Tikko Makhubele Personality Profile

Personality Profile

By Palesa Modingwane

Tikko Makhubele is a 25 year old, fresh-faced fashion designer with big dreams and a clear vision of what he wants, his artistic hand-craft talent is one that will ensure that his visions, goals and dreams become his reality.

This Johannesburg born and raised young man fell in love with fashion at a very early age in his life however he does say that it was more about the love for fashion and clothes and less to do with making a living out of it, he only decided to pursue it as a career in his final years of high school, “my biggest influence has to have been my dad, he owns a production house, and because of that I genuinely fell in love with fashion”. With a degree that he obtained from the Lisof fashion institute in Rosebank one can say that he is well accredited and a few steps away from making it big.

This humble but very outspoken and knowledgeable young man has worked with plenty of people around the area in which he lives and one particular friend was very eager to share his experience of working with Tikko. “I never had worries when he handled my matric dance attire because I knew that I put my vision in the right and capable hands, and to this day I have no regrets” says Thabang.

Tikko is well known for his hand craft skills and wants to the world to know him for the clothes he makes not necessarily whose wears his clothes, “I believe celebrities don’t necessarily make the brands, however the quality makes the brand and that is what I want my brand to be known for, excellent material and excellent quality”.

Tikko, who seemed very relaxed and in complete control of himself gave substantial answers, showing throughout the interview his passion for fashion and hand gestures suggesting that he knew exactly what he was talking about and had no problem what so ever with regard to sharing information and explaining terms used in the fashion industry, such as buying and merchandising, which are two very important aspects in fashion.

             

“I don’t believe celebrities make the clothes, what makes them is the quality of the material”

When asked where his saw himself five years from now he said that he would like to have a concept store to his name, he would love to have well-known big brands housed in this store, and wants to, at all times remain fashion forward. Not only does he want a concept store housing huge brand names but also wants a boutique of his own, showcasing his craft, skill and talent for the rest of the world to see.

Tikko Makhubele, well-known for his talent, admired by many and befriended by more, guaranteed success and talented in many ways, uses his magic hands to make a difference, is South Africa’s next big fashion designer and trend setter.

Bettering himself in so many ways, Tikko has since ventured into his own avenue, and is making a name for himself in the fashion industry. Early this year he started his own fashion label but only specializes in formal wear. “I have been very blessed lately, I have managed to get more and more matrics coming to me to get their outfits ready for the matric dance season, it has been an awesome ride” said the 25 year old.

 

Choosing the right career By Palesa Modingwane

Choosing the right career for you

More appropriate for “Teen Zone” magazine or “Free 4 All” school newspaper

Rational

These days there are so many different career choices to choose from, and the more the merrier. However, it can get really confusing and extremely frustrating. I remember when I started varsity, I was not too sure if journalism was the right career for me, but I still went ahead with it, looking back though I do not see what other career choice I would have had, so, I do not really regret doing journalism. Not everyone experiences the same luck.

Dr Fortunate Lushaba, a well-known social worker who has participated in an episode of relate, the show on SABC1, stated that giving yourself some time as a high school student to do some research and go through the trial and error of it all, “everyone knows how tough it is to choose a career, everyone except our parents, just be patient with yourself and know how to speak to your parents accordingly” says Lushaba.

This does make a lot of sense; many parents often push their students into doing courses that are not suited for them.
Making a decision about which career path to pursue is a very difficult one, and can haunt you for the rest of your life, this decision really can make or break you.

Lushaba also stated that students also follow their friends when it comes to making decisions about their careers, or seem to see other flourish in a career and automatically assume they would to. “Another common factor in choosing a career is the influence of money, students nowadays choose to rather follow a career path just to get money, and there is nothing wrong with that, however it is not only about that, you do not want to wake up every morning and dread going to work” said Lushaba.

Speaking to your parents, and teachers, particularly L.O teachers will help you narrow down your options, and this is something students never think of doing, even I did not think of this when I was still deciding.

Choosing the right career for you

Choosing the right career is never an easy task, you get so confused and frustrated, that at time you end up making the wrong decision.

Always bear in mind that you are not alone, your parents want you to succeed as much as you want to be happy. Being in grade 11 and matric, you sometimes relax apply, and go with the flow, at times you stress so much that you lose focus, or you do not act at all because you assume you have got time.

