FINAL CRITIQUE

MACHACHARI

Machachari is a children’s program aired on Saturdays at 7:35 on Citizen Television. It is a drama full of educative content affecting children between the age of five to thirteen years. The issues highlighted in the program range from social life, academics to financial growth. Apart from educating the children the programme is very entertaining.  Though termed as a children’s program adults find it very entertaining since we see the actors’ relationship with grown-ups and also their parents.

The program is divided between two locations and throughout the programme different activities happen in the two locations almost simultaneously. The programme showcases the kind of lifestyles lived by children from a well-to-do family that lives in a good city estate and others from a family in the slum. From the well-to-do family we have Almasi and Joy as the main actors. Almasi is about nine and Joy, his sister, is about 6 years. Sophia is their house help. Their parents occasionally appear on-set but they only play minor roles. Mzee Kobe is their gardener and he lives in the slum. We also have Fatso, about thirteen years, who also works for the family

The other location is of two families in the slum. The main actors are Baha and Govi who are siblings. They are about eight and seven years respectively. Another main actress is Stella, who also lives in the slum. Their parents, like the parents from the previous location play only a minor role. Still in the slum, we have Madvd, a DVD vendor who also runs a ‘commercial’ toilet. Other actors come in scene when need be.

Both locations seem to be neighboring each other. Sometimes we follow the children from the slum to the city estate. In most instances, the producer introduces the scenes differently but at one point in the program the activity will be taking place in the same place, either in the slum or in the city estate.  

I watched eleven episodes of Machachari. The programme critique assignment was an eye opener that what I learn in class can be applied or emphasized by watching other peoples work; analyzing and appreciating their work and at the same time be able to identify mistakes and short comings and think of the best ways to correct those mistakes.

The production team has done a great work on Machachari. What stands out is the montage, which is the programme identification. The montage comprises a Swahili song whose lyrics introduce the audience to the character of the actor/actress. It appears on a vertically split screen where on the left side we see video clips of the song. Each actor/actress sings out his/her part and as he/she appears on the left side of the screen, his/her name is generated on the right side of the screen in large legible font. 

The different scenes are introduced to the audience by an establishment shots. The house in the city estate is normally introduced by an establishment shot that is mainly a wide shot of the house which ends in a smooth zoom in. On other occasions, it is a wide shot of the house that ends in a panning left or right. The scene in the slum is mainly introduced by a wide shot of a crowd of people walking on a road in the slum. I notice the producer’s creativity as he changes the establishment shot in some episodes to the tracking shot of a moving train.

As the program is being aired, the audience has to get accustomed to the scenes changing from one location to the other. While some people find it annoying, I think it is a very good technique the producer employs to build the story separately to a beautiful climax. Having said that, I must add that the duration of time each scene lasts before being changed to the other one is too short. I though that the editor should have left more time for the story to build rather that taking us here and there in very short intervals.

The cameraman does an excellent job to tell the story.  Apart from the normal shots we are used to; wide shot, medium shot, bust shot, and close up, the camera man combines shots which bring a very beautiful effect. On one episode where Joy is looking for her piggy bag, the camera takes a medium shot of her lifting the bag to show that she has found it, then the camera man adjusts the camera lens to wide angle and zooms out slowly to let the audience see that her bag had been stuck in a hip of clothes.

The producer using mirrors to show shots was amazing. In one of my favourite episodes where the children had been stuck in a car wash in a quest to have their bicycle repaired, they find out that Almasi’s dad has come to the carwash and hide beside a car. The camera man takes their images from the side mirror of that car. The shot emphasizes that the children are hiding and there is a limited view of them. As they hide further, the camera man goes to the opposite side of the car and takes a shot of them at ground level. On another episode, Sophia, the house help is making Joys hair and she has a small hand mirror. As they talk the camera man goes behind Sophia and shows us what Joy is seeing in the mirror by taking the image of part of Joys head and Sophia’s face as it appears in the mirror. In yet another scene, we see Joy applying lipstick. The camera man takes shots of Joy’s image on the mirror. It creates reality since people apply make up in front of a mirror.

