LILLIAN S. NZUKI 09-0993
Program critique.
Tahidi high
It is a program that is aired on every Tuesday from 7:30 to 8:00 pm in citizen television. It is a drama that shows or reflects on what happens in today’s secondary schools. It mostly touches on relationships which maybe boy girl relationship or teacher student relationship. It also includes the role or wrongs done by non-teaching staff. These are the major themes that are mostly depicted. Below are the episodes that I watched and their critique.
Episode 1: 7th September.
This day’s episode was centered on alcoholism. Some students; OJ, Lamo and three other were found by their Principle, Mr. Tembo sneaking alcohol in the school compound. He summoned them into his office. At this time there was a close up on Mr. Tembo which showed how annoyed he was and also the seriousness on his face.
When the students are asked to go and bring their parents, Lamo brings a drunk man whom he said was his father. As Lamo’s ‘father’ talks to the teachers, he staggers and falls down. At this time there is panning of the camera which shows his movements. The lighting of the camera is good since there is no shadow and yet this happens outside.
An extreme close up shot was established on the parent who is drunk such that one could even see what was in the pocket of his shirt. There was also some music that was played at this time where its tone concurred with what was happening.
14th September
The main theme of this day was discipline. Some form fours sneaked out of the school. OJ and Melvin had sneaked out and there names were forwarded to Mr. Tembo. The principle was mad about it and wanted to punish them. The shots established here were a wide angle shot which came to full view, medium and later to a close up shot of the students. On Mr. Tembo there was a close up which showed he was annoyed.
Before the principle had punished the students, Mr. Kilunda came towards them claiming there was one of them who had not done the class assignment. Here there was panning of the camera as Mr. Kilunda moved towards Mr. Tembo’s office.
21st September.
This day the students had been refused to go for a debate in the neighboring school. They all agree that they will go and one of them is going to be their teacher. One of them pretended to be their teacher and even dressed in official wear to look like one. Here there was an excitement mood where it could be read from the students’ face. The music present at this time quite boosted what was been communicated. There was a full view for the student who pretended to be a teacher. The camera movement present at this point was panning which showed up to the shoe that the ‘teacher’ had worn.
The students later got into a Nissan which they had asked to pick them from a strategic place. At this time they sneak out very fast and as they rush to the vehicle there is tilting of the camera. There is also some music which shows that something strange or bad is about to happen. It was after all the students had entered into the vehicle that Mr. Meiposi was left in despair and unbelief that all these had happened and yet he was the teacher on duty. There is a close up to show his disturbed face.
28th September.
This episode was a continuation of what had happened in the previous week. The driver who had taken the students to the neighboring, school for debate came to Tahidi High to ask for his payment. Shish and Makas, who are students, later pay him but are unlikely found with an outsider inside the school compound. Here there is some music which shows that the teacher on duty was mad with the two students. There was also a wide angle shot to show the driver, the two students and the teacher.
On another side, Mr. Tembo received a phone call to congratulate him for the good performance of his students. He was in shock to know that his students had attended the debate yet he was not aware since he had declined them to go. There was a close up as one could see that he was devastated. He called the teachers for a meeting in his office and here there was a full view for him.
Later Mr. Tembo was been served tea by Mrs. Ngatia (non-teaching staff). After he had taken a seep of the tea, he looked disturbed on his face where there was an extreme close up shot. The viewer could clearly see he was annoyed. It was later when he said that the tea had salt in it.
5th October
The episode opened up with a scene in the office of Mr. Tembo. He was having a conversation with Mrs. Mahogan. The lighting was quite clear. One could clearly see both of them conversing without a shadow formation. The background was quite good since there were no shadows formed.
Mr. Kilunda was given the task to choose the three students who were to go to US. He chose to collect money from the students instead. At that time when he was collecting the money, there was some music playing. The book where he was keeping the record had an extreme close up shot such that the amounts alongside the students name were very clear.
There is also an indication of indiscipline when some friend of OJ put some cigarettes in his clothes. Some music was played to show something strange was about to happen. This episode was mainly on relations with different people in the school.
12th October.
The scene was first in Mr.Tembo’s office. He was asking one of the non- teaching staff why she is always late. There was a problem as the camera was only focusing on one person for a long period of time. This kept the scene look long even though it was not.
Mr. Kilunda also commented on his wife and said that she is ignorant. At this point there was good lighting considering that he was outside.
From the above scene there was a wipe out where the next scene after that was Mr. Kilunda teaching in a class. He looked so angry and tried to calm himself down by giving the students an examination. There was an establishment shot where the whole class was shown and also the teacher. Again a wipe out was done. In the next scene there was Mr. Kilunda talking to a non teaching staff. There was a tilt down of the camera to show the non teaching staff was counting using her fingers.
In the next scene there was a fade in into Mr. Tembo’s office. This was to show transition. Still in his office there was zoom in when Mr. Tembo is writing a cheque and issuing it to the non teaching staff. A zoom out was evident as both Mr. Tembo and the non teaching staff were seen.
19th October.
