!)
Once again, if you would like to contribute please click on any of the “Donate” buttons on this site to make a secure Paypal donation, OR contribute by bank transfer to save me some charges by getting in touch at myasdsfund@gmail.com. You can also find me on Twitter @MyASDSFund.
Thank you in advance for your generosity and I truly appreciate the time you’ve taken to read this!
CONTRIBUTE BY PAYPAL:
CONTRIBUTE BY BANK TRANSFER:
Drop me a line at:
Email: myasdsfund@gmail.com
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Hi Sam, better if you have a bank account for online transfers, as PayPal robs you tonnes in fees..!
Thanks Steven, I didn’t want to publish my bank details online and figured people would prefer Paypal as it’s more secure, but you’re right! Have mentioned they can get in touch if they prefer bank transfers now
Details, please!:-)
Have sent them, thank you Steven! xx
Hi,
Congratulations on being the first Malaysian to be accepted into this prestigious establishment.
I have a few question though. This may come across as harsh so I hope you’re prepared to face the questioning eye of the public whom you are addressing due to your actions.
Did you not think about HOW you could afford the fees when you applied? To ask random strangers and your friends to donate to a fund seem really, really out of the ordinary. It’s not exactly very responsible to be requesting for a place in the Academy when you can’t even pay your way in – thus robbing a paying candidate of a seat.
Secondly, you are turning your personal goal and ambition into a charity organisation without clear cut reasons on why your specific ambition should be realised when compared to poor students aspiring to be doctors. Those people need help because they will in turn help society while you dream of being the next Scarlett Johannson in Hollywood. You dream of a life with glitz and glamour, and unlike those A-listers who worked for years to achieve their big break, you expect strangers to randomly help turn you into a pin-up girl. I’m sorry, but our very own Hollywood girl Michelle Yeoh did it without film school and only through years of the school of hard knocks.
The reason you posted on why strangers should help you baffles me. You stated:
BECAUSE I really, really need it- despite the willingness of my parents to show their support, they simply can’t afford this huge amount as they are both retired and surviving on my father’s pension.
You may not have noticed this but, there are millions of people who can’t afford nice things because their parents can’t afford it. Their alternative is to work both hard and smart. Not go begging on street corners (although there are those that do… and is that how you will be spending your time in New York? As living expenses is not covered, it makes one think that once you’ve got your tuition fees covered, you will go begging on the streets or perform dance for strip shows to raise money. We wouldn’t want that, so concerned citizens shouldn’t allow a young girl without enough financial support in a foreign country with that burden.)
Then, there is this:
BECAUSE what I do for a living is not usually “done” back home. For that reason, being the first Malaysian to be accepted is all the more significant.
BECAUSE I intend to pay it back big time by reinvesting what I will gain at the ASDS into developing the local industry back home.
FYI the Malaysian film industry needs an overhaul to make significant changes. Spending RM88,000 on ONE actress will not change it – or even make a scratch of a difference. Likewise, you just spent four years in the showbiz industry in London – you would be what many would classify as those that graduate overseas and didn’t bother to come back. So this whole developing the industry thing – is a little bit melodramatic if you ask me.
BECAUSE no government support is available.
No government loan is available for overseas studies regardless of the subject matter. (I’m not referring to scholarships). Which again begs the question, didn’t you know all this when you applied? Why do you think scores of Malaysian students study locally THEN work their way up?
BECAUSE it could perhaps inspire kids
Sorry, I don’t want to inspire my kids to beg for money. Turning yourself into a charity case is not something anyone would want to put into their autobiography.
Having said all that, I wouldn’t want to discourage you now that you have gained entry. Perhaps, my take would be that you need to rewrite your ‘Reasons’ tagline with stronger and more credible reasons, perhaps offer payback (history making loan scheme), organise fund raising activities, secure yourself work in New York before leaving London, get your friends to offer professional services (eg, accountant friend can offer tax accounting service) in exchange for a donation via buying coupons, photographer friend can offer photography service inexchange of buying a coupon to the ASDS fund etc.
I am not against you pursuing your dreams and ambition and I am certainly available to provide assistance/suggestions on how you can raise funds through proper channels. I just happened to speak my mind and these are my takeaways.
I do hope you’re not offended by my brash tone and keep your spirits up for pursuing this path.
Cheers,
Savannah
Hi Savannah,
No offense taken, in fact thank you for taking the time to construct that immensely long comment
To answer your questions:
1) Yes of course I realised the funding would be an obstacle before I applied, however I have always believed there is no point second-guessing yourself before you’ve even started. Nobody would ever create anything new or try something risky if they let potential difficulty in the 2nd, 3rd or 4th step prevent them from even attempting Step 1! My mentality was simply to audition first, on the crazy off-chance they’d even take me, and then if successful use it as leverage to then work out the next steps. Amazingly, they said yes, so here we are
2) I am not robbing anyone of anything- candidates are chosen purely based on merit and not financial ability, so the fact that I got in means the panel thinks I deserve it. Every single other person accepted on the course this year is now currently doing their own fundraising/scholarship appeals/getting loans etc as actors are generally a poor bunch, and if we fail to do so we simply can’t attend. Are you suggesting that only rich people should apply, and the whole lot of us shouldn’t have because we didn’t have all that cash upfront?
3) I don’t think it’s at all unusual for me to cover all my bases and spread the word as much as possible to try and raise my fees. Crowd-funding is a well-established technique and is not begging- Google it and read up- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowd_funding
4) Of course, aside from this fund I am also applying to proper scholarships/ grants/ organisations as well. I believe there are people out there who will think my cause is worth supporting even if you don’t- in fact I know this to be true, because donations have already started coming in.
5) I wouldn’t dream of comparing myself to doctors, why would you? It’s a line I very much respect and have many friends doing, and I don’t see why you’d assume this page is a competition against them-if a doctor wanted funding for their degree they are free to set up their own. Your opinion here seems to be the very point I made about people thinking the performing arts are “useless”- my field is worth nothing and only doctors are worth something? I don’t think so. If people visit this site and decide “actually I’d rather fund a doctor”, I’ll be thrilled!
5) Your comments about glitz and glamour are misguided- it sounds like you have no idea what this industry is like. Going to the ASDS is not a shortcut to becoming a star (I wish it was!) and very, very few artists ever become famous or rich. I can tell you that in my own 4 years of hard-knocks working as one that it’s generally low-paid and a struggle.
6) Good for Michelle Yeoh that she didn’t feel she needed an acting school, but bear in mind she trained as a dancer in London for years and then as a martial artist, which has become the basis for her career. That’s her niche, not mine. No one should deny themselves training given the opportunity, because it can only improve you. For every beautiful actor who has been lucky enough to strike gold without it, there are thousands of others who would never be the artists we respect otherwise. My goal is not to be Scarlett Johansson- unfortunately I’m not quite good-looking enough, and in fact she herself trained since childhood and has been working hard since 10 years old before making it recently!
