New Media and Mass Communication www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-3267 (Paper) ISSN 2224-3275 (Online) Vol.21, 2014 16 Film/Video Industries As Channels Of Communication And Development BITRUS N. UMAR COMPUTER/ICT CENTRE, UNIVERSITY OF MAIDUGURI– NIGERIA. Wabulink2003@yahoo.co.uk & JAMES MATHEW RAMAT LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF MAIDUGURI– NIGERIA. infornme@gmail.com 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-