The main theme for this day was on drugs. Some students were clearly seen. For example there was Julia who was taking some pills. Here a zoom in was established. There was also an extreme close up. Even before she had taken the pills there was an extreme close up and a zoom in on the pills.
Julia put the pills in the flask and there was again a close up shot to clearly show what had happened. Some dramatic music was played as a fellow student came to take what had been put in the flask. This day’s episode was mainly concerned with drugs.
26th October.
The main theme on this day was on boy girl relationship. At first Shish and other few ladies were shown. There was panning both right and left as the ladies were being shown. In the library there was Freddy conversing with his friend. Both the noseroom and headroom were quite good.
While OJ and Omosh are conversing, Tanya walked in and there was dolling since the camera was after Tanya’s direction. There was also a close up on Tanya to show that she was annoyed because of what Shish had done to her. On another side there was Freddy and his friend who were conversing. On these two school boys a wide angle shot was made since the viewer could see the surrounding. In another side there was over the shoulder shot as OJ and Freddy were communicating. Mainly this day’s episode was on relationship (boy-girl).
2nd November
On this day the ladies in the school were on the top. There was a lot of cut walking in the school as it had been said that later on there would be a competition for the best lady who knows how to cut walk would be given a present. As the ladies did their cut walk there was some music which accompanied the activity.
Some four ladies were shown cut walking and a close up shot was established. This emphasized the seriousness that those ladies had. From a distance some gentlemen were seen watching the ladies and making comments. They also had a close up shot.
At some point there were two ladies who were conversing about the cut walking competition. They were in the outside sunny area where lighting was not properly done as it looked blurred. This showed that the lighting for outside was not properly done.
9th November.
The episode starts with students wiping windows. They had been punished by Mr. Tembo. Those wiping were only ladies and this made Mr. Kilunda angry. There was a close up when the students were wiping the windows and also on Mr. Kilunda’s face to show that he was angry.
There was a wipe out to show the transition to another scene. This was in the garden. There was a tilt down of the camera to show Mr. Kilunda bending down to count the number of seedlings. The lighting in the garden was too bright. This was not properly done. The one doing the lighting should have considered that it was outside and there was mush light from the sun. There was also a close up of Mr. Tembo as he positively commented about the garden.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Summary of Vioja Mahakamani
SUMMARY OF VIOJA MAHAKAMANI
From my view I have leaned a lot from this program, from lighting, sound and ,camera shot and angles. One unique think I discovered in this program is that most of their shots are the same,there is no much difference of shots from one program to the other. Eg at the begin of their shows they always start with an establishing shot of the whole court but focusing on mshemiwa. And from there are always close up shot of two people especially the accused and then from the accused changes to the witness. The show use a variety of shots and for I think they use most of the shot which are needed. But one think is that this program does not focus on the audience, so most of the shot are for the accused, the witness and mshemiwa. And also most of the time we don’t see a close up shot of the judge,most of the time its always a long shot,but when they use it its always less that two second.
The audio part of this show I think is well maintained, because the level of the mshemiwa are always the same with that of the accuser and the witness which I think is a good think.
Lighting in this program for me I think is well done because seen I started watching it I have never seen any shadows in the whole, so for I me I think the lighting individual are doing a good job. Lighting for mshemiwa most of the time I find to be very much because when she is on close up we see some sweat from her face so for this I think there can reduce the intensity of the light.
As I have said earlier most of the content in this program,many people can identity with it. When one is able to identify with something it makes many people to watch it, although most of the time the content is presented in a humor manner it always makes seen to the audience which for me I think it’s a good thing because it reduce the tension of the content.
Martin Mwengah
09-0353
mwertin@yahoo.com
From my view I have leaned a lot from this program, from lighting, sound and ,camera shot and angles. One unique think I discovered in this program is that most of their shots are the same,there is no much difference of shots from one program to the other. Eg at the begin of their shows they always start with an establishing shot of the whole court but focusing on mshemiwa. And from there are always close up shot of two people especially the accused and then from the accused changes to the witness. The show use a variety of shots and for I think they use most of the shot which are needed. But one think is that this program does not focus on the audience, so most of the shot are for the accused, the witness and mshemiwa. And also most of the time we don’t see a close up shot of the judge,most of the time its always a long shot,but when they use it its always less that two second.
The audio part of this show I think is well maintained, because the level of the mshemiwa are always the same with that of the accuser and the witness which I think is a good think.
Lighting in this program for me I think is well done because seen I started watching it I have never seen any shadows in the whole, so for I me I think the lighting individual are doing a good job. Lighting for mshemiwa most of the time I find to be very much because when she is on close up we see some sweat from her face so for this I think there can reduce the intensity of the light.
As I have said earlier most of the content in this program,many people can identity with it. When one is able to identify with something it makes many people to watch it, although most of the time the content is presented in a humor manner it always makes seen to the audience which for me I think it’s a good thing because it reduce the tension of the content.
Martin Mwengah
09-0353
mwertin@yahoo.com
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.
