فصلنامه مطالعات فرهنگ - ارتباطات
پیاپی 9 (بهار 1389)

In this paper, while reviewing the literature on the competition between various media, the results of some survey studies conducted in previous years on the consumption of media and cultural products in Iran are reviewed to analyze present competition between cinema and video, television, and satellite TV channels in which Iranian people are more inclined toward video, television, and satellite TV channels. The issue of competition between cinema and video, television, and satellite, has been investigated from two perspectives; the effect of technological changes and emergence of modern media technology on cinema and change in the recreational and entertainment habits of movie viewers

The 28th Fajr International Movie Festival was held in the first half of Bahman (5-15) 1388 (February 2010). In this study, the viewpoints of 32 cinema experts and authorities (writer, director, producer, actor and actress, critic, composer, etc) are collected through specialized interviews. The interviews which were conducted in Bahman 12th and 13th 1388 in the festival hall (Milad Tower) had interesting results. After holding 28 festivals, cinema authorities consider the following advantages for Fajr Movie Festival: Creation of a competitive atmosphere for filmmakers and motivating other filmmakers to make higher quality movies; Identifying weaknesses of the movies and correcting them before public show; Identifying works and subjects more attractive to audiences and critics of Iranian cinema; An annual opportunity for interaction and exchanging views on the developments of Iranian cinema.Most cinema experts believe that although organizing festival and providing its expenses is done by the government, a realistic look confirms that organizing festival by government at present time can be beneficial; this is while presence of a permanent independent organization or an academy for the festival can open up a new horizon for Iranian Cinema.Most cinema experts of the country believe that getting award by a movie in the festival brings credit to the movie and its producers. This is even stronger in the case of young movie producers and actors or actresses and has a great effect on their popularity among people and cinema experts. Most interviewed experts evaluate the effect of Fajr movie festival on the credit and position of Iranian cinema at international level positive but trivial. From the viewpoint of cinema experts, the trend of festival during past 28 years has been growing and improving, although due rapid change of cinema authorirties in various years it was very different with many ups and downs.

Cinema, in the time of political confrontation between different parties, has always been the area of disputes and every party, according to its cultural viewpoint, has challenged the position of cinema at the time of its rival administration. What happens in today's political atmosphere in Iran is not the quarrel of two political parties; rather, confrontation of two ideologies or two political discourses challenging each other by defining two cultural systems; one based on guarding revolutionary, religious, and ethical values, and another supporting social and civil rights. In this paper, artistic management of Islamic Republic of Iran has been investigated through explaining cultural-artistic policies of the administrations in 1370s (1990s) and 1380s (2000s). This article is the outcome of a study conducted on political sociology of Iranian cinema in 1370s (1990s) in which the cultural-artistic policies of the government in 1370s (1990s) and 1380s (2000s) are investigated through content analysis and text analysis of movies selected by the government in Fajr movie festivals on the one hand, and the audience of Iranian cinema, on the other. In this study, the role of cultural policy makers and artistic managers in administering these policies are mentioned. The present study indicates that artistic policy makers and managers of the both discourses referred to as "traditional discourse" and "democratic discourse" in this paper, have always made cinema the stage of their discourses and resorted to "people" for justifying their policies. They, in policy making area in cinema sector, consider their own musts and must nots as the musts and must nots of people and regard their own believes as believes of people. Also, whenever they criticize each other's policies, call people to witness their claims and attack each other's policies reasoning that they are not congruent with people believes and values. Policy makers and administrators of both political discourses have never moved toward "cultural union" and have always taken "part" of Iranian society culture into consideration in their artistic-cultural planning. They have been far from "previous experiences", "society expedience" and "prudence", whereas the audiences of Iranian cinema have always welcomed a combination of religious values together with social – political values in the movies.

