1) What does Jonas Nay say about growing up in a united Germany?
Jonas Nay stated that he does not believe that there are West and East Germans. He also mentioned that he grew up with the freedom and mobility to think and express anything he pleased.
2) The Channel 4 News interview is conducted in German with English subtitles. How does this reflect Channel 4's remit as a public service broadcaster and their target audience? (Clue: revise your work on Channel 4 and Public Service Broadcasting here!)Delivering high-quality, cutting-edge, alternative material that upends the status quo is part of Channel 4's mission. Due to the fact that interviews are typically only conducted in English in Britain, having one in German could potentially draw in German fans of the show who can understand it. Thus, having an interview in German definitely reinforces the idea that the content is innovative and alternative.
3) Interviewer Matt Frei asks about the current political situation in Germany. Why might this interest the Channel 4 News audience?
The current political climate in Germany would be of interest to a Channel 4 News audience because they enjoy hearing about worldwide news as well as alternative or niche news that would only interest a tiny target audience.
Textual analysis: Audience pleasures and representations
We need to consider the audience pleasures of Deutschland 83 alongside various representations created in the first episode.
Type up your analysis from the lesson using the headings below. You may want to watch the key scenes again and develop your notes in further detail - the more specific and memorable your analysis, the better it will serve you when writing an essay on TV drama. Here's a Google doc we have worked on in past Media lessons on this topic - feel free to use these notes alongside your own. You'll need to use your Greenford Google login to access this.
Scene 2: Martin/Moritz first sees the West German supermarket
Production and industry contexts
Deutschland 83 was produced by German production company UFA Fiction and distributed internationally by Fremantle International. It was broadcast on RTL (Germany), SundanceTV (US) and Channel 4 (UK) as well as many other broadcasters around teh world.
1) What kind of company is UFA Fiction and what shows have they produced?
2) What audience are Channel 4 trying to appeal to with the 'Walter Presents' series?
Marketing and promotion
Trailer
1) What audience pleasures are suggested by the trailer? Think about Uses & Gratifications theory (Blumler and Katz).
2) Anna Winger discusses the use of music. Why might the soundtrack attract an audience?
International marketing
Look at these two different marketing campaigns - the UK DVD release (left) and the American Sundance TV advert (right).
1) How does the UK DVD cover communicate the sub-genre of the drama?
The current political climate in Germany would be of interest to a Channel 4 News audience because they enjoy hearing about worldwide news as well as alternative or niche news that would only interest a tiny target audience.
Textual analysis: Audience pleasures and representations
We need to consider the audience pleasures of Deutschland 83 alongside various representations created in the first episode.
Scene 1: Garden/BBQ scenes (East & West Germany)
4.58 – 8.20 and 34.00 – 37.20
Make notes under the following headings:
- Technical codes – particularly mise-en-scene
- Representation of East & West Germany / Family / Gender
The camera shots in the East in the kitchen can be seen through a window, however the general atmosphere of the East is seen to be happy and friendly despite them living in a working class size house.
In the west the camera work is shot in such way that Martin is positioned to be further away from the people in this case this will make the audience in this scene more on edge and cold despite Edel's house and wealth that can be displayed, tension between Martin and the people in the house is created as the audience are not sure if he is going to be caught.
14.30 – 20.25
Make notes under the following headings:
- Technical codes – particularly mise-en-scene
- Audio codes – particularly music
- Representation of East & West Germany / Communism & Capitalism / Historical accuracy
- Audience pleasures
While Martin is racing away, a fast-paced non-diegetic electronic soundtrack builds pace and suspense. Dialogue in the grocery store makes dramatic and tense references to nuclear missiles and World War 3. Distraction and surveillance are the benefits and applications. The West is more vibrant and has more food than the East, which represents their affluence.
Scene 3: Training montage scene when Martin/Moritz learns how to be a spy
20.40 – 22.40
Make notes under the following headings:
- Technical codes – particularly camerawork and editing
- Audio codes
- Audience pleasures
- Intertextuality
Fast-paced editing condenses weeks of footage into a 2-minute clip in an editing montage. Showing the differences between East and West on a split screen. discovering 80s technology and Germany through surveillance. Fruit lacking in the East suggests that the West is superior to the East.