MY SUMMARY OF THE 10 EPISODES POSTED
My 10 episode critique was on the hit reality show ‘Tusker Project Fame’.I focused on the following aspects as learnt in my 264- Broadcast technique class.
a) Camera angles
b) Camera movements
c) sound-types of microphones
d) Lighting
In my opinion I saw that this programme is live hence there was no need of an editing skills critique. The transitions between the various cameras were done using the switcher in the control room.
Introduction
As any programme, Tusker Project fame starts with a short montage which is about 40 seconds. This montage introduces to us these seasons’ contestants. Its theme colour is the beer- tusker’s colour. This makes me realize that this programme is really all about Kenya Breweries limited advertising their Tusker brand.
a) Camera angles and movements.
There was use of close-up shots when the judges are talking i.e. to give their comments about the contestants’ performances. The close up shots enables the viewer to focus on one particular judge and his or her comments.whenartists are performing, the camera is being panned from right to left this enables the audience view the whole stage setting that their favourite contestants are performing on.
There is zooming in and out when the contestant is performing, as the viewer I am able to see the whole outfit of the performer, the facial expressions and how they are dancing, making me feel like I am an audience at the Tusker Project fame Academy.
There is also evidence of use of mounted cameras on cranes as there is appoint the viewer is able to see an aerial view of the entire audience and the judges. The mounted camera zooms to the judges for their comments then to the audience.
In the Tusker project fame Academy house
I think the cameras used are hidden cameras or they are attached to the wall but at the same time they are still able to perform different camera angle movements and shots. For example, on Wednesday 3rd November 2010 there was a full shot of all the contestants and their music director Mr .R.Kay when they were choosing the song that they are going to perform during the weekend Close-up shots are used to show people’s reactions as they are watching themselves, performing on a large screen. We see looks of surprise, disbelief, anger, and also smiles of those who are proud of their performances.
On Sunday 31st October 2010, two men were unfortunately caught on camera dragging dolling and lighting equipment. They passed right in front of the camera that was focusing on the judges. This happened twice think the person at the switcher was not keen enough.
b) sound-types of microphones
The two hosts Sheila Mwanyigah and Dr.Mitch as he is commonly referred to, use unidirectional microphones to commentate the show.
There is very appropriate use of sound effects of Panic, when they are announcing the people going home, that is, being eliminated from the competition.
They have telephone calls from their close friends and family, but they do not use handsets. The calls are connected to their Lavaliere microphones.
There is use of Lavaliere microphones for all the contestants in the house. This is because they are going on with their normal business in the house hence they are not able to use dynamic microphones.
There are some whispered conversations that the contestants are having among themselves. The production crew has however made it possible for us the viewers to know what they are talking about by putting subtitles.
When practicing, they are using unidirectional microphones when practising their songs.
The sound does not sound very pleasing on thursday 18th November 2010. as there are hissing noises in the background and it is very clear especially when there is no one talking.
c Lighting
The lighting done is good as the stage is well illuminated and the audience is not- The audience is dark making the setting appropriate for live performances.
The camera base light is good and we can generally say that it is well illuminated, no single shadow is visible. There is even a good attempt of creating a silhouette when the contestants are performing.
c) Other observations.
When show ends abruptly and we see a split screen again .The left side activity in the house is continuing normally while the right side we see credits scrolling up. the last thing we see are the names and logos of the sponsors.
I have noticed that there are always three minute commercial breaks and the first one is always an Advert of the alcohol brand ‘Tusker’.
The screens at the background of the stage provide a nice beautiful setting. it simply looks marvellous.
Tusker Project Fame Critique 09-0018
If you turn on you television set (to a local station) today from 6:00pm to 10:00pm, you will most likely land on a local production. This is largely because Kenyans want to have programs that they can relate with, enjoy and those that they deem culturally relevant. One of these local productions is Tusker Project Fame. In this paper we shall give a critique of 10 episodes of this program. However, we shall first begin with a brief history of the show and an introduction to its format.
1.1 History of the show
Tusker Project Fame was launched in 2006 with contestants from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. It was hosted in Nairobi, and has been hosted here since. Since its’ premier in 2006, there have been three subsequent cycles of the show. The first cycle was won by Valerie Kimani (Kenya), the second by Esther Mugiza (Uganda) and the third by Alpha Rwiranga (Rwanda). Currently, the contestants from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Sudan are battling it out for the fourth title.
This show is a creative way of advertising and publicizing East African Breweries’ Tusker brand in the eastern Africa region. It is an archetype of a phenomenon called brand entertainment. A viewer, who is watches for entertainment value, is constantly bombarded by Tusker’s name, slogan, and trademark. Furthermore, the beverages being served to the judges and staff are from the same company (East African Breweries Limited). All advertisement spaces are also taken up by the company.
1.2 Format of the show
Tusker project fame is a local reality television show. It is a hybrid of the infamous Big brother and the Idol series. This is because contestants are under surveillance in the house as in Big Brother and they are in a musical competition as in the Idol series. The show airs in all five countries seven days a week. There are highlights of what happens in the Tusker Project fame house on Monday to Friday at 8:30pm - 9:00pm and live performance shows on Saturday and Sunday starting from 8:00pm and 7:30pm respectively.