7) Again, you obviously have no clue about the concept of crowd funding and social media if you’re equating it to begging. Not even going to dignify your comment about me dancing in strip shows for money with a response- if you have no respect for what I’m trying to do here you should leave.
8) Nobody’s asking you to pay RM88,000 on your own- but if you want to I’ll take it
9)You don’t need to tell me the local industry needs improvement, but how would you do it if not one step at a time? My past 4 years “in showbiz in London” has been to build a career worth something, and even then I have returned to make a feature film in Malaysia and was part of the founding team behind Perantauan Pictures, which has made 3 local features and also the famous “Meter” short from 15 Malaysia. If you think I should forgo the chance to gain important knowledge and contacts at ASDS which I could pass on one day and your best idea is for me to pack up and move home when I haven’t even established myself, you’re wrong.
10) You have freedom of choice- if you think my training at ASDS won’t make a scratch of difference, close this browser and don’t help me.
11) Government “support” means any support including scholarships obviously, which are available to many fields but not this type of thing. What’s your point?
12) The US visa system doesn’t allow work off-campus for international students, if I could secure a job I would. Thanks for your other suggestions, as I mentioned I am pursuing other avenues too.
Hi Samantha,
Good to know you’re keeping your spirits up! You sound like a very positive person.
Here’s my response to your comments:
1) Congratulations again on being accepted while trying your luck. I do hope that in the off chance that you’re unable to raise the fees and unable to enter the institution, you would notify the Drama School so that they can give the seat to someone who can raise the funds.
P/S – In case you didn’t notice, mostly only rich people can afford to go to London and leave Malaysia to study. As a recipient of this, you of all people should know that it is indeed a privilege to be able to study overseas.
2) I’m aware of crowd funding – a guy did it to raise money for a film he intended to make and requested for money from the public. They suggested giving producer credits to the people who provide for the fund. However, you are offering nothing in return. Donations = charity.
3) I do not think art is useless. However, it is one in which you can pursue at your own will since it is your own passion. Which is why most artist struggle on their own to pursue it rather than expect the goodwill of the public to sponsor them. (Hence why the lack of government supports?)
4) I am aware that becoming an actress has its own obstacles. As it is, I’m in the show biz industry too. Its the way you chose to do it in a prestigious school without having the means to do it that spells glitz and glamour. You could have done it in Malaysia or London or learn through experience as you are already getting jobs in London. Seems like a ticket to Hollywood.
5) Your experience averages at 2 plays a year. Hardly an experience if you ask me. It would take you decades at that rate to build something worthy to bring back to Malaysia. By then, you would be married with children (and the chances of getting acting roles diminished). The odds are against you that you would be back to Malaysia. The short ‘Meter’ is something I’ve watched when it came out. It is good in content, however, will make little impact on Malaysian cinema as the film makers need to learn to navigate through censorship and entertainment to make an impact in Malaysian cinema. Otherwise, it will remain in the underground scene as so many independent film makers do and die a silent death. I have also watched the film 5:13 and remain to my standpoint on censorship issues though I commend the effort of the film makers for trying. In fact, the Director Arvind Abraham has more credibility in developing the local film scene than you do at the moment. This is the perception anyway.
6) It is a wonder how you plan to support yourself once you’re there. I have two step children of my own and pale at the thought of what you would do to survive once you’re there. I do hope you don’t keep hoping for the easy way of getting money to make ends meet.
7) It’s good that you are pursuing other avenues as it won’t be an easy ride to grow USD34,000 in short notice.
8) I do wish you all the best in pursuing your dreams. You sound like someone with some grey matter though still lacking in life’s experience. You’re still young and I hope every path you chose becomes a learning experience.
All the best in your pursuit.
Cheers,
Savannah
Savannah,
I couldn’t help but notice your very long diatribe peppered with presumptions and littered with unconstructive, patronizing criticism.
1) I’ll be far more blunt than Samantha has been, unfortunately, because I believe your congratulatory comments are both disingenuous and phony. Besides the obvious condescending tone of your remarks, reading your comments to make logical sense is like doing double back flips while balancing a dish spinning on a chopstick on your nose.
In case you didn’t notice, there are such things as scholarships which people receive in recognition of the extraordinary merit they have proven which allows them to leave for London or New York or wherever to pursue their dreams. Yes, life sucks and many rich people have it easier but it does not mean everyone who went overseas is rich.
No, studying overseas is not a privilege: it’s a necessity in order to expand the talent and human capital that Malaysia so direly needs. It’s perverted logic like yours that keeps this country from developing the arts and/or achieving true greatness in this area.
2) Your awareness of crowd funding must be very dim. Either that, or you (again) have presumed that young talent, if developed, will not contribute positively to Malaysian society. Your finger-wagging that Samantha did not “bother to come back” then contradicts the fact that you later claim you have seen Malaysian productions featuring Samantha. So which is it?
Also, learn to differentiate dream-realisation from melodrama. The former, you do not have and the latter you do. And even IF, Samantha dreams of being the next Scarlett Johansson, why is that so evil in your eyes? Shouldn’t we all aspire to emulate great people in whatever fields we’re in? Is Scarlett Johansson less deserving of Samantha’s admiration than Harvey Cushing is of mine?
And if you think that all “poor students aspiring to be doctors” have no ulterior motive of seeking other things in life as well, you are seriously deluded. Moreover, this is not a zero-sum game whereby if we develop one talent, we can’t develop others.
3) Art is the embodiment of thought in sensory form. If you cannot appreciate the fact that all our lives are made better for it, the cause of education is completely lost on you. We all pursue things that we are passionate about (or at least we should). Artists who pursue it on their own and struggle, and succeed- fantastic. Artists who find alternate means of funding, whatever it is- brillant. Artists who find funding by appealing to the masses with the creative use of technology- genius! If you don’t have goodwill to spare, fine, then butt out. As for the rest of us in whom goodwill and well-wishes are NOT in short supply, we will do what we can to help.
4) If you are embittered by the showbiz industry, I admonish you not crush the spirits of those who will come after you and can probably do better than you. Of all people, then, you should do what you can to allow young, budding actresses gain the best footing possible to launch their careers on instead of posting belligerent rants that presumes but is bereft of moral authority.
5) So let me get this right: You cite the lack of experience (something you seem to love to say as if it’s an effectual liability) but would impede the very thing that would allow more experiences to come through. Sure, I completely get your logic!
So Samantha has done 2 plays a year, apparently your assessment of ‘inadequate’ does not match those of prestigious institutions all around the world. Figures why you are so cynical. Also, unless you are privy to such information, don’t presume to know anything about peoples’ life’s plans.
6) Having children yourself, one would think you would encourage people to realize their dreams. Or are you one of those parents? Do you always discourage your children from dreaming the impossible because of your pseudo-realist, minimifidic impulses? I do hope, for their sakes’ not.
7) “You’re still young…”. Older does not mean wiser as you have so poignantly displayed. You sound like someone who supposes themselves to have grey matter, but is incompetible and is, as a result, jaded and embittered by life’s experience (you know, the one that you have so much of). You only seek to defeat and frustrate any effort that will better your pathetic excuse you call a career.
