TITAN-VIC, a film envisioned by mentor Don McKellor and brought to life by the 9 screenwriters during the 2008 Maisha Film Makers' Lab...Savour the quotes below during the refreshing cruise on Lake Victoria:
PATRICIA: “So this is the ship they say is unsinkable?”
DAVID: “We are going to America.”
PITHON: “I’m the King of the World…”
VINCHO: “Pithon, this is where we first met.”
JUDITH: “Iceberg, right ahead!”
EDWARD: “GOD Almighty, half the people on this ship are gonna die.”
ANGELA: “And GOD shall wipe away all the tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death.”
The film will go on and on ... MARK and RACHEAL were the production assistants.
Monday
The Voyage to Kasese
My pioneer voyage to Kasese ignited around 16:44 PM and ended midnight. I had travelled to Mukono during the morning of Monday 20th October 2008 to scan my Arua Boys Comic and send it to two individuals besides picking up the two copies of ‘The Standard’ newspaper I had missed but didn’t know what the day was going to bring. I managed to post the 5 pages to Talleah but while sending to Kristof, Martha Chemutai (my UCU Old Girl) phoned me around 10:30 AM to replace some dude called Jackson Gray Makkeni (who had a test paper on Tuesday at MUK) in covering a certain function. He had also replaced Martha in documenting a ‘Trading for Peace’ Forum for ‘International Alert’ in Kasese, Western Uganda between Monday 20th and Friday 24th October 2008.
I had talked quite freely that morning in the Standard Newsroom with Prever Mukasa (Lifestyle Editor) and Enoch Kassenyi (Sports Editor). John Semakula (Campus Life Editor) hadn’t come but my Managing Editor Brian Semujju was around to make me feel more comfortable. I honestly felt the spirit of that morning, it was calm and I wasn’t worried. Production Manager Wanyama Wangah had gone to teach and when he returned, Samuel Apedel came around looking for him. On seeing me, he asked Wanyama if I did not have the potential to become a good illustrator, “Wanyama is always a hard man to please; that’s why you should find out what he thinks.” Wanyama responded by saying that he had recommended me to David Mukholi, Sunday Vision Editor but the girl who was told to call me played science. Apedel added, “Today or yesterday, we had a meeting about this cartooning issue and concluded that it is like the work of a goalkeeper. However good you may be, you can still be benched. When Ras was given the job, he used to draw his own things...”
I waited till 11 AM for my comic art files to load the second time but they didn’t. So I just set off for Jumbo Plaza which I reached at exactly noon. Martha briefed me about the work and terms and by half past noon, I was setting off for home in Kyebando. The taxi delayed in the park but 1:04 PM found me opening the door. I packed clothes in Tina’s ‘Timberland’ bag and my own ‘Adventure’ Business bag before rushing to the Kyebando Taxi stage but there was only one woman waiting with me. It was now 2 PM, the time I had planned to set off to Kasese since Martha told me that it would take 5 hours to get there. I jumped on a boda and rode till Bukoto Market on the newly tarmacked link road (thanks to Government or Sudhir). Then I boarded a taxi to Kampala Road. While asking if it was going to the Old or New Park, the beautiful chick sitted on my right side suggested that I could hop on a different one from St. Andrews Stage. Unfortunately, I had no time to do that. Instead we jazzed until she dismounted around KPC. She told me she was doing Procurement at MUBS Nakawa after being sold by MUK. I also filled her in on the fact that I was usually at MTAC Campus Nakawa which they wanted to take over. She was visibly amused and I liked it ‘coz it’s a good feeling to see a beautiful woman chuckle under the weight of your cracks, talk of hilarious pick up lines though these weren’t pick up lines. I was too late for my voyage to a destination I had never visited before and had no time for womanizing. She was heading to her workplace at UTODA Martin Road (Deadline was 2.30 PM but she felt she couldn’t make it). I dismounted from Half London and walked till Kalita Buses. The 3 O’clock coach was leaving and the booking officer shifted to selling only Fort Portal tickets. I heard some guy also asking for a Kasese ticket and when all hope seemed lost, I asked him what we could do. He said we could catch one of the Link Buses.
So we walked to the Link Park yet that was the exact place where I had just ignored guys asking me if I was looking for a bus. We met a lady who took us to the Kasese-bound bus. She told the ticket master that the man beside me was a doctor she knew. On Saturday, I actually returned to Kampala with the same ticket master. The doctor gave me his ticket and I paid the 15,000 UgX. A fat woman sat next to me buying things like she was in a supermarket. She kept speaking to me in her language yet she could articulate English. Maybe she thought I also drink too much Ankole milk. So I pretended that I do since I got the gist of most of her utterances but didn’t utter many words in reply. There was traffic jam on Namirembe Road as we left the park and when Makkeni called, I told him that we hadn’t left the City of Impalas. We went up to Kampala Road traffic lights and he called again to assure me that he was going to leave some things (Documents) for me at the reception and had booked for me a room. We headed to Masaka Road and stopped to refuel at a petrol station where I noticed one of the managers I used to see at Shell Muyenga while painting Arshad’s Posh Pets Murals. Setting off from Gapco in the 5 O’Clock hour, we crossed the equator at exactly 6:20 PM. Guys behind me who had been talking about the richest musician in Uganda and other things turned to making fun of a place in Masaka where the main crime is sodomy and rape. We stopped somewhere to pee before driving full speed.
There were no problems on the way except maybe in Lyantonde when a trailer ahead of us failed to move forward in the muddy slope. We were blocked for several minutes but finally found a way. That’s the time I started communicating with Robinah Kajwenge (a Documentation Officer for ‘International Alert’ I was told to talk to). Passengers kept disembarking and by the time we reached Kasese, we were a handful. Martha had called me when we stopped in Mbarara, a wonderful place with picturesque architecture even if I viewed them in the dark. Rain started falling again when we reached Bushenyi and I told her I was close to my destination Kasese. I saw two hippos walking on the left side of the road, probably at a national park in Bushenyi. Julius called to confirm if I had finally arrived and I disappointed him again by saying ‘No’ but I finally smelt copper in the air and was glad to read KCCL on a gate. That stands for Kasese Cobalt Company Limited which meant that we had finally arrived. Thank GOD Kasese is well lighted and a bodaman helped me find Kasese Executive Inn Limited (Restaurant, Accommodation and Conference Hall) where a woman named Beatrice in her night gown gave me the key to Room 7, self contained with a TV in the corner. Unfortunately, I could mainly watch Sky News and occasionally G Prime, G Africa or G Sports. DStv could not be activated and the free channels like EATV and UBC had no signal. Kasese is actually hotter than I had imagined. Some nights I would throw away the heavy bed cover.
I had talked quite freely that morning in the Standard Newsroom with Prever Mukasa (Lifestyle Editor) and Enoch Kassenyi (Sports Editor). John Semakula (Campus Life Editor) hadn’t come but my Managing Editor Brian Semujju was around to make me feel more comfortable. I honestly felt the spirit of that morning, it was calm and I wasn’t worried. Production Manager Wanyama Wangah had gone to teach and when he returned, Samuel Apedel came around looking for him. On seeing me, he asked Wanyama if I did not have the potential to become a good illustrator, “Wanyama is always a hard man to please; that’s why you should find out what he thinks.” Wanyama responded by saying that he had recommended me to David Mukholi, Sunday Vision Editor but the girl who was told to call me played science. Apedel added, “Today or yesterday, we had a meeting about this cartooning issue and concluded that it is like the work of a goalkeeper. However good you may be, you can still be benched. When Ras was given the job, he used to draw his own things...”
I waited till 11 AM for my comic art files to load the second time but they didn’t. So I just set off for Jumbo Plaza which I reached at exactly noon. Martha briefed me about the work and terms and by half past noon, I was setting off for home in Kyebando. The taxi delayed in the park but 1:04 PM found me opening the door. I packed clothes in Tina’s ‘Timberland’ bag and my own ‘Adventure’ Business bag before rushing to the Kyebando Taxi stage but there was only one woman waiting with me. It was now 2 PM, the time I had planned to set off to Kasese since Martha told me that it would take 5 hours to get there. I jumped on a boda and rode till Bukoto Market on the newly tarmacked link road (thanks to Government or Sudhir). Then I boarded a taxi to Kampala Road. While asking if it was going to the Old or New Park, the beautiful chick sitted on my right side suggested that I could hop on a different one from St. Andrews Stage. Unfortunately, I had no time to do that. Instead we jazzed until she dismounted around KPC. She told me she was doing Procurement at MUBS Nakawa after being sold by MUK. I also filled her in on the fact that I was usually at MTAC Campus Nakawa which they wanted to take over. She was visibly amused and I liked it ‘coz it’s a good feeling to see a beautiful woman chuckle under the weight of your cracks, talk of hilarious pick up lines though these weren’t pick up lines. I was too late for my voyage to a destination I had never visited before and had no time for womanizing. She was heading to her workplace at UTODA Martin Road (Deadline was 2.30 PM but she felt she couldn’t make it). I dismounted from Half London and walked till Kalita Buses. The 3 O’clock coach was leaving and the booking officer shifted to selling only Fort Portal tickets. I heard some guy also asking for a Kasese ticket and when all hope seemed lost, I asked him what we could do. He said we could catch one of the Link Buses.