The competition runs for eight weeks and four contestants are placed on probation every week. The next week one (who is not saved by the public, fellow contestants or teachers) is evicted. The trend continues until there is one final winner and that winner gets prize money and a record deal.
2. General critique
Below is a critique of the 10 episodes watched. Since most of the episodes were similar in their setting and production, they have the similar critiques. To avoid redundancy, I have clustered different shows into three categories namely:
i. Auditions
ii. House highlights
iii. Live shows
2.1 Auditions
Tusker project fame conducted rigorous auditions in the five countries participating this year. They recorded these auditions and then made highlights of the more entertaining pieces. These were played before the contestants selected to enter the academy were chosen this was done to prepare the audience for the show and to raise awareness of the fourth season of this program
All the audition shows began with the signature tune and a montage displaying the shows’ glitzy logo. These were then followed by a series of shots of landmarks and famous sites of each of the countries and possibly their towns. These cover shots were accompanied by music and Sheila Mwanyigah’s voice over. Then there was a crowd welcoming the viewers to that town. After this, there were highlights of the auditions.
First, the camera shots, angles and movements were very creative. For example, they took an extreme close up of a woman gutting fish as part of Kisumu’s intro. They also had a tracking shot of a boda boda, streets and an elevation shot and Moi’s memorial rungu in Nakuru. In Uganda, they had very good framing of fishermen which applied the rule of thirds and tilt up shot of Uganda’s Independence monument.
The best of the shots was the introductions of the Judges. They followed a judge (from the back) using a full shot and then did a close up on their feet as they walked away. In the next shot (LS), they are seen to be walking toward the camera. Then they have a close up, the screen is frozen and they have their names appear on screen.
The auditions were shot mostly indoors, with exception of Uganda. This posed a major problem in lighting. It cast shadows on the faces of the contestants when the sun was overhead and caused the banners to glare later in the day. Another lighting problem caused by the location of the set was glare from and window behind the contestants. The other countries had generally good lighting apart from the occasional glare.
The set was made of Tusker Project Fame banners both behind the judges and contestants. This worked well because of portability and branding but the colors were often too bright especially when contestants wore white. This was especially a problem in Sudan because the complexion of most of the contestants was very dark and looked even darker with bright yellow and gold behind them. In some cases, the camera operator did not frame the shot well and one could see the set behind the banners. An example is Uganda where one could see the wall and door behind the set.
Another component of production well handled was the sound. Judges used hand held cordless microphones. These were suitable as they did not have the clumsiness associated with microphone cables when they are passed around. Contestants did not have visible mics; however, boom mics were probably used because there was fine sound quality. However, in Rwanda, some of the judges did not wait for the mic to be passed to them and they repeatedly spoke off mic. In Tanzania, some of the contestants continued to sing even after being signaled to stop. This lead to the judges speaking over the signing and the sound was irritating.
Overall the audition shows were very well done. The shows were enjoyable and highly comical as they tended to feature those who could not sing and those who had ridiculous presentations. The major problems were lighting and monotony of shots during the actual auditions. Another problem was in the positioning of Citizen’s logo. Many at times it landed on the head of the contestant. The names of places and judges had too short a duration and one could not read them. Generally the auditions we well produced and funny.
2.2 House Highlights
As explained earlier, the contestants were under surveillance in the house. Those recordings produced 30 minute highlights of each day. These highlights included their training sessions, their mealtimes, leisure times and their practice sessions.
The recording was done indoors (within the academy house) with exception of one time when they went tree planting. The house has an array of colors with different intensities each. This greatly affected the color of the final picture as there was little hue balancing. The lighting too was unsatisfactory. The colors of the lights within the house were mostly sharp and cold. This greatly added to the poor color quality of the picture as it made more evident the color differences. The worst case of poor lighting was date night. The contestants were to sit in pairs and have a quiet romantic dinner. To create the mood, the lights were dimmed. Though this might have looked nice for the contestants, it ruined the picture quality as the cameras had insufficient light. The contestants looked blacked out and you could not see their expressions.
In the house, contestants wore lapel mics the whole period. This made them audible but the sound was not always sharp. At times there were echoes and other times the sound was muffled. At times during the dinner, the music drowned out the contestants’ speech and you could not make out what they were saying. This lowered the quality of the production especially since people were excited to hear the conversations.
The camera shots in the house were poor. This is because people were waking in front of cameras and there was slow coordination between audio and camera. It was especially seen in the Monday (on the 27th October) session when the vocal trainer was reviewing the Sunday night performances. She would ask a question and the camera would get to her mid-sentence. Also, the camera would not focus on the person speaking but would be on the others in the room. This was confusing as one would wonder who was speaking. At times, the furniture blocked the subjects of the shots and this looked clumsy.
