Mention 419' and anyone who has been an internet user long enough will unfortunately think Nigeria'. Well, it would be unfair to typecast an entire nation in bad light because of the indiscretions of a few individuals. Every country has its criminal elements. Thankfully, it is not all gloom and doom from Nigeria due to Nigerian movies.
The Nigerian movie industry has helped to bring out the ambitious though often less talked positive business drive of Nigeria. There's more to the country than '419' tricks and the struggle for oil cash at the Niger delta region of the country.
The origins of the Nigerian movies goes back to the 1960's. Around that time many African nations were still just obtaining their Independence from their European colonizers. The price of production gear and access to quality cameras and support equipment proved to be major obstacles at the time. By the 1980s, the govt. of Nigeria hatched and executed a policy that allowed more local content on air on Nigerian TV stations versus Western TV productions. This was a big step as it inspired local production content to grow.
Many investigators that have studied the Nigerian film industry say that the break through point of the Nigerian movie making industry came with the release of the 1992 hit DVD movie titled 'Living in Bondage' by director Chris Obi Rapu. From here on out, it was uphill as a strong distribution network was developed.
Nigerian movies and the Nigerian film making industry as a whole are estimated to generate anywhere between USD 250 million and USD 500 million each year. The number of movies produced each year range from 1,000 and 2000. Statistically, other than United States and India, no other county has such a large film making industry. Nollywood has the added benefit of tapping into an actors' and actresses' market that is not as expensive when compared 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.
The Nigerian movie industry has helped to bring out the ambitious though often less talked positive business drive of Nigeria. There's more to the country than '419' tricks and the struggle for oil cash at the Niger delta region of the country.
The origins of the Nigerian movies goes back to the 1960's. Around that time many African nations were still just obtaining their Independence from their European colonizers. The price of production gear and access to quality cameras and support equipment proved to be major obstacles at the time. By the 1980s, the govt. of Nigeria hatched and executed a policy that allowed more local content on air on Nigerian TV stations versus Western TV productions. This was a big step as it inspired local production content to grow.
Many investigators that have studied the Nigerian film industry say that the break through point of the Nigerian movie making industry came with the release of the 1992 hit DVD movie titled 'Living in Bondage' by director Chris Obi Rapu. From here on out, it was uphill as a strong distribution network was developed.
Nigerian movies and the Nigerian film making industry as a whole are estimated to generate anywhere between USD 250 million and USD 500 million each year. The number of movies produced each year range from 1,000 and 2000. Statistically, other than United States and India, no other county has such a large film making industry. Nollywood has the added benefit of tapping into an actors' and actresses' market that is not as expensive when compared 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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