Movie Sales; How CDs, Cinema viewings and Streaming services affects the success of a movie.

A simple 45-minute to 1 hour movie seems easy to viewers. How much work can it possibly take? What we do not seem to understand is that there are many variables to making a standard movie. With the advent of social media and the flashy images that our actors and actresses provide, one may think that they are being paid in millions to be able to afford the life they live.

What viewers need to realize is that everyone has to get paid. From producers to actors, location scouts, the agents themselves to costume designers, lighting staff and assistants. There are a lot of people involved in movie productions.

So, how, exactly, do actors and producers make any money and how does CDs, Cinemas, and Streaming Services ensure the sales and success of movies?

Before the advent of theaters and cinemas, Nollywood success totally depended on the number of cassette disk sales. Producers and marketers had to do the absolutely grueling job of viciously marketing, advertising their movies, and getting them sold in designated shops.

The singular challenge this method brought about is still a problem that Nollywood still faces till today. Piracy became a plague with its headquarters in the Alaba International Market and costs the film industry an estimated US$2,000,000,000 (2 billion) every year.

Relying solely on CD sales has become an unsustainable method for movie success, coupled with this is the fact that not everyone everywhere will be able to get access to the movies. Although CDs are still being sold, cinematic releases cover most of the grunt work coupled with social media advertising which brings instant awareness of the availability of the movie.

The industry, even while relying on multiple sources of advertising, may still not be able to guarantee the success of the movie which has made producers, casting directors, and film owners start to think of alternate ways to ensure the success of their movies. The ever-evolving industry seems to have agreed on one thing, the more popular the cast, the higher their chances of success.

Taking advantage of free publicity from the Actors

When you look at the top five (5) highest grossing Nollywood movies, what you would notice is that they are laden with very popular cast. The idea of this is quite simple. Each famous actor/actress has a very high social media following and a single share of their role in a movie ensures instant visibility and awareness by their followers. The more famous the cast is, the higher the chance of success.

The Rise of Cinema Viewings

With the growth of the New Nollywood, cinema viewings in Nigeria became the easiest and fastest way to distribute and ensure viewing. This is because new films, though produced well, have not had the chance to get to every potential household. This continues to hinder the success of each movie. Cinemas became really popular because of its access and convenience. Viewers can easily converge in a place and watch multiple movies of their choice. With the highest grossing movie raking in N73.3 million in its opening weekend, we can see that cinemas have become an important aspect of movie sales.

Ease of Streaming Services

Cable TV and Streaming Services have also ensured the success of Nollywood movies as more and more households subscribe for comfortable plans as low as N250 to get access to watch a variety of movies. Streaming Services such as Netflix are the next best thing for the emerging world. Having a service where one can watch a variety of movies have become more and more appealing to Nigerian youths and people. With the acquisition of some Nollywood movies such as Lionheart, Chief Daddy, New Money, and The Wedding Party, the profits of these movies will see a more significant bump as these movies will be put on a platform where anyone will have access to it. It also serves as a faster way to introduce Nollywood to the world.

There are a lot of things that go into ensuring the success of any movie. From its cast to the quality of movie, the collective success of Nollywood movie sales depends on the distribution and awareness of the people.