Monday, October 12, 2009

Nigerian Movies And Films A Welcome Alternative To The 419 Scams

By Frank Mar

Well, it might be bigoted to typecast a complete country in bad light thanks to the indiscretions of some individuals. Each country has its criminal elements. Fortunately, it isn't all gloom and doom from Nigeria. Nigerian Movies are changing the countries perception globally.

Nigerian movies are one of the state's most recognizable exports today especially to other nations across Africa. There's more to the country than '419' tricks and the struggle for oil wealth at the Niger delta.

The origins of the Nigerian movie making industry can be traced back to the 1960's round about the time many African countries were obtaining independence. However, the cost of production and access to quality equipment proved to be major impediments at the time. Towards the 1980s, the government of Nigeria formulated and implemented policy that ensured a lot more local content was on air on Nigerian television stations as opposed to American and other foreign television productions. This was a significant step as it encouraged local production to grow.

Many researchers of the Nigerian movie industry (or Nollywood as it is frequently known) point the turning point of the country's movie making industry to the early 90s when the film 'Living in Bondage' was released. The simplicity and availability of inexpensive film making appliances gave further momentum and before long, the industry was growing in leaps and bounds.

The quantity of films produced every year range between one thousand and two thousand. Nollywood has the additional benefit of entering into an actors' and actresses' market that's not as dear in comparison to the average cost of a top-level actor or actress in Hollywood.

The demand for the movies within the continent of Africa has been huge and has spawned a fanatic following even among non-Nigerians across the continent. Inroads into wealthier markets such as Europe and the United States have not been as successful. However, the movies appeal to the average African resident. The Nigerian movies have cleverly targeted issues that are a real part of everyday living in Africa. Foreign movies, and especially American ones, that are popular in other parts of the world sometimes cannot relate to the way of life of the average African. Nigerian movies identified this niche and that way, they have managed to captivate audiences across a broad demographic on the continent.

The African market can sometimes prove daunting when it comes to logistics. Poor infrastructure, expensive costs of communication and widespread piracy can easily cripple even the best-planned movie distribution network. Producers of Nigerian movies have mastered how to best use the continent's system to their advantage and reap a tidy profit as a result.

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