Nollywood is a term that refers to the film industry of Nigeria. Its name is a portmanteau arguably derived from the combination of Nigeria and Hollywood. It’s the 3rd largest film industry, however the phenomenon largely rooted towards the absence of foreign investment or government aid supporting this $11.5 million gross box office, as of 2016. Each week upwards of 50 films are produced and distributed each week in the streets of Lagos, Nigeria and West Africa. It has fostered over a million jobs and is one of of the largest contributors to Nigeria’s economy.
Nigerian films can be produced and cut with a budget of just $10,000 with a 7 day turn around time. This fosters rapid content generation and it begs to question with such an abundance of content, how is this industry so lucrative? Surely with such a heavily saturated market and with competition simply flourishing, it would be impossible to create any form of box office let alone be the third largest film industry. The films by their design allow for this. They are “films for the masses” not the elite, and this ethos is executed through all aspects of production, from the narrative to the cinematography. The community is completely involved and it “looks inward and not outward” (Okome, O 2007) and what separates it from its contemporaries is that it doesn’t have the opportunities for training and operation financing.
Furthermore the incredibly low budget creates certain restrictions for filmmakers and few liberties can be taken when executing a shot. The limitations imposed worked favourably and fostered the type of creativity that is revered in this cinema. In order to work around these inherent limitations each decision is precise and aware of its boundaries and require a lot of improvisation. Costumes are ‘thrown together’, props and set pieces are personally invested and special effects, such as ‘gun shots’ are heavily reliant on the technical ability of amateur pyrotechnics as well as the risk accepting actors. The stories are centred around street level Nigerian issues which is what garnered mass appeal. Nollywood shifted the film discourse from post-colonial Africa towards Its contemporaries focus on post-colonial Africa as an outlet for assigning blame, Nigeria focus on stories within their communities with centred themes on the “magic of the city” and police corruption.
The films are commercially-savvy which is only indicative of its success because it vlaues the entertainment of its clientele. “The entertainment bit is primary to the mode of representation in the industry, yet in that pursuit, one cannot forget its sense of mission, which is to produce culture from the bottom of the street”(Okome, O 2007). In post-colonial Africa, there are a lot of diaspora communities which benefit from the cultural significance of this grass-rooted export.
Audience consideration is heavily paramount and a top consideration during production. Quality isn’t as prioritised because the society they permeate, certain inhabitants survive off a $1 a day and which form a part of the 90% of the population that watch these films. As a result, these films harbour incredibly social utility and should function as a vehicle for education or a message. Their audiences are captivated and possibly may be the only real exposure to a positive influence.
Nollywood is giving the world a taste of true African glamour
sillyyaks 