The camera movements employed are the panning right and left; to reveal detail right and left of the subject, tilt up and down, to reveal the whole part of a person or a thing. In one interesting scene, the camera uses a tilt up to satisfy suspense he had created earlier. In that scene, there was a tournament; the children had not been successful in getting their desired guest of honour. He introduces a new guest of honour with suspense. He first takes a close-up of his feet as he alights from a car. A slow tilt up introduces the rest of the body to the face. That is cut and we see the full shot of him. The camera man also uses zoom in and zoom outs to narrow and widen the angle respectively. He uses dolly in and dolly out when he wants to bring the audience closer to the subject. A dolly in works better than a zoom-in when one wants to move the audience closer to the subject/object. A zoom in brings the object closer to the audience.

The camera man also used the different lens angles to enhance the story. In a situation where the producer wants us to see the surrounding of a particular subject, he used a wide angle. An example is when he is showing where Madvd’s ‘commercial’ toilet is situated. We see houses on one side, a path, and Mama Govi’s grocery kiosk. He uses normal angle when the producer wanted to create a normal perspective. In cases where he used a telephoto angle, the objects in the background looked enlarged. One specific angle that I liked was in a scene where the children were climbing a hill. The camera man, on ground level at the top of the hill takes very good shots. First we see the heads, then we see more detail as the children climb to ground level.

In different times, the producer has scenes where most of the camera angles, shots and movements were combined. Other aspects like sound and lighting come out very clearly.  One particular scene brings this out very well. The scene is in the slum. Through the dim lighting and the presence of a lantern on the table, we can tell it is at night. We see a close up of a tin; drops of water are dropping in the tin. That leaves us wondering what that is about. The camera lens is then adjusted to wide angle and a zoom out to normal angle reveals that it is on the floor beside where Govi is sleeping. A further zoom out to a wide shot reveals that all the children have slept on the floor and each has a tin to capture the drops of water. We see a close-up of Govi looking up and a tilt up shows us that it is actually the roof that leaking. We get good sound technique as we can hear the sound of rain drops as they hit the tin. That creates the mood of desperation that the children are in. 

The editor uses a number of editing techniques, mostly he uses direct cuts. Sometimes they work well but in other times, they seem so abrupt for reality. On one particular scene where the producer wants to show the audience that Almasi-who has slept on the table-is dreaming, he uses video editing techniques. We first see a medium shot of Almasi on the table; it is then zoomed in to a close-up. That dissolves to shot of him in black and white which move is a slow motion. They fade in to the previous close-up and then a medium shot of Almasi waking up from the dream. I thought that that was brilliant and also very dramatic; it added variety to the other shots.

The sound was properly done, sounds like snoring of people sleeping whilst two of the cast members talk in hushed voices was well brought out. In other times, the producer employs songs with a fast tempo to create a hurried mood. An example is the scene where Madvd, Govi and Baha are walking towards Babu-who has stolen their bike. The music created a feeling of urgency. The music of the montage also is of good audio quality.

One thing that left me dissatisfied is the way the program ends. Save for the last programme that was aired on November 20, 2010 which is to be continued on November 27, 2010, the other programmes leave the audience hanging. Given that it is a childrens’ programme, I think that the target audience-who are the children-may not be able to think over the remaining part of the story. I have watched some episodes with my daughter and nephews and they always exclaim “aaaahhh!” when the program ends. Critics of Naomi Kamau, who is the script writer, say that she writes scripts per episode and that informs the hanging ending of most of the programmes whose scripts she has written. The producer also rolls the credits too fast that one cannot gather even two names of the production crew.

Conclusion

Watching a programme critically in order to analyze and appreciate its production values requires a good understanding of all the major production elements. I realize that a producer may decide to use a style of production that best brings out the story he/she intends to tell. Looked at critically at another angle, the production style may be found wanting. It is therefore in the interest of producers to tell their story and at the same time observe professionalism in sound, camera; shots, movements and angles, and use of visual and audio editing techniques. 