To all matriculants and grade 11 students, breathe, focus, know and understand who you are. This is the most critical time of your life but remember this is your life and your decision to make. Here are a couple of tips to get you through:

·         Speak to your parents, teachers, or older siblings if you have any: It is really important to remember that you are not alone. Also speaking to someone whose career interests you is also not a bad idea, maybe a lawyer, an engineer, even an actress, whatever rocks your boat. Get more information regarding what career you may be interested in.

·         It is your decision: yes, speaking to others may influence your decision, however, bear in mind that it is your future and your life, do not make any decision that will eventually make you unhappy.

·         Take your time: a gap year is hardly ever advised by anyone, but may do some good. If you need the time, then take a gap year and discover yourself, and what your passions are.

·         Embrace your individuality: do not just go with the flow and pick the same course your friend picked simply because you do not know what to do. Get who you are first, then get to know what you want.

·         Check your academic records: by doing this, you will realise which subjects you excel in, also, you will realise which subjects you enjoy. Also look at the activities you do during your free time that might also guide you.

Dawn Rosenburg McKay, a career planning expert states in an online article titled “choosing the right career” sourced on www.careerplanning.com says “your first order of business is to learn as much about yourself as you can, if you think you know all there is to know, you will definitely be surprised by what you will discover through a self-assessment.”

As previously stated, take time, make the decision when you are good and ready, until then, live, breathe, and work hard!!

Gattaca Film review; By Palesa Modingwane

Movie Review: Gattaca (1997)

Director: Andrew Niccol

Genre: Sci-fi/Romance

Main Characters: Ethan Hawke, Jude Law, and Uma Thurman.

Is perfection your kind of thing? You might just like this movie for one reason it strives for absolute perfection and nothing else. This movie tells a story of an “imperfect” human that strives towards being perfect, physically and health wise.

Ethan Hawke, the main character plays the role of Vincent Freeman, who is the “imperfect” character, and because of that he cannot fulfil his dreams of traveling to space. He then attempts to genetically modify himself by faking his DNA and changing his identity to that of Jerome Morrow, who is played by Jude Law.

After doing all of that he manages to get a job at Gattaca, however, there are some hiccups along the way, which is where Uma Thurman’s character comes in, she becomes a lot like an angel. I was drawn particularly to her character because she helps Vincent Freeman accomplish his goal, by protecting him from the authorities.

Throughout the movie I really loved Jude Law’s character; he brought more feeling into the movie, made me emotionally involved in the movie, particularly because of his predicament. Although I genuinely disliked the ending, you will see it yourself. It was heart breaking.

This movie starts of really slowly before gets the idea behind the movie and the story-line. It requires a lot of patience. Also, the lighting used in the movie is quite neutral and dull at the same, sets the pace of the movie, as well the sort of dictates to you how you should feel.

Gattaca is unlike anything I have ever seen, it tackles a topic that is never touched, and tells it in the most truthful most fulfilling way genetically modified human beings is not an easy story to put across in an interesting way, but the director manages to keep your attention through allowing the story to evolve on its own, I personally did not want to fix anything apart from the ending.

Almost everyone would relate to this movie, in a sense that we all want to embrace our individuality and live our lives the way we want with no obstacles and no one to stand in our way. Gattaca tells a story that is very similar to that, a character that will by any means achieve and live out his dreams.

What I loved most about the movie was the fact that it was real, it felt real, as the audience we were not being sold dreams, not major stunts were pulled, and the pace was perfect.

I recommend that you go see this movie you will appreciate the fact that it is unique. It is so captivating and genuinely different on every level. You will find a connection with the three main characters, and somehow relate to them.

My rating is a solid 8 out of 10, because of the angle, the story-line and the pace at which the movie goes, I guess the only thing that really out me off is the ending, go see it yourself.

By Palesa Modingwane.

 

 

Gattaca film review

Gattaca (1997)

Rating: 8/10

www.impawards.com

This Sci-Fi thriller, written and directed by Andrew Niccol, explores a future world that operates through genetic discrimination and the odds that are stacked up against those that do not fit into the favourable genetic mold. The film stars Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Loren Dean and Jude Law.

Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke) finds himself as a misfit in a world that validates people according to their genetic makeup. He is an inferior man or rather an invalid because his parents chose to conceive him without any genetic selection. Realising this error they have committed, his parents supposedly redeem themselves by selecting a specific DNA coding for their second son Anton (Loren Dean). Anton thus possesses the perfect and complete tailor suit identity that makes him valid and Vincent, well; he’s what we would call in Simone de Beauvior’s term, the “Other”.

Jerome Morrow (Jude Law), a paraplegic with the perfect genetic characteristics becomes Vincent’s saving grace. By taking his identity Vincent begins his journey to unlock his dream and his position in Gattaca Corporations is elevated.

At first, the idea of borrowing someone’s identity seemed rather disturbing because, let’s face it, collecting your buddy’s urine samples and a couple strands of his hair for personal use is gross on so many levels. But as the film progressed and I grasped its concept, I realised that this is not some far-fetched theme. We are currently living in a world of discrimination and marginalisation where people borrow various identities that allow them to fit into this world.

In my opinion, this film has more to it than the typical rise above the limitations theme as the overriding concept of the story. The story is thought provoking in that it compels the viewer to engage with it by asking questions. I found myself wondering whether Vincent truly perceived his identity as completely flawed or was it his society and the Gattacan world and its delusional demand for perfection. The role of Irene (Uma Thurman), who also has genetic limitations, is quite significant. Niccol knits an us-against-the-world bond through Irene and Vincent’s relationship.

The film is not the usual fast-paced, dramatic montages and sound effects. Most scenes linger over the others at a slower pace. The fade in shots and close-ups allow the viewer to personally engage with the film and its subjects. This is quite a brilliant technique carried out through the most part of the film, it keeps viewers connected to the story. This is a film for any sci-fi and thriller fans. It is great movie that sheds some interesting perspective of what the future could possibly be.

TOWARDS THE BIG BREAK

By: Emily Mafa

Breaking into the entertainment industry should not be too hard when you have created somewhat of an image for yourself. Social media has been the ground breaker for some of our TV personalities whom we once regarded as Twelebs (Twitter Celebs). This is one of the assumptions or expectations of many young hopefuls pursuing an on-screen full-time career. While some remain persistent in hitting the rock for an outpouring stream of luck, others are using every little opportunity to create even bigger opportunities.  Mzwakhe Mbuli Jr is the man of the moment and we explore his exciting journey in the entertainment industry.

Mzwakhe Mbuli is a 22 year old Graphic Design student at Midrand Graduate Institute. When he is not deep-edging images on Photoshop and Illustrator or creating a concept for digital design and animation he jet sets on his robotic gear and gets his ‘hustle’ (on as the youth say). Among those close to him, he is popular for his robotics dancing and Hip Hop performances at various events. His features include appearances in local television advertisements, dance concerts and music videos.

Mbuli did not have much of the “Tweleb” status boosting him to the top; neither did his gigs land on his lap simply because he is the son of the famous people’s poet Mzwakhe Mbuli. Yes, you read that right.

After matriculating from Mondeor High School in 2010, Mbuli applied for a BA degree in Graphic Design and did not gain direct entry into the programme. He had to start off with the bridging programme called Pre-degree which meant that the course intended for a duration of three years would take a little longer.

During the first few years of his studies, Mbuli tried his foot in the industry by auditioning for advertisement casts. After getting a few gigs, he signed up with a casting agency. “I was a freelance extra until my friend informed me about Peter Stone Agency that assists with finding advertisement opportunities for their clients,” Mbuli says.

Mbuli appeared in music videos of local stars such as Pro Kid’s ‘Uthiningo Pro’ and TKZee’s ‘Dikakaba’ along with his dance crew called ‘Lyrical Sneakers’. The crew also appeared on the Channel O - Urban Dance Competition and 8ta Mobile’s prepaid commercial.

Mzwakhe's (right) appearance on the 8ta Prepaid advert

Battle Stations, a TV dance contest seemed to have been the ultimate deal breaker for Mbuli. He auditioned for the first season of the show and had hoped to go far in the competition which would ultimately make him the familiar face on our local screens. He only made to the third round of the competition and was eliminated, “I was called again for the second season of the show, but lasted on the show only for two weeks, it was quite difficult because there’s so much talent in South Africa,” he adds.