However, not all shots were poor. There was good use of the rule of thirds especially when R-Kay sat at the piano during training sessions. Another very good case of picture composition was when Paleki whispered to Prudence about her crush on teacher R- Kay. The camera zoomed in close enough to get their expressions and then gradually zoomed out as they went to sit in different places.
All in all, the house highlights were unsatisfactory due to poor lighting, hue balance, repeatedly poor camera shots and movements
2.3 Live Shows
The live shows were the most dynamic in terms of production. There was a myriad of camera movements and shots, lighting techniques and special effects. We shall begin by first looking at the set. The stage was decorated by strings of CDs hanging from the stage roof. There was also a large LCD screen on the left side of the stage. There are lights fixed o rails in the ceiling and some on the bottom of the stage. There were also audio monitors on the stage.
There were numerous cameras on the set. This was evidenced by the numerous angles of shots seen. There was also one camera on a rail that would rotate the lower end of the stage. Additionally there was a camera mounted on a crane evidenced by the aerial shots of the contestants. The shots had a great variety and they were effective in creating the feel of being in a concert. They zoomed in during expressive moments of a presentation. They took shots of the judges as they assessed the performances and as they commented on them.
There were however a few problems with backstage lighting. This was seen when the two hosts would have shadows on their faces and at times they would cast shadows on the contestant being interviewed. A good example of this is when Mitch was interviewing Gaelle. The shots taken with the LCD screen as a background were not hue balanced. Additionally, the dynamic background was distracting to the eye. A good example of this is when Sheila Mwanyigah was asking the judges about Gaelle’s performance on 21st November.
The sound was very good during these performances. Both the judges and the contestants used cordless microphones. In some few performances, there were microphone stands and these were for the back up singers. The mics were probably omni-directional to minimize on the noise from the cheering fans. Sheila and Mitch wore studio talkback ear-pieces and this helped them coordinate the shows flawlessly.
Overall the live performances were the most spectacular of all the shows. This was due to the variety and number of cameras, the lights and the sound. They created the feeling of being in a concert and the shots were very effective. With exception of a few shadows and some few shots with little head room, these were the best shots. This kind of show has raised the caliber of local productions.
3. Proposed Improvements
Some proposed improvements are:
i. Better lighting in the academy and choice of colors of the house to be done with the shooting in mind.
ii. There should be better choice of sites for auditions to avoid lighting issues like those seen in Uganda.
iii. There should be keen interest paid to lighting to avoid casting shadows.
iv. When having music in the background, the music should be at appropriate levels so as not to drown out conversations.
v. The selection of set should not bee to bright to avoid glare and blacking out contestants.
by :09-0018
Saturday, November 27, 2010
PROGRAMME CRITIQUE BY LOI A. ODHIAMBO 09-0882
PAPA SHIRANDULA
Papa Shirandula is a Kenyan television comedy serial aired on Citizen TV every Thursday. It follows the comical events in the life of Papa Shirandula and his family, as he tries to maintain the façade that he works as a manager, while he is in truth a watchman. The show embraces Kenyan communities and the diversity between them through multicultural characters and their interaction. The characters include Papa Shirandula and his wife Willbroda, their daughter Naliaka and his in-laws Jalang’o and Otoyo. His workmates also play major roles in the TV show; his boss Juma Anderson and co-worker Njoroge are pieces in the puzzle of Papa’s life.
A few episodes that I watched for the purposes of this study (and otherwise) were particularly entertaining:
Episode 1:
Papa goes to his rural home in search of a housemaid. When he finally takes her to his home in Nairobi, Wilbroda and Naliaka ridicule her backward ways. The women also have to deal with spoilt meat bought by Naliaka
Episode 2:
Naliaka is a candidate for KCSE exams. Papa has to buy her clipboard and stationery for the exams, but he is (as ususal) short on cash. He tells his daughter to go to school without the required marerials, promising to provide them as soon as possible. Ths episode ends before the conflict is resolved- we are left unaware of whether Papa succeeds in buying the stationery.
Episode 3:
While Papa and Willbroda are separated, Papa has a Caucasian penpal, Stephanie. She travels to Kenya and gets to meet him. Papa uses Juma Anderson’s office to fool her by posing as the manager, with Njoroge’s help. Papa’s attempts to speak English are comical. When she suggests that they go for dinner, he is faces with a dilemma since he is, as usual, broke. She ends up paying for his meal and then proposing marriage to her. Amusingly, she accepts his proposal and goes with him to his home. Jalang’o interrupts the couple and proceeds to embarrass Papa with his folly.
Episode 4:
Papa has borrowed money from several of his workmates to keep up with the demands of his family. His debtors grow impatient and approach him, demanding their money. Papa is unable to pay, and argues with them. When they leave, a man promoting Ariel detergent approaches him, offering free detergent. This is a relief for Papa, and he takes several sachets of the product.
Episode 5:
Jalang’o and Otoyo are commissioned by Willbroda to sell at her kiosk, Will-P Shop. They are terrible salesmen, and drive customers away. Jalang’o makes a young girl pregnant in the shop. Her parents, on discovering that he is the father of the girls unborn child, demand that he marries her. Jalang’o denies association with her, and her parents call the police. Jalang’o is the arrested for impregnating a minor.