Chastising from your false sense of superiority rings hollow if you can’t even provide concrete alternative steps. You claim patriotism but seek to impede the very processes that would better the country- nauseating. Yes, I am intolerant of and offensive to a crass and impolite philodox like you and make no apologies for it.
J
Hi John,
I can see that Samantha doesn’t know what to say about herself anymore.
Thank you for your response.
Here is my thoughts to your verbal gymnastics.
My congratulations are sincere and your perception clouds your judgement. I sincerely wish her all the luck to get out of the hole she’s dug herself into.
1) Studying overseas is IDEAL and not a necessity. Otherwise, the government would go broke trying to provide loans and scholarship. In case you’d like to insult all Malaysians who studied locally and did well to develop the country, I’d like you to think twice about that kind of arrogance.
2) Crowd funding by providing something in return is different from asking for something with nothing in return. Please be aware that she is asking for Donations. Which means she turned herself into a charity organization. She was in a local production in which my stand remains – it is an indie and run the risk of dying a silent death. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be a pin up girl if you don’t expect the public to sponsor your dreams. I did not say that doctors do not have ulterior motives. You implied and simply put words into my mouth. Doctors can drive a Ferrari for all I care but their service contributes to society.
3) I know what art is. I’m in the showbiz industry. Where I know people do not need paper qualifications. If you can afford it, fine. Otherwise, it’s something where the are dozens of avenues to develop – mostly experience. Unlike doctors where they MUST have proper training and can’t learn from experience. If she’s asking money from her friends and family – fine. She can repay in cash or kind. But she’s asking from the public. She needs to stand up to public perception.
4) I am not embittered by the industry. I love it and am passionate about it. Which is why I’ve seen many actresses come for auditions hoping to make it. BUT they also keep their day jobs or work hard for years before making it big – often without a prestigious paper behind them. I’ve known of too many girls who want to take the easy way out – who are disillusioned that acting is all about Hollywood, red carpets and fame. This is the perception your dear Samantha is falling into. Instead, I’m very supportive of her pursuing her dreams to be an actress – with the benefit of the doubt that she is passionate about the arts – and strongly encouraged her to find viable methods of raising funds and not through losing her dignity in the process. Also, it is on the immature side to expect hand outs from total strangers.
5) You are putting words in my mouth again. I said her experience at the rate of 2 plays a year is insufficient to develop the local industry. Clearly, her audition reel showed she needed training on acting and therefore she got accepted into the academy. I did not mix the requirements of a prestigious institute with her ability to develop the industry.
6) I happen to love my career. I am one of those that dreamed and then WORKED towards fulfilling my dreams. Rare, I know.
7) My dear John, if you read carefully, you would see that I provided concrete steps in raising funds. FYI, I happen to also raise funds for charity and actually know how to do this. I only suggested the methods that required the least amount of work for a girl who’s penchant for work seem low. If she had gotten one of her photographer friends to sponsor a photo session, she could make $2000 in one go rather than boast about the pitiful sum of $2000 from 2,500 hits (average of 80 cents per hit). There are many ways to raise $30,000 in a month, and I kindly offered Samantha assistance if she so wish to make an effort on her part but she declined. As you can see, I genuinely wish her all the best and your rants show someone with a misconception.
8) While I’m at it, I would like to point out that one of my friends visited Samantha’s FB page and noted pictured of her partying all over the place. Frankly, anyone can save GBP 5,000 a year if they worked in London. But instead of working for her future in those 4 years she was abroad, Samantha chose to act like a 20 year old and partied hard, taking holidays and basically enjoying London instead of growing her bank account. One can hardly respect someone who think their own money is for enjoyment while other people should pay for her studies. If your dear Samantha had been a more serious person, she would have saved money for this endevour instead of throw endless parties.
9) Also, I notice Samantha’s loss of positivism that I first noted in her first reply. I thought she was a positive person who could take advice. Clearly, I now doubt this as she describes people who disagree with her as haters who are ignorant and stupid. THIS coming from a 26 year old. Also, she called Kiran a weirdo after he donated GBP10. My point is; if you’re going to be an actress, you’re going to be subjected to the role of public figure and must learn to handle criticism. Heck, if you’re going to ask the public to sponsor you and get nothing in return, you’re going to BE a public figure and expect and handle criticism with a bit more maturity. So, John, I stand by my verdicts and I have been proven right by the actions of the lady in question. Samantha, there will naturally be detractors who disagree with you. I suggest you learn to debate with words with the valid points raised by your detractors rather than throw insults on every other opportunity. Respect other people. They disagreed with you yet were kind enough to donate. Respect people.
Cheers,
Savannah
Dear Samantha,
I fully support you for doing so and to “Savannah” whoever you are…You’re obviously the reason why Malaysia will never succeed because your mindset is so narrow and and you’re so typical it pisses me off just to read what you wrote.
I am currently the only Malaysian or rather student from Asia accepted in a Masters of Teaching program in Sydney University. Well for the record if I only knew about social media funding I would have done that to raise funds for my fees to pursue my passion in teaching, fortunately for me I have support from family and scholarships I manage to obtain.
The thing is whether Samantha is pursuing her passion in arts, or some other student pursuing it in medicine. It’s not the case it is the fact that she took the step just like how I took mine to strive for our ambitions and our dreams because if we don’t believe in doing so…who else is going to do that for us? These students which you mentioned was denied scholarships even though they came out with good results etc.
The thing is after getting rejections, they simply never believe or had faith in themselves. They are not stupid, if they really wanted to be that doctor that much, they will fight for it and reach out for that dream. However, they are not doing anything at all so what is there to say as oppose to Samantha here who is fighting for she wants and she wants it badly, she is not begging just blogging her predicament and that’s all she’s doing to reach her dreams.
We already know how bad our country are in terms of not putting in place the rights for students which are non-muslims in obtaining scholarships or fundings. So how else would you expect those non- muslims students to strive on knowing very well that they don’t have support from their country. The kids you pointed out and people you stated which are deprived, let me say something here. They have an equal chance to excel and choose the strategies to get out of poverty. Did they do it? Or is it because they are just not driven enough to do so or simply not smart enough to think of innovative ways as oppose to Samantha.
I feel for Samantha because I was in her predicament once, time and tide waits for no men. If you value life and you value time, you don’t wait for things to happen. You make it happen. She’s making her dream happen because it’s her life and she should live it the best to her potential. For me as a teacher, my passion will be to teach and motivate all students to reach their highest potential and just do what they love and have passion in order to excel. I truly believe when they do so, they will eventually help back and give back to the world one way or another.
For the record, Michelle Yeoh was from a rich family and had a rich ex- husband and connections to support her. Poverty is not a reason for ordinary people not to strive for their dreams. It is the determination that counts and the faith of making things happen that makes it all worthwhile. You’re crap and seriously I am speaking from a teacher perspective that sadly, you probably had a crappy teacher back home which never taught you to dream big, think out of the box and also never taught you to believe in yourself and reflect in your actions.
