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Below is an abridged version (yet richly enlightening) from among the short articles i wrote concerning this subject issue.
Movie exhibit began to grow throughout the Colonial period, with Glover Memorial Hall playing host to an array of unforgettable films viewed by "potential Nigerians", in August 1903. The non-availability of correct records reflecting the title of the launching film showed has produced a lapse in the precedent stock. Regardless of the lacuna, the method had been paved for the exhibition of more foreign movies at the Hall and various other marked venues.
The emotionally traumatizing "Master - Servant" relationship, apparent in the steady attacks, batteries, intimidation, segregation, victimization, performed by the Colonial masters on the colonized, with darkened clouds of animosity, vengeance, thirst for liberty, paving the way to splattering drops of such ideas, intuitively projected with the colonized recurring in-subordinate actions, started to spread amongst the blacks. The British knew they had to thread with care if they still desired to play "god" in their lives when movies such as Tales of Manhattan, Trailer horn, Tarzan series began to stir up a transformation in the hearts of Blacks throughout the world.
Aware of the deadly power of insurgency which can be unleashed through the Film medium, the British out of fear for their lives and feasible loss of the Queen's sovereignty took the bull by the horn, and promptly produced a Colonial Film Censors Board (FCB) in 1933 to censor and categorize movies before they were launched for visual consumption by the public. Following the facility of the board, Films such as "The primitive, primitive man, Dixie, Buffalo Bill, The Keys of the Kingdom, Sleepy Town Girl were identified 'ideal' to be enjoyed, while Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Clive of India, The Isle of Forgotten Sins, House of Frankenstein were thought about improper for viewing.
The Censor's body undertook a transformation process into the Federal Board of Film Censors (FBFC) from the previously mentioned, and the laws from which the changed body derived its powers varied from the 1948 Cinematograph Laws of Nigeria, the Cinematograph Laws of 1963, to the 1963/64 Cinematograph Law and Regulations. Today National Film and Video Censors Board originated by virtue of decree, now Act 85 of 1993. The advent of Nigeria's Independence (1960) and the Republican condition (1963), declared the dawn of a new age in all sectors.
"The Yoruba Travelling Theatre Group" of the 60's and 70's can be referred to as the "Fountain Head" of movie manufacturings in Nigeria. The veterans with excellent Theatrical abilities and wonderful efficiencies took their works past the phase, and dove into the sea of movie manufacturings making use of the Celluloid format. Noteworthy film makers on the Roll call of Honour during the Celluloid boom period of the 70's consist of Ola Balogun, Eddie Ugbomah, late Herbert Ogunde, Adeyemi Afolayan a.k.a Ade Love (father of Kunle Afolayan of the Irapada fame), Ladi Ladebo, Moses Adejumo, Adebayo Salami and Afolabi Adesanya.
The list of reported films produced throughout the 70's age and going beyond somewhat into the 80's is just impressive and goes to show that the Movie Industry has been around much longer, contrary to the '1992 belief disorder' most have been injected with. Such works include Kongi Harvest (1971), Alpha (1972), Bull Frog in the Sun (1974), Amadi (1975), Ajani Ogun (1975), Muzik Man (1976), Bisi, Daughter of the River (1977), Ija Ominira (1978), Aiye (1979), Kadara (1980), Jaiyesimi (1980) Efunsetan Aniwura (1981), Cry Freedom (1981), Ija Orogun (1982) Owo L'Agba (1982).
The cost of producing movies because period was economically back breaking, with Nigerians further annoying the efforts of the filmmakers by choosing to view movies of occidental and oriental beginning at the Cinemas and Exhibition centres, as opposed to the in your area produced ones. The Cowboy films were exhilarating to view while the Chinese films paraded amongst others, the Legendary "Bruce Lee" in (Lo Wei's, The Big Boss (1971), Fist of Fury (1972), Way of the Dragon (1972), Enter the Dragon (1973), The Game of Death released in 1978) who displayed Martial Arts dexterity, undoubtedly a combating strategy alien, yet fascinating to us at that time.
Indian films in the late 60's and well into the 70's paraded prominent names like Rajesh Khanna, Dharmendra Singh Deol, Mumtaz, Amitabh Bachchan, Anil kapoor, Hema Malini, and produced hits such as "Bobby", "Sholay", "Kabhi Kabhi", "Dharamveer", "Amar Akbar Anthony". Their stars displayed terrific acting abilities against the backdrop of love styles, and ear pleasing tracks coupled with harmonized dance steps, produced with noise and special results, though unparalleled with exactly what obtains today bought over the indigenes commitment for their motion pictures.
Hence, the Movie Founding Fathers began to face the challenges of redeeming their investments, which gradually became practically an impossible task, an anthem they constantly rendered much to the discomfort of prospective financers. They counted their losses and licked their wounds sustained in the financial struggle with every movie they released. The deluge of VCRS in the 80's produced a paradigm change from the Cine to the VHS format, makinged manufacturings simpler, much faster and less costly by a turning point in comparison to the former. Movie theater residences and other Exhibition centres were finally shut down and the Baton of Cine film making slipped from the hands of the Founding creators as they tried to hand over the movie baton to the next generation within the stated Baton Exchange Zone. When the flow of the Film Relay cycle was broken, the dream of becoming a re-nowned Movie Industry was shattered.
