Evaluation Of Restricted Nollywood Movies Watched By Imo State University Undergraduates

ABSTRACT

Movies are produced with the aim of informing and influencing its viewers for good or bad. The audio-visual impact of movies helps retain the attention of its viewers as well as indirectly influencing their beliefs and character development and behavioural disposition. Youths are confronted daily with an avalanche of social behaviour and values from movies they constantly watch. Imo State University undergraduate students most times watch more movies to kill boredom and time. The researcher in this study tried to evaluate IMSU Undergraduate students exposure level, frequency of viewing; their perception; and the impact restricted Nollywood movies they have watched has on them. This study reviewed related literature concepts and empirical studies by other researchers. The work was theoretically hinged on: Theory of perception and social cognitive/observational learning and imitation behaviour theory. The researcher in this study adopted the survey research design and the questionnaire instrument as its instrument for data analysis. The study covered a population of 20,000 and arrived at a sample size of 392. The study adopted the cluster sampling technique. Findings got from the study showed that IMSU undergraduate students are moderately exposed to restricted Nollywood movies moderately and perceive restricted such movies to: be fair when compared to violent or sexual foreign movies they have watched; show sexual contents that are disgraceful and immoral; shows reality and not really to arouse their viewers sexually or violently; try imitating un-African cultures. The finding finally disclosed that restricted Nollywood movies they have watched has an unpronounced impact or influence on them, as it impacts on their dress sense and pattern. The researcher concludes that the restricted movies that most IMSU undergraduate students have watched has in one way or another affected their disposition to life and day-to-day behaviour. The researcher recommends that IMSU undergraduate students should cut down on how they leave themselves to be exposed to movies as it will directly or indirectly affect their studies and belief about life.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background to the Study

Since the inception of man, man has always wanted what will make him forget his worries and what to play with. Man has wanted virtually everything it desired but has not gotten it all. When the invention of motion pictures came into existence, man has been very happy as to having seen what will show him how his life is lived. Movies are made with specific preferences, but most movies are pictorial play-out of recorded events that can be present or futuristic, structured in a way that it seems to be moving. This recorded composition of events and happenings with accurate scenes and themes can be viewed through the television, a cinema, a computer or any other video-playing device (Haumer & Donsbach, 2009; Knapp, Hall & Horgan, 2014).

The movie maker records acted images with his or her camera and edits it using animation techniques and visual effects. Movies are acted with a visible background and typical societal settings; it is usually scripted and acted to show what happens in real life in different societies. It can as well be acted to reflect imagined events, happening, incident etc. Movies acted are saved and shown at cinema, televisions, satellite dishes, online platforms, or can be accessed and viewed by viewers using their personal computer or any other video compatible device (Oparaeke, 2015).

Movies generally are acted with the aim of teaching people life lessons that might influence them for good or for bad. The movie maker uses real life scenes as lessons to influence its viewers for a change (Fiorelli, 2016). The movie maker through the emotional fantasies put into his creation makes people see and feel the movie as not just an imaginative message bus as a real life happening that makes a lot of sense. Movies depending on the genre work with acted themes. These themes can be connected to various aspects of human character and attributes. Movie makers use different stunts, tricks and skills to communicate the desired gesture and to arouse the right or desired feeling in the mind of its viewers. Movies come in different genres and shows pictorial image which may be assumed to be nude in the mind of the movie viewer. This the movie producers and directors use to introduce and instill a particular thought pattern, dress pattern and way of life to intended viewers in different societies (Journal for Religion, Film and Media, 2018).

In the making of movies, movie makers employ tricks and animations to create both realistic and unrealistic events which are often met with criticism or praises. Movies are a source of revenue to its makers to the point that they are appraised well or criticized. The appraisal and criticism of Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) and that of movie viewers helps strengthen movie makers to be better and progressive. Movie praises and criticism differ from country to country, so each movie maker tries to make their movies to match the trend in the locality the movie is depicting (Dartmouth Library, 2019; NFVCB, 2017)

Most movie makers in order to stay afloat with their viewers’ praise can go to any length to gain the acceptance. Nollywood movies are not different when it comes to staying afloat, so its movie makers try to depict young peoples’ sense of dressing and comportment in their respective movies. This leads some movie makers to depict all kind of sexual appearances and acts in their movies. This depending on the viewer is seen as depicting sexuality, obscenity and nudity. Different movie viewers from different cultural belief and religious belief perceive most movies to be sex inclined, depicting reality or depicting excess sexual cleavages (Columbia University Press, 2017).

