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.
Nice one Ann. I think the simplicity of the storyline, locations and the use of both children and adults as he actors in Machachari is what made it tick during the CHAT Awards, Changing times on the other hand has teens and young adults for actors. many people from both urban and rural areas would rather watch Machachari than changing times because of how he storyline in the programme is related to them. i`m saying many people from both rural and urban because, one its location is in the slums and trust me many people live in the slums than those in posh estates in urban areas, that makes it popular already. The same applies in the rural areas because the kind of lifestyle those boys and girls live in Changing times, puts off people from rural because of the swag. Naomy Kamau the producer of Machachari went for simplicity compared to Bresson the producer of Changing times who chose "one tree hill" the western way.
ReplyDeleteMary