CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
The nexus between costume design and movie production cannot be overemphasized. Costume design helps to tell vivid stories of actors in movie production. By this, essential role of costume in movie production, it is necessary to give definitions of costume design. According to Mallihah and Suman, costume creates the characters and balances the scenes with texture and colour, (100). Jorgensen opines that costume ensures that actions are well portrayed in their characters in their journey through visual style of the production, (2). Langis states that costume is specific in the style of dress particular to a nation, a class, or a period. The most basic designs are produced to denote status, provide protection or modesty or simply decorate a character, (2).
Alfred explains that costume design is an integral part of the storytelling in a movie. Costume is key in defining a character’s personality, ethnicity, mood, and situation. It can be used to show harmony between characters or convey a change in a character, (6). This is true in theatre productions in Theatre Arts Department. During the production of Nekighedi done by 400 level of 2019/2020 performed last year November, 2020 at the Theatre Auditorium, Delta State University, Abraka, when Uzuola was wounded, the costume designer portrayed the blood stain to show to the audience the reality of one with wounds. Langis says that a costume must be “the superficial shell of a character, but the onward expression of inner experience, the concrete manifestation of the character’s self image” (58).
Alfred notes that the major role of costume in a movie is not that it makes the character look good and appealing but to establish complement of the actions of the character and the message the characters try to pass across to the viewers. Furthermore, costumes are perfect dresses which help to create specific socio-economic status of an actor in a movie. Landis states that a successful costume is a combination of the intent of the spirit, the vision of the director and the intention of the designer, (57). A character bears communal meaning of certain culture, period and place where appropriate costume is worn, (3). This brings to the point costume design creates mental representation of the character. Piryo states that audience often pair with mental representation of the external characteristics (costume) of an actor with the message. Mental representation of costume can be explained by how a spectator recognizes a film character, (11). Since inception of Nollywood, costume has helped to distinguish different ethnic groups, and socio-economic class. The stories in the Nigerian movies were more of ethnic background when Nollywood started. To portray these ethnic backgrounds, costume is needed. Therefore, it is not out of place to emphasize the important role of costume in movie production in Nigeria.
According to Eze and Aka, “costume and make up are very important aspects of a people. The culture of a people identifiable by the kind of costume and make up they put on, as it is always the first call of attention, not only for the external covering of the body, they are unique identities particular to people, which identifies them in any gathering or location, (3).
This explains costume and make up as symbolic and both carrier piece of information which is about a particular people to the end. It gives expressive and explanatory information of the wearers. By this, it aids the means of character assignment by the Director. It is expected that it speaks volumes on the characters before the characters begin to speak or express themselves.
Eze and Akas noted that costume and make up worn by actors speak all about the actors and the production they are involved in. It consists of the total visual appearance of the character in any performance. It stands as a very important fact of a character and as the strongest element of the visual sense in a production, (3).
Costumes are jewelries, ornaments, accessories won by an actor to impersonate a character, and to play a role in a dramatic presentation. This means that costumes transform an actor or a performer into an actor that is being portrayed, thereby aiding the audience to understand the effectiveness of this actor, as well as his or her costume. Seppeanem says costumes are different from everyday clothing. Clothing refers generally to what is worn on the body as a covering for the skin, which is part of the evolution in African culture, when they started considering nakedness in the public as disgraceful. It motivated people to make and wear clothes out of necessity to protect their bodies from cold, heat, rain, damp and other hazards in the environment, (5).
Costumes are used as a form of symbolic expression of oneself as well as a communicative tool that interpret sociological effects at any given time. To support this, Dennis states that the objectives of costume design are to set the tone and style, indicate time and place, characterize individuals and groups, underline personal relationship, create symbolic outfits when appropriate, meet the practical, (35).
Historically, Nollywood which was coined from the Hollywood and Bollywood style started in 1992. However, some scholar had disagreed with this position that Nollywood started in 1992. Asobele-Timothy posits that Nollywood was coined from Hollywood and Bollywood style as it is the generic name for the Nigeria film industry. The global attention currently adopted by Nollywood is due to effort to create a distinct film tradition, (13). Haynes opines that Lagos, Enugu and Asaba are among the major cities that form the locations.
Regarding the history of Nigerian video film,Nwabueze says that there are several accounts of the origin of the video-film industry in Nigeria. While some attribute it to Kenneth Nnebue and his video Living in Bondage (1992) others say it began with the disagreements between two producers, Amaka Igwe and Zeb Ejiro, with NTA, which led to the, withdrawal of their programmes from the station. During this same period there was a big influx of VHS and BETACAM tapes into Nigeria, and having been denied the option of airing their programmes on the NTA the duo found the VHS and BETACAM tapes a veritable source of sending out and selling their progammes, hence the arrival of the home video industry, (17). Nwabueze continues by saying that the other accounts of the genesis of Nollywood by Jide Kosoko and Bello Salami, indicated that Ola Balogun, Duro Ladipo, and Ade Love played a major role when they came out with Ajani Ogun in 1976, the film which was a huge success was followed with others by Hubert Ogunde and others. To him the Yoruba pioneered films in the country, (17).
