CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
Film is a story recorded as a set of moving pictures to be shown on the
television or at the cinema. It is also a roll on shut of flexible plastic that
is sensitive to light for the use of in photography. Film also known as movie
or motion pictures is series of still moving image. It is produced by recording
photographic images with cameras or by creating images using animation
techniques or visual effects. It is considered to be important for a source of
popular entertainment, a power method for educating or indoctrinating people
especially children.
According to Cook (2007) Films are mad up of sources of individual
images called frames. When these images are show rapidly in succession, a
viewer has the illusion. Film as medium of mass communication has its major
role to play in the society which to educate, entertain and inform the
audience.
According to Chamber Dictionary of twentieth century “film is a thin
skin of mainframe coated with a very sensitive substances for taking photographs
of a ribbon of celluloid prepared with such a coating for instantaneous
photographs for protection by cinematography a motion pictures series.
According to Balogun (1987)”Film can be classified in Europe film,
American, Chinese film, Nigerian film length feature films.
All these classification can produce
violent films, comic films, entertainment film etc.
By “Violence” we mean any form of aggressiveness or use of physical
force such as boxing, fighting, rape, killing, stealing, shooting and wrestling
to mention but a few which are displayed on our television screen or recorded
by our film industries on video tape recorder.
According to Concise Oxford Dictionary of current English, violence can
be defined as unlawful exercise of physical force, intimidation. It adds that
violence has to do with conduct or treatment, outrage, injury. Children are young
boys or girls, sons and daughters, babies or infants who are under the
influence of their parent or guardians, children can be influenced by other
factors such as films or peer groups.
According to the American Academy of paediatrics (APA) [2005] “Children
are influenced by media, they learn by observing, imitating and making
behaviours on their own.
It is quite depression to note that since inception of violent films,
there has been increased incident of violent behaviours in children. For
instance, a child after watching violent film is seen as imitating the models
by using his fellow play mate for demonstration. This has led to a child
injuring another in the process of imitating his ideal hero. Few movies found to be capable of injecting
violence acts into children includes: House of wax, Scarface commando, pretty
woman etc. these movies all displayed horrible series, rape and illicit taking
hard drugs. Children learn from what they see, even if it is on big screen.
Children spend a substantial amount of time in watching the television, he or
she catch a glimpse of violent act which goes contrary to the ethics of the
society.
In Nigeria,
there are audience member of home video films who are influenced in one way or
another by the subjects treated in Nigerian films which involves subjects that
are detrimental to the well being Nigerian society. They portray cases of
virtual killings, armed robbery, prostitution, rapes, disease, and other
immoral behaviours and it is shown in such a way that viewers are confused about
whether they are right norms or not that is why Frank Aig Imoukhuede in Opubor
(1995) confirms that “many Nigerians have complained of the poisonous content
of films shown on the screen in Nigeria. A great number of people have
criticised the nation’s television for featuring materials which contradicts r
erode the quality of life and undermine the peoples value and norms, saying
that what is needed as films for self projection which present the facts and
figures of life in Nigeria.
Historical background of
films in Nigerian experience
The first motion picture was screened in Nigeria on Monday August 12,
1903. It was shown to an exciting Nigeria audience at Glover Merumorial Halliri
Lagos. As Lagos standard announced “The cinematographs exhibition which is made
at the Glove Memorial Hall from Monday night and is to continue for the nights
is the talk of the town”.
The film was shown by Messri’s Balboa of Barcelona, Spain under
management of the Nigerian Herbert Macaulay. Although ticket buyers considered
the gate fee of three shillings high, it was discovered after the first night
at the film was worth the price.
The standard later suggested lowering
the price so that everybody in Lagos may see for herself, by middle of
September 1903, Mrs Balboa closed her exhibition in Lagos and left to continue
showing in other west African countries. On her departure, an enterprising
European merchant, Stanley Jones, began to show films in the same Glover
Memorial Hall, Lagos. He showed his first film in November 1903. One of the
most thrilling films Stanley showed was about Alake of Abeokuta, a famous
Nigerian ruler.
After the independence, the film unit became a division of federal
ministry of information with the main objectives of producing and exhibiting
documentaries. The Nigerian rural film unit experiment was carried by the
Colonial film unit propaganda section in 1952. Therefore, it is emphatically
clear that the type of media content (video film) that are exposed to the
adolescent will also affect their sense of reasoning and action. The film being
audio visual in nature have immense role to play in moulding the behaviours of
the adolescent.
1.2 Statement of the problem
Over the years, people have been joining the film making business,
either because of money or they want to gain popularity. Films are veritable
tools of mass communication which cut across national and cultural boundaries
with wide and fast distributing network internationally.
There are two
important factors that must be included in the discussion of influence of
violent films on adolescent. One factor is media literacy which was addressed
by Renn Hobbs. It contended that “Just because our children can use media and technology
doesn’t mean they are effective at actually analysing and evaluating the
message they receive.
Children need a set of skills to ask
important question about what they watch, see, listen to and read about.
The second factor that can affect how children are influenced by violent
film is the amount of parental involvement in suspending media exposure of
children. Studies show that increasing guidance from parents at least as
important as reducing media violence. Video films are the mirror through which
the society is viewed as it is the most popular medium of entertainment in
Nigeria which is suitable to a large audience. With the production of lot of
interesting Nigerian films in both vernacular and English language, there is a
great constancy with which the audience always sticks to the front of the
screen. Therefore, the central problem to be investigated in this study is To
what extent have violent films influenced the adolescent social behaviour? This
is the question this study is out to address.
1.3 Objectives of the
Study
1
To
find out the level of exposure of youths
to violent films
2
To
find out what type of violent films youths prefer.
3
To
find out the influence of their preferred violent films on their social
behavior.
1.4 Research Questions
1.
What
is the level of exposure of youths to violent film?
2.
What
type of violent films do youths prefer?
3.
How
have their preferred violent films influenced their social behaviour?
1.5 Research Hypothesis
H1 Violent
films influence the character formation of the youths
H0 Violent
films do not influence the character formation of the youths
1.6 Scope of the study
This study is limited to youths of
Osisatech Boys’ Secondary School Enugu but since the characteristics of youths
are generally similar in many ways, the findings of the study therefore would
be generalised to include all youths.
1.7 Significance of the study
Home video films offer
children a great deal of what they want to see and hear, their appeal to
curiosity and their convincing realism is very powerful.
Therefore the importance of the study is as follows:
1. The study will help instruct parents
or guidance to be mindful of the type of films their children watch.
2. The study will be very useful in
identifying the extent to which films flooding the market despoil the fabrics
of Nigerian culture.
3. The study will also keep government
alert to the need to censor the different types of films that are
produced.
4. It will help instruct producers to be
conscious of the negative influences on younger generations and offer solution
to better ways of presentation of the cultural content of Nigerian film.
5. It would become a reference material
to students and other researchers who would intend to carry out studies,
related to the present study.
1.8 Operational definition of terms
Influence: This is the character a
person portrays as a result of what he or she watches from violent films.
Violence: It is the action of
adolescent as a reason of exposure to violent films, which causes damage to
their life.
Films: It is played and viewed by
people with the aid of a television set which is connected to video machines
such films include documentary films, horror films etc.
Adolescent:
They are the audience member used or the study who receive the message
transmitted.
Social
behaviour: It is the behaviour directed towards adolescents of Osisatech Boys
Secondary School Enugu.
Attitude: The reactions,
habit and practice of t