His latest projects include his robotics performance and appearance on the 2014 Coca-Cola: Share a Coke With advertisement. He also performs his robotics and dance at 3C Church and has appeared on the Trinity Broadcast Network (TBN).

The biggest question of course is how does one manage being a full-time student and still have time to for gigs such as these. Mbuli argues that it is not an issue of grabbing every gig and trying to fit it into one’s schedule and assuming time management skills will kick in to balance it all off. The reality, for him, is that he has to pass up some opportunities. “I always say that you have a choice, you know. You have to prioritise. I am a creative arts student and that demands a lot of time, I need this qualification,” Mbuli says. He also acknowledges that the entertainment industry is very tough, “It is everybody that can get a full-time career or make a living out entertainment, you need something to fall back on,” he adds.

Mbuli looks forward to more gigs, and it is evident that he strives to make a mark in this industry, from dancing contests, to advertisement castings and acting in short-films. It appears to be the beginning of great things for Mzwakhe Mbuli Jr.

           

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1.    How did you get into the limelight of TV advertisements?

2.    What other TV productions did you feature in?

3.    What do you think makes you stand out from other passionate dancers?

4.    How was your experience on the dance contest ‘Battle Stations’?

5.    How do you maintain the balance between your work as a Graphic Design student and your activities?

6.    How do you maintain the balance between your work as a Graphic Design student and your activities?

HOW TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA FOR CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

By: Emily Mafa

Businesses and companies of the 21^st Century are at both advantaged and disadvantaged positions concerning social media. In what we call a “digital age”, it is difficult for organisations, both big and small, to control all its communication messages. The communication of an organisation goes beyond the send message to recipient and get feedback, the chain is rather far more complicated than that.  Consider this scenario, for example:

One of the country’s largest and successful cosmetics company launches a new skin care product. The company’s marketing and advertisement departments team up to promote this product and get their clients to know more about it. The advert gets approved and is on 10 billboards nationwide. The slogan of the skin care product reads “Lighter Shades, Better Days”. It causes uproar about skin colour stereotypes on social media, upsetting a huge clientele and other stakeholders. The Advertising Standards Association of South Africa (ASA or  ASASA) receives countless letters of complaints and investigates the matter and thereafter gives the company a certain period of time to remove all its adverts of that product.

Within the complex chain of communication, there are different types of messages, planned messages, product messages, unplanned messages and service messages as explained by Rachel Barker and George Angeloupulo, authors of Integrated Organisational Communications. Corporate Communications comes in handy for all types of messages, but it has to be strategic. In the case of the scenario, the major crisis is caused by an unplanned message which is the interpretation of the slogan. It is important that while the issue is at debacle, the company should maximise the opportunity available on social media. Yes, that is a neat way to say, the PR strategy should kick in full force. How does an organisation do this through social media?

1.    Get a social media coordinator

Thami Mathenjwa, a communication’s officer who specialises in consumers’ relations division in Johannesburg Road’s Agency says organisation should have a team social media coordinators. These are people who are responsible for online communications with the company’s different stakeholders. A full-time social media coordinator is preferred over a part-time website administrator who also holds other communication duties in the organisation. Social media coordinators do not just update information on Twitter and Facebook, they also have direct communication with the public. They are able to give and receive information, which makes communication two-sided.

2.    Address the issues that are always raised on social media

Addressing issues that are raised on social media not only benefits the public but the organisation as well. By taking the consumers’ queries seriously, the organisation builds a positive image for itself. In a case such as that of the above scenario, while the issue is investigated, people may still express their outrage at the billboard adverts. It would be wise for a PR team to release a statement on social media about the matter. The statement should also highlight what the organisation is doing about the complaints it has received and also apologise for any inconveniences.

3.    Channel the issues to the right internal stakeholders

It is important to send messages to the right departments. If a query about the products’ slogan persists, the advertising and marketing and public relations departments are the internal stakeholders who should receive these messages, not the CEO’s personal assistant who already receives numerous emails for various stakeholders. If a message is sent directly to the right department, they will provide a solution that addresses the problem. The social media coordinator must therefore act as a mediator between these departments and the public. He or she will distribute these communication messages on the social networks.