So we walked to the Link Park yet that was the exact place where I had just ignored guys asking me if I was looking for a bus. We met a lady who took us to the Kasese-bound bus. She told the ticket master that the man beside me was a doctor she knew. On Saturday, I actually returned to Kampala with the same ticket master. The doctor gave me his ticket and I paid the 15,000 UgX. A fat woman sat next to me buying things like she was in a supermarket. She kept speaking to me in her language yet she could articulate English. Maybe she thought I also drink too much Ankole milk. So I pretended that I do since I got the gist of most of her utterances but didn’t utter many words in reply. There was traffic jam on Namirembe Road as we left the park and when Makkeni called, I told him that we hadn’t left the City of Impalas. We went up to Kampala Road traffic lights and he called again to assure me that he was going to leave some things (Documents) for me at the reception and had booked for me a room. We headed to Masaka Road and stopped to refuel at a petrol station where I noticed one of the managers I used to see at Shell Muyenga while painting Arshad’s Posh Pets Murals. Setting off from Gapco in the 5 O’Clock hour, we crossed the equator at exactly 6:20 PM. Guys behind me who had been talking about the richest musician in Uganda and other things turned to making fun of a place in Masaka where the main crime is sodomy and rape. We stopped somewhere to pee before driving full speed.
There were no problems on the way except maybe in Lyantonde when a trailer ahead of us failed to move forward in the muddy slope. We were blocked for several minutes but finally found a way. That’s the time I started communicating with Robinah Kajwenge (a Documentation Officer for ‘International Alert’ I was told to talk to). Passengers kept disembarking and by the time we reached Kasese, we were a handful. Martha had called me when we stopped in Mbarara, a wonderful place with picturesque architecture even if I viewed them in the dark. Rain started falling again when we reached Bushenyi and I told her I was close to my destination Kasese. I saw two hippos walking on the left side of the road, probably at a national park in Bushenyi. Julius called to confirm if I had finally arrived and I disappointed him again by saying ‘No’ but I finally smelt copper in the air and was glad to read KCCL on a gate. That stands for Kasese Cobalt Company Limited which meant that we had finally arrived. Thank GOD Kasese is well lighted and a bodaman helped me find Kasese Executive Inn Limited (Restaurant, Accommodation and Conference Hall) where a woman named Beatrice in her night gown gave me the key to Room 7, self contained with a TV in the corner. Unfortunately, I could mainly watch Sky News and occasionally G Prime, G Africa or G Sports. DStv could not be activated and the free channels like EATV and UBC had no signal. Kasese is actually hotter than I had imagined. Some nights I would throw away the heavy bed cover.
LORD have Mercy...
The Holy QURAN is just like the Old Testament and Forbidden Scriptures of the Bible rolled into one poetic Book. I strongly believe if people read it with an unbiased mind, they will discover amazing answers to some questions bothering them, I did too...
Tobacco can be useful and unuseful...
On Thursday 2nd October 2008, I got amused by a story from India that “People caught smoking tobacco will be fined 200 Indian Rupees.” Banning smoking, tobacco selling and cigarette manufacture can reduce health risks but that means lesser profits for farmers and lesser taxes for world governments. I have seen people earn millions just by selling those demonized leaves. West Nile alone produces over 50 percent of Uganda’s tobacco. Banning the cash crop in Uganda may not be the solution. Switching the use of tobacco could just be the answer since the plant has enormous potential for medicine, cosmetics and energy. Some researchers believe tobacco can replace petroleum in cosmetics and has quality human food proteins for pharmaceutical therapy like the superior kind you find in milk and soybeans. The only problem is that tobacco is inedible but as the world finds healthier uses of the plant, smoking as a habit may one day become history.
In India, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica and Australia, it is illegal to sell tobacco. Hong Kong banned smoking on 1st January 2007 in the workplace and public spaces. New rules for smoking in India were passed on 2nd October 2008. The website www.india.com estimated that 40 % of India’s health problems stemmed from tobacco use. In 2007, Chandigarh became the first city in India to become ‘smoke-free’. The only country to have banned the sale and smoking of tobacco is Bhutan. The hospitality industry and restaurants that ban cigarette smoking haven’t suffered according to a report published in the online issue of Contemporary Economic Policy. The report, “Smoke-Free Laws and Employee Turnover,” is an indication of the link between advertising and increased tobacco use among India’s youth. India is the third largest tobacco producer (550 million kg annually) as well as the consumer in the world and earns several Rupees annually. Kanchipuram District already has a total ban on tobacco use. The use of tobacco among young girls in India has risen against 3.1 percent of adult women, a WHO report warns. Seventy four countries still allow smoking in health care institutions.
One more thing, smoking tobacco grown in hell drives away the Holy Spirit...
In India, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica and Australia, it is illegal to sell tobacco. Hong Kong banned smoking on 1st January 2007 in the workplace and public spaces. New rules for smoking in India were passed on 2nd October 2008. The website www.india.com estimated that 40 % of India’s health problems stemmed from tobacco use. In 2007, Chandigarh became the first city in India to become ‘smoke-free’. The only country to have banned the sale and smoking of tobacco is Bhutan. The hospitality industry and restaurants that ban cigarette smoking haven’t suffered according to a report published in the online issue of Contemporary Economic Policy. The report, “Smoke-Free Laws and Employee Turnover,” is an indication of the link between advertising and increased tobacco use among India’s youth. India is the third largest tobacco producer (550 million kg annually) as well as the consumer in the world and earns several Rupees annually. Kanchipuram District already has a total ban on tobacco use. The use of tobacco among young girls in India has risen against 3.1 percent of adult women, a WHO report warns. Seventy four countries still allow smoking in health care institutions.
One more thing, smoking tobacco grown in hell drives away the Holy Spirit...
Crazy Things We Do for Love: Sudhir, Yes Sudhir…
Sudhir (then in his late teens) and his cousin named Atul were riding on a red bus in London, number 83 from Golder’s Green when they spotted a pretty babe. Atul revealed that he knew her: they worked together at the Macfisheries store in London. She was a cashier at the till. Sudhir kept his cool long enough to act out the part of an innocent-customer-who-happened-to find a pretty-cashier-at-counter. Looking the pretty woman in the eye, the lovestruck youth whipped out a twenty pound note and paid for a Milky Way chocolate bar. Looking Sudhir in the eye, Jyotsna Nagrecha called the manager in to make the decision. Sudhir was too happy to stand by her till making eye contact and throwing a few calculated words at her because he had bought himself extra time waiting for his 19 pound 90 pence change. On 5th February 1977, at 21 years of age Sudhir Ruparelia got hitched to the younger and very good looking Jyotsna Nagrecha. By 2002, they had kids such as Sheena (of the Mercedes Benz S-Class birthday-gift-fame), Rajiv and Meera. (Excerpts borrowed from Sunday Vision around 2001)
Alex Lindsay's 'Digital Film Revolution' Workshop
On 24th May 2007, Alex Lindsay held a workshop organized by Maisha Filmlab from 9 AM to 5 PM at the National Theatre. His work involves designing Databases, editing Films, Graphics, Burning Movies, Website Design, Home Videos, Storyboards, Screenplays…
Creative Comments (Some Rights Reserved)…You can copy it and give to your friends but you can’t change it…Adverts in the film remain. (Mindset of the market: How do you grab their attention: Move like you are going to catch a horse, walk slowly and it will not see you…It always looks ahead)
“There is strength in numbers…” Mac vs. PC
Alex started programming at age 10 on a TRS AB computer, got into CAD work and worked in radio as a show host and music director, Prime Fox Network now Sky Sports…Studied Philosophy “Let’s get everybody making films…” 1992 Real Time Games Art Director, was at Lucas Film working for pre visualization of the first ‘Star Wars’ movie, made after 5 years. Industrial Light Magic did some shots for ‘Star Wars’ (It is a Rebel Mac Unit) “It takes a lot of people to get a piece done. In Zimbabwe, we have about 30 people on one piece.”
35,000 US Dollars for 7 seconds, Spent first 15 years of his career working for somebody else (Another person’s fingers) Apple has the most advantage because of the content they add to the media…Sony’s Playstation 3 is capable of High Definition TV. Microsoft has the X-Box [There is Joost, before that was Kazar, created Skype, GooTube, Podtech, Pod-dengo (Platform for posting videos), Dig, video on Demand (Subscribe for an extra charge)]…Airlines such as Virgin Atlantic allow you to select videos you wanna watch, 3 to 8 minute shows…
‘Pixel Corp’ is a guild for content creators. As craftsmen, we call ourselves artists. It is easer to build objects than paint on a canvas. We are on the way to 2,000 members. 150 hours of free video training, fantastic shooting of green screen videos and reduced purchase prices for very powerful software. “I’m kind of a frontpage of a bigger workshop.” Equipment, Resources from all over the world, Members trade work back and forth, Google Earth (Building 3D models of different cities. It doesn’t matter who gets it done. Create a big culture in which everybody gets the idea that it doesn’t matter where stuff gets done…” Quick Time, Flash, H264 has a better image in a smaller file, (HT60) recommended. Didex is popular among the pirates. iTunes is the biggest name when it comes to distributing music….Blue Ray Drive is 40 GB “We are not a news organization…” Online Distribution, Promotion, Put in time and work together, Motion sits on XML, Final Cut Pro Automator, Final Cut Smooth (removes bumpy shots) and Server (meant for news agencies), Invigorator Pro, Animator Pro, Motion 3 (80% of my work is done in motion”)
In games, you can use two cards for example trees instead of having a lot of data by shooting all the sides. You still have to go to AfterEffects for more edits. Conduit Editor takes a green screen, edits and puts it on a card, a frame. “Allow yourself to think about what’s possible…”
The Best Part of the New Final Cut
Weird Frame Blending can be edited with Optical Flow (watches how frames move, adds frames that make sense)… It does instant analysation, Sleek little tool, DI Screen (Digital Inter-Media fine tunes all the colour [Colour grading is done for all films/ Final Touch bought by Apple Full blown system: Basic Colour Correction, you can grab onto specific parts of the image…Every major feature film is colour graded. A DI pass costs around 600,000 US Dollars…Enormous amount of control, Adjust hues.