MACHACHARI NOVEMBER 13

MACHACHARI NOVEMBER 13
Today’s scene is centered on mathematics performance. One child from the well-to-do family has performed poorly in mathematics and his father decides to hire a teacher for private tuition. Through hard work and discipline, the teacher convinces Almasi to change his attitude about maths. The children in the slum have both performed well and the father appreciates their efforts by giving them his bicycle for a ride. It is this bike that they temporarily loose but later find it. The children are taught responsibility in everything they do.
The program starts with a montage, a split screen in which on the left side, the actor/actress sings a song and on the right side, hi/her name appears.
We are introduced to the first scene by an establishment shot, a wide shot then panned to the right, of Almasi’s and Joy’s family house. In the house, a wide shot show Almasi and his dad, the teacher comes in the living room. A tracking shot shows us Almasi leaving the room. At medium shot, the teacher and the dad talk about him. A close up of the teacher’s face tell us of his determination to make Almasi improve in maths. A dolly out introduces Joy to the scene. She tries to convince the dad to be soft on Almasi.
The establishment shot of the slum introduces the second scene. Govi and Baha are with their dad. There are medium shots of them as they tell the dad how well they passed maths.
Back to Almasi’s home, Almasi is trying to plead with the dad to allow him to go and play for some minutes. It starts with a wide angle which is cut to a close-up to show his disagreement with the new tuition arrangement. An extreme close-up reveals that he is near tears. His dad emphasizes that the arrangement has to remain until he improves.
In the scene at the slum, we see Govi and Baha with their dad’s bike that he has given them as a way of appreciating them for passing maths in school. We see tracking shots as each rides. In their adventure, they meet Mzee Kobe. The camera is at a normal angle and the shots are medium shots. Perhaps this is to create a natural feel since when we talk to a person, we pay attention to their upper body and not the whole body. Baha and Govi decide to tie the bicycle on a tree as they go somewhere shortly. A close up show us that they have used a rope to tie the bike. A wide shot reveals them leaving the bike behind. There is a song as they leave, it creates in me a feeling of suspense, and I wonder what will happen to the bike.
That scene dissolves to the earlier one. The mathematic teacher is with Joy and Alamasi. The shot is at normal angle. Almasi is so furious; there is no other sound apart from Almasi hitting the table. I think that the producer managed to bring out that sound so well, it is so natural. The intensity of the light is too much. The texture of the table is so shiny and it also reflects. The camera man takes breast shots (at telephoto angle) of the teacher and the children talking but when they have to refer to something on the table, the angle is changed to wide so that we can see the table.
Back to the scene in the slum, we see a wide shot at a wide angle of madvd and Mzee Kobe as they walk alongside each other as they talk. On the other side, we see a very wide shot of Govi and Baha, we can be able to gather from their surrounding where they have been. A close up reveals shock on their faces when they find out that the bike they had left earlier is no where to be found.
We are shifted to a scene where Baha’s dad is talking to a stranger; he complains that the boys have taken longer than expected. That scene is wiped by one where Govi and Baha are wondering who could have taken the bike. The wiping editing technique works well with the unfolding drama. I notice that the cameraman leaves very good lead room as the boys walk here and there trying to look for the bike.
That scene is cut and we are back to Almasi and joy’s house. I think that, that transition and shifting to the previous scene to avoid being carried by one scene forgetting the rest. The teacher is hard on Almasi and denies them any chance of leaving the table unless they finish the assignment he has given them.
In the previous scene in the slum, we see Govi and Baha asking Mzee Kobe whether he has seen the bike. Mzee Kobe tells them that he saw Madvd around he place where they had left it. A close up tell us they suspect him. We than see them outside Madvd’s ‘commercial’ toilet. At medium shots they are both suspecting madvd of having stolen the bike. Amidst suspense, the toilet door behind them opens and in a slow motion, Madvd comes out. A zoom out reveals him, and the children arguing about their suspicions. Madvd convinces them that he did not take the bike and he offers to help then look for the bike. The framing of madvd is not right as he is cut directly at the knee and that brings the insinuation that he doesn’t have the lower parts of his feet.
We are taken back to the well-to-do family’s house and we find out that the teacher has managed to convince Almasi to change his attitude of mathematics and now we can see him following.
Back to the dramatic scene in the slum, a tracking shot and some fast tempo music in the background shows us madvd walking fast towards something. That is cut and a long shot directs us to Babu. That is cut and we now see them together, Madvd standing infront of the seated Babu. The shots are carefully taken as we see Madvd confronting Babu about the bike and Babu denying that he doesn’t have the bike. Madvd is furious and lifts his hand to slap him. Terrified, he points somewhere on his side, the camera takes us there and a pan right that ends in a long shot reveals the bicycle. The cameraman takes a dolly in and we can now see clearly where the bike had been hidden. The children run to it happy and untie it. A tracking shot shows us the children, and Madvd leaving.

