SHE is known as one of the hardest working artistes in Malaysia. Her persistence, humility and ingenuity have finally managed to get her to land a RM6 million contract with one media company from Japan.

“It wasn’t easy!” said Hannah, over the phone in an exclusive interview with Malay Mail. “I didn’t know anyone in Japan and had to start from scratch and establish my own contacts.

I actually went to Japan several times and sat in the trains and counted the advertisements in the cars and the ones on the streets. Advertisement and marketing play a very big role for things in Japan even bigger than in Malaysia.”

Her hard work has finally paid off! She hasn’t rested on her laurels since she announced her attempt to penetrate the Japanese market earlier this year.

This dynamic young lady took a bold step in setting herself a challenge for regional expansion in January, with eyes set on Japan despite the odds that were against her.

Not familiar with Japanese business customs, and not knowing anyone in Japan, she took matters into her own hands and started to do her own research as well as trying to get her foot in the door.

“One thing I discovered that one of the biggest advertising entities in the world has a monopoly over Japan’s creative industry, and I needed somebody in the field to help me get in,” she said.

After nine months , she has finally proven to the Japanese that Malaysians have what it takes to compete in their superior market, with the signing of a two-year production deal with Japan’s Fillmore Far East Inc.

“It’s a beginning,” she said. “There’s a long way to go. We shall see what happens in the next two years. This is just the first hurdle.”

What awaits seem to be even more work. Worth RM6 million, this regional distribution deal will see the completion of five J-pop albums in two years.

That’s a mean feat. In fact, Hannah just came back from Japan recently from yet more time spent there to help promote Malaysian creative content together with MSC Malaysia at the Tokyo Film Festival (TIFFCOM).

She also took the opportunity to do some pre-production work on her album, which is slated to be out by middle of next year.

Hannah will be finishing up all loose ends in Malaysia by end of 2009 and will be back in Japan from early 2010 to finish her album.

“Things are moving really fast,” said Hannah. “During the short time I was there, I met a few producers. I am writing lyrics, but most of them will be translated and adapted to Japanese and J-Pop sensibilities.”

Despite having a music contract to die for, Hannah has always insisted on some form of creative control in her work.

“I made sure that I have a say in the creative process, that I have a voice, even in my image and how I am marketed. I believe it to be an important thing to keep hold of. I moved to find a partner in Japan who could accommodate my need for creative freedom.”

That partner is Fillmore Far East Inc. CEO of Fillmore Far East Inc., Yoji Hayakawa said he was looking for an Asian artiste to promote in Japan when a close friend of his from the Japanese entertainment industry pointed Hannah out.

According to Hayakawa, Hannah stood out from the rest not just because of her looks and smile but also her strong influence among the Asian pop-culture market, fast-growing web presence, humility and positive attitude, as well as her burning determination and drive for excellence.

Fillmore Far East Inc. is a group of Japanese companies that has their own Live House (a place for live music entertainment in Japan), music studio and independent record label in Japan. Known as Fillmore Records, the independent record label currently handles 20 local Japanese acts which include Kojiro Shimizu (actor-cum-singer) and Lucy Diamond (rock band).

“I am also doing this to construct a bridge between Malaysia and Japan,” said Hannah. “I want to open doors for other artistes, acts and creative people from here to go there and do their craft in a bigger market.
The next Malaysian artiste to try and make it here will perhaps have less of a tough time because of the doors I have opened. They don’t have to do the same mistakes I did, before getting this deal. You can say that I am a prototype.”

Throughout this month and December, she will be promoting her first Malaysian film, MY SPY which is scheduled to hit local cinemas on Dec 3.

At the same time, this dynamic multi-tasking young lady is in the midst of applying for a government start-up grant to fund a digital content monetisation idea which will enable the creative man on the street to create passive streams of income for themselves – something that will definitely make a difference in the local creative content industry.

Although the software development for this will take a while, she wastes no time by simultaneously working on the development of her e-Store on www.hannahtan.com together with MOL, scheduled to be launched this month.

Expect a range of collectible calendars for sale at this e-Store, which aims to raise funds for the next H-Factor Creative Youth Workshop community service initiative.

This valedictorian, Computer Science Merit-Scholar, double music Diploma holder, ex-beauty queen and state sprinter from Penang is definitely making the most of every minute she has, sacrificing sleep and recreational time to work on business plans and research on government funding resources.

On top of her routine shows, shoots, music production and her company operations during the day, she makes an effort to connect with her fans on a daily basis.

She spends the wee hours of the morning updating her blog, Facebook fan page (reaching 13,000 fans in less than a year) and Twitter account personally.

“I wish I had 48 hours to a day since there’s always so much to do yet so little time. Nevertheless, I totally enjoy what I do, despite not having time to do what other people would normally do after working hours and during weekends.

It’s a choice since I always believe that the dictionary is the only place where ‘success’ comes before ‘work’, and although we’ve worked very hard as a team, this contract with Japan is only the beginning of the load! We still have a long, long way to go,” said the ever-humble Hannah.

Hayakawa adds, “I am aware of and respect the Malaysian government’s ‘look east policy’ and we now have Malaysia’s Hannah Tan doing just that by branding Malaysia in Japan on her own initiative. We hope that this will be a leading example and inspiration to all the Malaysian youth, as we look forward to helping more people like Hannah realise the Malaysian dream.”

All updates on Hannah is available on www.hannahtan.com and her Malaysian PR Consultancy, MediaBond PR can be contacted at 013 – 209 1111.