NHK JAPAN PRIZE


Since 2008, to respond to the rapid changes in media such as the diffusion of information-communication technologies, the initiation of digital broadcasting and the spread of the Internet, the JAPAN PRIZE has grown into a contest for all forms of audiovisual educational contents, not only TV programs but also websites, games, and other interactive materials. Meet the Experts is an event created in this transition where experts in audiovisual media gather to consider the effectiveness of audiovisual contents with educational value.

	What role does entertainment play in educational contents?

[For Children]

We asked the students at a British school to view this year’s entry contents.

Some of the children commented on the ways a program was produced, while others commented on its “rich information”. There were also children who enjoyed the art websites. The different personalities of the children could be seen on screen.

What kind of contents can attract the attention of children?

A heated discussion took place by our three unique panelists, and a large audience gathered around the stage in front of the 4th floor main entrance.

	[Guest] Kiri Visual Producer/Vice President, NanaOn-Sha Co. Ltd.

	[Guest] Atsuko Yoshida Screenwriter (Preliminary juror for the JAPAN PRIZE 2009)

	[Moderator] Atsuya Hirooka Senior Producer, Program Development Center, NHK

Kiri: I always think that music and images are the basics when working with children. For visuals, I also keep contrast in mind.

Hirooka:I always feel that repetition is powerful when working with kids.

Yoshida: Unpredictability and sudden changes are important for children’s contents. Children tend to have a very short attention span.

= The future possibilities of documentaries for children. =

Hirooka: There were many documentaries entered (in this year’s JAPAN PRIZE); but for children, I think it’s difficult to deliver a message in the form of a documentary because reality has many sides.

Yoshida: Today, our children are constantly surrounded by information. It’s difficult to make children want to see something that’s been picked out for them when they can easily look up anything on the internet. There were entries that struggled in this area. For example, to keep the attention of the children, rock music and quiz games were included in some of the programs.

= Media is becoming more interactive =

Yoshida: When we were young, media was always one-way with the audience receiving. However, now that media is becoming interactive, children are required to be more active. As children are more knowledgeable, producers need to pay more attention to what they say.

Kiri: I personally doubt that documentaries need to be entertaining. But I think it’s important to have children realize through our contents that it’s fun to learn something they didn’t know. For that purpose, it’s effective to make children more aware of media.


	The Potential of Games as Educational Media

A game can be a powerful media/tool for education if it's used properly. How can serious games be serious fun and effective? We will be exploring the untapped potential of new media technologies that inspire and educate.

[Games]

Depending on the way they are played or used, games are effective for various purposes. Our international panelists discussed the possibilities of serious games, games which have an educational value and are beneficial to society.

	[Guest] Takayoshi Sato Art Director, Virtual Heroes Inc.

	[Guest] Tetsuya Mizuguchi Preliminary juror for the JAPAN PRIZE 2009 Producer / CCO, Q ENTERTAINMENT Inc.

	[Moderator] Hide Nakaya Executive Commentator, News Commentators Division, General Broadcasting Administration, NHK

Sato started off by introducing a training game he produced for an emergency ambulance crew and a simulation game for NASA astronauts. As a game creator he commented, “Games can train or simulate but it’s important to maintain a balance between the educational and entertainment aspects. If you put too much emphasis in one area, the other area begins to lag.” Regarding the future possibilities of serious games, Mizuguchi commented on 2 of this year’s JAPAN PRIZE entries and said, “I think people are becoming more and more aware of serious games. We should be seeing a change in the way they are produced and distributed.”
When asked about the definition of a serious game, Nakaya commented, “There are still a lot of untouched areas but everything that currently exists that isn’t entertainment may be considered a serious game.” Whereupon a question was raised from the audience, “If everything other than entertainment is a serious game, what should we call that category?” and the terms “interactive documentary” and “applied games” were mentioned.
There was also the question, “Is it possible to create a synergy effect for games and TV programs?” and the panelists commented, “It’s difficult to create the same visual quality in 2-dimension and 3-dimension but scanning technology (to take a picture of an object from many angles, one frame at a time in 3-dimension) will be the integrating key for television and games. With scanning technology, the viewer will be able to pause the screen and see a program from different angles. I’m looking forward to the new possibilities of entertainment with this new technology.“
In regards to the future collaboration of education and games, “There has been a growing request for the development of games as educational tools especially for fields which cannot be experienced in reality and for experiments which are too costly to conduct. But we would like users to choose games because they are ‘highly educational and more enjoyable than other forms and media.” “We would like consumers to purchase games because they are fun and educationally effective; not because they are less costly.”