Manipulate the viewer to watch the story you want to tell/ Speed Grade (or Grad) 5 or 10,000 Dollars is another option/ Soundtrack Pro allows you to do multi-take work much better…
Resolution: Standard Definition, 720p (Most Panasonic Cameras, Minimum size on internet), 1080p (Big Screen)
“If you are shooting for the web, there is no reason to use Interlace, maybe just for TV…” 444 (For every pixel of black and white info, there is a colour pixel, DV Camera takes colour info, shoves it in one side, simply stretches it over the whole image); 411 (Jagged edges usually occur during green screens when you use it against the colour…)
Colour Difference Key takes different colour channels and separates them…
Infamous Green Spill (a little bit of the green screen comes around the image sometimes through parts of the image in context. Use Unspill to adjust it. Videoscopes help you do the colour maths. DG Mac Pro developed by themselves. With the HDV, you get more resolution in your images. Use the grey card to lock the white and blacks of two images…One in the front and the other clip at the back. Why use green? Is it a more easily manipulated photographic colour?
[IMDb: “Where does Superman pee?”
Rachel: “In the air, actually before he changes, sometimes he does before he leaves his office.”]
Alex speaks for Apple at their Worldwide Development Conference MacBreak
LCD Screens allow more creativity than placing viewfinders on the eye…
Watch Maria (A Speech from Zimbabwe) on YouTube. [Alex showed it during the workshop and personally, I felt this was a masterful performance by the guy reciting the poem.] Alex encouraged the audience, “All this stuff is doable, it’s just a matter of starting to play with it…”
Cinema 4D, Number One piece of software for broadcast work…
‘Scratch’ is a free programming tool that allows anyone to create their own animated stories, interactive artworks and video games…
Creative Comments (Some Rights Reserved)…You can copy it and give to your friends but you can’t change it…Adverts in the film remain. (Mindset of the market: How do you grab their attention: Move like you are going to catch a horse, walk slowly and it will not see you…It always looks ahead)
“There is strength in numbers…” Mac vs. PC
Alex started programming at age 10 on a TRS AB computer, got into CAD work and worked in radio as a show host and music director, Prime Fox Network now Sky Sports…Studied Philosophy “Let’s get everybody making films…” 1992 Real Time Games Art Director, was at Lucas Film working for pre visualization of the first ‘Star Wars’ movie, made after 5 years. Industrial Light Magic did some shots for ‘Star Wars’ (It is a Rebel Mac Unit) “It takes a lot of people to get a piece done. In Zimbabwe, we have about 30 people on one piece.”
35,000 US Dollars for 7 seconds, Spent first 15 years of his career working for somebody else (Another person’s fingers) Apple has the most advantage because of the content they add to the media…Sony’s Playstation 3 is capable of High Definition TV. Microsoft has the X-Box [There is Joost, before that was Kazar, created Skype, GooTube, Podtech, Pod-dengo (Platform for posting videos), Dig, video on Demand (Subscribe for an extra charge)]…Airlines such as Virgin Atlantic allow you to select videos you wanna watch, 3 to 8 minute shows…
‘Pixel Corp’ is a guild for content creators. As craftsmen, we call ourselves artists. It is easer to build objects than paint on a canvas. We are on the way to 2,000 members. 150 hours of free video training, fantastic shooting of green screen videos and reduced purchase prices for very powerful software. “I’m kind of a frontpage of a bigger workshop.” Equipment, Resources from all over the world, Members trade work back and forth, Google Earth (Building 3D models of different cities. It doesn’t matter who gets it done. Create a big culture in which everybody gets the idea that it doesn’t matter where stuff gets done…” Quick Time, Flash, H264 has a better image in a smaller file, (HT60) recommended. Didex is popular among the pirates. iTunes is the biggest name when it comes to distributing music….Blue Ray Drive is 40 GB “We are not a news organization…” Online Distribution, Promotion, Put in time and work together, Motion sits on XML, Final Cut Pro Automator, Final Cut Smooth (removes bumpy shots) and Server (meant for news agencies), Invigorator Pro, Animator Pro, Motion 3 (80% of my work is done in motion”)
In games, you can use two cards for example trees instead of having a lot of data by shooting all the sides. You still have to go to AfterEffects for more edits. Conduit Editor takes a green screen, edits and puts it on a card, a frame. “Allow yourself to think about what’s possible…”
The Best Part of the New Final Cut
Weird Frame Blending can be edited with Optical Flow (watches how frames move, adds frames that make sense)… It does instant analysation, Sleek little tool, DI Screen (Digital Inter-Media fine tunes all the colour [Colour grading is done for all films/ Final Touch bought by Apple Full blown system: Basic Colour Correction, you can grab onto specific parts of the image…Every major feature film is colour graded. A DI pass costs around 600,000 US Dollars…Enormous amount of control, Adjust hues.
Manipulate the viewer to watch the story you want to tell/ Speed Grade (or Grad) 5 or 10,000 Dollars is another option/ Soundtrack Pro allows you to do multi-take work much better…
Resolution: Standard Definition, 720p (Most Panasonic Cameras, Minimum size on internet), 1080p (Big Screen)
“If you are shooting for the web, there is no reason to use Interlace, maybe just for TV…” 444 (For every pixel of black and white info, there is a colour pixel, DV Camera takes colour info, shoves it in one side, simply stretches it over the whole image); 411 (Jagged edges usually occur during green screens when you use it against the colour…)
Colour Difference Key takes different colour channels and separates them…
Infamous Green Spill (a little bit of the green screen comes around the image sometimes through parts of the image in context. Use Unspill to adjust it. Videoscopes help you do the colour maths. DG Mac Pro developed by themselves. With the HDV, you get more resolution in your images. Use the grey card to lock the white and blacks of two images…One in the front and the other clip at the back. Why use green? Is it a more easily manipulated photographic colour?
[IMDb: “Where does Superman pee?”
Rachel: “In the air, actually before he changes, sometimes he does before he leaves his office.”]
Alex speaks for Apple at their Worldwide Development Conference MacBreak
LCD Screens allow more creativity than placing viewfinders on the eye…
Watch Maria (A Speech from Zimbabwe) on YouTube. [Alex showed it during the workshop and personally, I felt this was a masterful performance by the guy reciting the poem.] Alex encouraged the audience, “All this stuff is doable, it’s just a matter of starting to play with it…”
Cinema 4D, Number One piece of software for broadcast work…
‘Scratch’ is a free programming tool that allows anyone to create their own animated stories, interactive artworks and video games…
“…Unless you are Born Again.”
Tuesday 2nd December 1997: I did not think that this day would be one of the Most Important Days in my life. Although I was not surprised by what happened on this day, my heart was changed and I gave it to Jesus. Literally I was born again. From this day, I started throwing away my old self. But I once professed that I was a Christian. Now why should I depart from my old ways? Well, while watching LTV, Carman’s song “Serve the Lord” (1993 Absolute Best album) touched my soul greatly. I felt the presence of GOD’s spirit probably for my first time while I sat on the floor with the lights in the sitting room off. At that time, I was living in my father’s bungalow in Kyebando Kisalosalo. I realized that I had become filthy and rotten because of my sins and needed to seek forgiveness from GOD. The next day I prayed with Pat Robertson, one of the presenters on ‘The 700 Club’ and decided to live a renewed life. Actually, I had become sin-sick. I saw myself as the cheeky spark ignition for many disagreements. The quarelling made me irritable and I harbored a spirit that made my stomach burn with anger. People could see the emotion on my face and sometimes I got murderous thoughts.
After the rebirth, I learnt that by keeping silent when somebody disagrees with you about something you truly know is correct helps, so most of the time I avoided arguments. Changing from bad to good is very difficult. In fact it is impossible when somebody tries on one’s own but with GOD it is possible. His grace is abundant and helpful. It can change the most evil man into a holy son of GOD. I won’t deny the fact that I commit sin everyday because if I did I would be lying to myself. Some people think they are okay because they go to Church regularly but they might not know that the Devil is deceiving them. That is what I was going through and I tried to run way from my devilish existence. The year 1996 alone was a crazy time; As Kalinabiri Head-boy I made enemies by default not knowing what my actions and words were sparking off. A reliable friend from a different stream once informed me that his classmates hated me because I was proud. Maybe they were jealous of my academic prowess; I came from Jinja in the middle of the previous year and took over the school. Trying to befriend one of these guys I was warned about proved to me how much hate can destroy souls. I saw it in his eyes and I hated him back so when his father died, I wasn’t sorry for him. I felt he deserved it. That is the kind of evil I’m talking about that made me invite Christ to my heart. My Lugbara tribe calls it “Ole” or witchcraft. It starts in the heart. A verse in 1 John 10 asks how you can call yourself a son of GOD yet you hate your brother. Hate was staining my soul and I could feel it eating me up. It isn’t enough to be good in order to be put right with GOD. You must confess your past evil deeds and believe that Christ died for your sins.