I applaud Samantha taking this step because alone there’s no way she can make much changes, but then again for believing in herself to get this far, she will inspired the younger Malaysian generation that if our parents are not willing to fight for our grounds and we’re slowly being force to get out of our country whom don’t give us these opportunities. We had to fight for ours…..if you can’t help don’t be such a sore loser just because you think that the right way is to work hard and not take short cuts…however, bear in mind thinking out of the box is something not many can do. If she can do it, she deserve it and that’s call intellectual vs mediocre abilities.
PS: Samantha , I had email your links to parties I feel may be able to help you. That’s the best I can do for now, keep it up and know that you will be fine and you have loads of people cheering you on.
Sincerely,
Lynn
Sorry, 10 million people are at risk of dying from the famine in Africa. I’m donating there.
That’s great, they need all the help they can get!
Thanks for visiting anyway! x
agreed with ‘donor’..ppl in somalia are dying of famine..better to help the NEEDY ones..and more worth causes!
Why are you guys so mean? I just need an answer to this simple question – why are you so mean?
Your reasons for asking for crowd sourced funding for what is a personal endeavor are weak.
That your parents don’t have the cash, which maybe true- is no reason for you not to take a job (i.e. in a bank) and wait a few years. Everyone has to pay their dues and I’m sure the alumni listed on the wikipedia page did too.
That what you do for a living is not usually “done” back home is hardly true, not because of the lack of willing people but because the arts are not a money maker. I’m sure that there are many with natural talents who choose other careers instead of acting/singing/dancing. Reality can be a pain sometimes, and people can only play the cards they are dealt with. Perhaps if you look carefully at what you have , it might be a winning hand.
That no government support is available. The majority of Malaysians got their education via funding from their parents, private loans or govt. loans . A few deserving ones (although not all), have got scholarships. Perhaps taking a private loan is a better option as the amount is less than the entry price of a japanese saloon car in Malaysia. While I think that asking for money this way is not up to what most would call begging , it does begin to sound like it at times.
That you intend on paying it back to the local art scene. I don’t think you are going to be able to do that. People act/ sing / dance to make money. The art scene is about content creators and consumers. Only consumers get to pay it back to the art scene. Teaching kids / young actors / future content creators is not called paying it back.
Because it would inspire kids. Really ? On the ladder of noble jobs that would inspire kids, I’m sure acting is not very high on the list. Angelina Jolie inspires kids but not because she did Lara Croft or Salt. Helping others lead better lives is inspiring. Actors can do this too, but not just with recited words in front of a crowd or camera. Real action is needed for inspiration.
Perhaps I fail to understand how getting this experience will help you or anyone else. I’m with savannah above, you are not offering anything in return other than good will. You seem confident of your skills so I see no reason that you shouldn’t be creating content already. I doubt local play houses or production studios care about prior overseas experience. Many more in hollywood have made it on looks and talent compared to the few who have an ‘education’.
Does giving my 2 cents count as a donation ?
In any case, we have made a small donation. Should the money not be used to fund your ‘education’ , please donate it to some homeless person on the street.
Best wishes. I hope you change your mind.
An actor is a communicator. An actor is grounded. On stage, off stage, you learn to be conscious of what you do and why you do it. It is an intrinsic science and one that take immense focus and dedication. I’m not sure you understand the amount of effort it takes to master your self, your body, your voice, your speech, your clarity – just to let a character shine through.
I’m inclined to think that you’ve not had the pleasure of a drama teacher or in fact any person in your life, through dramatic means or others – who has inspired you to become an inspired communicator: outwardly or inwardly. I applaud you for standing up for what you believe in, but I do disagree with your stance.
Samantha may or may not make it as an actress. I hope that no matter what happens to her, she’ll never give up on everything I’ve mentioned in the first paragraph. But any creative person in any creative field (bar those who are absorbed in their own circumstances) can appreciate someone whose craft has been finely honed and tuned. It’s rare, it’s a joy to watch.
Samantha shouldn’t have to promise to give ANYTHING back.
Even then she wouldn’t be BEGGING.
You know why?
Because, Samantha is an investment. A beautiful one. Our world needs us to invest in Samantha, and others like her.
Samantha’s skills may not be equal to a professional fundraiser, nor does she have a highly-trained legal mind prepared to cover her bases with the nooks and crannies of her request.
She has good will, yes. And her open demeanour invites her to ask questions. That is why she’s BLOGGED about it, that’s why this isn’t a PDF brief being sent to Corporations. It’s an interactive request.
” You seem confident of your skills so I see no reason that you shouldn’t be creating content already. I doubt local play houses or production studios care about prior overseas experience. Many more in hollywood have made it on looks and talent compared to the few who have an ‘education’.”
1) She has been creating local content already – and even if she hasn’t – she still deserves a chance because SHE GOT PAST THE PANEL.
The very fact that she is CONFIDENT OF HER SKILLS means she should get more training.
2) Local play houses/production studios do not care about prior experience because there is a shortage of properly trained or encouraged talent in this country. Not many brilliant performers stay in the performing arts here because they can’t afford the low pay. It is a complex issue of economics, attitude towards the performing arts and low standards – which you have, in my opinion, over-simplified.
3) Acting does not equal Hollywood. It is often a job where public adoration is not the goal. Talent. Well. I’d like to ask you something. If a child had a talent for storytelling but couldn’t read, would you keep it from learning to read because you thought it would be wasteful and he should succeed on talent alone? It is a craft Samantha is learning. Not just how to act, but how to open channels within herself to communicate ideas and thoughts in ways you cannot begin to imagine. Long hours, immersing herself into others’ works.
Let me tell you. Being an actor requires the suspension of self. Samantha isn’t being selfish. She simply wants to fulfil what she realises to be her purpose. And she’s putting the wish out in the simplest most straightforward way she knows how. That is powerful.
We can help her improve it, but I am proud she is trying.
No matter where she goes, she will be a human being empowered with the knowledge of how to make a difference inside herself, and on stage – and this energy flows to anyone who is in touch with Samantha.
To study here would help make her a critical success, not just a popular one. That is noble.
Nobility is something that’s up for discussion, it would seem.
But I know that something is not. The fact that Samantha wants this, and will keep trying to do this no matter what anyone else says.
That will speak for itself.
Much love to you, Samantha.
“RT @Samantha_Tan: Also check out d 2nd hater telling me to not2 train n instead depend on my looks! http://bit.ly/ot80rd Oddly he then donated £10. WEIRDO! ”
The link to the above tweet is here:
Wow thanks. Calling me weirdo aside, £10 is a lot of money for Malaysians.
My take is there are other ways of doing this and the reasons she presented are not strong enough in my opinion. I did not comment on her looks.
I would not have cared if she published the comment or not, she did after all moderate it. I am not some anonymous troll.
With Regards,
Weirdo who actually donated.
