Monday, October 12, 2009

Nigerian Movies A Positive Alternative To The 419 Cons .

By Frank Mar

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 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 Nigerian movies in the continent of Africa has been enormous and has generated a fanatic following even among non-Nigerians across the continent. Inroads into wealthier markets like Europe and the U. S. have not been as successful. The films mostly still appeal to the average African resident that can relate to the localized movie storyline.

The African movie market can infrequently prove frightening when it comes to logistics. Poor infrastructure, costly costs of communication and widespread movie piracy can simply cripple even the best-planned film distribution network. Producers of Nigerian movies have mastered the way to best use the continent's system to their advantage and make a handsome return on their movie productions.

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