MACHACHARI NOVEMBER 6

MACHACHARI NOVEMBER 6
In today’s programme, children will learn to think critically when in hard situations and come up with a way to come out of it. The producer brings that out very well in the dramatic turn of events which dominate today’s program.
The usual program identity announces another episode of Machachari. A wide shot at a high angle is the establishment shot of the first scene which is in the slum. Govi and Baha talk about the bicycle ride Almasi promised them.
A wide shot that end in a smooth zoom in of Almasi and Joy’s family house introduces the next scene. In the house we see over the shoulder shots of Alamasi and Sophia talking. Sophia reminds Almasi that he should be ready for the trip they are taking with their dad.
A shot taken from the ground level suggests that the children are climbing a hill. We see parts of their bodies being revealed slowly from their heads to their feet.
Back to the previous scene, Sophia, seated on the sofa, is combing Joy’s hair. Joy is seated on the floor holding a mirror to admire how Sophia is making her hair. The cameraman focuses on the mirror such that we can see the image of Sophia in the mirror Joy is holding. That is so dramatic and I really admire that. On the other side of the sitting room, Almasi hears a knock and a tracking shot follows him as he goes to get it. He lets in Baha and Govi. The camera is at the telephoto angle as Govi tells Almasi that they have come to pick the bike he had promise them. Next we see Joy in the dressing room, from the image we see in the mirror, we gather that she is applying lipstick. The shot that takes the image of her rather than the real she, brings out the story very well since we are shown she is at the mirror.
In the next scene, the children go to where the bike is. A close-up of Almasi’s hand on the bike’s tire makes us realize that it has a puncture. A slow pan left reveals both Govi and Baha so beaten by that. A couple of shots show us the children convincing Almasi to take the bicycle for repair.
Mean while, Sophia gets in the room and finds Joy all messed up with the lipstick and convinces her to wipe it off as it looks so bad on her.
Back to the boys, they go to a car wash and finds that the person who does bicycle repair is busy fetching water. I can’t help but notice their frustrated faces as we see close-up shots of each of them. They beg the man to repair their bike as they draw water for him. A wide shot that fades in a dolly-in shows us the boys each with a bucket of water. We see feet approaching where the children are seated waiting, a tilt up reveals the man who is supposed to be repairing their bike. He announces that the children have to help wash a carpet as he repairs their bike. The next shot at ground level shows us each boy with a brush kneeling and scrubbing the carpet very hard. A shot of Almasi looking up to a spot makes us wonder what he is looking at. We get the answer as the camera shifts to an approaching car. Back to Almasi, we see a breast shot of him terrified as he announces to the other children that his that was his dad’s car.
The scene gets more dramatic as we see the children running and hiding beside a car. The camera focuses on the side mirror of that car and we see the images of the children. I think that that creativity is awesome, it enhances the mood in the scene at the moment; the children are hiding and there is a limited view of them. As one of the children is trying to lift his head and try to see where Almasi’s dad is, he sees the owner, surprisingly Almasi’s math’s teacher, heading toward the car. We see the children hiding further, they lie on the floor. A camera on the opposite side of the car and at ground level reveals this.
As the teacher nears the car, suspense mounts. We see Almasi’s father getting out of the car and he notices the teacher and calls him. They start talking. I think they are using two camera as each appear facing each other as they talk and clearly they are not at over the shoulder shot. Back to the boys they take that opportunity to plan a way to escape. They stand on and hold the carpet on their left and start moving shielded by the carpet. The dad looks and a shot at low angle reveals the children moving. The shot comes out as if the carpet was moving on it’s on. But since it is at low angle, it seems that it also has feet! (The feet are the children’s feet). Before the father could look closer, he is interrupted by the car wash attendant announcing that the car is ready. Almasi and the boys reach the main road and he hurriedly mounts on the bike and takes off so fast. Through a tracking shot, we see him cycling so fast.
Almasi gets home, the lighting makes the tiles to shine and reflect, there is a close up of his feet, we gather that his slippers are muddy and slippery, a tilt up that is cut to a dolly out of Sophia approaching shows us Almasi scared that he is dirty and may not be able to go for the trip. We hear the hooting of a car and that announces that the father has arrived. A full shot of him opening the door is cut to a wide shot of Almasi running and lying on the sofa. We see a close up of his face. The father sits on the same chair on the edge. Almasi tells him that he is not feeling well. The episode is over.
It think that the story was left hanging, I don’t know whether it is the producer’s style but I think being a children’s program, a more smooth finish is better. Children may not be able to think out what happened next. Other than that, the program was well produced. It was so dramatic and the camera man was able to get beautiful shots to tell the producer’s story.

