Some Nuns from ten Women Religious Congregations in the West African country of Ghana have been trained in Cinematography as part of an ongoing Media and Communications training project for Sister Communicators.
The Friday, July 26 to Sunday, July 28, 2024, training held at the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Accra, was a follow-up on the training organised in Kumasi in May this year to promote effective Communication among Women Religious Congregations in Ghana.
The training was also to help develop the writing skills of the Religious in Ghana to tell their own stories on projects and establish a continuous framework to update their knowledge in media and communications activities.
It was organised by the Conference of Major Superiors of Religious-Ghana (CMSR-GH) in collaboration with Conrad Hilton Foundation and Sisters of Mary Mother of the Church (SMMC), an indigeneous Ghanaian Congregation.
Mr. Daniel Seyram Kuade, one of the facilitators, took the Sisters through cinematography which comprises photography, videography and video editing. Cinematography is also the art and technology of motion-picture photography.
It involves such techniques as the general composition of a scene; the lighting of the set or location; the choice of cameras, lenses, filters, and film stock; the camera angle and movements; and the integration of any special effects.
The Sisters were also taught how to handle, set up and use the camera and its accessories.
Mr. Kuade emphasised the need to take good care of the camera to extend its lifespan and be able to take quality pictures from the right angles. “To get the quality of the pictures, there must be a blend of the shutter speed, the aperture and the ISO (sensitivity to light),” he said.
Mr. Robert Dela Mawuenyegah, also one of the facilitators who opened the session, said the importance of cameras and phones in telling stories today, could not be overemphasised.
“Gone are the days we didn’t have such tools to promote events, advertise products and better life; now you have available to you, phones and at the tip of the finger to advance your vocation and tell your story,” he said.
Mr. Mawuenyegah who is also the Executive Director of Global Newswatch Media and Communications and Editor of Newswatchgh.com, encouraged them to sharpen their skills to become effective communicators.
Mr. Damian Avevor, one of the facilitators, asked the Sisters to seize the opportunity they had been offered to master the use of cameras to take photos and videos to accompany their stories.
Mr. Avevor who is the Director of News and Editorial at Global Newswatch Media and Communications and the Supervising Editor of Newswatchgh.com, urged the Sisters not to relent in their stride but practice what they have learnt to become perfect.
By Sr. Sheila Adombire, HHCJ, Sr. Alberta Rabbles, HDR, Sr. Judith Segla, NDE, Sr. Joan Dzifa Bosro, SSL (Sister Communicators)