Scene 4: Briefcase scene when Martin/Moritz is stealing the NATO nuclear plans
31.13 – 33.30
Make notes under the following headings:
- Technical codes – particularly camerawork and editing
- Audio codes – diegetic and non-diegetic sound
- Audience pleasures
The use of diegetic sound and how it is purposely amplified to show the intensity of the situation and the tension that Martin is feeling. This can also fall under audience pleasures and how they invested into Martin's situation so a sense of personal relationship could be formed, however we can also link this to surveillance and how the audience is learning from the papers and document being shown.
You will do the majority of this textual analysis work in class - this section of your case study simply requires typing up your notes in an easy and memorable way (bullet points are fine).
Production and industry contexts
Deutschland 83 was produced by German production company UFA Fiction and distributed internationally by Fremantle International. It was broadcast on RTL (Germany), SundanceTV (US) and Channel 4 (UK) as well as many other broadcasters around teh world.
1) What kind of company is UFA Fiction and what shows have they produced?
UFA Fiction is a German award winning film and television Company and a unique leader in the German film and television market, offering a remarkable portfolio of films and series which have strongly influenced the German production landscape. mordach, d83 and a stasi comedy are examples of films they produced.
2) What kind of company is Freemantle and what do they produce?
Freemantle is a British multinational television production and distribution company based in London. Fremantle takes its name from Fremantle International, acquired by predecessor company All American Television in 1994.
3) How does Deutschland 83 reflect the international nature of television production?
The firm Freemantle, in collaboration with UFA Fiction, broadcast Deutschland 83 all over the world, which helped them become successful elsewhere but not in Germany.
Walter Presents
Watch this Channel 4 trailer for their Walter Presents international drama:
2) What kind of company is Freemantle and what do they produce?
Freemantle is a British multinational television production and distribution company based in London. Fremantle takes its name from Fremantle International, acquired by predecessor company All American Television in 1994.
3) How does Deutschland 83 reflect the international nature of television production?
The firm Freemantle, in collaboration with UFA Fiction, broadcast Deutschland 83 all over the world, which helped them become successful elsewhere but not in Germany.
Walter Presents
Watch this Channel 4 trailer for their Walter Presents international drama:
1) How does Channel 4 introduce 'Walter'?
Channel 4 introduces Walter as a thriving corporation that exclusively produces top-notch entertainment that would keep their viewers entertained. Additionally, Channel 4 portrays Walter as making action-packed shows with constant action elements like firearms, automobiles rolling over, blood, dead bodies, etc. that will undoubtedly thrill viewers.
2) What audience are Channel 4 trying to appeal to with the 'Walter Presents' series?
They seem to be wanting to reach a more traditional audience since we hear that in the trailer the only words we heard were in English which is almost as if they are hiding the German nature of the show and make it seem as though this could be British produced.
3) How does the 'Walter Presents' series reflect the changing nature of television in the digital age?
3) How does the 'Walter Presents' series reflect the changing nature of television in the digital age?
Channel 4 wants to promote the "Walter Presents" series to draw more audiences to watch these shows on their on-demand service in order to increase profits and streams as live television views are decreasing. Younger generations in particular are increasingly watching TV shows on on-demand platforms.
Marketing and promotion
Trailer
1) What audience pleasures are suggested by the trailer? Think about Uses & Gratifications theory (Blumler and Katz).
Personal Identity: Deutschland 83 is also a coming-of-age narrative since it follows the main character Martin as he adjusts to maturity and deals with this top-secret mission, which was difficult for him to settle into as a young adult. Some teenagers and young adults can identify with Martin in this story.
2) How does the trailer use action and enigma codes (Barthes) to encourage the audience to watch the show?
2) How does the trailer use action and enigma codes (Barthes) to encourage the audience to watch the show?
