A couple of weeks ago, we watched the enlightening documentary on Nollywood. This movie really surprised me as I never knew Nollywood existed and never would have guessed that it was so successful. When Professor Craig put the Bollywood movie on Blackboard, I figured that many of you wanted to watch it but didn’t have the time. I thought that it would be interesting to compare both Nollywood and Bollywood and how they connect to The Future of News discussion that we read surrounding media. There were many connections between the themes of The Future of News and the two documentaries. An issue of money, culture and modernity all portrayed the issues that having film industries in India and Nigeria produce. Furthermore, the documentaries showed the possibility of using film as a source of education and news that would otherwise be nearly non-existent.
Both The Future of News and the Nollywood documentary discussed the issue of money that the media faces today. I only wanted to briefly touch upon the subject as it was a less prominent theme in the documentaries. The Nollywood documentary did have a large portion discussing the issue of money in creating movies, just as newspapers and other media sources are having trouble bringing income. Perhaps it is difficult for movies to be funded in Nollywood because not only do they have no aide from the government, but they are such small, independent companies that it is nearly impossible to gather such large sums of money. It is likely that this will only change as the country becomes more developed and the industry does not have to focus on problems such as failing generators.
Furthermore, a focus on culture is prominent in Nollywood and Bollywood films. Countless movies examine the importance of family and religion. In Bollywood, it was customary for movies to be happy and filled with traditional music and dance. It focused on family and romance and tradition was a huge necessity in all Bollywood films. Like Bollywood, Nigerians enjoyed watching movies focusing on their culture. For both countries, these movies were a way to escape from the poverty and problems that they live in every day. Unlike these two industries, Hollywood focuses on special effects and other components that gain favor in the United States. Bollywood and Nollywood try to stay away from Hollywood look-alike themes, effects, etc. This is perhaps like media. It is common for new sources of media to have unique attributes that separate them from The New York Times or other news sources. Twitter or Yahoo! News are ways to spread current events but appeal to younger generations. Even the New York Times has been revamped to have apps on IPhones or other technologies that can gain the attention of our generation. The Future of News uses podcasts of an example of new types of news that not only appeal to a certain demographic but is also unique from the norm, ust like Bollywood and Nollywood.
The Future of News discussed the issues that the country is facing due to a change in technology surrounding media outlets. Like mentioned above, for example, the transition from newspapers to internet news, Nigeria and India aimed to modernize the film industry. Bollywood struggled with the incorporation of modernity. Girls wanted to eliminate their traditional clothing for something more revealing, sparking outcry from older generations. However, more importantly were efforts to transform the Bollywood film industry . The youth in both documentaries wanted movies that portrayed the poverty and discomfort that they live in every day. The idealistic movies that Bollywood once loved soon focused on impoverished children and a corrupt government. Although there was resistance from older generations the new Bollywood films not only gained attention in India, but across the world. Bollywood is a clear example of the struggle to maintain a balance between current outlets and those of the past. Like newspapers and radio news reports, historically idealistic Bollywood movies are being eliminated for more current means. This brings into question the success and approval of these new means of media. Should a larger appreciation and focus be put on preserving media outlets of the past, or should these means of communication be forgotten for a more modern future? India says yes. Despite the popularity of newer movies, people still enjoy watching movies that hide them from the real world, if only for a couple hours. While they have made room for a more current type of film, more traditional films focusing on culture is staying strong in Bollywood.
Moreover, the globally illiterate were mentioned in The Future of News. This idea correlated completely to both documentaries. In both Bollywood and Nollywood, producers and directors are focusing on creating and filming movies that can educate the people of their countries. It was interesting, for example, that the Nigerians went so far as to hire military to train their actors in an effort to add a realistic view to the movie. As previously mentioned, Bollywood films have transformed to portray the current disposition of Indians. They show the impoverished lives and unpleasant futures that Indians face. However, Nigeria took an interesting approach. Not only did they film movies portraying current life in Nigeria, but historical events that have helped to form and effect the country today. I quickly began to wonder whether film could be a main source of communication in both countries. Obviously both developing countries, filled with struggles to provide sufficient education to their people, have a lack of reliant and strong means of communications. Furthermore, the film industry in both countries is extremely popular and common. It seems that both industries are taking the right approach to transform movies from fiction to a way to educate the people. I wonder if more attention is placed on educational films, could this form of media transform the globally illiterate to the globally literate and educated? The movie industry is clearly extremely popular in both countries and movies are created so quickly, that it may be an efficient way to inform the youth on current events.
Lastly, another theme of The Future of News discussion was an increased creation of smaller media outlets that are centralized in smaller areas versus larger forms of media companies, etc. Both Bollywood and Nollywood use smaller production companies instead of a few powerful ones. In Nigeria, directors or producers own their own companies and create smaller, ore lower budget films that are just as popular. In Bollywood, Hollywood movies and other big name movies only make up for 5% of the film industry’s income. Smaller Bollywood companies are much more popular and make a lot more money as they stay true to India’s movie preferences. This is absolutely comparable to newer types of news sources. The question is, how can bigger news companies transform themselves to stay popular and profitable?
The two documentaries were extremely enlightening in depicting the themes that The Future of News touched upon. The film industries in the countries face the same issues that other forms of media deal with today. Some of these problem s have possible solutions while others do not. Perhaps the most important theme is the importance of education and acknowledgement of current events. Film can definitely be used as a media source to present this information. Clearly, despite the many issues, both Bollywood and Nollywood have been extremely successful in gaining the support of viewers in the film industry.
This is a great paper, Haili--it's very interesting to see how you compared Nollywood, Bollywood, and media.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to your point about the transformation of Bollywood, I am curious as to your beliefs toward the situation. Although you stated that the traditional and idealistic films of Bollywood still dominate, do you foresee the more modern and realistic films to take over eventually, or is there something rooted in the culture of India that will always favor the vivid and colorful dance scenes of idealistic films?
I think that there will definitely be a balance. In time, I believe that a more modern approach will be incorporated into the culturally prevalent films that are most popular today. It would be impossible for a Bollywood film to be based on the almost magical realism that is so common in India. However, I do believe that in the future, youth will want to continue to see modern films that express the problems that they and their country faces.
ReplyDeleteNice paper! You mention trying to use film as a method to educate people in India and Nigeria. Do you think that movies like this would still be popular? Like you said, many people watch these movies as a way to escape their problems for a while. Would adding educational value to the movies make them more serious and less appealing? (Unless there is a way to add the educational value is a unnoticeable way...)
ReplyDeleteInteresting paper, Haili! I watched the Bollywood documentary after class the day we watched the Nollywood one, and I was surprised by some of the similarities between the two film industries. I think that Jenny Sue raises a valid point about the potential to make films less appealing by weaving current events into them. However, I think that, if done right, films could be educational while simultaneously continuing to contain the aspects that viewers expect and desire. I think that it would really be a matter of clever filmmaking – something which it seems like both Nollywood and Bollywood have.
ReplyDeleteJenny Sue, there have been a few movies that are educational and still mixed with traditional Bollywood approaches. They are popular, especially among younger generations so I think that it may take a while to catch on but it eventually will catch on.
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