Kosoko states that following the film Ajani Ogun, the home video was pioneered by Muyideen Aromire who made the first home video titled Ekun, and this was in 1988. He further states that the reputed Living in Bondage (1992) was only produced in 1992, and states even his own work Asiri Nla was produced earlier in 1992 and that it sold 150,000 copies. He however acknowledges that the entry of Living in Bondage changed everything. According to him 'the way they entered the industry changed everything. 'In fact their entrance assisted us in moving up ourselves technically.'
Nwabueze explains that it is a mistake to generalize that Living in Bondage, was the first home video, noting that it could be described as the progenitor of Igbo films, since referring to it generally as the progenitor of the Nigerian movie is tantamount to disregarding the works of Hubert Ogunde and Ola Balogun, (40). Obi Rapu, acclaimed first director of the first home video Living in Bondage, states that his involvement into the home video was a deliberate move by him to practice his skills and knowledge at film directing, which he had learnt from Ola Balogun. According to Nwabueze, when he couldn't raise the 30,000 pounds, required to make a film, he found the video format as an avenue to actualize his dreams of being a filmmaker and subsequently transferred the cinematic culture to video, that is after he was rejected by Ogunde and other established filmmakers. To him, the Yoruba theatre played a crucial role in the evolution of the Nigerian film, and to him, the major bane of the video in Nigeria is the absence of a philosophy or intellectual thrust that prompted the development of film production in Nigeria, (40).
Living in Bondage 2019 is a continued Living in Bondage of 1992. The movie starred Kenneth Okonkwo, Ramsey Noah, Kanayo. O. Kanayo. It was produced by Steven Ogus and directed by Ramsey Noah. The movie was on the ironic involvement of Andy Okeke’s son, Nmandi Okeke in the occult society of affluence and wealth. From the 1992 edition, Andy Okeke ran away from the secret cult after he had lost his two wives. The last wife gave birth to Nnmandi Okeke and was taken care by his aunt and her husband. Uzoma, the blogger investigated the activities of the cult and they were exposed and some were killed while Chief Willams escaped. The costume used in the Living in Bondage 2019 reflects modern affluent and dressing. The costumes used were categorized into western and Igbo cultural background.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Movie productions are the reflection of what is happening in the society. Movie productions are also presented by performers and the way performance looks is very significant to the message and the understanding of the message intended to pass across to the people or consumers of movie productions. Without costume Movie presentation will look like street demonstration which does not reflect dramatic elements.
Most movie producers are always conscious of their message using costume and design to create imagery of what the viewers watch. However, in film production, the use of costume and design speaks aloud as much as the actions and dialogue. Again, wrong or incomplete costume and design have been a big challenge facing movie production. When there is disconnection on the costume and design worn by actors/actress, the message may not be understood by the audience.
Therefore, this study seeks to investigate the principle of costume and design in the movie production in Nollywood using Living in Bondage 2019 as a study with emphasis on the importance that existed in the sourcing of appropriate costume and design for Living in Bondage 2019.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The general objective of the study is to examine the principle of costume and design in Nollywood movie using Living in Bondage 2019. Therefore, the specific objectives are to;
- Examine the principles of costuming and designing of Living in Bondage 2019
- Discover the importance of costume and design of Living in Bondage 2019
- Find out the challenges of costuming and designing the movie Living in Bondage 2019
1.4 Significance of the Study
The study is purposed to benefit actors, directors and film makers in Nollywood, and students researchers especially those in Theatre Arts Department. It is important to note that the study will help actors in Nollywood in understanding the principles and importance of costume to movie production. Also, directors of movie productions and film makers can know how best to utilize the costume and design on actors for the different media. Finally, the students researchers and other researchers shall benefit from the study because the findings from this study shall add to existing literature and knowledge.
1.5 Scope of the Study
This study seeks to cover principles of costume and design in a Nollywood film. The study shall focus on Living in Bondage 2019.
1.6 Rationale for the Study
The necessity for this research topic is as a result of the fact that a number of people have limited knowledge on costuming in modern film making in Nollywood since the study is on 2019 version of Living in Bondage 2019. This research will enlighten researchers and also contribute to knowledge.
1.7 Research Methodology
The best research will be determined by what the researcher intends to measure. The research shall adopt the use of literary method and content analysis. Ukala says that the literacy method focus on written and printed library and archival sources, especially books, journals, theses, reports, literary works such as plays, novels and poems (8). also, Ukala says content analysis is a method for minutely examining content in order to count its specific aspects. It includes newspaper, magazine, broadcast, video (10). The reason for the usage of these research methods are based on the scope of the study which discussed the principles of costuming Living in Bondage 2019. Literary method was used for chapter two while the content analysis was used for chapter four.
1.8 Definition of Terms
Costume: Costume is the envisioning of clothing and the overall appearance of a character or performer in a movie and theatre productions.
Design: Design is a style of fashion made to fit characters or performers in a movie or theatre production for the benefit of detail description of the characters or performance.
Nollywood: This is a generic name for film industry in Nigeria that produces local contents for international and national consumption.
1.9 Limitations of the Study
The major challenge of this research was as a result of limited materials to carry out this project work and also financial constraint. There were no much resources to carry out investigations on this project work.
