Arzuan, who left his hometown in Kedah to attend university, found the environment at the Cyberjaya campus energizing.
“There is healthy competition among the students. It pushed me to be proactive and strive to do more, achieve more. The university enabled me to polish my presentation skills and hone my leadership qualities,” he said.
The university also provided fertile ground for friendships, and as a result, Arzuan has friends of multi-ethnic origins and from all over the world. In addition, he said, “Some of my lecturers treated me like a friend.”
His advice to students who want to be in the production line is first, to know that it involves a lot of hard work. “When you’re still young, go all out to learn. Most of the time, you’ll be behind the scenes. Take failures as a learning experience. Straight A’s is nothing, it’s your performance at work that matters. And always keep updated on current issues, for example, by watching BBC or CNN news,” he said.
Arzuan underwent a four-month internship at 8TV, working as assistant to former executive producer Michael Christian Simon, and learning the basics of editing, directing and broadcasting.
“Success is the feeling of satisfaction after all the hard work in planning and executing a show. The feeling is derived from high ratings and it is gratifying to know so many people watched your show. It’s like getting a pat on your back,” he said.
Arzuan describes himself as having an open mind and a positive outlook towards life. He prefers a borderless world without limitations. To his mind, failure is no reason to stop trying to do something.
He is keen to pursue his interest in games and wants to be a game developer. He also plans to produce a mega TV 2D cartoon animation series. Among those whose work he admires is award-winning French screenwriter, film commercial and music video director Michel Gondry.
Above all, he aspires to set up his own production house and be his own boss.