At SMACK (1997-2000), I spent my first year jumping up and down doing and thinking whatever I wanted. Then on 25th August 1997, the final week after Second Term examinations, I started experiencing the Most Painful and Continuous headache ever. My relief was only when I closed my eyes and slept. I imagined that this was a punishment for my evil deeds. I really suffered and my relatives - I think - became tired of taking me to different doctors (about 5). Always they said it was a malaria problem just as my chest pains were viewed even after several x-rays the following year. Luckily for my headaches, one doctor diagnosed the problem as an eye defect and tinted spectacles were bought for me (A frame cost 62,000 UgX in 1997). My eye defect changed from one extreme to the other extreme. It’s like I was going through a serious battle. The chest pains meanwhile made me worry that I had angina (a heart disease) that can cause heart failure. Somehow I believe that was the formative time for my spiritual renewal. I needed it because my teenage years would have been a waste with all these thoughts and hormones going through me. So I basically made myself docile to avoid trouble though my dad later said that he couldn’t buy that but I know it kept me in people’s good books.
After the rebirth, I learnt that by keeping silent when somebody disagrees with you about something you truly know is correct helps, so most of the time I avoided arguments. Changing from bad to good is very difficult. In fact it is impossible when somebody tries on one’s own but with GOD it is possible. His grace is abundant and helpful. It can change the most evil man into a holy son of GOD. I won’t deny the fact that I commit sin everyday because if I did I would be lying to myself. Some people think they are okay because they go to Church regularly but they might not know that the Devil is deceiving them. That is what I was going through and I tried to run way from my devilish existence. The year 1996 alone was a crazy time; As Kalinabiri Head-boy I made enemies by default not knowing what my actions and words were sparking off. A reliable friend from a different stream once informed me that his classmates hated me because I was proud. Maybe they were jealous of my academic prowess; I came from Jinja in the middle of the previous year and took over the school. Trying to befriend one of these guys I was warned about proved to me how much hate can destroy souls. I saw it in his eyes and I hated him back so when his father died, I wasn’t sorry for him. I felt he deserved it. That is the kind of evil I’m talking about that made me invite Christ to my heart. My Lugbara tribe calls it “Ole” or witchcraft. It starts in the heart. A verse in 1 John 10 asks how you can call yourself a son of GOD yet you hate your brother. Hate was staining my soul and I could feel it eating me up. It isn’t enough to be good in order to be put right with GOD. You must confess your past evil deeds and believe that Christ died for your sins.
At SMACK (1997-2000), I spent my first year jumping up and down doing and thinking whatever I wanted. Then on 25th August 1997, the final week after Second Term examinations, I started experiencing the Most Painful and Continuous headache ever. My relief was only when I closed my eyes and slept. I imagined that this was a punishment for my evil deeds. I really suffered and my relatives - I think - became tired of taking me to different doctors (about 5). Always they said it was a malaria problem just as my chest pains were viewed even after several x-rays the following year. Luckily for my headaches, one doctor diagnosed the problem as an eye defect and tinted spectacles were bought for me (A frame cost 62,000 UgX in 1997). My eye defect changed from one extreme to the other extreme. It’s like I was going through a serious battle. The chest pains meanwhile made me worry that I had angina (a heart disease) that can cause heart failure. Somehow I believe that was the formative time for my spiritual renewal. I needed it because my teenage years would have been a waste with all these thoughts and hormones going through me. So I basically made myself docile to avoid trouble though my dad later said that he couldn’t buy that but I know it kept me in people’s good books.
Coping with Bed-wetting...
This is not about female ejaculation (squirting) nor male nocturnal emissions (wet dreams) but susu-ing on bed or how to cope with bedwetting. Almost everyone goes through this during childhood but most grow out of it quickly. For those who cannot, why? One Sunday morning, I overheard a mother shout at her son, “Today, I’m going to take you to your teacher and tell her to put you in front of the class so that children can sing, ‘Shame on you!’ You are seven years old but wet your bed everyday.” Can that really solve the issue? When I was that kid’s age, I used to also wet my bed. I would see dreams where I was apprehended along with others by a teacher on duty for late coming. We would be made to pick leaves around the school and when nature called, I would ease myself behind a tree or in the grass. When I woke up, there would be urine on my bed. My father threatened to cane me if I did it again. He never really did but I continued wetting my bed even up to boarding school which I started at age 11 in Primary Six, about four years later. The matron would take my wet mattress out and hang it on the wire fence; I wondered how she found out the first time. Between P.6 and 7, I slept about three times above someone, if I can remember well, and it’s only a mat under my mattress that stopped urine from dripping to the bed below. Since this was something I could not control, I never really cared what people thought. After P.7, I went to an all-boys O-Level school but never slept above anyone for four straight years. Even in a new school in S.5, I slept on the lower deck but in S.6, I told the guy below me that sometimes I wet my bed. He understandably told me that it’s okay. Those days I had made up my mind to put a red urine-tight sheet on my mattress before the bed sheets, so the worries were minimal. The frequency had also reduced and I never took my mattress out to dry. In fact, during holidays, I rarely wetted my bed maybe because academic stress and boarding school fatigue were non-existent.
My worst bed wetting experience was between S.1 and 2 whenever I left my mattress out to dry on the high walls of our showers. Housemates bathing at the washing bay would probably unconsciously splash water on it or tip it over in the path of dirty water used to scrub the showers and toilets. Consequently, it would have to dry for more days. Meanwhile at night, I had to sleep on metal springs, only cushioned by my blanket. It was a cold period in my school career I badly wished would end. I wondered why GOD allowed this. My mother said she was praying for me but nothing changed till S.3. She advised me to always relieve myself before sleeping but I still bed wetted. During holidays, I would be told to drink the morning dew on top of the leaves of yams grown in our compound but I still bed wetted. Another remedy was to avoid drinking liquids in the evening, but even if you don’t drink but eat sweet potatoes, matooke, yams or water melon, you will still take in lots of water. Porridge and booze are other causes. In O-Level, there was a classmate who also bed wetted. From his build, you wouldn’t expect him to have the same problem as me but when we met again while looking for an A-Level school, he told me that he had been operated on and his problem overturned.
Bedwetting is an experience so inglorious that even the girl you love and want to marry may not be able to cope with it; you literally become unreliable as a partner. Schoolmates may even say that you have no right to pocket because you bed wet. Maybe it is a status symbol for success and high society. Anyway, bed wetting should be handled with care by parents. Please do not chastise your kids, it isn’t their fault! Sometimes, it could even be demonic; a spirit takes you to a latrine and you feel you are in a convenient place to ease yourself, not knowing that you are still lying in your bed only to wake up in a pool. It makes you want to curse GOD. Maybe it’s a thorn in the flesh to keep some people humble, but keep praying, you could as well sleep late after easing yourself! Parents and teachers shouldn’t intimidate children as though they are worthless; YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHOM GOD BIRTHED INTO THIS WORLD THROUGH YOU! Wake up bedwetters in the middle of every night, between 2 and 3 AM, just in case they haven’t susu-ed on bed already or set up an alarm clock for them. Sweet dreams!
My worst bed wetting experience was between S.1 and 2 whenever I left my mattress out to dry on the high walls of our showers. Housemates bathing at the washing bay would probably unconsciously splash water on it or tip it over in the path of dirty water used to scrub the showers and toilets. Consequently, it would have to dry for more days. Meanwhile at night, I had to sleep on metal springs, only cushioned by my blanket. It was a cold period in my school career I badly wished would end. I wondered why GOD allowed this. My mother said she was praying for me but nothing changed till S.3. She advised me to always relieve myself before sleeping but I still bed wetted. During holidays, I would be told to drink the morning dew on top of the leaves of yams grown in our compound but I still bed wetted. Another remedy was to avoid drinking liquids in the evening, but even if you don’t drink but eat sweet potatoes, matooke, yams or water melon, you will still take in lots of water. Porridge and booze are other causes. In O-Level, there was a classmate who also bed wetted. From his build, you wouldn’t expect him to have the same problem as me but when we met again while looking for an A-Level school, he told me that he had been operated on and his problem overturned.
Bedwetting is an experience so inglorious that even the girl you love and want to marry may not be able to cope with it; you literally become unreliable as a partner. Schoolmates may even say that you have no right to pocket because you bed wet. Maybe it is a status symbol for success and high society. Anyway, bed wetting should be handled with care by parents. Please do not chastise your kids, it isn’t their fault! Sometimes, it could even be demonic; a spirit takes you to a latrine and you feel you are in a convenient place to ease yourself, not knowing that you are still lying in your bed only to wake up in a pool. It makes you want to curse GOD. Maybe it’s a thorn in the flesh to keep some people humble, but keep praying, you could as well sleep late after easing yourself! Parents and teachers shouldn’t intimidate children as though they are worthless; YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHOM GOD BIRTHED INTO THIS WORLD THROUGH YOU! Wake up bedwetters in the middle of every night, between 2 and 3 AM, just in case they haven’t susu-ed on bed already or set up an alarm clock for them. Sweet dreams!