Dear Kiran,
I sent you a thank you note, did you not get it?
from: “Samantha Tan”
subject: Thanks Kiran!
date: 07/08/2011 03:01
to: kiran@nesarajah.com
Hey Kiran,
Just wanted to say thank you for your contribution to My ASDS Fund- despite your misgivings, I am grateful that you still made a contribution especially all the way from Malaysia. To be honest I found it quite odd that someone who was clearly not in agreement with what I’m doing still chose to give such a sum of money, but it makes it all the more appreciated.
Please keep checking back on the website for further updates and thanks again.
x
Sam
Samantha Tan
Mobile: +44 7879 645 581
http://www.samanthatan.co.uk
I apologise that you thought my tweet was the only response you got.
After you called me a WEIRDO ?
epic . epic stuff.
My points exactly. Just goes to show th elevel of maturity this girl has that peopel are trying to send her abroad with limited funds to survive on.
Classic.
She’s asking for money. FULL STOP!
You know the truth is that there are no haters. There’s us – people making a point and you, her friends. Stop being so defensive and READ: this is not very different from charity — Btw this isnt hate (friendly reminder).
Hi Kiran,
As I’ve clearly offended you, I’d like at this point to say I’m sorry I called you a weirdo. I sent you that thank you note when I got your contribution, I’m sorry you did not get it and as I mentioned in it I do appreciate that you still took the effort to give despite a difference in opinion. On hindsight I realise “Weirdo” is a strong term especially when the world can see it on Twitter, and I take it back. I’m sorry it has upset you.
I don’t agree with a lot of what you’re saying, but I like that guys like you are taking the effort to put your opinions out there. A lot of what I’ve said on my page has been misconstrued, assumptions made on my character and my motivations wrongly interpreted, but I guess that comes with the territory of putting myself out there and not being an expert at setting up pages like this. I am doing the best I can to be as honest as I can, hence that ill-thought out tweet- it was what I felt at the moment, but you are right- it did not give you the credit you deserve.
As a final note, I publish any and all comments without reading or moderating them first, as I believe the world is smart enough to read and make up their own minds. Be it positive or negative, I am glad this site has provoked a passionate response rather than indifference.
Thank you once again- rest assured your £10 will not be wasted.
Regards,
Samantha
This is not a charity asking you to divert all aid and donations from the terrible problems of the world such as poverty, lack of education or malaria, to Samantha’s ASDS fund. Nor is it an investment pitch, asking you to put money into her fund for high-yileding returns. It’s a fundraising page for family, friends and others who would like to help Samantha achieve her ambitions.
It’s not about glitz or glamour, it’s about realizing your dreams and having a passion in what you do best. No one is saying that this is what the world needs, or that it should be the next millennium development goal. It’s an opportunity for Samantha, and a tremendous one for that matter. If you want and you can, then help her out. If not, that’s okay.
Although the world does need more people who directly contribute to society like doctors, I don’t think this world would be complete without actors, dancers, film makers and musicians either. Their works inspire people, tell stories, spread awareness and entertain. They also create jobs and help stimulate the economies. Governments and societies should invest in all forms of ability and skill, because the world depends upon a diversity of talent.
sorry..but there are so many needy people out there in the world..dying of famine, suffering from aftermath of natural disasters,etc..better for people to donate to those worth causes!
You are right. If I choose to help Samantha out how will I ever donate to any of the world’s neediest ever again?! The world must get together and destroy Samantha or we will all die of famine and poverty.
I hope you’ve sensed my sarcasm. Choosing to help someone out is not like choosing a religion. It’s freewill and you have choices. If you have limited resources or if you would only like to help out a certain cause, then maybe Samantha’s isn’t the one for you. But if others have resources and if they want to, they can donate to one or more causes, depending on what they would like to see flourish.
Reason, people. Reason.
Dedicated to the naysayers
making it worse aren’t we ?
1) Would like to know if you were aware of the costs involved when you applied for this? If yes, how will you support the year 2 and 3 costs?
2) What other financial avenues have you applied for?
2) How will you help develop the local arts industry in Malaysia?
Of course I was aware of the costs when I applied, please see my previous comment.
Have emailed you answers to the rest of your concerns.
This is in the public interest. Care to elaborate?
Thanks and appreciate your promptness.
A few more questions ..
1) If you were unable to obtain the needed funds, what will happen to the collected fund?
2) If you were unable to obtain funds for 2nd and 3rd year, is dropping out a consideration?
In most degrees, the drop out rate for students in the first year is really high. Mostly to do with financial reasons (fearing the amount of debt they will incur). These are real considerations that you must have discussed with your family, yes?
Hi really. i. am. stupid,
Sorry for the slight delay in responding this time, have been a bit caught up in the events happening in London the past few days.
Those are excellent questions, and a few other people have emailed to ask things in a similar vein as well so I have decided to put everything into the actual post. Please check it out, and if you have any other questions I’d love to hear them.
Also thank you for making the effort to ask me directly rather than assume the answers as others have done- even if you decide after this not to contribute monetarily, it has already been very beneficial that you’re helping me communicate in a clearer and more effective way. Appreciate it!
Regards,
Samantha
I don’t get it. If you don’t feel like Ms.Tan deserves a donation, then just…don’t donate?
Being outraged at someone requesting help and other people giving money for a cause they believe in is….well, outrageous.
She asked. Those who believe in her will answer. It’s simple.
Unless you have proof she is deceiving people, please don’t be a wet blanket. She already has RM88,000 to overcome–she doesn’t need even more obstacles to be the first Malaysian graduate from ASDS.
It is very simple. She put it up on the internet for the world to see. And when one does that, one should be prepared to face the wrath of it’s power.
If I may assume, Samantha has a strong character and will be able to withstand a variety of comments, so let it be. What won’t break you will only make you stronger.
This is HER dream. But not necessarily others.
I’m a uni student so I’m kind of in debt at the moment but I just stopped by to give you some suggestions in regards to your reasons for people sponsoring you. You can always choose to ignore it but I just thought it could help maybe?
Anyway, it is awesome that you pretty much know what people would ask (like “Why should I donate to YOU?” etc) but your answers sound quite selfish which might deter people from actually helping you. It sounds like all you’re going to do is study with the money people will be giving you. Maybe mention that you’re actually working your butt off (part-time work I mean) so as to not sound like you’re just expecting allowances from strangers.
I hope you understood that anyway I’ll be going now. Feel free to ignore my lame comment
UoA BA Student
Hi FTVMS Major,
It’s not lame at all, in fact thank you for taking the time to offer very constructive criticism put in a positive way (which is more than I can say for some others)
I assumed it went without saying that alongside this fund, I’m also working very hard on as many jobs as possible, saving all my earnings, selling all my belongings etc- but I guess people have a tendency to assume the worst. It surprises me that some have jumped to the conclusion that I’m relaxing while waiting for hand-outs from strangers, instead of realising that this site is only one of many many things I’m doing to cover all my bases.
