WE ARE NOT ILLITERATE- COM264 IS THE BEST. WELCOME

By Aron Mturi

Go! Go!

It is my understanding that for one to gain, s/he must lose. One must give up a little of their energy once in a while in order to gain something. For this reason, we have lived by the slogans of 'No pain No gain' and 'No sweat No sweet'. It is amazing that in the olden days, for one to get pardon for their sins, an animal had to die. Thank God that is no longer the case but for us to gain eternal life, God had to give his only begotten son.

An appeal to all striving for excellence in various classes and especially in COM 264. Thou shall not give up. Thou shall not say quits and thou shall strive for the best. We will have to give so as to get. Go! go! go! Kudos for being part of this great team. Let us join in the drive to a better understanding of techniques and an advancement of Knowledge. Go! go! go!

COM 264 ROXX!!

So this is how it feels to have a blog and vent out your problems, issues and frustrations to people who do not really care. I must say, it feels amazing because even if just a single soul reads this…weeell I’ll be satisfied because it could be worse.

Our first class was really interesting, right guyz? In other words, we got busted for sitting there and pretending to actually listen. It took me around 15min to learn what George and the first group had been taking about for the last one and a half hours. Who didn’t anyway when the follow up questions started?? That was one clever strategy you used mwalimu.  #just saying. Kudos to that first group lakini. Despite the fact that there was actually zero creativity, you guyz tried to be interesting and you were very informative.

I know you now want to correct me by saying that it was not the first class: but according to me and a few others,..umm..no..why lie..me and the many others who consciously decided to skyve; the first week was put there just to set the mood for learning and get our heads back from the holiday mentality. Ama?

The better part of the class was visiting the studio, which was the first time for me, her and him (pliz 4gv e’ bad grammar) The best part was during the break when we get to bring out the kids in us and play those games while relating them to what we learnt. Talk of a fun house!! I wouldn’t be a trumpet blower if I failed to notice the keen Fiona whose future in this industry is looking bright. Without saying which group stole the other’s idea, I must say it was a lesson and a reminder right there. As a journalist, it’s your business to stick your nose into other people’s businesses, so you’re on the right path gal ;)

Time for me to press my mute button or is it the solo button??

Signing out…

~Master Control J
            ~Siren *the trumpet blower

VIDEO CRITIQUE BY JOY CAROLE (08-0464)

VIDEO CRITIQUE FOR INSPEKTA MWALA

Introduction:

Inspekta Mwala  is a hilarious weekly show that takes place at Kona Mbaya, a small town centre. It’s a local Kenyan drama aired every Monday from 7:30pm-8:00pm on Citizen T.V. It involves insecurity issues going on in the town an also incorporates the current activities going on in Kenya for example the ‘Operation linda nchi,’ an on-going military operation in Somalia where the Kenyan army is fighting Al-shabbab militants. The people who carry out all these are stationed at Kona Mbaya Police Station which has five policemen with a lady and inspekta mwala as their leaders. Sometimes the actors pass across messages of social responsibility and encourage good behaviour in the community.

Critique;

After watching ten episodes of Inspekta Mwala, I realized that the cameraman used the same camera shots in most of the episodes, nothing was done differently. The drama always starts with a long wide shot of a town or houses. This is also a common characteristic with Machachari, a local T.V drama aired on Citizen. The camera is usually zoomed out at this point. After a long wide shot of a town or houses, there is a close up shot of cars either in a jam or cars moving in a highway. For both these scenes, there is usually music in the background which is droned by the sound of the moving cars in the second scene.

After these, there is a close up shot of the actors in the third scene for example a shot of a man and woman talking.

After which the camera man takes a medium shot of each of the actors. At this point, the actors would be conversing and in most of the episodes, the conversations carried out in an enclosed place always have a little bit of feedback.

There was the use of the sun as a form of natural lighting, the light was evenly distributed in the room and there were no noticeable shadows.

After the third scene, to break monotony, the cameraman takes shots of different places and mixes up various camera shots. The next scene is then acted outside in a sunny day, this means that there will be no need of light since then sun is already there. This scene is acted out in the police station where the cameraman takes medium close ups from one actor to the other. This type of shot usually gives more detail and makes the audience get a clear view of the face of the actors. The lighting at the police station is always affected by a reflection caused by the door this makes it hard for the cameraman to take a shot of a person walking into the station. The production team should find a way of dealing with the reflection.

The next scene is usually a long shot of a building or an extreme close up of moving people’s legs. The lighting at this point is facilitated by the sun. The cameraman then uses the dolling shot from one actor to another. This is not a suitable shot because someone can see the actual camera movement, it looks unprofessional. A medium shot or a medium close up would have been used for the two actors who were conversing.

