Small screen cinema: Informality and remediation in Nollywood

Analyzing the Nigerian video industry through the lens of new media theory, this
article proposes a genealogy of the Nollywood media format to identify and define
its specificities. The films that the industry produces are often referred to as cinema
but, compared to the output of other film industries around the world, Nollywood
produces something that can be located in between cinema and television. The
informality of Nigerian videos’ production and distribution has in fact allowed for
the articulation of complex processes of remediation, which have participated in
creating an original product, something that I would like to call “small screen cinema.”
This media format has had a determinant role in Nollywood’s popular success and
its definition is thus important for a general understanding of the industry’s social,
economic, and cultural relevance.