New Media and Mass Communication www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-3267 (Paper) ISSN 2224-3275 (Online) Vol.21, 2014 Film/Video Industries As Channels Of Communication And Development BITRUS N. UMAR COMPUTER/ICT CENTRE, UNIVERSITY OF MAIDUGURI– NIGERIA. [email protected] & JAMES MATHEW RAMAT LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF MAIDUGURI– NIGERIA. [email protected] ABSTRACT Video distribution is causing a great deal of excitement in the television and movie industries. In 18th century, some popular toymakers used their understanding of vision to create an ocular illusion which became illustrious. At first, the toys were simple books, still pictures which could be thumbed through to create the illusion of movement, which became illustrious. Group of 10 companies under Edison, hold the patent to virtually all existing filmmaking and exhibition equipments, used in running the production and distribution of film in the United States of America. The Nigerian Film/Video movie industry (Home Video Industry) popularly known as The Nollywood, is the second largest producer of films after Bollywood in India. Nollywood just like it counterparts in the United States and India has helped to mobilized the citizenry for national development and projected African culture to the rest of the world. KEY WORDS : Film, Video, Channel, Communication, and Development. INTRODUCTION Film/Video movie industry is assumed to be one of the biggest media industries around the world because of the revenue generated and the publicity received by these films. Movies have been considered as magic by fascinated audience from the beginning. Film/video is a communication channel for disseminating vital information, with the intent of bringing about positive changes in the society. Video is meant to be a package of information on developmental issues put in video cassettes and screened on a television monitor or projector on a white wall screen (Think Board) and later sold to the public to generate revenue, Isiaka (2002:135). Research shows that film exhibition began to flourish since the Colonial era, with Glover Memorial Hall playing host to an array of unforgettable films viewed by the Nigerians of those days. In August 1903, however, it was noted that the Lacuna, paved the way for the exhibition of additional foreign films at the same Hall and at the same time as other designated venues. Films during those days were not common or available to ordinary people, but only to a privileged few in the society. Films like Tales of Manhattan, Trailer horn, where Tarzan began to stir up a great revolution in the mind of the people were very popular among Africans and parts of the world. The influence of these films on African nationalists led to the demand for independence from the colonial masters. This led to the establishment of the censor’s board by colonial government in Great Britain and France. http://www.nigeriamovienetwork.com/pages/History-of-Nollywood.html The Colonial Movie Censors Board (CMCB) was created in 1933 to censor and classify the types of films to be released for visual consumption of the general public and the country at large. During this period, scholars revealed that films like “The Primitive Man, Dixie, Buffalo Bill, The Keys of the Kingdom, Sleepy Village Girl” were tagged ‘suitable’ to be watched, while that of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Clive of India, “The Isle of Forgotten Sins”, “Home of Frankenstein” were considered as unsuitable for the public consumption. The Censorship Board was later transformed to form the Federal Board of Movie Censors (FBOMC), the board derived its powers from 1948 Cinematograph Laws of Nigeria, and the Cinematograph Laws of 1963, http://www.nigeriamovienetwork.com/pages/ History-of-Nollywood.html Research shows in recent times, that film/video industries are involved in generating their contents in the country and around the world. However, they create and outline those ideas, opinions and find the (personnel, directors, actors and actresses and other crews in the production industry - the talents) to turn the ideas outlined into scripts, and also sourced the finance that could turn the scripts into motion pictures, and promote interest in the finished product for dissemination to end user(s) the ultimate consumers. Theatrical film or feature film were created to be visual first in traditional movie theaters; and once it had its test run at movie theaters by the producers, then they are redistributed as home videos and DVDs for rental or for sale, pay-per- 16 New Media and Mass Communication www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-3267 (Paper) ISSN 2224-3275 (Online) Vol.21, 2014 view films in hotels, homes or viewing centers build in community for consumers, as in flight movies on airlines, and as featured films on cable, satellite, and broadcast television channels, Turow (2003). The Nigerian film/video industry are business oriented, they generate a lot of revenue for the country through its production which is produced on DVDs, VCDs, tapes and other devices which attract patronage from millions of Nigerians, both at home and abroad. Understanding the operational definitions of some key terms will help us to have a clear view and appreciation of the role played by filmmakers in this paper. BRIEF BACKGROUND OF THE SUBJECT MATTER The Motion Picture Movies History shows that the motion pictures started in the 19 th century with the experimentation of picture movements and continue through the silent eras of films, sound and digital film/movie making. In film production, it is believed that the heart of every magic show is cleverness. This is synonymous with the film/movies activities based on the persistence of vision of the actors/actresses. In 1800 research shows that there were some popular toy makers who use their understanding of vision to create an optical illusion. The toys such as simple book still pictures could be skimmed through to create the illusion of movement. Sixty years after the invention of toys by the toys makers, which is around 1860s, the “peep show” came up with what was said to be the amusement popular boxes containing moving rods of still pictures. As you move the rods, different pictures are revealed for one to see, Rodman. (2006:151) In 1839, a photography motion was invented and was successfully used around the 1872. A few years after Muybride’s demonstration took place, individuals in the United States, France and Great Britain were working at the same time to develop techniques for projection of motion pictures. During this period, it was an American and two others, Thomas Edison (American) and Louis and Augustine Lumiere (French) who made the first breakthrough in the field of filming and projector, which was called Kinetograph (Camera). Edison used what is called the Kinescope, a device that helped in viewing motion pictures. The most essential period in motion pictures achievement was the years from 1939 to 1941. Going by the wind of change, which showcased the new Technicolor film process, was released in 1939. In the same year, two other films became classics. The Wizard of Oz and Stage coach (starring John Wayne) in his first major role was released. Two years later, Orson Welles directed and starred in Citizen Kane, which some critics considered it as the best American film ever. The financial backing and various holdings of the studio system helped the film/movies industry survive the depression. Film attendance and profits making began to climb in 1934 and held steady throughout the World War II. Around the 1940s, movies was just as part of American life as watching television today. The all-time peak for film/movies going was in 1946 when average weekly attendance reached over 90 million. In 1938, the Justice Department filed suit against Paramount and major film companies with a charge, that the industry’s vertical control of production, distribution, and exhibition constituted censorship of trade and monopolistic practices. The case was set aside during the war, and in 1948, the court ordered that the major studios get rid of at least one of their holdings in the three areas. Some choose to divest themselves of their theater chains. The court also eliminated the block booking system and thus deprived the studios of guaranteed exhibition for all their films/movies. As a result the studios had to cut back on film/movies production and reduce costs, as noted above by Dominick, (2009:206). Isiaka, (2002:135) notes that there are several organization both local and international that engaged in film/video production, these are the United Nations Information and Cultural Educational Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Health Organizations (WHO), Federation of Agricultural Organizations (FAO) etc. They produced video cassettes on various issues that may be of interest to the rural populace. The messages must of necessity be in local dialect in order to ensure maximum impact on the viewers. METHODOLOGY Qualitative research is aimed at gaining a deep understanding of a specific organization or event, rather than surface description of a large sample of a population. It aims to provide an explicit rendering of the structure, order, and broad patterns found among a group of participants. It is also called ethno-methodology or field research. It generates data about human groups in social settings, http://www.csulb.edu~msaintg/ppa696/ 696.quali.htm#intro 17 New Media and Mass Communication www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-3267 (Paper) ISSN 2224-3275 (Online) Vol.21, 2014 The method adopted in this research work is the qualitative method which dependents on documentary of evidences on the subject matter. Information was also obtained from the library and internet sources to examine scholars’ contributions in the related fields of discussions. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Theory has been defined by various scholars in different ways.