Finally, the cameraman takes long shots from one scene to another while zooming in. Apart from this, there would have been use of transitions to connect one scene to another.

The cameraman ought to reduce on the many long shots, he or she should incorporate other shots like over the shoulder shots (shot behind the person taken towards the subject), point of view (taken from near the eye-level of the actor and shows what he or she might see) and selective focus (using a large aperture value thus creating a shallow depth of field; this effectively leaves one part of the frame in focus while blurring others such as the foreground or background) and cutaways. The production usually relies a lot on the sun as a form of lighting, in order to show professionalism and skill, there should be the use of artificial light; the key light, fill light and back light.

August 2011

Guess am the first one to post. Let me start by saying that am impressed with Daystars introduction of an E-Learning site though i was surprisingly met with an incorrect username or password message in bold red, a color a student rarely wants to see. Regardless, today's class was interesting, some of my colleagues actually already have a wealth of knowledge in maters relating to media. I am still googling on the difference between a teleprompter and an autocue. I hope that our class will be as interesting and informative as was today. Marcel {PS. Mrs Rosemary's Kowours' e-mail address urgently needed}

com 264 reflections

The first day of this class was quite challenging for me and I kept on wondering if i will be able to keep up with all those new terms!right now its five weeks down the line and all I can say is WOW!This class is so intersating and it has really opened my eyes into what broadcast is all about. The first class started off well with Ann and Nyakeri doing a brilliant job in introducing us tobroadcast techniques.They were well vast with the topic and well dressed for the part,awesome job guyz. The other lessons that have followed have also been good with the most outstanding ones including the discussion on turntables and also the one on consoles and mixers.

Last class on microphones was also good however,the facilitators would have improved on their presentation to make it more interesting.It was evident that they werent conversant with the topic which greatly affected their presentation.Nonethe less, we learnt about different types of microphones and which ones are suitable for which event. We got to know the difference between the condensor and dynamic mics. The activity at the end of the class was also nice since it helped us get a feel of how it is like when your doing post-production. I love the openness in class and the different ideas that each member of the class brings up.I am looking foward to the next classes.
Wendy Mise 10-0046

Microphones

Last class we were able to learn more about the microphones in addition to the little taht we already knew about the condenser and the dynamic microphones. It was stated to determine the kind of microphone to use, one should consider the proximity effect, the frequency response and the pick up patterns. Today in chapel i found it quite intriguing trying to analyse the microphones that were being used, their pick up patterns and if there were any other kinds of microphones the school could buy to ensure that the sound amplified at the end of the day is of good quality. So far, I believe that the microphones in chapel are dynamic microphones with a unidirectional pick up pattern.

The facilitators of yesterdays class did a good job for it takes alot of work and determination to ensure that you know most of the content so that you may be able to pass it down to the rest of the class. The group activity that was conducted by Mrs. Kowour was quite interesting as well. Creating a script for a hypothetical situation and deciding what kind of microphones to use was the highlight of the day. It made me realise just how important the techniques are and how one wrong choice would actually ruin a whole production.

I do have to agree with Fadhili that the Monday blues are no more. We come to class knowing that it is upto us to make the class interesting and interactive as possible. as much as the first 20minutes or so, most of us are always adjusting, we always end up talking and sharing ideas in groups which makes learning easier. Just to encourage all the class members, let us keep up with the good work that we began and God will bless our work.

Anne Warui

Monday Blues...No more

It’s Monday, February 21, 2011. It’s hard to believe five weeks have passed with all the excitement that greets me each Monday morning as I make my way to class for the Broadcast techniques class. Interesting how everyone here is a pro at some point- we all get to be the lecturer at some point.

 Ann Warui and her counter part started us off with the intro- basically an overview of what broadcast techniques is all about. They bombarded us with all sorts of technical terms and we thought they were geniuses. Well at least for that moment, now we are all acquainted with these technical terms. But they did a fantabulous job in all. Double thumbs-up guys.

Next up was Phoebe and Moses. They injected vibrancy, interactivity and enthusiasm in that Monday class. The topic was mixers and consoles- a particularly topic of interest for me as mixers and consoles fascinate me. After their lovely presentation, Fadhili and Rehema teamed up to spin us through the basics of turntables and CD players.

 Well, their presentation came with a surprise of a quiz….and how it was, was a bit unorthodox, but was all good anyway. Nut this wasn’t surprising at all, in any case, it’s Mrs Kowuor we are talking of here- she’s as dynamic as the latest Mercedes Benz  car model! So today, it was the tapes turn- tape recording and playback- and the class was no different- fun, interactive and exciting to be in.

So every time I wake up in the morning on Monday’s, I know there’s more than one thing to look forward to that week, and one of them is the Broadcast Techniques class, and the people in it.