Nollywood movie makers produce their movies to be in-line with Nigeria’s different tribal beliefs’ and values, since movies are as well used to educate, enlighten and transmit cultures from generation to generation. Nollywood movies depict themes of: violence, action, love, lust, greed, corruption, seduction, faith, romance etc. All these themes can produce certain belief pattern in the minds’ of its viewers. An example is that a movie showing much violence scene as part of its theme can reinforce violence in the minds’ of its viewers; a movie displaying a theme of seduction can as well instill seductive dress sense and advances in the minds’ of its viewers, this will later show in their dress/cloth style and pattern. When viewers after watching seductive themed movie start dressing seductively it as well affects and influences their environment and locality into giving it a trial (Oxford Research Encyclopedia, 2018).

Different countries have regulatory bodies set up to regulate and accept movies that promote peace and harmony in the country. In Nigeria the body burdened with this responsibility is the Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB). They are the ones that every movie produced in Nigeria or being imported into Nigeria goes through for observation and approval before it can be viewed or distributed all over the country for viewing. The NFVCB can after observation according to its laid down policy find a movie to possess harmful materials and scenes that can dis-stabilize the peace and moral of the country, such movie is therefore restricted or even banned from being viewed, sold or distributed in the country (Movielab, 2020, NFVCB, 2017).

These days most Nollywood movies tend to show more sexual content and scenes as predicted by the theme they are portraying. Most of these sexual contents or scenes can be manipulated with a trick to look real, when in reality it is unreal, while some are acted as it is, just to arouse the sexual appeal of the viewers. Movies showing more real and arousing sex scenes, contents and appearances as well as violence or other acts that will depreciate the peace of the country is usually restricted or banned by the NFVCB and by the National Broadcast Commission (Common Sense Media, 2019).

American Academy of Pedantries (2005) has argued time and again that people, especially students and youngsters are easily influenced by the themes, acts and scenes of their favourite models to act, dress, talk and carry themselves like their movie models. Most children, teenagers and young adults learn more by observation and imitation which with time forms their personal behaviour and belief. It is quite depressing to note that since the inception of movies, there have been increased incidents of lust, rape, and violent behaviour by youths and people of all ages, all in the name of consciously or subconsciously trying to model after what they have watched in movies. Violent and sexually restricted Nollywood movies have more detrimental and few beneficial effects on its viewer’s pro-social behaviour. Anti-social or ill mannerism emanates after an individual has spent an amount of time watching and exposing themselves to sexually or violently tailored movie content which usually has little good and more bad addiction to add to their behaviour and life (Okeoma,2012).

Children, teenagers and young adults who expose themselves to NFVCB restricted Nollywood movies tend to be addicted to such movies thereby tampering with the good upbringing their parents, neigbours and environment inculcated in them. These restricted movies form characters like: verbal insult, sexual assault, physical aggression/violence, drug and sex abuse, bullying etc (Anderson, 2003 & EUCAM, 2010).

Some NFVCB restricted Nollywood movies that contain more sexual contents include: My Neighbor, Runs Girls, Bad House Helps, Church Romance, Night Nurse, Secondary School girls, Betrayed Vows, etc are movies with high tendency of sexual contents. This study is specifically evaluating restricted Nollywood movies which are assumed to affect and have negative impact on undergraduate students of Imo State University Owerri, Imo State.

