RESEARCH/ PROJECT 1.5
THE OTHER NOLLYWOOD: DEPLOYING & EXPLOITING VIRTUAL REALITY TECHNOLOGY IN HISTORY-THEMED DOCUMENTARY FILMS
The project will demonstrate how digital technology and new documentary filmmaking techniques can be used to contribute to both Nollywood documentary and re-enactment of African history.
There are two different aspects to this research work:
- A study of contemporary documentary filmmaking and filmmakers in Nollywood, in particular, documentary filmmakers, inclusive of VR filmmakers, who have documented history in one way or another in their films
- A practical project: the creation of a VR documentary film
The two parts of the work are e complementary. Equally significant, each part adds value to the other.
In Nigeria, digitization is reshaping the notions of cultural heritage and transforming historical templates into essential sources for the production of novelty and new modes of audience address and engagement. One of the forms of technology that is stimulating this digital transformation is virtual reality (VR). The practice-led research contextualizes Nollywood’s documentary filmmaking practices and the deployment and exploits of VR as a form of digital technology in documenting Nigerian history. The Nigerian history adopted for the VR documentary film in this study is the story of the old St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church –a historic landmark church building situated in the Wusasa District of Zaria, Kaduna State
Traditional 2D documentary films often provide only a brief, limited view of experiencing history or cultural heritage. Today, technologies like VR have introduced new ways to document and present events to audiences more engagingly and realistically than ever before. The idea of utilizing VR in Nollywood historical documentary filmmaking suggests a fresh methodology that recognizes the limitations of existing methods and standard practices in Nollywood.
The project will culminate in several findings that are original contributions to knowledge and will examine the practice of digital transformation in documentary filmmaking in Nollywood. This study argues and predicts that Nollywood can effectively engage with the concept of optimal VR experiences and sensations to achieve a sense of presence in history now, as well as provide viable alternatives for interacting with history in the future –a critical component that is absent in 2D storytelling.
RESEARCH METHODS
This research employs a mixed-methods approach. It includes producing a VR documentary film that necessitates an ethnographic approach (several visits to Wusasa, Zaria) and a 2D interview documentary, incorporating in-depth interviewing and participatory observation at various stages of production.
In-depth interviews are deployed in three different stages: the first with a documentary filmmaker in the VR domain, the second with the participants/individuals of the community where the documentary is filmed in relation to the subject matter of the VR documentary film, and the third with documentary filmmakers in Nigeria to gain more insights on the significant problems, channels, and platforms available for the documentary in Nollywood.
Participation observation is utilized to outline the technical requirements and procedures for producing the VR film for this research during the pre-production stage at a VR documentary studio (360 Stories) owned by Nigerian filmmaker Joel Kachi Benson.