Thanks for your feedback and enjoy your time at UoA (which validated my first degree)!
x
Sam
I’m sorry, but all those people who bothered to VISIT THIS PAGE and then STOMP on the dreams of the postee are being genuinely unkind. It lessens the value of any monies you may have given to the needy and dying of famine, tainted by your ridiculous hypocrisy.
Of course there are people dying of famine, or children in need or earthquake stricken nations. Give to ALL of them, if you can afford it. But would you go up to a homeless man and say “You’re just going to spend it on drink and drugs, so I’m taking THIS money which I would have given to you, and giving it to SOMEONE ELSE”.
There are a lot more harmful websites on the Internet that you can go and visit and be genuinely horrible to (and actually deserve it). But if you’ve taken all this effort to read her plea, then take the trouble to REPLY JUST so you can get the smug satisfaction of running someone down, then, well. Surely, surely, if you were as good a person as you thought you were, you can come to your own conclusions about the person in the mirror.
Sam, I haven’t read all of the comments here so it’s important to note that my opinions are only based on the few things that I have read. There seems to be a lot of people here that have NO IDEA how hard it is to be a struggling actress, how important it is for us to receive quality training, and also how incredible it is to be accepted into such a prestigious school! We don’t beat accountants, train drivers, hairdressers or computer programmers down about wanting to perfect their skills so that they can provide the best services to the public, so why are individuals doing that to actors? To be compared to doctors and to imply that they are important but we are not is absolutely outrageous and epitomises the type of prejudice we encounter on a daily basis. What would our world be like without actors who trained to receive the skills that allow them to portray important and thought provoking roles in theatre, TV, radio and film? What would it be like if messages that need to be broadcast to the world were not communicated effectively because the quality of the actors used in said broadcasts were not good enough? People learn about life through media. Without it we are all lost. And for people to learn from media, we need actors who have the highest quality of training. I am furious that people believe this is not important, or that seeking good training is a quest to fame.
Sam, it is brave and wonderful of you to stand up and ask for help. I hope you raise as much as you possibly can, and I am so excited for you to have such a brilliant opportunity. I will be donating as soon as I’m home and on my computer! Xxx
I understand you have a dream and you want to achieve it, but at the same time, I don’t think asking random strangers for money is the best way to go about it. It says a lot about your personality, credibility and ethics as a person overall. I wonder what level you wouldn’t stoop to. I feel this is rather pathetic.
Another thing is, being the first or the last Malaysian shouldn’t EVER be the motivation for someone to donate money here for the simple reason being that it DOES NOT MATTER. They should accept you based on your talents and NOT your nationality. If you were that good, maybe you would have been able to get someone to fund you already.
I don’t believe this is a worthy cause, certainly it seems better than other sites, but then again, how many people out there have dreams that need money? Ask yourselves this: will Samantha Tan be donating to everyone who’s donated for their dreams? Is she handicapped? Is she dying? Is she INCAPABLE of working and producing her own money? Donate to a REAL cause for crying out loud. There are children out there who CANNOT work and they have dreams. They deserve the money, not a 26 year old who has already gone through years of education abroad and isn’t working to produce the money.
Its not about her being an investment. Once she gets the money, we will have her eternal gratitude (which is sweet), but lets face it, we live in a dog eat dog world, and the chances of someone remembering and thanking 2000+ people is remotely slim. If she does however, well done, but how long can she keep that up? Don’t tell me she’d personally invite people home and thank them each individually.
Its alright if you don’t agree with me, but I think saying you’re going to inspire children is a whole lot of emotional bullshit. Emotional blackmail is not something you should resort to. Is that what you’re telling kids? To resort to asking other people for money instead of working for it and hence NOT understanding its full value? I certainly would not respect a person like that. By all means, please encourage children to dream all they want, but asking others for money like this isn’t what I’d actually call inspiring. It seems you’re the type who’s worked hard and now wants to sit back and relax while the hard earned money of other people (with their own dreams) gets thrown your way just because you’ve worked so hard in the past.
This was your choice. Please understand that. No one else told you to go into this. You made that decision, so you should be the one paying for it. I find you terribly selfish for trying to ask others to pay for a decision you made and want to pursue. What kind of person does that?
I do think it is lovely that you don’t want to burden your parents with your fees, but maybe you should try working and earning the money. Honestly, you’d appreciate it so much more instead of getting things in life free. I do however think you’re very positive in life and that shouldn’t be stopping you from getting you to wherever you plan on being.
I ask you Samantha, once you’re in Hollywood, how exactly do you plan on developing the local scene? Would you really want to come back here and ‘reinvest’ in an industry that doesn’t really seem to be picking up at all? It really makes me wonder. If you loved being in Malaysia so much, why did you go abroad in the first place? You should have stayed here and helped the local industry ‘develop’ as you put it. You say the government isn’t supporting arts, so why would you come here and invest money at all? True art is freedom of expression, and I think we can both agree the reason you’re abroad and not in Malaysia is partly because you wouldn’t have been able to go very far staying in Malaysia.
Yet at the same time, you argue saying that you plan on coming back to the very same place that denied you… to invest. Really? I highly doubt you’re planning on coming back here.
How can you assure people of this investment when you aren’t even sure of what the future holds? Doesn’t sound one bit like an investment to me. I’m also pretty sure that even though your resume is impressive, there are others out there who have resumes just as good or even better who stand a far better chance.
I’m not sorry to say that this entire site degrades you (as much as you’d like to deny it) and I feel that if this was truly meant to be, it would happen.
What I found the most insulting out of it all is that you ask people to donate money to you based on your nationality. It shows how much you think of your talent – the title says it all. You clearly doubt your own talent and hence had to use NATIONALITY to gain more supporters. Its plain disgraceful and highly distasteful on your part in my opinion.
How many of you are donating to this cause because you believe she’s worth it? Well, lets take a good look at the entertainment scene shall we? I know for a fact that there are thousands of entertainers out there, and they get passed over for what looks good today. Please read Kiran Nesarajah’s and Savannah’s comments above, they speak more about the industry.There is no way we can say that this is a good investment with returns.
Even if Samantha is good, there is no way that anyone can tell she’s going to make it. It also tells people a lot about what you’ve been taught over time, and hence this entire cause is a sham.
Aren’t you people just a bunch of grouchy gits!
I think you mean group. and just for the record, no we aren’t – we’re trying to stop people from getting cheated, and hate is a really strong word. I don’t know why you care all that much since it’s just an opinion…
@Jasene- Errr surely “cheated” implies that people who are donating don’t know what they are doing. I am pretty sure the literacy level around the world is relatively high, and as far as I can tell, she’s been completely honest about what she’s going to do with the money – “I’m going to take your money and study acting. You shall not be paid back in cash, only in goodwill and potential inspiration to future generations”. Sounds pretty straightforward to me, where’s the con in that?
I am completely and absolutely shocked beyond belief. I don’t even know where to start with you.
This is a multi-talented woman trying to live her dream. Are there other causes in the world that are more in need? Sure. Is Sam holding a gun to everyone’s head asking them to donate here or else? No. Has Sam LIED about anything as to why she need’s the money for? No.