Episode 6:
With Jalang’o in jail, Otoyo is without a companion. However, the police arrest him on charges that he stole coats and clothes from his rural home before fleeing to Nairobi. He is sent to jail, but we are aware that it is a separate place from Jalang’o’s confinement.
CRITIQUE:
The episodes of Papa Shirandula that I have watched are of high quality in terms of production values like lighting and sound.
Lighting is used for basic illumination- the production of the show relies largely on natural lighting, and I did not notice the use of lighting for creative (or very limited) shadowing. There is no use of light colors (gels) creating a unified feel for all interior scenes across episodes. This type of lighting is relevant to the simplicity of the TV show, but would leave the creative visual viewer without stimulation.
The sound in Papa Shirandula is dominated by a soundtrack- a melancholy melody played on a flute (or instrument of some sort). This tune is played at the turning points of the stories in each episode. The audio from the scenes are also well recorded- up to standard for TV production. However, the monotony of the tune episode after episode is uncreative. It is wearisome to hear the same tune played each time something happens, with no variation for different moods.
The camera angles and movements in the show are up to standard- there is good use of the basic camera movements and shots, well framed and steady. However, the camera operation, like the lighting, is simplistic and basic. There is minimal use of creative angles and movements, and the camera is used simply to capture the relevant action; again, this leaves the visually alert viewer disappointed.
Product placement is a prominent component of most episodes of Papa Shirandula. Several goods are advertised on the show, including Ariel and Royco, and services like the KCB savings account. While this is an important source of funding for most TV shows, the product placement in Papa Shirandula is distastefully done; with the storyline diverting to accommodate obvious promotion for the products, or including irrelevant scenes to do the same.
In general, Papa Shirandula is an entertaining TV show that minimizes elitism through familiarity to most urban and rural Kenyans. However, the show can be better produced to appeal to a more international audience, not by altering the content, but by increasing the creative use of lighting, sound and camera operations.
By Loi Odhiambo 09-0882
loiawat@yahoo.com, loiodhiambo@yahoo.com
Papa Shirandula is a Kenyan television comedy serial aired on Citizen TV every Thursday. It follows the comical events in the life of Papa Shirandula and his family, as he tries to maintain the façade that he works as a manager, while he is in truth a watchman. The show embraces Kenyan communities and the diversity between them through multicultural characters and their interaction. The characters include Papa Shirandula and his wife Willbroda, their daughter Naliaka and his in-laws Jalang’o and Otoyo. His workmates also play major roles in the TV show; his boss Juma Anderson and co-worker Njoroge are pieces in the puzzle of Papa’s life.
A few episodes that I watched for the purposes of this study (and otherwise) were particularly entertaining:
Episode 1:
Papa goes to his rural home in search of a housemaid. When he finally takes her to his home in Nairobi, Wilbroda and Naliaka ridicule her backward ways. The women also have to deal with spoilt meat bought by Naliaka
Episode 2:
Naliaka is a candidate for KCSE exams. Papa has to buy her clipboard and stationery for the exams, but he is (as ususal) short on cash. He tells his daughter to go to school without the required marerials, promising to provide them as soon as possible. Ths episode ends before the conflict is resolved- we are left unaware of whether Papa succeeds in buying the stationery.
Episode 3:
While Papa and Willbroda are separated, Papa has a Caucasian penpal, Stephanie. She travels to Kenya and gets to meet him. Papa uses Juma Anderson’s office to fool her by posing as the manager, with Njoroge’s help. Papa’s attempts to speak English are comical. When she suggests that they go for dinner, he is faces with a dilemma since he is, as usual, broke. She ends up paying for his meal and then proposing marriage to her. Amusingly, she accepts his proposal and goes with him to his home. Jalang’o interrupts the couple and proceeds to embarrass Papa with his folly.
Episode 4:
Papa has borrowed money from several of his workmates to keep up with the demands of his family. His debtors grow impatient and approach him, demanding their money. Papa is unable to pay, and argues with them. When they leave, a man promoting Ariel detergent approaches him, offering free detergent. This is a relief for Papa, and he takes several sachets of the product.
Episode 5:
Jalang’o and Otoyo are commissioned by Willbroda to sell at her kiosk, Will-P Shop. They are terrible salesmen, and drive customers away. Jalang’o makes a young girl pregnant in the shop. Her parents, on discovering that he is the father of the girls unborn child, demand that he marries her. Jalang’o denies association with her, and her parents call the police. Jalang’o is the arrested for impregnating a minor.
Episode 6:
With Jalang’o in jail, Otoyo is without a companion. However, the police arrest him on charges that he stole coats and clothes from his rural home before fleeing to Nairobi. He is sent to jail, but we are aware that it is a separate place from Jalang’o’s confinement.
CRITIQUE:
The episodes of Papa Shirandula that I have watched are of high quality in terms of production values like lighting and sound.
