SEMIOTIC DISCOURSE ON NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES IN NOLLYWOOD

The poor narrative techniques of Nigerian video films have led to crises of meaning in Nollywood. Many, who rush into production, do not have the basic narrative skills that are required, thereby applying stage narrative techniques to film production. This has hampered the semiotic narrative impact in video film productions. This work examines semiotic impact on narrative techniques in Nollywood films and suggests how semiotic monotonous applications and stage narrative techniques can be diversified for effective communication. To achieve this, the study examines scholarly works on semiotics and relates it to narrative techniques. Robert Scholes’ theory of narrative provides the theoretical formula for the research work. A Nollywood video film with high level of semiotic impact is analysed to explicate the contributions of semiotics to film narratives. It thus concludes that although narrative techniques in Nigerian films are influenced by theatrical traditions, if film semiotics is adequately applied to the narrative concept, Nollywood productions will become filmic rather than stagy. This will thus improve the quality of video film productions in Nigeria