House Videos were produced which served as an option to the movie theaters, and the name naturally comes from the truth that you might seat within the convenience of your home and watch the motion pictures produced in the VHS format through your VCR. Film Makers maximized the gains of the Home Video idea provided, and began producing motion pictures making use of the Yoruba language as the means of interaction. The year "1992" has actually overtime been commonly accepted as the causing period of Home Video productions, with Ken Nnebue's "Living in Bondage" said to be the first film made for commercial purposes utilizing the Igbo/English language.
The movie no doubt struck the "Movie Well", which invoked a mass exodus of individuals from other realms into the art of movie manufacturings, having actually seen the chances that lay in the Gold mine region. Therefore, did the Home Video Industry identified "Nollywood" emerge.
The fact that "Living in Bondage" was ascribed with the honor of being the first motion picture produced industrial purposes and the one upon which the Home Video revolution was allegedly based on, culminating into Nollywood, didn't go unchallenged. Late Alade Aromire prior to his death, sparked a questionable fire, firmly insisting that his and not Ken's film ought to have actually been consulted such an honor. When confronted by a press reporter on the issue he had actually specified that Ken had produced over 40 Yoruba films, and had begun with "Aje N'yami".
There had been a prospering motion picture market prior to he came on board, so ken couldn't have actually begun it.
The confusion comes from the Censors board of the day, whose hands were amputated by the Law it drew its powers from, (1963/64 Cinematograph Law and Regulations). The powers conferred on it to manage the Industry did not encompass "Home Video". The present National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) did not exist till 1994. On this raving issue, Late Alade Armoire produced movies such as Ekun, Omije (pts 1-3), Obirin Asiko, Ayo ni o, Adun, Orire which were launched to the general public in between 1985 and 1991.
Ken Nnebue still firmly insists that his movie "Living in Bondage" was the first Home Video film created industrial purposes. His stand on the matter is rather unstable, having prior to the production of Living in Bondage sponsored industrial motion pictures in Yoruba language such as Ina Ote, Aje N'iyami and others. Let's not forget the barrage of Yoruba TV dramas that were mass produced on VHS tapes and sold to the general public before 1992. One can't fall short to point out the legendary Eddie Ugbomah's movie "The Great Attempt" (1989), which would have made history as the 1st Nigerian cine movie in the video tape format to have actually been censored by the defunct Federal Board of Film Censors (FBFC) based upon a "special concession" gave him formally by the long-lasting secretary of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture at that time.
The strong contents projected in the movie were thought about unfit for public viewing by the Board, hence the movie was never ever launched. Regardless of the controversial fire raised, the global publicity given to "Living in Bondage" over the years invariably imputed the motion picture into our memory banks as the flag bearer of the Home Video revolution of all times. Motion pictures offer people the chance of informing their own stories, free of cost from alien disturbance.
Nigerian movie producers leveraged on this and produced films projecting our way of life, culture, local fashion, burning problems, issues plaguing our society, regardless of the choking stench of tribalism perceived in all sectors. Movies were made for the seeing pleasure of Nigerians initially, (before the mass exportation craze), with messages to motivate, inspire, reprove, and appropriate abnormalities specifically in the Political, Social systems, to shun violence and all types of evil.
The calculated use of the English language as the communication tool, advertising methods and execution through the use of trailers via T. V, Posters (now prohibited in Lagos State), taped a boost in sales, and expanded the viewership base beyond the coasts of our Nation to nations such as Ghana, Togo, South Africa, Kenya, U.S.An and even the U.K. The films churned out at an alarming rate were technically lacking in vital areas thought about as germane in the manufacturing process.
Wanna know more about Nigerian Shopping then Click Here. The popular "shoe string budget" tag has actually become associated with the Industry's antecedent of making motion pictures on extremely reduced budgets compared with various other film bodies in various other nations, ($10- $15,000 initially), but currently stretches to $25,000, with a microscopic variety of manufacturers further stretching the seemingly monetary limit to N 7,10,20 Million and more. The films were and are still shot dominantly in between 10-12 days, through Beta cam (now HDV cameras), were produced in the VHS format (now VCD & DVD), duplicated in mass and offered by the Marketers who also increased as Distributors.
Over a thousand films were being churned out annual by producers and thoroughly astonished by the spectacular analytical data of motion picture productions, the International motion picture limelight was shone on the Multi Million naira Industry "Nollywood". The Industry's total assets as at 2008 stood between an approximated $250 and $300 Million dollars. It is deserving of note that a Global cinema study, carried out in 2006 by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) and launched sometime in May 2009, placed Nollywood as the second biggest producing movie body in the world behind Bollywood and ahead of Hollywood based upon the numerical data of the movies produced.