I can’t really blame you entirely for your ignorance. You don’t know Samantha Tan personally. She wouldn’t be REQUESTING for help if she really didn’t need to. I, and I am sure many others, can personally vouch for that.
You go on and on with the negative Nancy comments ” and the chances of someone remembering and thanking 2000+ people is remotely slim.”, ” I highly doubt you’re planning on coming back here.”. Well excuse me Nostradamus, what’s to say that she won’t? Again, its perhaps ignorance due to the fact you don’t know her.
To quote parts your last para;
“there is no way that anyone can tell she’s going to make it.”
On the other hand, there is no way to tell that she isn’t, no? Had she been asking for funds BEFORE applying to the ASDS, then perhaps your point is valid. But now that she has been accepted, don’t you think its just ever so slightly more possible that she will make it rather than not? This isn’t some fly-by-night institution shes attending…
“and hence this entire cause is a sham.”
Sham : hoax or fraud.
Again, which part on this site is she blatantly lying about anything?
It’s so very simple. Sam needs money. Sam states why she needs money. Her reasons are true and can be validated. People see the site. People decide whether to donate or not. If they do, great. If they don’t, thanks for visiting. Trolls don’t donate and just publish essay’s of stupidity.
For all the trolls that go to sites like this and do what they do best, seriously, you fellas need to find something better to do. If you think a cause is not worth the money, just shut up and move on.
Hoax, fraud, pathetic, emotional bullshit. Good grief. I never imagined words like that being used on a person trying to live her dream.
You are all very sad little people and I am sorry that we share the same Earth.
for the record, I am not a people, I am a PERSON – singular. Yes, I do think she is cheating people because she is NOT handicapped or anything. This site portrays her as some helpless person who is unable to do much to get the money in. Let her live her dream. But like I mentioned before – is SHE going to pay for your education? Will she pay for everyone else’s dreams?
I don’t know her, that’s fine with me. Honestly, it wouldn’t make much of a difference to me.
She is multi-talented yes? so why not work for herself if she’s that amazing?
Hahahha
You clearly don’t have a vivid imagination then. Look, if you want to support her, go ahead, I just don’t think its worth it – and it is EMOTIONAL blackmail. There are always 2 sides to every coin here, and if people want to donate, let them. I just think they should know all the facts before doing so, which is why I posted in the first place.
If trolls are the ones who can see both sides of the coin dear Rishy, I’d rather be a troll. By all means, you’re entitled to your own feelings and opinions, as am I.
@Jasene: Ho ho ho, I’d like to see this. Would you like to show me how you’d raise $23,000 in a hurry please without asking anyone for help? ^_^
She doesn’t potray herself as a helpless person in her request. What, a helpless person with a CV? It sounds like this is one of the many avenues she’s taken to raise funds, and honestly i’m mildly disappointed at the amount of furore over one girl asking people plainly for money to achieve her dream, especially from her own countrymen.
(In terms of emotional blackmail, isn’t this website (in its original intention and form, sans the flaming debates) less a case of “Give to me or you are guiltyyyyy” and more a case of “Hello, this is me, if you happen to have cash, i happen to have a dream.)
She’s not selling fish in sealed plastic bags, or posing to be a Nigerian general putting money in your bank. So why all the hoo ha?
Isn’t it a bit bizzarre, not to mention selfish to expect something in return for the money you give to her? She has plainly told you what it’s for, where it will go, how you’ll probably never see it again. (actually, when you give to charity, do you go to Africa and hunt the people down and say GIMME BACK MY £10? Just curious). How much greater and nobler a person it makes you to know that you have given, given without the expectation of return, given to change one life?
Perhaps we are her friends/acquaintances, yes. That doesn’t make us dumb, blind, biased or stupid. Or trolls. I think perhaps we should be forgiven for being a bit passionate in our replies because frankly, some of the comments that have been posted here by “non-haters who can see both sides of the coin” are unnecessary at best and downright rude at times.
Perhaps we are all just young people with dreams of our own, rallying to the support of one of the rare individuals who have actually made good headway in achieving what she wants, who has escaped having their dreams stamped to bits by a society that values everything monetarily.
Will she pay for my education? I don’t see her promising to anywhere above. Will she pay for everyone else’s dreams? Not in cold hard cash, I’m afraid. But if she succeeds, never mind the future generations or everyone else, I for one will be inspired and encouraged to continue pursuing my own.
Jasene,
She is working for herself. Based on what she has said, she is doing a lot of odd jobs just trying to make ends meet. Moreover, this is just ONE for her to get the money. If anything it looks like she has done her due diligence and still is. I think she has stated quite clearly why she needs the money and you yourself said that it is peoples choice whether or not they want to donate. I don’t think your comment would make that much of an impact on people’s decisions. So please, stop sounding so condescending. If anything, your comment may have made people want to contribute even more!
Case in point, me. My dream is to act as well. But i didn’t have the support from my parents and is pushed into studying law. Whats so bad about asking people for help to achieve their dream? wouldn’t you do the same if you had such fire and passion for something you believed in?
what was your dream?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uta_Hagen
Came across this website as posted by a friend on FB…
It is not easy 2 do a fund raise to help u achieve your once in a lifetime opportunity. You get harsh comments and all. But wat would u do if u were Samantha? Throw d opportunity away or try everything u could to achieve it?
How many of us leave behind dreams and opportunities because yea, as mentioned above, we do not have enough fund, we do not have support, we do not have time to begin with? So we did not even dare to take the 1st step and for not taking the 1st step, how would you achieve your dreams?
Well at least Samantha took the 1st step and is doing everything she could to grab hold of the opportunity. Most of us, including me, just forget about even trying because I thought I could not. And we live with all the ‘what ifs’. At least Samantha lives with ‘I have done everything I could’ and I applaud her for that.
So, what have you done to achieve what you want? If you were you, you know what u have done. But if you were Samantha, you made the 1st step and is given the opportunity, what would you do?
Do not need anyone to comment on this. Just for us to think about.
hey sam, first of all… congratulations. i’m rubbish with following up with everyone’s lives; but ASDS is definitely a prestigious academy for aspiring actors alike. well done!
i know sam from our teens. she aspired then, she’ll continue aspiring now. i’m just going by the objectivity of the comments posted and sam’s “please help me, fund”.
doctors, actors, engineers – they’re all the same. i’m a designer; did really well for many years. hated the limelight, hated the schmoozing. quit my job and set up a social enterprise that helps refugees by using the talents i have. my logic is: if a patient doesn’t tell a surgeon how to operate, and if a property buyer doesn’t tell the engineer how to lay the foundation, what gives the client the right to tell the designer what to do? designers are trained in a field like every other professional – they SHOULD know what they’re doing. of course, in every field you will have those who do well and those who are mediocre. So, in Sam’s case, she’s an actress. I cannot comment on your work Sam as I’ve never been one for films, local or international – (i’m more a film noir person so your genre doesn’t tickle my fancy), but if she’s trained as a performer, let her do what she needs to try to succeed. if she has to work in a strip bar to make ends meet, least she is doing something to try making her dreams come true. why do you care how she does it? my university mate was a glamour model for years and it paid her way through university sans the need for student loans.