MACHACHARI OCTOBER 30

MACHACHARI OCTOBER 30
The story today is about the life of the children in the slum and in the modern city estate. The housing facility is the main focus as the producer decides to use rainfall to show what children in the slums go through when it rains. There are leaking roofs which force the children to remain awake at night in order to try and contain the raindrops falling in the room with tins so that the room is not flooded. On the other side children learn to take care of each other as we are shown the well off children welcoming those from the slum to their bedroom and even share their clothes and duvets with them.
The familiar montage is cut and we see an establishment shot which is a tracking shot of the train moving on the rail road. It dissolves into a scene where Madvd, Govi and Baha are talking.
The establishment shot of the next scene is panning shot of the family house. In the house, Joy and Almasi are sited on the floor. The camera is put at a wide angle and we can now see the House girl, Sophia in the scene.
That scene is cut abruptly and we are back to the living room of Baha’s family. They are cooking and a medium shot of Govi reveals that he tastes the liver that is cooking. That is cut and we now see a wide shot of every one in the room. Madvd removes a plastic bag from his pocket and from it removes chapattis. The children are excited. Different shots show Madvd serving the liver and chapattis to the children. He gives little food and takes the rest for himself. A close up of his full plate lets us understand just how much he will eat compared to the small portions he has given to the children. We are taken for a commercial break.
In the next scene, Joy and Almasi are talking about the rain that has just started pouring outside. A tracking shot shows us the children leaving to the front door. That shot dissolves to a full shot slowing the two children standing at the verandah. That editing technique ensures continuity. Sophia comes and sends the children back in the house.
In the slum, it is raining too. A close up of a tin on the floor with drops falling into it makes us wonder what that is. A smooth zoom out reveal that the roof is leaking and all the children sleeping on the floor have tins to contain the rain drops. A tilt up reveals Madvd sleeping on the sofa oblivious of what the children are going through. Back to the children, they speak in hushed voices and decide to go to their friends’ house to shelter from the rain. There are good shots as the children creep out leaving Madvd in the room sleeping. We are left with a close up of Madvd’s face (as he sleeps) which slowly fades out.
In the next scene, Almasi and Sophia are in the kitchen, they hear a knock and listen attentively, it repeats. A tracking shot shows us Almasi going to check who is at the door. His attention is directed to the small garbage door and a tracking shot takes us with him as he opens it and the children from the slum come in bending, one by one. They all run to the house. On the other side of the kitchen, Joy’s mother is giving Sophia instructions to put the children to bed. The camera is put at a wide angle and we see the mother leaving. There is good lead room and we can be able to see the direction she is heading to.
In the bedroom we see the children sleeping; they talk in hushed voices so that Almasi’s mother does hear them. Almasi and Sophia bring duvets to cover them and also they are given warm clothes to put on. Good sound is evident as I gather there is a knock outside. A breast shot of Sophia shows us she has heard the knock. She picks an umbrella and a tracking shot follows her outside. That is cut to a full shot of her looking at the gate, she can’t see anyone. She walks to the garbage door and opens it, Madvd comes in, he is very angry. We see a full shot from the back as both walk to the house.
We see them enter the room where the children are sleeping. That is cut and we now see him talking so angrily to the children and demands that they all wake up because they have to go back to the slum at that hour. A close-up of Govi shows that he is so upset with that. He pleads with Madvd to let them spend the night there because it was raining in their house. The camera shifts to Madvd who stands up and start forcing the children up one by one and pushes them outside the door. That fades in to a shot of Madvd, Stella, Baha, and Govi leaving for the gate. There is very good lead room and we can gather that they are leaving for the gate. The montage announces that that episode is over.
The program was well produced. I specifically liked the shots of the scene in the slum when the roof was leaking; the shots were captured in a very dramatic way that brought suspense. The lighting was not very good. At one point there was candle light yet there was too much light that the meaning of the light from the candle was overshadowed. If they could have made the room darker such that the only light onset was from the candle, it would have been better. There were good editing techniques especially with the shots of children entering one by one from the small garbage door to the main house and finally to the bedroom avoiding the kitchen where Almasi’s mother was.