• Statement of the Problem

It is no doubt that visuals have greater impact in human character development and beliefs. Nollywood movie makers as well try to depict the current fashion trends they assume to use in reshaping their society. Some times Nollywood movie makers have tried using sexual contents in their movies to communicate to all the ill happening in our Nigerian society. Nollywood movie makers while trying to look real and unpredictable have in most cases over used some scenes to depict what they have in mind, these leaves some of their produced movies to be restricted by the NFVCB. The problem with depicting ill happenings is that they do not most times reduce the societal ills but rather help to boost and encourage it. Most times the particular audience that most restricted Nollywood movies have in mind when acting some matured scenes are not really the ones who eventually watch these movies. Since what the mind sees is what it tries to practicalize, so with restricted Nollywood movies watched daily, societal ills increase continually.

Young adults are confronted daily with an avalanche of social behaviour and values from movies they constantly watch. Imo State University undergraduate students most times try to be updated with current happenings and thought pattern shown in different movies they watch. While these undergraduate students are being updated they are mostly influenced negatively by such movie contents (not in the way the Nollywood movie producers and directors had in mind). This is caused by wrong interpretation, meaning and lessons as decoded by the minds of these undergraduates, these are reasons to worry. In most cases these undergraduate students see what an average adult or elderly one see as nudity and showcase of sexual and violent scenes to be nothing negative nor positive.

This study therefore, seeks to evaluate restricted Nollywood movie viewership by Imo State University undergraduate students.

 Objectives of the Study

This study aims to evaluate the impact restricted Nollywood movies watched by Imo State University undergraduate students have on them. The following are the objectives of this study:

1. Evaluate IMSU Undergraduate students exposure level to restricted Nollywood movies
2. Determine IMSU undergraduates students frequency of watching restricted Nollywood movies
3. Ascertain IMSU undergraduate students perception of these restricted Nollywood movies they watch
4. X-ray the impact restricted Nollywood movies have on IMSU undergraduate students.

1.4     Research Questions

1. What is the exposure level of IMSU Undergraduate students to restricted Nollywood movies?
2. How frequent do IMSU undergraduates students watch restricted Nollywood movies?
3. How do IMSU undergraduate students’ perceive restricted Nollywood movies they watch?
4. What impact does restricted Nollywood movies watched by IMSU undergraduate students have on them?

1.5     Test of Hypothesis

Hi:     IMSU undergraduate students’ exposure to restricted Nollywood movies is related to how frequent they watch such movies.

Ho:    IMSU undergraduate students’ exposure to restricted Nollywood movies is related to how frequent they watch such movies

 1.6     Scope of Study

The scope of the study covered the impact restricted Nollywood movies have on undergraduate students in Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria. Imo State University is an educational institution owned by Imo State government in the state capital. The institution is structurally found in the heart of the state which is as well the heart of Owerri. Imo State University comprises of thirteen (13) faculties and seventy nine (79) departments. This study will cover undergraduate students in different faculties and departments in Imo State University, Owerri.

1.7     Significance of the Study

This research work will be important to movie professionals, makers, scripter’s and directors because it will help them to know the practical influence their restricted movie has on the target audience or viewer as well as help them to curtail or increase the rate of obscenity, moral or religious decadence and violence depicted in their movies.

Academically, this study will help enlighten undergraduates to carefully select movies they allow themselves to be exposed to. This will allow them to prioritize their selection of unrestricted and approved Nigerian movies with good themes, story line and less obscenity. They can as well use this study for reference purposes when carrying out similar research works.

1.8    Operational Definition of Terms

Evaluation:                     This is a value assessment used to determine or summarize a particular situation. This study tends to evaluate Imo State University undergraduates viewership of Restricted Nollywood movies.

Restricted:                      This is to classify, limit, control viewership or consumption of a confidential information or content

Movies:                           Every acted, recorded and viewable Nigerian home video that can be watched at will through the media or other visual devices.

Nollywood Movies:         These are movies scripted, acted, produced and marketed by Nigerians to themselves and all who care. Nollywood explains Nigerian made movies.

Restricted Nollywood Movies: These are categorized and classified Nollywood movies that are confidential or morally bankrupt that is limited and controlled by the NFVCB not to be watched by Nigerians because of its supposed negative effect on its viewers.

Undergraduates:           These are students from Imo State University, Owerri who have not graduated and are still studying to get their first degree.

Pages:  60

Category: Project

Format:  Word & PDF         

Chapters: 1-5                                 

Material contains Table of Content, Abstract and References.