Lighting is used for basic illumination- the production of the show relies largely on natural lighting, and I did not notice the use of lighting for creative (or very limited) shadowing. There is no use of light colors (gels) creating a unified feel for all interior scenes across episodes. This type of lighting is relevant to the simplicity of the TV show, but would leave the creative visual viewer without stimulation.
The sound in Papa Shirandula is dominated by a soundtrack- a melancholy melody played on a flute (or instrument of some sort). This tune is played at the turning points of the stories in each episode. The audio from the scenes are also well recorded- up to standard for TV production. However, the monotony of the tune episode after episode is uncreative. It is wearisome to hear the same tune played each time something happens, with no variation for different moods.
The camera angles and movements in the show are up to standard- there is good use of the basic camera movements and shots, well framed and steady. However, the camera operation, like the lighting, is simplistic and basic. There is minimal use of creative angles and movements, and the camera is used simply to capture the relevant action; again, this leaves the visually alert viewer disappointed.
Product placement is a prominent component of most episodes of Papa Shirandula. Several goods are advertised on the show, including Ariel and Royco, and services like the KCB savings account. While this is an important source of funding for most TV shows, the product placement in Papa Shirandula is distastefully done; with the storyline diverting to accommodate obvious promotion for the products, or including irrelevant scenes to do the same.
In general, Papa Shirandula is an entertaining TV show that minimizes elitism through familiarity to most urban and rural Kenyans. However, the show can be better produced to appeal to a more international audience, not by altering the content, but by increasing the creative use of lighting, sound and camera operations.
By Loi Odhiambo 09-0882
loiawat@yahoo.com, loiodhiambo@yahoo.com
summary critique on Tusker project Fame 4 2010,Emmaculate,09-1207
PROGRAMME CRITIQUE ON TUSKER PROJECT FAME 4
I have been watching the Tusker Project Fame season 4 episodes from the 23rd of October until the 21st of November. During this whole period of observation and critical analysis of the programme, I have noted numerous techniques regarding their productions and how they have made the show worth watching and entertaining to their audience.
Every contestant always has their own moment of the spotlight in that the angles vary from the very extreme close- ups to long shots. They would show a long angle shot view of each contestant and a medium shot for a closer look-up. Now, the programme always starts with a signature tune then the contestants are shown one by one as an introduction to those in the academy. Then after, we have the two hosts of the show Sheila Mwanyiga and Dr. Mitch. They both welcome us and introduce us to the judges, the faculty and the teachers. Medium shots and sometimes long angle shots are taken for each of the persons introduced but for the two hosts they first show them fully with a long angle shot and a medium shot later on. At times an extreme close-up is taken to floss over the nice hairdo of Sheila Mwanyiga or the contestant ladies.
The programme usually has routines where on every episode aired each Saturday, those contestants that had been put on probation during the episode of the previous weeks performance perform again after which three or two of them are saved and the rest are terminated from the competition. Usually four contestants are put on probation.
As they each perform various angle shots are taken like for example, as a contestant performs, they take a long shot of her/him, show probably the dress code of the person. Extreme close-up shots are also taken to show the expressions on their faces as they perform various songs, there’s a lot of paneling as there is plenty of movement because the contestants are not stable, they move around the stage and at times perform dances thus it becomes difficult for the camera to take a still stand shot. There is also the dolling in and out of the cameras as they try to focus on a certain member of the programme. Medium shots and close up shots are mainly taken when the judges are giving out their comments after a contestant has performed so we are able to see Judge Ian, Juliana and Hermis as they speak out, as well as the teachers or the Principal of the academy.
The other routine is that followed on all Sundays whereby those contestants still in the academy perform fresh songs with different genres each time. After they perform the judges get to give their comments on their progress and the overall performance of the presentation and thereafter four contestants who did not put up to the standards of the judges are put on probation and the cycle goes on again and again until now we have only seven contestants left.
The lighting of the programme is quite comprehensive and if my observation is right they have used the three lightings which are the key light, back light and the fill light. The stage is well lit and one is able to see each and every little thing happening. The audiences usually are given the backlight so that we can differentiate them from the contestants on stage. The lighting is dull on the audiences unlike the stage which is usually fully lit as it’s the centre of all operations. The light on stage is basically the key light which is a spot light. The fill; light has also been achieved through the various illuminations place around the stage on the flat surface while others are fixed on the roof or the ceilings of the stage so that they can overcome the shadows that may be displayed on the faces of the contestants as they perform and mostly when the cameras are focusing on them.
The sound is good so far and they have various types of microphone connections. Some of the physical types of microphones have seen them use are the handheld. These are mainly used by the hosts Sheila Mwanyiga and Dr. Mitch, the contestants and the judges, teachers and the faculty as well. The other which is the mounted microphone has been mainly used by guests who have performed with live bands. For example, recently on the 21st in the episode Eric Wainaina and his back up lady used the mounted microphone to perform. The lavellier has been used by the hosts for co ordination with each other and the directors of the show as well. This because they need to be directed on when to go on breaks and announcements to make thus for there to be effective communication and co-ordination they have to have the hidden mics on.