MACHACHARI OCTOBER 23.

Today’s programme is teaching children to save money but not only saving but saving it in a safe place. The children are also taught to assist those in need with the money they have saved. The actors/actresses bring this out in a beautiful turn of events in the slum and also in the city estate.
After the program identity-montage that introduces the audience to the actors and actresses- there is an aerial panning shot of the slum as the establishment shot, we are able to know that the action is taking place in the slum. Baha and Govi are in their home together with their mother. They are talking at a normal angle of medium shot.
A long shot of Almasi’s and Joy’s home takes us to the location of the next scene. We get a breast shot of a man explaining something about the car. A zoom out reveals other members of the family, Almasi, joy and Mzee Kobe. Mzee Kobe is delighted to be given the old car battery as the mechanic has put a new battery in the car. A pan left introduces us to the children’s mother. She is told that the car is okay and there follows a medium shot of her entering the car and a tracking shot follows her as she leaves in the car.
That scene is cut and we are back to the slum. Madvd is so furious. He wants the money Stella’s mother owes him. A close up shows us Stella getting some money from under a sack in the kiosk and gives it to Madvd. At medium shot, madvd counts the money. There is a cut and the camera shifts to Stella trying to correct Madvd with counting. A close-up reveals her frustrations as Madvd announces that the money is not enough. At that point we are taken for a commercial break
The next scene starts with a tracking shot of the children walking to where Mzee Kobe is trimming a fence. When the children arrive, we see only a part of the ladder Mzee Kobe has climbed. A tilt up reveals Mzee Kobe. They want to convince him to sell them the old car battery he was given earlier. A wipe takes us to the house where Joy is talking to Sophia. There is good sound balance because we can hear what they are saying and at the same time hear the sound Sophia is making as she grates carrots.
In the next scene in the slum, Madvd is still harassing Stella because of the money her mother owes him
That scene is cut to one that Almasi is negotiating with Mzee kobe to sell them the battery so that they can give it to Baha andGovi as a gift. A close up shows his frustrations when Mzee kobe can’t be convinced.
Back in the slum, Govi and Baha find Madvd harassing Stella and decide to help her with the savings they have. Amidst suspense we see Govi looking for something. Cut-aways of different parts of the house shows us Govi trying to remember where he could have kept his money. A close up of the tin which he had kept the money and then a zoom out shows us that he found it stuck in a hip of clothes.
A wide shot of the other family’s house takes us to the next scene. In the house, Joy can’t find her ‘piggybag’, where she keeps her savings. She pleads with their house help, Sophia to help her look for it. Different shots show us how they separately look for it in the bedroom. They finally come together. Suddenly Joy exclaims and a medium shot of her lifting the ‘pigibag’ lets us know that she has found it. A zoom out reveals to us that her bag, like Govi’s tin had been stuck in a hip of clothes. At that point we take a commercial break
An establishment shot of the slum takes us back to the slum. Baha is looking for the money he has saved. A close up of a spot in the ground puts us in suspense then a tracking shot shows us Baha approaching spot. That is cut and then we see him digging at that spot and remove some money. A tilt up then a long shot shows us every body laughing and then madvd comments that Baha ‘plants’ money. They give Madvd a hundred shilling and he leaves Stella alone.
In the other scene, Almasi and his sister Joy raise nine hundred for the battery. They give Mzee Kobe the money. He takes the money but refuses to give them the battery. That scene is cut and the next is at the front door. A zoom out shows us Sophia at the door. A dolly out reveals Mzee Kobe and the two siblings; Almasi and Joy. Sophia intervenes and demands that Mzee Kobe should either give the children the battery or refund their money. A full shot shows us that he was only making a joke and a medium shot shows us that he smilingly gives the children the battery. Mzee Kobe delivers the battery with his bike to Baha’s and Govi’s home.
An establishment shot of the slum in a dim lighting shows us that it is at night. A lantern on the table in Baha and Govi’s home also emphasizes that it is at night. The lighting is excellent as there is the impression that the only light in the room is coming from the lantern. Baha and Govi are seated in the sofa talking; a sound at the door and a pan left shows us that the mother has come. She has brought a gift for them. The camera shifts to the bag she came with and she picks it and we see she has brought them new uniforms. A close up of Govi looking at Baha, then one of Baha smiling tells us they are up to something. Baha announces to the mother that they also have a gift for her. A close up of a suck on one point on the sofa reveals the gift, they unveil the battery that Almasi and Joy gave them earlier and they tell the mother that that was the gift they had for her.
The program came to a good close, unlike the others that are left hanging. The programme ends with the montage playing on the top side of a horizontally split screen and credits rolling on one the lower side. The credits roll too fast and I can’t make even one name