Fadhili Kanini

Reflection on COM264B

It takes a lot to teach a student and make them totally interested in what you are saying and to leave them wanting more. i have been able to think about all i learn in class and the best part is i can always go to the studio and practise. I also would like to thank the class members and also group members for we are always working as a team, helping each other at the studio.

When I learnt of the quiz, i did panic at first. the reason for my reaction was because I was not sure about my theory bit. I wouldn't mind a practical exam any day, anytime but a written quiz, i wouldnt be so sure. However, i realized, as much as this class is more of practical work, i can never be able to explain to someone who doesnt know anything about consoles and mixers without having the correct terms and their functions. the quiz was great now that we were able to test each other and later discuss the best answers for the questions we ourselves had set. Class keeps getting better and better.

I cant wait for more exciting sessions of com264, this class has just confirmed what i knew, BROADCAST ROCKS!!!!!!!

Anne Warui

REFLECTIVE HABITS 8TH FEB 2011

The class was one of a kind, personally i had alot of tension brewing inside wen the lecturer came into the class with cut up papers i knew that she was going to give us tough application questions but to my surprise we set the questions for each other and did the marking to. This technique to me is quite effective as we get to master the content that we read in class and get to do it in practice i grasped more. the class was about CDs and turntables, it reminded me of the old CDs that my my father keeps in the archives that gave me a better understanding of the issue of a whole. then the studio exercise the combo was really tasking to ensure that your recording doesn't go over pitch.

my reflective habits on the 7th of february 2011

creativity,creativity, this has become the order of the day,but to this particular one, i say congrats! 'Lawyer', it is known as. It is an initiative where there is a person asking questions to a supposed accused person where, the accused is not suposed to answer the questions asked but his lawyer i.e. the person on his left hand side.this icebreaker was both intresting and educative in the sense that i learnt the importance of keeness and following instructions.Every now and then people would get confused and answer questions they wwere not supposed to. Wow!i thought.
well,well, well,step by step. The day's lesson was supposed to be on turntables and compact discs. A the studio i learnt parts of the turntable, their funtions and how the machine works.I love the way the DJs do it but with this ?!no way! I thought it looked quite oldfashioned,and in deed it is.I learnt that the major difference between those of today and the ancient ones is that the modern ones are a bit smaller and do not use a big CDs as those used in the ancient ones.
Then to recording.Oh my!it's just impossible.How is one supposed to edit their work from a reel to reel tape? To my amazement, Mrs.Kowoour says they did it!Can you belive that? Unlike today when we only cut, boost, paste, undo,redo, and excetra on the computer, they had to literally cut and paste! and trust me, they made it. This got me thinking, if they did, why not me?

CLASS REFLECTION;8TH FEBRUARY 2011

This week's class was pretty interesting,since we did a very unique quiz that involved the whole class without cheating of any kind. I think all quizes should be like that because that way, the whole class is involved, we all enjoy and at the same time we do not feel the pressure.
ordinarily, i would be glad this week's class is over but now i can not wait for the next class in the comingt week.

reflective habits

Phoebe Mwangi 09-1403
my reflective habits are sitting down in a quiet place especially when reading and start to think about what l learn't in class and if l really understood or not. some activities that help do this from class is the way we learn because it not always the same mode of learning. every class there is something to look forward to thus making it more interesting and more fun to understand. so far l there is nothing that has inhibited my reflective habits from class. l have enjoyed learning about the console and key terms and production elements and l look forward to the next lessons.

CLASS REFLECTION(31 January 2011): Makenzi Robert Muema 09-1189

My reflective habits encompassed trying to create a real life situation to what i learnt. This came in automatically as the lecturers took us through. All along i found myself forming mental pictures to what we were being taught and at some point i would go deep into thoughts that i got carried away to the "land of imagination"

My reflective habits were hightened by the kind of questions tha were raised by the lecturer as this made me go deep into thoughts and found myself appreciating the fact that broadcast is a discpline that can yield much fun if you do it from your heart and that there many job oppotunities associated with broadcast.

The class was interesting throughout and i have nothing negative to say about it.

To foster good understanding of concepts and processes, i would wish that we pay a visit to A MUCH MORE ACTIVE STUDIO so as we can have a grasp of what techniques and what systems are used in the process of news gathering and broadcasting.

