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Every week, NTV producer Mike Wainaina takes to social media to educate Kenyans on activities behind the scenes during news production.
The station’s news director occasionally explains what news directors do and some instructions issued to the anchors during prime-time news.
Wainaina, who started directing at 19 years, commenced his journey at NTV in August 2015.
In a past interview with KTN, he recounted how he landed a job at NTV by showcasing his skills on YouTube. He credited his time to the station to CNN international correspondent Larry Madowo who hosted the Trend.
A portrait of CNN’s International correspondent Larry Madowo.
CNN
“Larry Madowo was an inspiration to me as he used to host the Trend. I used to edit the BTS videos and put them on YouTube and that is how I got his attention,” Wainaina stated.
The producer had always wanted to become a director after watching movies. He desired to replicate the quality that was being achieved in Hollywood.
“I used to watch movies and how they were producing their content and that used to inspire me. I wanted to become a well-known director. I started directing when I was 19 years old and many people used to wonder what I was doing,” he stated.
He added that directing a production was a process as one occasionally learned on the job.
Wainaina recounted his first experience directing, where he made a blunder that prompted his boss to call him.
“My first show was a morning show. It was quite easy because I had the cameramen right there and the anchor. However, when it got two stories two, I messed up and played the opening montage instead of the second story.
“I remember the boss called and asked whether we had decided to close the bulletin,” he stated.
On his challenges, he noted that the newsroom was full of pressure, given the news cycle was occasionally filled with breaking news. As a director, he explained that he had to maintain a cool head to ensure production success.
“We have so much pressure as in the case of breaking news. You always have to calm down and manage everyone. If you do not do that everything will be chaos,” Wainaina asserted.
Apart from being a director at NTV, Wainaina owns a production company MG 100, alongside his friends. The company does photography and videography.
NTV studios at Twin Towers along Kimathi Street in a photo dated October 2017.
NMG