Friday
September 11th
Where were you when the twin towers came crashing down? It was like Terror had dropped. I was oblivious of the event because at the exact time the tragedy happened, I was working in my parents' retail shop in Kyebando Kisalosalo while listening to Sanyu FM, 88.2 Today's Best Music. At the top of 4 O'Clock, the time when the diligently listened to Sanyu Sports Update was supposed to come on, the sportscaster started by conveying the breaking news: America had been attacked. Having grown up with the naive impression that America can never be defeated, I rushed to the main house to prove it for myself. My second cousin Edwin was watching CNN and I walked in just to get a glimpse of the second impact live. It was replayed over and over until I accepted that this wasn't a movie. How could someone normal do this if it wasn't just an accident?
Only GOD knew what would happen next and I left it at that, went on with my business. Afterall according to Nostradamus, an ancient French prophet, this event was meant to happen and he described it in his book entitled 'Centuries' like this: "Two winged silver fish will collide with tall twin towers..." [Not the exact wording though but how prophetic!] Now I'm waiting to see how that devilish event started off World War III which is supposed to last 27 years...
By the way some sources claim that Osama Bin Laden is the third Anti-Christ after Napoleon Bonaparte and Adolf Hitler. Watch out!
Only GOD knew what would happen next and I left it at that, went on with my business. Afterall according to Nostradamus, an ancient French prophet, this event was meant to happen and he described it in his book entitled 'Centuries' like this: "Two winged silver fish will collide with tall twin towers..." [Not the exact wording though but how prophetic!] Now I'm waiting to see how that devilish event started off World War III which is supposed to last 27 years...
By the way some sources claim that Osama Bin Laden is the third Anti-Christ after Napoleon Bonaparte and Adolf Hitler. Watch out!
Wednesday
Silence on Set; Lights, Camera, MICROPHONE and Action:
Savour this Lyrical Poem which is like a Personal Soundtrack of what I enjoyed at the 4th Annual Lab, it isn’t the official Maisha Rap Anthem yet, but I would fancy producing it if Vincho Nchogu, Maureen Nankya, Maurice Kirya or anyone else comes up with their version. These are my own feelings but can be remixed:
“I’m in the air like MIRA NAIR
I get it right like MUSARAIT
I’m amiable like AMI,
Second to none like STEVE and SABRINA
I’m the Don of Film like McKELLOR
(Lionel Richie once sang,) ‘Say You, SEMI, Say CHELLAS together, naturally’
I shine like SHENNY
I’m animated like ANNIE,
Guile like GILES,
Wise like CRAIG and brave like BARRY
I’m merry like MARIA ‘coz I can walk miles in your shoes like MYLES and his camera
When I go to the Pearly Gates, I carry my own key like KIZZA
I’m on a quest like KWEZI and it’s so easy ‘coz I gat LIZZY by my side, for Shizzy
I’m always ‘On Time’ like PATRICIA because Time is Money and more money somehow means more time
Life is hard but MARK told me even ‘The Casual’ get paid so I wont give up the hussle
JUDITH consoled me by saying that the hussle isn’t my fault but the ‘Sins of the Parents’,
So when I drink V&A, I think of VINCHO & ANGELA
I don’t love Ben but I love V&A. Botswana couldn’t exchange his hat with Britain, it had to be with China
‘After Luanda’ came another Luo hero named DAVID
PITHON brightened our ‘Dark Days’ while RACHAEL ironed out the ‘Flaws of our Time’
I wonder what really happened to EDWARD ‘Last Night’ ‘coz I hear he went out and his life changed
I’m a smooth camera-operator like RICHARD, HOCLAY and ABUBAKER, filming riots and not workshops
Maisha Filmlab is more than just music to my ears; ask GEORGE, GODFREY or SHANTOS – they listened to enough sounds
EMMANUEL, ANTHONY and THUO made it look so easy that I feel I’m now a Final Cut Professional
Shania Twain fans always sing that ‘The First Cut is the Deepest’ but I think the FINAL CUT is the Sweetest, in places like Royal Impala, Fressy Hotel Munyonyo, Godfrey Nyakaana’s Site, Seyani Brothers Kabalagala and the Kabaka’s Landing Site, et cetera.
JOHN MARY was the foremost and ‘mbest mason’; MAUREEN was so beautiful that everyone wanted a photo with her; SAMUEL is major, you feel me? ROGER must have eaten all the Team B snacks, where do you think Bruno got his tummy? KELOY, I need milk and bread please ‘coz I finally got the money; EVA didn’t speak in the movie but was very conversational behind the scenes; TIMOTHY is running for President fellas; CHARLES and SAM were the extra icing on ‘The Casual’ Cake …
JOEL served the food meant for the GIRL’s sick mother to ghost people I imagine, moreover ‘On Time’; Wasn’t SERAH the Team A runner the swimmer too, we need to get this clear because they filmed near the lake; DAPHNE looked like the romantic sunset itself at the end …
‘MAURICE rocks’, don’t forget what I just said; ‘ESTHER, your sister-in-law REHEMA is watching you like a Big Sister in your Big Brother’s House; Hey PAUL, is it true that because of ‘The Sins of the Parents’, the BOY Junior will still make it to Heaven? …
FRED, JOSEPH, BONY and HENRY please drive us home! It’s a Wrap!
[Lyrical Poem by Edward Aikobua]
“I’m in the air like MIRA NAIR
I get it right like MUSARAIT
I’m amiable like AMI,
Second to none like STEVE and SABRINA
I’m the Don of Film like McKELLOR
(Lionel Richie once sang,) ‘Say You, SEMI, Say CHELLAS together, naturally’
I shine like SHENNY
I’m animated like ANNIE,
Guile like GILES,
Wise like CRAIG and brave like BARRY
I’m merry like MARIA ‘coz I can walk miles in your shoes like MYLES and his camera
When I go to the Pearly Gates, I carry my own key like KIZZA
I’m on a quest like KWEZI and it’s so easy ‘coz I gat LIZZY by my side, for Shizzy
I’m always ‘On Time’ like PATRICIA because Time is Money and more money somehow means more time
Life is hard but MARK told me even ‘The Casual’ get paid so I wont give up the hussle
JUDITH consoled me by saying that the hussle isn’t my fault but the ‘Sins of the Parents’,
So when I drink V&A, I think of VINCHO & ANGELA
I don’t love Ben but I love V&A. Botswana couldn’t exchange his hat with Britain, it had to be with China
‘After Luanda’ came another Luo hero named DAVID
PITHON brightened our ‘Dark Days’ while RACHAEL ironed out the ‘Flaws of our Time’
I wonder what really happened to EDWARD ‘Last Night’ ‘coz I hear he went out and his life changed
I’m a smooth camera-operator like RICHARD, HOCLAY and ABUBAKER, filming riots and not workshops
Maisha Filmlab is more than just music to my ears; ask GEORGE, GODFREY or SHANTOS – they listened to enough sounds
EMMANUEL, ANTHONY and THUO made it look so easy that I feel I’m now a Final Cut Professional
Shania Twain fans always sing that ‘The First Cut is the Deepest’ but I think the FINAL CUT is the Sweetest, in places like Royal Impala, Fressy Hotel Munyonyo, Godfrey Nyakaana’s Site, Seyani Brothers Kabalagala and the Kabaka’s Landing Site, et cetera.
JOHN MARY was the foremost and ‘mbest mason’; MAUREEN was so beautiful that everyone wanted a photo with her; SAMUEL is major, you feel me? ROGER must have eaten all the Team B snacks, where do you think Bruno got his tummy? KELOY, I need milk and bread please ‘coz I finally got the money; EVA didn’t speak in the movie but was very conversational behind the scenes; TIMOTHY is running for President fellas; CHARLES and SAM were the extra icing on ‘The Casual’ Cake …
JOEL served the food meant for the GIRL’s sick mother to ghost people I imagine, moreover ‘On Time’; Wasn’t SERAH the Team A runner the swimmer too, we need to get this clear because they filmed near the lake; DAPHNE looked like the romantic sunset itself at the end …
‘MAURICE rocks’, don’t forget what I just said; ‘ESTHER, your sister-in-law REHEMA is watching you like a Big Sister in your Big Brother’s House; Hey PAUL, is it true that because of ‘The Sins of the Parents’, the BOY Junior will still make it to Heaven? …
FRED, JOSEPH, BONY and HENRY please drive us home! It’s a Wrap!
[Lyrical Poem by Edward Aikobua]
Thursday
WaPi (Words and Pictures)
(Roland's ArtWork, a few of the good paintings showcased during WaPi Kampala August 2008 ... Photo by Aiko)
It used to be and still is a big attraction in Kenya as KTN's Angela Wamai told me but WaPi (the British Council's Programme for revealing raw talent in Africa [Nigeria, Ghana, etc] through Words and Pictures) is still in its infancy within the Pearl of Africa. I missed the first in July 2008 because I was very busy trying to finish some work at my uncle's office. For the Second Edition, I got an SMS invitation, guess everyone did, telling me to identify myself ie 'Define my Identity'. There would also be free stalls with the theme "GWE' ANI?", a Luganda phrase meaning "Who Are You?"
