The release of the box-office movie Living in Bondage in 1992 by NEK Video Links owned by Kenneth Nnebue in the eastern city of Onitsha set the stage for Nollywood as it is known today. The story goes that Kenneth Nnebue had an excess number of imported video cassettes which he then used to shoot the first film.[7] The huge success of this film set the pace for others to produce other films or home videos. Through the business instincts and ethnic links of the Igbo and their dominance of distribution in major cities across Nigeria, home videos began to reach people across the country. Nollywood exploded into a booming industry that pushed foreign media off the shelves, an industry now marketed all over Africa and the rest of the world.[8] The use of English rather than local languages served to expand the market and aggressive marketing using posters, trailers, and television advertising also played a role in Nollywood's success.
Since then, thousands of movies have been released. One of the first Nigerian movies to reach international renown was the 2003 release Osuofia in London, starring Nkem Owoh, the famous Nigerian comedic actor. Modern Nigerian cinema’s most prolific auteur is Chico Ejiro ("Mr. Prolific"), who directed over 80 films in an 8-year period and brags that he can complete production on a movie in as little as three days.[9] Ejiro’s brother Zeb is the best-known director of these videos outside of the country.
The first Nollywood films were produced with traditional analog video, such as Betacam SP, but today almost all Nollywood movies are produced using digital video technology.[10][11][12][13] The Guardian has cited Nigeria's film industry as the third largest in the world in terms of earnings and estimated the industry to bring in US$200 million per year.[14][15] In 2009, Unesco described Nollywood as being the second-biggest film industry in the world after Bollywood in terms of output and called for greater support for the industry, which is the second-largest employer in Nigeria.[16]
Production
Most movies are not produced in studios. Video movies are shot on location all over Nigeria with hotels, homes, and offices often rented out by their owners and appearing in credits in the movies. The most popular locations are shot in the cities of Lagos, Enugu, and Abuja. However, distinct regional variations appear between the northern movies made primarily in the Hausa language, the western Yoruba movies, the Edo language movies shot in Benin City, and the Igbo movies shot in the southeast. Many of the big producers have offices in Surulere, Lagos.In an effort to improve the quality of Nigerian film productions, the country’s president, Goodluck Jonathan, pledged in 2010 to create a $200 million loan fund to help finance film projects.[17] Nigerian directors adopt new technologies as soon as they become affordable.[citation needed] Editing, music, and other post-production work are done with common computer-based systems.[citation needed]
International co-productions
With an eye to attracting an international mainstream audience, Nigerian film-makers are increasingly turning to the West for actors like Isaiah Washington, and Thandie Newton.[18] The same developments are taking place in co-productions with film-makers from other African countries. The 'Princess of Africa,' Yvonne Chaka Chaka, starred in Foreign Demons, a film set in Nigeria as well as her native South Africa.[19]Feathered Dreams, is the first Nollywood-Ukrainian co-production. Set in Ukraine, the film stars Nigerian actress Omoni Oboli Ukrainian actor Andrey Rozhen who also directed it.[20]
Distribution
The primary distribution centers are Idumota Market on Lagos Island, 51 Iweka Road in Onitsha in Anambra State, and 1/3 Pound Road Aba in Abia State. Currently, Nigerian films outsell Hollywood films in Nigeria and many other African countries. Some 300 producers turn out movies at an astonishing rate—somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 a year. The films go straight to DVD and VCD discs. Thirty new titles are delivered to Nigerian shops and market stalls every week, where an average film sells 50,000 copies. A hit may sell several hundred thousand. Discs sell for two dollars each, making them affordable for most Nigerians and providing astounding returns for the producers.Most of the films are produced by independent companies and businessmen. However, the big money for films in Nigeria is made in the direct-to-video market. The average film costs between US$17,000 and US$23,000, is shot on video in just a week—selling up to 150,000–200,000 units nationwide in one day. With this type of return, more and more are getting into the film business there. By most reports, Nollywood is a $500-million industry. And it keeps growing. According to Frank Ikegwuonu, author of Who's Who in Nollywood,[21] about "1,200 films are produced in Nigeria annually." And more and more filmmakers are heading to Nigeria because of "competitive distribution system and a cheap workforce." Further, Nigerian films seem to be better received by the market when compared to foreign films because "those films are more family oriented than the American films."
Nigerian movies are available in even the most remote areas of the continent. The last few years have seen the growing popularity Nigerian films among the people of African diaspora in both Europe, North America and the Caribbean. Nigerian films are currently receiving wider distribution as Nigerian producers and directors are attending more internationally acclaimed film festivals. In the USA, viewers can watch Nollywood and other West African movies on Afrotainment. On-line streaming is gradually becoming part of the distribution system with sites like IrokoTV and allafricancinema[22] showing Nollywood video content.
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