کودک، نوجوان و رسانه
سال پنجم شماره 11 (پیاپی 64، بهار 1395)

The present research work is a descriptive one which is based on the views of four experts in children’s TV programs. In this connection, there was a round-table discussion in which an attempt was made by the participants to offer the features of the ‘successful scheme of children’s TV program’ and the ‘current deficiencies and shortcomings in designing and producing children’s TV programs. The scheme is, in fact, a road map for the producer. This scheme has to be contrived in such a way that all its aspects are made clear. This scheme can fill the gap of all unsuccessful children’s TV programs. The successful scheme is one which attracts the attention of both general and particular audience (experts and critics). If a TV program is not designed appropriately, it will die out and fade away from memory. And a successful designer is one whose TV program has a longstanding positive effect on children as his or her audience. Of course, this effect is dependent on the extent to which children are known to the designer.

The present discussion revolves around “adding ‘Poetry Recitation’ to the children’s TV series or shows”. Occasionally, we find children and teenagers taking part in TV ‘poetry recitation contest’, which are mainly devoted to the adults, reciting poems. However, according to the experts in children’s TV programs, reciting poems which are mainly written for the adults and are beyond children’s understanding can at best increase children’s memory power while, in addition to increasing their memory power, children are required to be moved toward something that results in an increase in their creativity and skill in communicating with the things which seem to be not interconnected. In other words, they have to memorize and recite poems appropriate to their age group levels. If any child or adolescent reaches a point at which he or she is deemed to participate in ‘poetry recitation contest’ appropriate to his or her own age level, this helps them improve their skills in conducting their lives (through taking advice and admonitions from poetry), enrich their vocabulary, ease the way they express their inner feelings and views, and, as a result, develop in them more rational conducts. The claim that the more a child uses his or her memory by remembering or recalling information, including reciting poetry, the more it can damage his or her power of concentration cannot be proved scientifically. Rather, some have rejected the abovementioned claim. Can we say that the better way for teaching and reciting poetry is that poetry should find its way into the kids’ world through music? The answer would be ‘Maybe’. However, there might be some manageable domestic ways in doing so. To sum up, reciting poetry has thus far been a means for children to imitate the adults in memorizing and reciting the poetry which is beyond their understanding at the expense of their instructors’ boasts about their achievements in this regard, something which is, in reality, not worth boasting about.

Iranian child, television and Iranian-Islamic acculturation is an important issue which has to be taken into serious consideration by the planners, mass directors and theorists. The impact of the media on children and the dominion of the mechanical world over man’s life on the one hand, and man’s enforced detachment from natural, sensible, objective world and his or her divine nature (disposition) on the other, something which is, consciously or unconsciously, pursued by the digital world and the media, are a great calamity that surely impedes the growth and development of human character, especially that of the future generations and the Islamic society. Thus, the permanent mission of the national media is to bring children’s real world back to the path of perfection and sublimation of spirit and body, liberation and to direct children’s attention to Islamic and Iranian culture. Children’s TV series is a means which has the capacity to deal with the issue at hand.

The present research deals with the way in which visual elements are designed and applied in TV programs, especially in the educational programs whose audience are mainly children. The aim of this research is to explore ways to develop and improve the quality of TV programs designed for children drawing upon the educational approach to the better understanding and proper application of the visual elements in these programs. The research has been conducted by making use of the library research method in treating the subject in question. The findings of the research show that the appropriate application of visual elements such as space, line patterns, shape, color, tone, movement, and rhythm play a significant role in making children learn better and more efficient from watching children’s TV educational programs. The present research has an analytical approach to the way in which visual elements are applied in the two children’s TV programs “Blue's Clues” and “Khale/Aunt Shadooneh”. The positive and negative visual features of these two TV series show that the visual elements in the former program have been applied on the basis of scientific and aesthetic principles as far as symbolism is concerned, whereas in most symbols of “Khale Shadooneh” visual elements have not been used properly and in a scientific way

It cannot be denied that visual media, especially television as one of the most widespread public media, has a great impact on the life of modern man in the world today. The scope of these impacts on a broad spectrum of audience from various classes of people in society exposed the theoreticians to new definitions and concepts and made the policy-makers and authorities determined to make use of this medium, i.e. television, in an efficient way. Furthermore, by precisely recognizing its audience and their needs, they offer certain patterns or models for TV productions as well as new plans in order to fulfill their aims and objectives. Children and housewives are considered to be the main audience of television. Hence, making TV programs for these two groups of people takes priority over any other matter. A researcher at Seattle Children's Research Institute said, “It's not just about turning off the television. It's about changing the channel. What children watch is as important as how much they watch." Therefore, given the importance of making programs for children and adolescents, we seize the opportunity to provide our researchers with a bibliography which includes sources such as books, articles, theses and dissertations to make use of in their research works.

The increasing development of animation or animated films in recent decades, especially in the last few years, which resulted in the growth of investment in this work of art and attracted an audience of not only the wide range of children but also adults is the product of considerable investment of cultural Zionism which is aimed at promoting its ideal of devouring the whole world. The deep understanding of the consequences of this creeping cultural movement requires one to make a serious study of it. This study helps to make an analysis of the great animated films with their wide and varied audience seeking to enhance the audience’s mass literacy in order to enable them to make a distinction between the right and wrong messages these films convey. In this article, an attempt has been made first to make clear the necessity and the purpose of the study at hand, and then to explore the appropriate methodology needed for the analysis and criticism of animated films, given the fact that there are some deficiencies in the customary methods of analysis and criticisms regarding animated films. The suggested methodology makes it possible for the researcher to make a technical and fundamental study of the works in the field of animation, casting light on the atmosphere, the roots as well as the system of production of cinematic works in the west and in Hollywood movie industry which, in turn, paves the ground for a comprehensive analysis of these four aspects: ‘form’, ‘wisdom’, ‘art’ and ‘animated media’. As an example of a case study, and due to the wide scope of the subject in question and the great number of animated films with their varied Jewish messages, myths and patterns (models), ‘The Prince of Egypt’ as one of the most effective animated film representing the Jewish version of the story of Moses in Torah has been selected. We hope that this article will pave the ground for future serious studies in this regard.