Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Interactive Television/Audience Participation

I've been reading so much Dan Anderson! I decided that since the focus of my literature review is interactive television, I would try to list all of the important aspects that it should include. I will be focusing on Alice Wilder's writings and research this coming week and might have to do a little updating.

So far:
Direct address/breaking the 4th wall
Example: Mister Rogers often did this when he spoke to his television neighbors.
Pause for viewer response
Example:Dora often does this when she asks the viewer a question or for help.
Auditory clues
Example: Certain words, phrases, sounds, or songs that clue the viewer into a specific part of the show such as mail time on Blue's Clues. There is also research on the importance of child voices.
Go from easier to harder
Example: This seemed paramount for the creators of Blue's Clues.
Hosts that are "energetic in a characteristically childlike manner"
Example: I appreciate that Sesame was able to cast a group of adults who acted like adults I knew but who took great interest and even participated in the activities that children enjoyed.
The invitation to participate
Example: "Will you help?", "Can you...?" "Do you ever?" Sometimes this includes child voice-overs to help model participation.
Repetition
Audience participation is proven to increase with repetition.

Generally, Dan (because we're on a first name basis?) states the importance of comprehensibility, the role of cues for attention, transitions and montage, and attentional inertia for any children's television program.

Have I missed anything?

No comments:

Post a Comment