Then of course the question whether this is begging or not. my social enterprise does not live off donations, but we live off the profits we make through selling our products. the profits are then channeled back into the social enterprise to grow it even more. that is why social enterprises work better than charities because they are limited companies with a social aspect in mind. However, Sam; i’ve been collaborating with charities for a while now and you do make it sound like a charity – people can misunderstand intentions when coined with (no offense) fairly patronising reasons like “It will inspire children” and “you will go back to malaysia to develop the film industry”. I agree with the people who don’t support your dream on this. why not have a social aspect to your cause instead of just focusing it on yourself? I’m not saying it’s unjust to ask for help through other people’s generosity, but to avoid backlash like this in the future, why not think about what you can contribute socially and reword what you will actually contribute to. what about say, for every pound sterling donated, you will donate 10 minutes to a charity of your choice. It will give you a chance to pay it back to others. even if it’s not to those who gave you the money, they will support you for giving back to others. does this make any sense?
just because there are others who do not share sam’s dream, doesn’t make them haters. by the looks of it, they are just asking for some form of justification. as for the whole Kiran thing, Sam… the fella gave you £10. don’t call him a weirdo. It could be strange, but he still gave you a tenner – it’s contradictory, but least he was a decent enough guy to help out. me, i’m poor and every last penny i have is in the social enterprise. i’d love to help, but – who would donate to my food bills then? lol!!! (sorry, bad joke!)
whatever i say here could now then be misunderstood as being patronising or whatever you all want to take it as. but seriously. lets try to be objective. sam has a dream. great. everyone can choose to help or not. that’s it. really – it’s no big issue. great if she can justify it, doesn’t matter if she can’t. c’mon… lets just enjoy every day instead of pointing fingers. stress so not needed here.
happy days! x
Thanks and you are absolutely right- I have already taken steps to rectify the weirdo comment and have reworded certain things in what I think is a clearer and less easily misinterpreted fashion.
Hope things are ok where you are in London!
Regards,
Sam
I have personally known Sam for practically her whole life. I am responsible for inculcating, developing and nurturing her passion for the performing arts; which has led her to where she is today. I am not her parent, I am her piano teacher. She did not ask me to write this, but I would just like to say a few words to anyone who would care enough to read. As far as I can see, there’re many people who care about where this young actress ends up; some more than others, but everyone not afraid to leave their 2 cents worth of thoughts(some worth more and others not worth jack shit). So if you really do care and are genuinely considering donating to her cause, please take some time to just read this. I promise it will be worth your while.
For starters, if you do not actually care about Sam in any way and just want to see her not be able to achieve her dream because you were not able to achieve yours for whatever reason, your comments are really not welcome. There’re many other places on the internet where you can leave your snide comments such as facebook. For your entertainment during your free time, I would recommend http://www.9gag.com.
For those of you who are actually considering donating to this cause, I’m very sure Sam appreciates your constructive feedback and many of the questions you ask are very pertinent so do keep it up. This comment is to give you a better picture of who Sam really is.
In all my years of teaching, Sam is one student that I constantly brag about to my other students. Sam is a very fast learner. She did not take all the grades but skipped many. As a result, she finished her Grade 8 at a very young age- 15. She has never failed to impress me with her responsibility by completing all her homework. This would come as a surprise to many people as Sam is a very funny and cheerful person and hence, one would never perceive her to be the studious and responsible type but she is! As a result, she excelled in her piano and in school too. Proof? After high school, Sam received a scholarship to continue into her tertiary education. She got that particular scholarship by excelling in her studies as well as being very active in school.
I very vividly recall when Sam had to pick up ballet as a prerequisite for the course she was pursuing. Mind you, she had to experience prior to that, and she managed to pick ballet up to the required standard in time! Sam is very hardworking and will strive to accomplish anything that she sets her mind to. Therefore, I have no doubt that any donation that goes to this cause will not be in vain.
Sam was not born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She knows what it means to have to go through hardship and as of now, she has accomplished so much because she always gives it everything she has. Her parents have supported her all the way and in every way possible too. Unfortunately, it is not enough and that is why Sam is doing this now. She would not do this is she can help it.
This is my 2 cents worth, and I hope that those of you who give a damn, give a dime. Sam is worth every bit.
Why do you guys talk as if Samantha is asking you for some money to buy the best acting designer shoes on the market? She’s asking for help to fund her place in a good acting school which she has already worked very hard to get into.
Portraying her as a spoilt child who wants things handed to her is inaccurate.
Yo hows the happening guys… Adrian here.
Connie directed me to the website and I thought i’d leave a footprint.
Firstly, good fkin job on the website and keeping it running. Lots of space for potential advertisers on the sides.. u never know..may i recommend you keep like a running number of all the money that comes in.. something like the u.s national debt clock. That would be awesome.
I always tell my girl that I have full respect for you guys… grinding it out in London trying to make ends meat all in the name of pursuing your dreams.. as a matter of fact, i always tell her that getting a regular job at a bank or something like that is actually the easier way out as opposed to going thru the grind in the pursuit of your dreams. So mad props for that.
NY’s gonna be tough as hell, its nothing like London I would say…having lived there, I would think that the Londoners are much more well mannered and less competitive that the new yorkers.. when u get there and feel the vibe, u’ll know what i am talking about.. better be on your best..and be prepared that your best might not even suffice.
Having said that, you probably need all the help ure going to get and hence why you started this website to get financial support from friends and people that share your vision and cause.
Connie and I are going to send u guys some cash in abit. I mean, wtf is the problem to be honest.. we are young, I have like another 20 to 30 years left to earn the dough.. people are getting way too sensitive here over money. I mean if you cant afford to give to the cause dont do so… its crazy to expect people that cant afford to support themselves try to support somebody else’s cause.. they should just save themselves the agony.
After reading most of the comments here, man i feel that people are just missing the whole point..the local film industry shouldnt have anything to do with this( the only thing it produced well was “Scenario”) arent we all here to help a friend?? I am sorry Samantha, but I don’t think you working your way to fund your dreams in a conventional sense is going to restore justice to this nation or the world.
Well, just thought i’d say hi!
Doesnt Yasmin Ahmad have some sort of scholarship fund set up or something? go check with Leo Burnett Msia.. I am sure they would get a kick out of the publicity, advertising etc..
Sam, what you have done here has already paid forward. Your dedication to your dream and courage to reach out – is alone, inspiration enough to anyone out there who has a dream unfulfilled.
You are above your insecure critics, who in my personal opinion are probably crying out loud in some abstract reflection of some subconscious pain, inflicted by their own unfulfilled dreams for which they have less courage to be vulnerable for.
I am quite sure this story will be an inspiring chapter in your awesome autobiography one day!
Thank you