The action-packed trailer makes extensive use of weapons, explosions, Martin fleeing and leaping from a balcony, lockpicking cabinets, unlocking briefcases, etc. This clearly establishes the TV show's status as a spy thriller because it features a lot of action and enigma codes, two elements that support the genre as a whole.
3) The only words heard in the trailer are in English. Why do you think the UK trailer avoided subtitles or German dialogue?
Because by seeing that the film is strictly in German and would have to understand through subtitles would throw off a large portion of the audience as many UK audiences prefer strictly to watch films hat they understand by ear and wouldn't give the film a try if they discover that the main spoken language in the film is German
Press pack
Read the Channel 4 press pack interview with writer Anna Winger. (If the link doesn't work, you can find the text from the interview here).
1) How did she use the historical context and real-life events to create a successful drama?
3) The only words heard in the trailer are in English. Why do you think the UK trailer avoided subtitles or German dialogue?
Because by seeing that the film is strictly in German and would have to understand through subtitles would throw off a large portion of the audience as many UK audiences prefer strictly to watch films hat they understand by ear and wouldn't give the film a try if they discover that the main spoken language in the film is German
Press pack
Read the Channel 4 press pack interview with writer Anna Winger. (If the link doesn't work, you can find the text from the interview here).
1) How did she use the historical context and real-life events to create a successful drama?
she said that "Thomas Lovegrove, a British military historian who worked with us on Deutschland 83, first called our attention to Abel Archer, the NATO manoeuvres in the autumn of 1983 that was misunderstood by the East as a real attack. The Russians prepared to retaliate but came to their senses last minute. At the time that we were developing the show, it was exactly 30 years after it happened, so the first information about Able Archer had just been declassified."
2) Anna Winger discusses the use of music. Why might the soundtrack attract an audience?
The soundtrack is mentioned because it may have sentimental value for some people who were alive at the time and are familiar with the music, but it is primarily there for the viewers to experience a sense of nostalgia with the soundtrack as the 1980s were full of pop culture references that are used in modern media.
Press release
Read this Channel 4 press release on the success of Deutschland 83. (If the link doesn't work you can find find the text from the article here).
1) List the key statistics concerning audience figures. Why was it considered the most successful foreign language drama?
Press release
Read this Channel 4 press release on the success of Deutschland 83. (If the link doesn't work you can find find the text from the article here).
1) List the key statistics concerning audience figures. Why was it considered the most successful foreign language drama?
After launching with 1.49 million viewers, the first episode has now consolidated with 2.5 million viewers, overtaking the launch of The Returned (9th June 2013) on Channel 4 which previously held the record with 2.2 million. Set against the real events, culture wars and political realities of Germany in the 1980s, Deutschland 83 is a stylish coming of age story, framed within a suspenseful thriller.
2) How does the press release describe Deutschland 83?
the launch episode of Deutschland 83 has shown that the German spy drama is now the highest rated foreign-language drama in UK TV history.
International marketing
Look at these two different marketing campaigns - the UK DVD release (left) and the American Sundance TV advert (right).
1) How does the UK DVD cover communicate the sub-genre of the drama?
While the couple kissing in the background on the wall in graffiti may also suggest a romance in the show, the much more serious bearded men frowning on the left suggest a more serious political story. The UK DVD cover depicts an almost coming of age drama with the young man listening to the walk man and looking up to the sky as he may be discovering who he is.
2) How do these use font, colour and graphics to appeal to an audience?
2) How do these use font, colour and graphics to appeal to an audience?
The US poster's font is far more modern and has little to no connections with war, in contrast to the UK poster's text, which was lifted verbatim from a military/commercial font from the 1980s. The first episode is already accessible on iTunes, so this could be done to appeal to the younger population that it is trying to target. The poster's engaging colour scheme will appeal to a contemporary and young audience.
3) Why might the distributors Freemantle International have used different marketing campaigns in different countries?
3) Why might the distributors Freemantle International have used different marketing campaigns in different countries?
While the US and the UK have citizens who have similar perspectives on issues, the UK may have a more realistic perspective, therefore the poster's creators may have taken this into account and produced a much more sombre style of poster.
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