4.    Update the social network pages with relevant information

While it is important to maintain continuous communication with the public, it is important that communication should be effective. If there is no progress in resolving a matter, it does not help to update a status telling the public that “management is looking into it”.  The public prefers to know what management is ‘looking into”, what they have identified and what strategies are put into place. 

References:

Angeloupulo, G., Barker, R. 2006. Integrated Organisational Communication. Second edition. Cape Town: Juta

How To (record in your Bedroom)

Mix Magazine

Mix Magazine is a publication dedicated to audio recording, and song mastering. Much of the publication articles discuss quality recording, music production as well as sound engineering adhering to the tastes of professional recording or just audio, music and movie enthusiasts.

The topic I have chosen is on tips on how-to record music with high quality sound with the least amount of equipment from a bedroom set up. The reason I have chosen this topic is because there are many struggling artists out there who have the least amount of financial resources to adequately facilitate them to record quality material. With the aid of online articles as well as expert advice from an actual producer this feature article will include a D-I-Y comprehensive steps in producing quality sounding records with very affordable methods and tools.

Kundai Makombe who’s artistic pseudonym is Kripmac is a prominent music producer in Zimbabwe. He is known for working with some of the biggest names in the Zimbabwean music industry particularly the Zim Hip Hop genre. Not only an acoustic composer and digital producer, Kundai is also a sound engineer.

Most independent artists usually resort to using bedroom studios. Recording in a bedroom studio is indeed a delicate process which will be explained further. So the first order of business in outlining the vital concerns which tend to be the downfall of independent artists without the sufficient studio equipment Kundai shared his top 3 tips when recording in a bedroom.

Tip. 101. The best affordable equipment

Kundai tells us “Most artists feel as if state of the art equipment is the only way to produce a quality sounding record. That indeed is not true. Standard USB compatible condenser microphones may not be as advanced as XLR recording microphones. But they too are effective as well as economic. The best and most affordable brand of studio equipment I would recommend is Presonus. Presonus comes with a package both containing a microphone and a sound card.”

EXTRA TIP: A book on journalism broadcast by Herbet Zettle published in 2007 tells us that “Condenser microphones are much more sensitive to physical shock and temperature than dynamic microphones. Condenser mics are used for critical pickup indoors.”

Tip. 102. Soundproofing the room

Kundai explained the following point “An average closet can be made just as effective as a sound-proof studio. By hanging blankets on the closet doors as well as ensuring the microphone has a pop filter, the noises the microphone picks up will be restricted to the ones in the proximity of the closet. That way very little distortion will be recorded (assuming all the sound is equalized and levelled.)

Tip.103. Artist’s clarity

Kundai emphasizes that, “An artist can have all the greatest equipment under the sun that money can buy. But in the end it all comes down to the artist’s execution. Vocal clarity is the spinal cord to all studio recording. The artists must be able to clearly utter their lyrics, melodically captivate the listener. The equipment can only capture and edit the material before it is released. Eighty percent of the job is the artists.

Kundai highlighted the crucial points of bedroom recording. Even though many audio technicians and enthusiasts would argue that he missed certain points. With that being said an extract taken from the website (www.musicradar.com) lists the fourteen other methods and factors to take into consideration as follows.

·         Microphone Positioning

·         Drum Miking

·         Beats First

·         Dry Vs Wet

·         Mic and DI(mic Signals)

·         Headphone mixes

·         Record at 24-bit

·         Sample Rates(192kHz recommended)

·         Headphone Bleed

·         Low latency monitoring

·         Gain Structure

·         Compression

·         EQ while recording

·         Separate Rooms

Conclusion

Well there you have it people, expert advice on how to record word class quality sounding material from the comfort and minimal expense of your bedroom. For further information visit

(http://m.musicradar.com/tuition/tech/25-pro-tips-for-better-home-recordings-169382/)

Sources Consulted

(http://m.musicradar.com/tuition/tech/25-pro-tips-for-better-home-recordings-169382/)

Zettle H. 2007. Wadsworth Cengage Learning Lyn Uhi USA