I had to first get home after the Maisha experience and watch the first game of the new Premiership season at Ntinda's Corner View's Pavillion (Nasri's Efficiency and not Flamboyancy won Arsenal's game) before heading to the People's Space at Hotel Africana after 5PM. It was not so packed but I must confess that the youths present were innumerable. Before I could take my first photo, Paul Mugisha was tapping my shoulder to ask for his photos. I had to give him hope that I would email them because I try not to disappoint people who have placed their faith in my efficiency. Don't know if he believed me but anyway I was pleased to see Godwin at WaPi. He was going to shoot a video for his music. His brother Marsha wasn't feeling well so he couldn't come. I also spotted a very outgoing Macos Old Girl one class ahead of me for whom I had the hearts but I just let her pass. I was also pleased to find GNL again after he wasn't chosen as an actor during Maisha auditions. I hadn't promised him the world but reassured him that I would try to influence my Kenyan director to select him, which he didn't. Vincho Nchogu though was my biggest surprise at WaPi. I had just emailed her that we would never meet again but she replied that she wasn't flying back to Kenya yet and we would meet under unexplained circumstances. And so we did...Zippy was alongside her.
The WaPi music was hot and relevant, I wonder what this talent is doing in the Underground. It should be way up there. The fashions were also meticulous; the presentations before I left were done by Fenote, a well known Ethiopian fashion designer based in Muyenga. She ended with a bridal design for both the groom and bride and came along to accept the crowd's salutation.
Who am I, are you asking me? Okay, I'm not Angela Wamai, I'm just 'Ai' (meaning 'Love') like when you haven't added the letters K and O to create the echo in "Aiko" ... I'm a True Ugandan (Psycho) trying to paint the world with my dreams and madness ... come to think of it, I am who I am, the Image of GOD in Words and Pictures ...
Wednesday
The Casual (A Short Film by Mark Mutahi)
My director, Kenyan Mark Mutahi did not want a website for his short film (An Outrageous Personal Dream that vividly represented the 'Incredibly Insane' description that the Kenyan editor Anthony chose to be the attitude for our group thinking out of the box) but I decided to dedicate a blog post on my webbie as a feature for his comedic story selected among the Best 3 out of 9 during the 2008 Maisha Filmlab; it was also my choice because of its comedy alongside mine and another I won't disclose for selfish reasons. The mentors selected me to be his Production Manager and so was in the thick of the action right from the start...
"The Casual" is a story about infidelity in a low class society. Kim a construction worker is so poor that his beautiful wife Kanini starts having an affair with his boss Bruno. Interesting Trivia about the making of this movie include the fact that Buziga Country Resort, the location for Bruno's office has a conference room that the President's daughter Patience Rwabwogo started using as her church space sometime in June this year. The location for the construction site is actually Godfrey Nyakaana's house. He used to be a boxer before becoming a politician. His wife is also a very successful woman and she owns Centenary Park where Efendy's Turkish Restaurant is located adjacent to Hotel Africana in Kampala. John Mary Mukiza the actor chosen for Meja at first then Kim after audition day, is my SMACK old boy and very talented artist; his brother Jude Karuhanga - my peer - is actually a very great inspiration though I used to think John was better than him. Maureen Nankya, the actress for Kanini featured in Mariam Ndagire's "Down This Road I Walk" and has some music videos you could view on WBS TV or other stations... Eva Tumwesigye, the actress for Janet, the cashier/ receptionist (who also featured in 'Centre 4', a local medical drama) is a sister to Kwezi, assisting in location scouting plus overall management of props and costume distribution. Leroy who acts as Mama Mike is a make-up artist who also did the make up during Donald Mugisha's film "Divisionz"...Samuel Lutaaya first cast as Kim and then Meja is flexible and lively...Our first Shoot for the final movie happened a day before the scheduled day and we were driven to the location for Mama Mike's kiosk by Musarait Kashmiri in her white Mahindra truck (Made in India) simply because we hadn't planned for this change early on.
The first scheduled day of shooting (Friday 8th August 2008) was not so bad for me though what we shot for Bruno's office at Buziga Country Resort was kind of annoying to the editor...We had to do a re-shoot during the following week. However the Cashier scene at Fressy Hotel was not bad though for a moment I thought we would also have to do it again. There was a lot of soda - drinking, yapping with Kanini and trying to max with "da Vincho"
Shoot Day Two at Godfrey Nyakaana's Construction site was better than what we feared though it took us a long time to finish than we had under-estimated. The sun's heat was high but we managed to come through without fainting. Mira Nair came to our set around lunch time before two Al Jazeera guys (a man and woman) also surfaced.
The final Shoot Day started badly. We took long to set up and even after the setup around 10 AM, the camera's pictures were out of focus. I had to run to the editor to confirm. However after that, we managed to sail through though we changed location for the final scene at 5 PM. I had started setting up the room alongside Timothy Tabaaro, our runner from around 3 PM. So by the time the others came, the maize also came though a tin lamp was hard to set up. Luckily, one of the guys at the shop suggested that we use candles which was a million dollar suggestion. I bought that. The mishap in this final scene is that the drunk landlord's son who had allowed us to use his house for filming at 10,000 UgX two days before was now asking for 100,000 UgX probably because he had heard that there were whites in our group. What he didn't know was that this was just a training project. He later apologised thanks to the intervention of a Royal Impala Hotel employee called Hellen who was present the day we struck the deal ... She literally castigated the man since everytime there is work to do, the hotel calls him. Why was he letting them down now? Despite all the drama, I enjoyed listening to George's pink iPod.
The director called for an extra Shoot Day 4 which we executed at Mulongo Zone (Nyakaana's house) from 5 PM on Wednesday 13th August, Craig's Birthday and Farewell for Shenny - the Production Mentor attached to Team B ...
Rough Cuts of all the three movies were shown on the penultimate day - Thursday 14th August. Mira Nair, founder of Maisha Filmlab commented that this movie gave the audience a 20 degree doze of laughter higher than the other two. Barry Braverman thought it was flawless and so did Craig Weisemann
[More Coming Up]
"The Casual" is a story about infidelity in a low class society. Kim a construction worker is so poor that his beautiful wife Kanini starts having an affair with his boss Bruno. Interesting Trivia about the making of this movie include the fact that Buziga Country Resort, the location for Bruno's office has a conference room that the President's daughter Patience Rwabwogo started using as her church space sometime in June this year. The location for the construction site is actually Godfrey Nyakaana's house. He used to be a boxer before becoming a politician. His wife is also a very successful woman and she owns Centenary Park where Efendy's Turkish Restaurant is located adjacent to Hotel Africana in Kampala. John Mary Mukiza the actor chosen for Meja at first then Kim after audition day, is my SMACK old boy and very talented artist; his brother Jude Karuhanga - my peer - is actually a very great inspiration though I used to think John was better than him. Maureen Nankya, the actress for Kanini featured in Mariam Ndagire's "Down This Road I Walk" and has some music videos you could view on WBS TV or other stations... Eva Tumwesigye, the actress for Janet, the cashier/ receptionist (who also featured in 'Centre 4', a local medical drama) is a sister to Kwezi, assisting in location scouting plus overall management of props and costume distribution. Leroy who acts as Mama Mike is a make-up artist who also did the make up during Donald Mugisha's film "Divisionz"...Samuel Lutaaya first cast as Kim and then Meja is flexible and lively...Our first Shoot for the final movie happened a day before the scheduled day and we were driven to the location for Mama Mike's kiosk by Musarait Kashmiri in her white Mahindra truck (Made in India) simply because we hadn't planned for this change early on.
The first scheduled day of shooting (Friday 8th August 2008) was not so bad for me though what we shot for Bruno's office at Buziga Country Resort was kind of annoying to the editor...We had to do a re-shoot during the following week. However the Cashier scene at Fressy Hotel was not bad though for a moment I thought we would also have to do it again. There was a lot of soda - drinking, yapping with Kanini and trying to max with "da Vincho"
Shoot Day Two at Godfrey Nyakaana's Construction site was better than what we feared though it took us a long time to finish than we had under-estimated. The sun's heat was high but we managed to come through without fainting. Mira Nair came to our set around lunch time before two Al Jazeera guys (a man and woman) also surfaced.
The final Shoot Day started badly. We took long to set up and even after the setup around 10 AM, the camera's pictures were out of focus. I had to run to the editor to confirm. However after that, we managed to sail through though we changed location for the final scene at 5 PM. I had started setting up the room alongside Timothy Tabaaro, our runner from around 3 PM. So by the time the others came, the maize also came though a tin lamp was hard to set up. Luckily, one of the guys at the shop suggested that we use candles which was a million dollar suggestion. I bought that. The mishap in this final scene is that the drunk landlord's son who had allowed us to use his house for filming at 10,000 UgX two days before was now asking for 100,000 UgX probably because he had heard that there were whites in our group. What he didn't know was that this was just a training project. He later apologised thanks to the intervention of a Royal Impala Hotel employee called Hellen who was present the day we struck the deal ... She literally castigated the man since everytime there is work to do, the hotel calls him. Why was he letting them down now? Despite all the drama, I enjoyed listening to George's pink iPod.
The director called for an extra Shoot Day 4 which we executed at Mulongo Zone (Nyakaana's house) from 5 PM on Wednesday 13th August, Craig's Birthday and Farewell for Shenny - the Production Mentor attached to Team B ...
