Sunday, 15 May 2011

money factor in production

About two years back there were hardly any kenyan produced dramas on our local television today they are so many.The blame then was on lack of money. Producers seem to have got more money now or learned to work with the little they have. To me though money is far from being the problem.There are so many programmes that are done on low budget yet they are better than those much money is spent on. Compare Machachari and Changing times for example. In the chart awards Chaguo la teeniz the two were nominated in three similar catrgories. Amazingly Machachari scooped all the awards leaving the changing times team high and dry.
Machachari is basically done on low budget,considering the simple locations it is shot.The basic location is the slums and they mainly use swahili and sheng which pefectly suits them. Their costumes comprise simple pairs of shorts and not so elegant clothes for the case of the rich like Almasi. The kids also act out their parts so naturally you woulnd't believe they are working on written scripts.Sometimes however their is exegeration on themes and characters which they use to create sense of humour.
Changing Times on the other hand is evidetnly done on heavy budget. What with the elegance in costumes and locations, flashy cars and makeup. Yet it fails to strike.The actors fake accents to something close to american and end up sounding so pathetic. The likes of Elizabeth and Sherry wake up early in the morning wearing full make up. Not even Angelina Jolie does this incase you want to say it is classy. Then this american swag is everywhere even Sheriffa and her family who are supposed to be Swahili's have it from dreaa code to accent.So thay have so much money which they throw to beautiful but unprofessional actors and poor scriptwriters who tarnish the image of a rather beautiful storyline. The graphics,camera work and editing techniques are however so good and improve the image of the prog. All is not los though, changing times could be the best local programme if they concentrated on professionalism firs then consider elegance as a plus.
This makes money as far as possible from being kenyan production's problem.

Ann.

Thursday, 5 May 2011

YES, THIS IS KENYAN COMEDY.
I believe you share the same thought with me that, comedy is a very important ingredient towards a better and health. As you know, life has both dark and light moments. Comedy takes the light moments when everyone is happy and enjoying him/herself. Comedy in kenya can be traced back to the dawn of kenyans. Kenya been a multi-cultural state has had every community coming up with a way of entertaining their members during celebrations-light moments. The contemporary kenyan comedy has taken another direction(the western style). Yes, The Churchil Live is here with us, we all enjoy it. This program which is aired by NTV television station, involves the host(Daniel Ndambuki aka King'ang'i) and several other comedians who make fun of our daily undertakings.There jokes and the mode of presentation keeps us glued infront of our television sets every week during the show. The Bull's Eye is another comic program which come every friday in between NTV news. It tries to bring out the funny side of mainly politicians' daily undertakings. The issues that are mainly pointed out are moral in nature but they are brought in a satirical mode aimed at making the parties involved change their ways and at the same time entertaining the viewers.Other stations, for example, Citizen tv has also adopted this. This is a clear indication that our kenyan comedy is growing .It may not be like the American comedy but we are really going somewhere in terms of comic entertainment. Long live kenyan comedy. Kyalo.