Ekhrajiha movies, particularly the second one, experienced an unprecedented box office in the history of Iranian cinema. Based on the assumption that high sale rate is an indication of cinema audience satisfaction, understanding the reasons of this success can help Iranian cinema authorities for future policy making, investments, and activities. To this aim, a survey was conducted through telephone interviews to people over 15 years old inhabiting in 22 districts of Tehran who had watched both Ekhrajiha 1 and Ekhrajiha 2. This study shows that most respondents evaluate Ekhrajiha 2 good and Ekhrajiha 1 better than Ekhrajiha 2. Also, most of the respondents consider Ekhrajiha as a comic movie rather than a movie on the holy defense (Defa-e-Moqaddas), and believe that ordinary people are more focused class in this movie. According to them, factors such as comic atmosphere of the movie, distinguished dialogues of the movie, correct and appropriate selection of the actors and their good performance, as well as broadcasting Ekhrajiha 1 on IRIB TV influenced popularity of Ekhrajiha 2.They believe this movie showed that defending the homeland is not exclusive to a specific class and all Iranians become united at the time of any threat regardless of disagreements. They also argue that this movie resulted in a more positive attitude toward religious poeple.

Fajr Movie Festival, in the present situation of Iranian cinema, is the best opportunity for offering cultural, artistic, and even economic aspects of the movies produced during a year in Iran so that filmmakers can make a better cultural, artistic,. .., communication. This festival is also an opportunity which provides a holistic evaluation of Iranian cinema as well as the activities of cinema authorities. Besides, it is a short opportunity which presents the whole movie production potential of Iran. In this respect, a survey was conducted through telephone interviews to people over 15 years old inhabiting in 22 districts of Tehran concurrent with Fajr festival in Bahman 1388 (February 2010). The telephone numbers of the home in 22 districts were selected randomly and the sample consisted of 1065 participants. The results revealed that the purpose of 42.9 percent of respondents who participated in this festival was "watching the movies which were not yet publicly displayed" and 40% of the participants believed that "there was no movie in this festival that was not permitted to public display or participation in the festival". 40 – 49 years old Participants (58.3%) and 15-19 years old participants (37.1%) were most and least interested respondents in Iranian movies, respectively. 86.3% respondents consider movie subject while 57.1% of them consider movie advertisements as the factors significantly contributing to the attractiveness of movies. People over 50 years (80.6%) more than others and people of 15 to 19 years old (22.7%) less than others stated that they had never gone to the cinema during last year. In other words, the frequency of cinema attendance decreases by the increase in age and vice versa.

This study intends to identify factors affecting on the demand of Iranian cinema movies. To this aim, a sample consisting of 192 cinema spectators was evaluated. The results of analyzing questionnaires through Kroskal Valice test indicted that there is a direct relationship between individual's income level and the number of their cinema attendance) (that is, individuals earn higher income go more times to the cinema). Also there is a reverse relationship between family size and cinema attendance (i.e. the higher the number of family members, the less the times of going to the cinema). Then, the results of binominal test revealed that "movie subject", "lead actors (stars) and director", "movie and cinema quality ", "days and time of going to the cinema", "appropriateness and variety of movie subjects to all levels and groups ", "appropriate time of movie show", and "appropriate advertisements" are all factors affecting box office. In addition, in the next part of research, the demand function of cinema was estimated using data related to the period of 1361-86 (1983-2007). The results show that all coefficients are statistically significant and in line with economic realities; so that increase in the costs and family size reduces cinema demand and increase in the income increases demand of the cinema movies.

The competition in the present world requires using all techniques, tools, and new pure ideas. In the second half of twentieth century, industrial producers of the world faced a new competitive environment which, using half of the capital and facilities required, offered products with better quality, more variety, and lower cost to the world market. One of these new techniques is called lean production. Lean production is in fact a systematic approach which attempts to remove the wastes and eliminate any extra process from the stage of preparing raw materials to production and sale. The present study, considering the production stages of a movie and comparing it with what happens in an industrial production line, intends to identify and discover wastes in the production stages of a movie. Analysis of the results through grounded theory methodology led to development of fifteen concepts and accordingly five main categories. These categories include three types of time waste, repetition, lack of coordination, and two infrastructural and cultural factors in the process of movie production.