Rough Cuts of all the three movies were shown on the penultimate day - Thursday 14th August. Mira Nair, founder of Maisha Filmlab commented that this movie gave the audience a 20 degree doze of laughter higher than the other two. Barry Braverman thought it was flawless and so did Craig Weisemann
[More Coming Up]
DOCTOR LOVE (Arua) Quotes
John Milton Anguyo is Arua's Doctor Love (Mr. Loverman) who has an enjoyable Radio Show called "Love Clinic" at 8 PM on Voice of Life (VOL 100.9 FM) every Monday Night. During some weddings, the former Arua Urban Archdeacon is also a Main Celebrant. His "Nile Counselling Office has helped over 100 clients". Located on Circular Road, about 7 blocks from Golden Courts Hotel and next to Mazzolidi House (Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Christ), his ministry can be reached via 0772-345733. Below are some of his Love Sayings:
Marriage is ordained by GOD, share the Word in Jesus' Name...
Express true love, so that your home stands strong...
Don't play with love issues or like animals. Aje (Marriage) should be through lots of love and not jokes. Only death can separate the couple. Two become one, those GOD brings together, no man should put asunder! Build a home, not for one year then turn around! Man leaves his parents to unite with his wife...
If you think you will break up, don't get married! Even if things are good or bad, stand firm...
Woman should say, "I will be with you forever even if you have a disease. Even if your hairs or teeth fall off, I'll die with you..."
Cook food without salt when your man is sick out of love...
No money, doesn't mean you should leave your man...
A good marriage is based more on true love and committment not feeling nor animal attraction...
GOD made two important pronouncements: 1. One must first know that marriage is a permanent irrevocable agreement that binds husband and wife forever... Mark 10:6-9; 2. When two people marry willingly out of true love, they promise to be faithful regardless of what happens to each other whether good or bad. Husband afflicted with swellings on his body, bald-headed, gap-hole man, no job, loses a leg. Not a punishment, true love survives all this. Some men are exciting, they may try to distruct you... Love is magnetic, Mva ma ari 'de ma dria 'de'de... (Lugbara 4: The Boy's essence just dropped on my head...) You never want to part somebody's company, you click. There's somebody GOD created for you, when you meet, everything is good. The rib...
For husband, even if she loses her beauty, becomes less submissive, causes you problem in bed or with money and you get annoyed; She might put much salt and you make a lot of noise, Jews divorce because of salt (600 rules); Even if she loses weight, instead of working on her - feed her well, buy cosmetics and dresses, you are to blame! Men help your wives jointly to maintain each other's beauty, correct one another, mistakes are human. Even men make mistakes, it's just women keep quiet. There is no perfect husband nor wife, you just perfect yourselves when you marry...
True colours come out during marriage...
You cannot marry all the women on earth to find out the best... Some men who go out for other women behave like those ones are different and have three breasts. All women on earth have two breasts...
In marriage, according to GOD, a husband and wife are a team. There is a blueprint for marriage in Genesis 2:18-25. A team is two people working together. If you have true love for each other, wife, husband, girlfriend, boyfriend, you will work together as a team without complaint...
Love and Marriage, put everything in the right channel... When you work as a team, you speak the right language...
You say you are in love but send SMS messages abusing each other. You make appointments, but don't show up, you dodge each other...
Pay school fees together, sleep together, work in the garden together. There are some men who dig with their wives...
If you beat your wife passionately, you are just beating yourself because a wife is taken from the man's rib...
[A listener called during one Monday Night Show with a problem: Was in a relationship, went with his girlfriend for interview, boy passed. Girl is given job in same workplace and manager wants relationship. Girl's phone disappears and boy doesn't know what to do...] Pray! Jeremiah 29:11 GOD has a plan for you... True love is sacrifice. Love cannot be forced. GOD might be saving you from trouble. Meet her face to face and discuss, love has no fear. If she loves the job more than you, maybe you will find another girlfriend...
Marriage is ordained by GOD, share the Word in Jesus' Name...
Express true love, so that your home stands strong...
Don't play with love issues or like animals. Aje (Marriage) should be through lots of love and not jokes. Only death can separate the couple. Two become one, those GOD brings together, no man should put asunder! Build a home, not for one year then turn around! Man leaves his parents to unite with his wife...
If you think you will break up, don't get married! Even if things are good or bad, stand firm...
Woman should say, "I will be with you forever even if you have a disease. Even if your hairs or teeth fall off, I'll die with you..."
Cook food without salt when your man is sick out of love...
No money, doesn't mean you should leave your man...
A good marriage is based more on true love and committment not feeling nor animal attraction...
GOD made two important pronouncements: 1. One must first know that marriage is a permanent irrevocable agreement that binds husband and wife forever... Mark 10:6-9; 2. When two people marry willingly out of true love, they promise to be faithful regardless of what happens to each other whether good or bad. Husband afflicted with swellings on his body, bald-headed, gap-hole man, no job, loses a leg. Not a punishment, true love survives all this. Some men are exciting, they may try to distruct you... Love is magnetic, Mva ma ari 'de ma dria 'de'de... (Lugbara 4: The Boy's essence just dropped on my head...) You never want to part somebody's company, you click. There's somebody GOD created for you, when you meet, everything is good. The rib...
For husband, even if she loses her beauty, becomes less submissive, causes you problem in bed or with money and you get annoyed; She might put much salt and you make a lot of noise, Jews divorce because of salt (600 rules); Even if she loses weight, instead of working on her - feed her well, buy cosmetics and dresses, you are to blame! Men help your wives jointly to maintain each other's beauty, correct one another, mistakes are human. Even men make mistakes, it's just women keep quiet. There is no perfect husband nor wife, you just perfect yourselves when you marry...
True colours come out during marriage...
You cannot marry all the women on earth to find out the best... Some men who go out for other women behave like those ones are different and have three breasts. All women on earth have two breasts...
In marriage, according to GOD, a husband and wife are a team. There is a blueprint for marriage in Genesis 2:18-25. A team is two people working together. If you have true love for each other, wife, husband, girlfriend, boyfriend, you will work together as a team without complaint...
Love and Marriage, put everything in the right channel... When you work as a team, you speak the right language...
You say you are in love but send SMS messages abusing each other. You make appointments, but don't show up, you dodge each other...
Pay school fees together, sleep together, work in the garden together. There are some men who dig with their wives...
If you beat your wife passionately, you are just beating yourself because a wife is taken from the man's rib...
[A listener called during one Monday Night Show with a problem: Was in a relationship, went with his girlfriend for interview, boy passed. Girl is given job in same workplace and manager wants relationship. Girl's phone disappears and boy doesn't know what to do...] Pray! Jeremiah 29:11 GOD has a plan for you... True love is sacrifice. Love cannot be forced. GOD might be saving you from trouble. Meet her face to face and discuss, love has no fear. If she loves the job more than you, maybe you will find another girlfriend...
Saturday
The 2008 Maisha Filmlab
By May 2008, I had somehow given up on the year's Maisha Filmlab till probably the next year - after applying around January - simply because selections had already been made and I wasn't on the list published on the Maisha Website, but was divinely satisfied when my dreams mysteriously came true on short-notice 2 days before the start of the 2008 Filmlab (Probably a tithe to KPC [Kampala Pentecostal Church] opened a door for me to replace Kenyan Gad Wesonga. I was the only male Ugandan screenwriter). I had to complete most of the things I was obliged to urgently do before going to the Royal Impala Hotel in Munyonyo, a few hundred metres away from the fantastic Commonwealth Speke Resort. Maisha is a Ugandan NGO that trains new filmmakers. I enjoyed so much during the 22 (actually 25) day workshop including Sudhir Ruparelia's Speke Resort Munyonyo (with Mark and David), Efendy's Turkish Restaurant; Ndere Centre where I danced to a Lugbara tune "Ama Woro Anji Mungu ni" meaning "We are all GOD's Children" with Vincho; Rides to town for National Theatre public workshops; The tea, buffet, and drinks at Royal Impala, Eating chicken daily at RIHM; The evening film screenings and discussions ... Vincho Nchogu (the Girl whom I got interested about most, I called her Leonardo da Vincho during the first days, you know, that Mona Lisa stuff, right? She was lively, social, incredibly knowledgeable about Kampala City's best spots, carefree and most of all very intelligent [Her screenplay was about how China wined Zimbabwe instead of his housemates Britain, Roafrica (Rest of Africa) and Usamerica] ... Don McKellor (the Don Guan or Don Corleone of Canadian Cinema, I actually want to become the Don McKellor of Ugandan Movies), Musarait (She is a very gifted manager, we should acknowledge her skills), Myles (Stalking us with his camera), Sabrina (Lovely Indian lady from Delhi married to Steve; Her baby son Kabir [Hebrew for 'Big'] was really fun to be with), Ami (Musarait's assistant on the management team without whom film screenings and editing work would be very hard, "You are so good to me, Edward!" just being kind), Steve Cohen, Semi Chellas (She made me believe in myself), Patricia (a Kenyan born Ugandan who writes for 'African Woman' magazine), David, Angela (like an angel), Pithon, Mark (very comedic and witty), Judith (the second female Ugandan representative), Rachael plus Craig (Editing) and Maria (Directing) - mentors who came later, plus the technical crew (participants Emmanuel, versatile riot - loving NTV cameraman Abubaker, Henry the Kenyan Artist, the Sound maestro on 'Team B' named George, Afro-styled Anthony and Tanzanian Richard also on 'Team B', Shantos who was involved in the production of Irene Kulabako's "All Our Children" movie shot in January 2008, Godfrey and Hoclay); actors: the artistically gifted John Mary Mukiza, lively Samuel Lutaaya, beautiful and upfront Maureen Nankya, Roger, Leroy and Eva plus technical mentors: the guile Giles Khan, authoritative Shenny, Annie, the wise Barry Braverman and hotel staff including Nabira, Hellen, Isaac, Alex and Kyeyune in addition to the receptionists Henry, Isaac & Joyce ... plus the actors who came last - Maurice, the soulful phenomenon, Prynce Joel Okuyo, John Mary Mukiza, Maureen Nankya, Eva Tumwesigye, Esther, Keloy, Roger and others, Runners Timothy Tabaaro, Paul Mugisha and elder Zippy's beautiful sister. Although my script wasn't among the shootable 3 out of 9, Life was still Beautiful. I had a wonderful boat cruise on Lake Victoria from the Kabaka's Landing Site with 6 of my fellow screenwriters after the 9 of us all decided to abandon our Speke Resort Munyonyo sojourn because of what we heard about cruise prices from the guards at the gate. Rachael stayed on shore while Mark had a storyboard to make with Richard and Barry at Nyakaana's site. I joined them after the ride where we got close to Bulingugwe Island - a 'suitable zone for romance' according to the boat captain (Actually paid the total 14,000 UgShs required from all of the Maisha passengers as a token of my appreciation for the family they had created though Angela gave me half of her fee); Wednesday evening on the 13th of August after the actors had left was Craig, the Editing mentor's birthday. We had a bash with delicious cake, drinks and photos. I won't forget the group snap with the Birthday Man. Shenny from Delhi, India was also saying farewell ...