MY REFLECTIVE HABITS ON 25TH OF JAN 2011

in order for one to clearly understand something, i believe, they should try to remember or internalize what they have learnt through reflecting. personally, i write brief notes on what is being taught in class.i also relate directly to the examples and explanations given.
the skit on broadcast techiques and production, helped me understand the whole concept.the actors through their actions and reactions clearly brought out what it all entails.it made me think of such situations and what i would have done if i was in their positions.
the icebreaker where we were needed to remember the names of each and everyone,helped me in the sense that i tested on my memory.how much can i remember?i found all the activities helpful and would propose that more of those be applied in the lessons to come.
To increase on our ability to think critically, i prpose that more of the random story telling be incorporated in future. More so, the idea of making people make intelligent gueses would help.let people think without neccessarily having a preset mind on something.

my reflective habits on the 1st of Feb 2011

sharon kithinji(10-1155)
the class began on quite a high note, we learnt one of the good qualities of a good communicator when were playing the game of a broken telephone line.the messages were distorted even before getting halfway the circle, something that got me thinking:we all have noise around us. could be internal or external, which hinders us from being good listeners.It then made me learn that one has to fully engage themselves in whatever is being said for them to get it well.we should learn to be both good listeners and hearers.
seriously, we need to read prior to the class,or else during class, we will be lost on the way.the fact that i had not read the assigned class reading for the week made me almost 'flloat'when the class was in progress, since one was required to have a rough idea of what was to be taught.Read prior to class.this was an emphasy.
the console i thought was one of the complicated machines i have to handle.getting all those parts and their funtions seemed impractical. I however commend the facilitators because the did their best to ensure that everyone had an idea of the whole thing.
critical thinking is a part of us and is here to stay.The idea of hinting us on something and then letting us think of what it could be was a brilliant one but i felt that leaving blanks for us to fill would have worked better.'intelligent guessing' it is called. With all that was said and done, it is congratulations to the facilitators.

MY REFLECTIVE HABITS (ISAIAH MOSES- 09-0001)

I like asking qustions and trying answering as much questions as I can so as to facilitate corrections. Personaly, I will always be the active type of an audience because I ussually go with Socrates philosophy that, what I am supposed to know is more than what know.

The class activities that promote my reflective habbits include group work, class presentations, lectures who appreciate the students effort, practical activities and the aspect of having fun while studying always makes me yearn to have more of the class.

Instances that the class lacks participation, the lerners views are not given any leval of consideration to act as a lerning tool and other students who look down upon others inhibits my reflective habits.

I would wish to be have more practical learnig were the class can be able to interact with ease, with the theory we have in the text books.
Qustion please, Can we write broad cast scripts in swahili. (For those who have interest).

 

my reflective habits by Risper Oluga 09-1961

The activities in class enhance my reflective habbits, these are the practical exercises we do to demostrate the topic of the day. this widens my image of the course and i am able to think outside the box. whenever i want to remember certain topic, i just visual the activity we did in class and it all becomes very clear to me. i therefore like and take the activities we do in class very seriously. My reflective habbits are seldom inhibited in class unless i am totaly blank on the topic of discussion, of course if i did not read prior to the class session. i propose that the class should continue having practical sessions for better understanding of broadcast techniques, this will also enable us to be more greative with the skills that we learn which is very important in our proffessions.

REFLECTIVE HABITS BY JOHN MUNGAI (08-0765)

I find the class interesting and very interactive and hence a condusive atudying environment. The class on 1st of feb I really enjoyed the games we played to demonstrate the role of the console and I enjoyed the grouping of the class members which was both interactive and also making of friends. The demonstration by the lecturer was really educative and enlightening. I also liked the discussion about the virtual and real console which made my understanding of th terms much better. I liked also going to the studio and also having a practical feel of the mixer which gave me a rough idea of what I will be dealing with for the whole of this semester and also what I will come across if I happen to work for a radio station. The class was interesting and I enjoyed being in it

my reflective habits.

SHARON NAITORE KITHINJI(10-1155)

In order for one to really understand something, i believe they should try to remember and internalize what they have learnt through reflecting. Personally, i write brief notes on what is beingtaught when the class is on progress.i also try to relate directly with the examples and explanations given.I.e.match amd mismatch one thing with another in the contemporary world.
during the last class i.e. 25th of January,my reflective habits were promoted by various activites. For example, the skkit on broadcast techniques and production helped me understand the whole concept in the fact that the supposed production crew, through their actions and reactions, clearly brought out what it all entails. It made me think of such situations and how i would respond to them was I in their positions.
The ice breaker dubbed"mathew mathew"where we were required to remember each and everyone's name helped me in the sense that, i was required to try and remember, only that this time, I was not to write down as I usually do. I was supposed to only say the names off head, which served the same purpose:remembering.
am glad that among all the activiteees carried out in the class, none lost me. I therefore, suggest that more of those be incorporated in the classes to come. In order to sharpen and increase our critical thinking skills i suggest that more of the random story-tellling be incorporated. where one is required to give a story withou prior preparation and encourage the intelligent guesses.