The show has microphones with various pick-up patterns for example; the microphones used by the contestants on stage are sometimes bidirectional and at times cardioids. The reason as to why I tend to think they use both is because a contestant may just perform and not involve the audience while at times they hold the microphone back at the audience for us to hear their response or their reactions. The reason why they don’t mostly use the omnidirectional is to avoid the gathering or unnecessary sounds and also to avoid distraction of the contestants as they perform. I have observed that the microphones they use are electrostatic (condenser). This because they produce quality sound and appear to be light with the way they are handled by the contestants as they are on stage.
In conclusion, the programme is professional if I compare the overall production according to the knowledge I have acquired in this course. The lighting is thrilling, the sound is of a high quality, the angle of shots are comprehensive, the microphones used are blending with the performance in the show thus it’s a good job to the whole production crew.
I have been watching the Tusker Project Fame season 4 episodes from the 23rd of October until the 21st of November. During this whole period of observation and critical analysis of the programme, I have noted numerous techniques regarding their productions and how they have made the show worth watching and entertaining to their audience.
Every contestant always has their own moment of the spotlight in that the angles vary from the very extreme close- ups to long shots. They would show a long angle shot view of each contestant and a medium shot for a closer look-up. Now, the programme always starts with a signature tune then the contestants are shown one by one as an introduction to those in the academy. Then after, we have the two hosts of the show Sheila Mwanyiga and Dr. Mitch. They both welcome us and introduce us to the judges, the faculty and the teachers. Medium shots and sometimes long angle shots are taken for each of the persons introduced but for the two hosts they first show them fully with a long angle shot and a medium shot later on. At times an extreme close-up is taken to floss over the nice hairdo of Sheila Mwanyiga or the contestant ladies.
The programme usually has routines where on every episode aired each Saturday, those contestants that had been put on probation during the episode of the previous weeks performance perform again after which three or two of them are saved and the rest are terminated from the competition. Usually four contestants are put on probation.
As they each perform various angle shots are taken like for example, as a contestant performs, they take a long shot of her/him, show probably the dress code of the person. Extreme close-up shots are also taken to show the expressions on their faces as they perform various songs, there’s a lot of paneling as there is plenty of movement because the contestants are not stable, they move around the stage and at times perform dances thus it becomes difficult for the camera to take a still stand shot. There is also the dolling in and out of the cameras as they try to focus on a certain member of the programme. Medium shots and close up shots are mainly taken when the judges are giving out their comments after a contestant has performed so we are able to see Judge Ian, Juliana and Hermis as they speak out, as well as the teachers or the Principal of the academy.
The other routine is that followed on all Sundays whereby those contestants still in the academy perform fresh songs with different genres each time. After they perform the judges get to give their comments on their progress and the overall performance of the presentation and thereafter four contestants who did not put up to the standards of the judges are put on probation and the cycle goes on again and again until now we have only seven contestants left.
The lighting of the programme is quite comprehensive and if my observation is right they have used the three lightings which are the key light, back light and the fill light. The stage is well lit and one is able to see each and every little thing happening. The audiences usually are given the backlight so that we can differentiate them from the contestants on stage. The lighting is dull on the audiences unlike the stage which is usually fully lit as it’s the centre of all operations. The light on stage is basically the key light which is a spot light. The fill; light has also been achieved through the various illuminations place around the stage on the flat surface while others are fixed on the roof or the ceilings of the stage so that they can overcome the shadows that may be displayed on the faces of the contestants as they perform and mostly when the cameras are focusing on them.
The sound is good so far and they have various types of microphone connections. Some of the physical types of microphones have seen them use are the handheld. These are mainly used by the hosts Sheila Mwanyiga and Dr. Mitch, the contestants and the judges, teachers and the faculty as well. The other which is the mounted microphone has been mainly used by guests who have performed with live bands. For example, recently on the 21st in the episode Eric Wainaina and his back up lady used the mounted microphone to perform. The lavellier has been used by the hosts for co ordination with each other and the directors of the show as well. This because they need to be directed on when to go on breaks and announcements to make thus for there to be effective communication and co-ordination they have to have the hidden mics on.
The show has microphones with various pick-up patterns for example; the microphones used by the contestants on stage are sometimes bidirectional and at times cardioids. The reason as to why I tend to think they use both is because a contestant may just perform and not involve the audience while at times they hold the microphone back at the audience for us to hear their response or their reactions. The reason why they don’t mostly use the omnidirectional is to avoid the gathering or unnecessary sounds and also to avoid distraction of the contestants as they perform. I have observed that the microphones they use are electrostatic (condenser). This because they produce quality sound and appear to be light with the way they are handled by the contestants as they are on stage.
In conclusion, the programme is professional if I compare the overall production according to the knowledge I have acquired in this course. The lighting is thrilling, the sound is of a high quality, the angle of shots are comprehensive, the microphones used are blending with the performance in the show thus it’s a good job to the whole production crew.
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