Ask Don, he went back to Canada with the idea I gave him that "We were in a heavenly prison ... (Royal Impala is like a Garden of Paradise)"
Ask Don, he went back to Canada with the idea I gave him that "We were in a heavenly prison ... (Royal Impala is like a Garden of Paradise)"
Why Wyclef?
"I heard a man say 'Jesus walks', me myself I heard Jesus talk." He told Aiko, "If you have a problem, just look up to Heaven!" Do you ever ask yourself 'why 'Clef and not any other singer? Of all the musicians that have come to Uganda in the last few months (Cece Winans, Akon came up too fast - "Lonely" was like his first big track in the mid 2000s, Kirk Franklin, UB40, Brick & Lace, Collee Buddz, Elephant Man and next Shaggy on 9th August), Wyclef stands out for me as the Most Enjoyed Artiste. I started hearing his songs in the 90s when he was with the Fugees ... "Ready or Not" around 1997 was dream-like, fantastic stuff. During my Senior 4 vacation (December 2000 - May 2001), I did not spend more than one day without hearing "Tell my mama, I'm in love with a stripper, yo!" on 91.3 Capital FM. It was a spiritually philosophical jam. I like the part where he castigated guys who lie that they won't go to the strip joints, "He without sin cast the first stone."
"You don't have to be a millionaire, to get a ticket up to the moon. We all know somebody up there. If you need a helping hand, look I'm right here." Well for Ugandans, 'the Preacher's Son' will be at the Lugogo Cricket Oval on Friday night 1st August to take them over the moon with songs like "Fast Car" for only 35,000 UgShs, that is way less than a million. Also, Celtel Uganda will unveil its new pink and black 'Zain' image.
'Clef fuses an element of reggae with hiphop soul and churns out mentally stimulating hits. Recently, I think he did a collaboration with a rock group, continuing the mash-up trend where rock meets other genres."Sweetest Girl", a collaboration with Lil' Wayne, Akon (Remix with Raekwon) is a deeply moving track, actually inspired my 2008 Maisha Filmlab Screenplay. I had already given up but because I overheard this song, it kind of gave me new ideas and amazingly, I made it to the Filmlab on short notice with my piece. So honestly, Wyclef is like a modern day prophet to me...
When I passed by Lugogo 4 hours before the show, there wasn't much excitment near the Oval ... There was only Zain's new branding advertised but by the time fans started going in, you could see a remarkably humongous queue. Where had all these guys been enjoying 'Clef's music?
Unfortunately, the star did not appear till about midnight leaving many fans wishing they hadn't paid, the delay pierced their hearts. Someone please call 9 - 1 - 1! Can they pick up the phone? Why not try 999, the line for Uganda Police?
[More Coming Soon]
"You don't have to be a millionaire, to get a ticket up to the moon. We all know somebody up there. If you need a helping hand, look I'm right here." Well for Ugandans, 'the Preacher's Son' will be at the Lugogo Cricket Oval on Friday night 1st August to take them over the moon with songs like "Fast Car" for only 35,000 UgShs, that is way less than a million. Also, Celtel Uganda will unveil its new pink and black 'Zain' image.
'Clef fuses an element of reggae with hiphop soul and churns out mentally stimulating hits. Recently, I think he did a collaboration with a rock group, continuing the mash-up trend where rock meets other genres."Sweetest Girl", a collaboration with Lil' Wayne, Akon (Remix with Raekwon) is a deeply moving track, actually inspired my 2008 Maisha Filmlab Screenplay. I had already given up but because I overheard this song, it kind of gave me new ideas and amazingly, I made it to the Filmlab on short notice with my piece. So honestly, Wyclef is like a modern day prophet to me...
When I passed by Lugogo 4 hours before the show, there wasn't much excitment near the Oval ... There was only Zain's new branding advertised but by the time fans started going in, you could see a remarkably humongous queue. Where had all these guys been enjoying 'Clef's music?
Unfortunately, the star did not appear till about midnight leaving many fans wishing they hadn't paid, the delay pierced their hearts. Someone please call 9 - 1 - 1! Can they pick up the phone? Why not try 999, the line for Uganda Police?
[More Coming Soon]
Friday
'Talking about ... ' a Good Book
[First Printed in 1983 by Semu Printers, Second Edition by Design Centre in 2010] Here is a sneek Preview of what to expect in the book "Talking about Talking" by James E.O. Dramani. Go out into bookstores near you and buy the book (Call 0772-662415 in Arua or 0772-624952 in Kampala for a copy) to get more revelation about one man's hilarious experiences and observations from the 1960s to the 2000s ... Good Reading
"Talking can take various forms. You may talk orally, or in writing, or in signs. Whatever the form used, it aims at communicating something to somebody.
When one talks, one may talk dangerously or randomly as I am going to talk. Whatever I am going to say will be said without order. One may also talk seriously or jokingly or foolishly or shamefully. Others talk big, in contrast to small talkers. You may talk blasphemy or gossip or secrets. Whatever you talk, your talk can be described by one of the numerous adjectives of the ‘European mouth’ or other languages of the world. There’s always a reason that makes one to talk. Be it anger, drunkenness, happiness or what have you. One’s state of mind at any given moment will dictate the tone to use when one talks. Soft voice for love and amusement; Harsh one for rebukes; and authoritative voice for bigness. Drunkards talk anything whether embarrassing or not. Quiet people become noisy under influence of drinks and go to the extent of revealing secrets, even their affairs with their wives. Happiness also makes one say a lot of things.
The subject matter of talking does not take one form. It may be political, academic, professional, or a layman’s talk. The interest of listening is roused by who talks on what and the language used for language joins people more easily than other ways. The ability to perceive what is talked about is dependant on the listener’s knowledge of the subject talked about, or his state of mind at that very moment. It may depend on his status in life or educational background.
In works of a title like this one, there can be no list of contents or chapters as everything just comes randomly and in a confused manner. I am going to talk and talk, almost without stopping but there will have to be a stop to all that I want to talk about. My talk may appear as if it points a finger at you. But No! I am talking at random on anything without mentioning names. My talk may amuse you, it may annoy others or it may leave others unaffected. Whatever it does to you, you can re-read the title and see if it rhymes with the contents for ‘talking’ can mean ay kind of talking.
Now going to talking, it is oral talk which the majority of people practice, for some do not write and the dumb and deaf ones use sign talking only. All the three forms are used by lucky ones who have ability and opportunity to use them all.
One’s oral talk has to be audible or else one may be considered talking to oneself. I for one, I do not talk audibly. Those who know me may wonder what I save my voice for, or whether GOD did not expect me to use my vocal cord fully. It is not me alone who is a victim of talking to oneself. There are others far worse than me I guess. Like our sweet talkers of the fair sex who fear to be taken as noisy creatures – for reasons best known to themselves. And so they talk as if they are just two in a bed where whispers are not supposed to be heard beyond the walls of the paradise room. The ‘bazungu’ say that you swallow your words as if the words are something to be eaten. Talking inaudibly will make the listeners beg so many of your pardons very much to your annoyance as you might wonder, without realizing that the fault is yours whether you are talking to deaf people or not. It may even cause loss of interest in what you talk. You are eventually labeled a bore. On the other hand there are those who talk audibly, but too loudly. Although they achieve the aim of talking that is communicating something to somebody, their talk is almost noise making rather than pleasurable sound to the ear. Even if people are in a small place, close to each other, such loud talkers never change the volume of their voices. They are only fit to address rallies in open air or big halls. They keep awake those addicted to sleeping during gatherings. Such are the right people for the Alleluyah Group or the Gospel Church where shouting is the order of the day. Or else they ought to shout in mosques every morning to awaken people for early morning prayers. Talking of Gospel Church, one may remember the group near Makerere in the late sixties which gave a picture of a mental home. There was no order of talking. Each person shouted at the highest voice. The group was banned in this country but is coming up again with the liberation of Uganda."
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