One cannot compare the quality of Nigerian films to Hollywood films. While Hollywood films are made on big budget, Nollywood films are not. In an article titled This Industry called Nollywood, independent film producer Ejike Nwankwo explains, “Films can be produced with as little as $10,000. The low budget film makes it possible for us to shoot and complete production as quickly as possible, sometimes within a month or less. But sadly, it affects the quality of productions as everything is hurriedly done” ("This industry called," 2012).
The low quality of Nollywood movies is something that I have experienced more times than I can remember. I remember watching a Nollywood film a few years ago and the volume went up and down depending on the scene. I became aggravated and stopped watching. However, that did not stop me from watching more Nollywood films later that day. The same cannot be said for others. I have met so many Nigerians from all over the world who refused to support Nollywood films because of its low quality. Some are even embarrassed of the Nigerian movie industry for not creating films that can compete against Hollywood blockbusters and have referred to Nollywood as a disgrace to the Nigerian people. Nigerians are very proud of their culture and wants the richness of it to be known worldwide. They do not want Nigeria to be only known for its poverty, corruption and other negative factors. However, many Nigerians think that instead of Nollywood helping to promote Nigeria in a positive manner, it’s doing the exact opposite. Non-Nigerians watch Nollywood films and criticize it for its horrible quality. This has left many Nigerians unsupportive towards the Nollywood industry. One friend of mine who teases me about my love for Nollywood once described the Nollywood movie industry as an “industry that supports mediocrity”.
Low budget is just one of the reasons that Nollywood films are of such low quality. Another reason is infrastructure. Like I stated before, Nigeria is a country of low development despite it being a country rich in oil and other natural resources. Various Nollywood producers have claimed that Nigeria does not have appropriate infrastructure needed to create such high quality films. This is an excerpt from the article titled This Industry Called Nollywood. “Added to the problem of low budget films is the problem of inadequate infrastructure that can support the shooting and production of big budget films like Titanic and Passion of the Christ. With low budget and inadequate infrastructure, movie producers are, therefore, left in the hands of mediocrity and unprofessionalism” ("This industry called," 2012). Guido Huysmans, the director of an African film festival in the European nation of Belgium states that in order for the quality of Nollywood to improve, “the government should provide the infrastructures; they should provide good roads and the needed infrastructure to make quality films” (Huysmans, 2010).
The low quality of Nollywood movies is something that I have experienced more times than I can remember. I remember watching a Nollywood film a few years ago and the volume went up and down depending on the scene. I became aggravated and stopped watching. However, that did not stop me from watching more Nollywood films later that day. The same cannot be said for others. I have met so many Nigerians from all over the world who refused to support Nollywood films because of its low quality. Some are even embarrassed of the Nigerian movie industry for not creating films that can compete against Hollywood blockbusters and have referred to Nollywood as a disgrace to the Nigerian people. Nigerians are very proud of their culture and wants the richness of it to be known worldwide. They do not want Nigeria to be only known for its poverty, corruption and other negative factors. However, many Nigerians think that instead of Nollywood helping to promote Nigeria in a positive manner, it’s doing the exact opposite. Non-Nigerians watch Nollywood films and criticize it for its horrible quality. This has left many Nigerians unsupportive towards the Nollywood industry. One friend of mine who teases me about my love for Nollywood once described the Nollywood movie industry as an “industry that supports mediocrity”.
Low budget is just one of the reasons that Nollywood films are of such low quality. Another reason is infrastructure. Like I stated before, Nigeria is a country of low development despite it being a country rich in oil and other natural resources. Various Nollywood producers have claimed that Nigeria does not have appropriate infrastructure needed to create such high quality films. This is an excerpt from the article titled This Industry Called Nollywood. “Added to the problem of low budget films is the problem of inadequate infrastructure that can support the shooting and production of big budget films like Titanic and Passion of the Christ. With low budget and inadequate infrastructure, movie producers are, therefore, left in the hands of mediocrity and unprofessionalism” ("This industry called," 2012). Guido Huysmans, the director of an African film festival in the European nation of Belgium states that in order for the quality of Nollywood to improve, “the government should provide the infrastructures; they should provide good roads and the needed infrastructure to make quality films” (Huysmans, 2010).