MACHACHARI EPISODE 1

The programme started with a montage. The actors and actresses of the program sing a song as their shots appear onscreen. The lyrics of the Swahili song introduce us (the audience) to the character of the actor or actress.  

The first scene in the program is introduced by an establishment shot, which is a wide shot that is slowly zoomed out. This is Almasi’s and Joys home. Inside the house, three boys; Almasi, Baha, and Govi are playing play station. The camera focuses on the monitor and a tilt down shows us how the boys control whatever appears on the monitor. A close up shows us Almasi so keen on controlling the game.

That scene is wiped by an establishment shot of crowded people walking on a dirty path in the slum. Three women, one of them stella’s mother, are conversing as they walk along the road, a dolly out reveal this.

That is cut and the Establishment shot of Almasi’s house takes us back to the previous scene. A close up of Baha talking to the rest makes us to focus on him. A tracking shot introduces the house girl (Sophia) to the scene. She sends the children away with a letter to deliver to Madvd.

A smooth transition takes us to the slum where we see the children with Madvd. That transition ensures continuity and we (the audience) are able to follow. A medium shot reveals half of Madvd. He takes the letter and reads it, a close-up of his face shows us that he is happy with it.

A Fade in takes us to the previous scene. The table is being set, they are taking breakfast. I think that the transition from the previous day to the present day was not well brought out. It is only by hearing what the talents are saying that one realizes it is a new day. I realize good sound as the phone rings; a tracking shot takes us to where the phone as Sophia moves to pick it.

That scene is cut abruptly and we are shifted back to the slum where Stella is wondering who will go with her to school for the parents day.

Unlike the earlier transition, the next one is smooth and creates continuity. We are shown Joy and Almasi worried that their parents were there to accompany them to the parents day. A medium shot reveals him calling the mother.

A wide shot the slum takes us back to the slum. That dissolves into a medium shot of Baha and Govi talking about the parent’s day.

The scene is cut, rather abruptly and we are back to Joy and Almasi. They too are talking about the parent’s day. Several medium shots of joy and Sophia show us Joy pleading with Sophia to accompany them to school. We then see a medium shot, then a burst shot and finally a close up that reveal   Joy’s happiness as Sophia has been convinced to go with them. A long shot, at a wide angle shows us Sophia and Madvd walking alongside each other

We see a wide shot of Almasi, Joy and Madvd walking towards the school. They get into the school compound but Madvd is left at the gate to sell DVD’s. A close-up of the box he is carrying reveals the DVD’s. Several shots of the head master of the school approaching, and Madvd shouting the DVD prices bring a lot of suspense. His vision of selling DVDs is finally cut short when the head master finally reaches where he is and sends him away.

We are in another scene, we see stella’s mother in a hurry, a full tracking shot shows she is walking towards the school. A close up shot reveals tiredness in her face. A tracking shot takes us where stella is sited with the teacher, that scene ends in a close up of stella happy that the mother has finally showed up.

The programme ends with the screen half split horizontally, on the upper part, the montage is playing and on the lower part the credits are rolling.

I think that the programme was well produced, save for some transition problems here and there. The sound was very good. I note that the programme ends abruptly and somehow one is left ‘hanging’. May be it was the producer’s tactic but if I was to reproduce the programme I would bring the story to a smoother finish.