Deutschland 83: case study blog task

 Deutschland 83: case study blog tasks

Work through the following tasks to build a detailed case study for Deutschland 83. This will give you plenty of background information to use in an exam question. Remember, for this CSP the question could be on any of the key concepts: language, industries, audiences or representations.

Introduction: Reviews and features

Read the following reviews and features on Deutschland 83:

The Guardian - Your next box set: Deutschland 83
The Guardian - Deutschland 83 Pity the Germans don't like it

1) Find one positive aspect and one criticism of Deutschland 83 in the reviews.

The reviews emphasise the nostalgia that the show conjures up because it is based in the 1980s, complete with the music and product branding. The criticism of the reviews is that the sad past of Germany may have prevented German viewers from enjoying the show.

2) Why does the second Guardian article suggest the Germans didn't like the show?

This year, a lot of critics are throwing away their notebooks because only one German show was included in the competition schedule. 

3) Find three 'below the line' comments from either of the Guardian articles. What did the audience think of Deutschland 83? Do you agree with the comments?

"Not rating much of Walters output so far I'm afraid."  suggests the show is only enjoyable due to the soundtrack.

Promotional interview

Channel 4 News: Matt Frei interviews Jonas Nay

 

1) What does Jonas Nay say about growing up in a united Germany? 

He disbelieves in the idea of an East and West Germany since, after the Berlin Wall fell, things changed so swiftly that he was spared from having to grow up on both sides of the political spectrum. The freedom he currently enjoys and the freedom he had while filming the show.

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!)

This helps one of the major television channels achieve its objective of educating and entertaining its viewers. This is done in part via the Walter Presents television series, which introduces British audiences to a variety of international television programmes.

3) Interviewer Matt Frei asks about the current political situation in Germany. Why might this interest the a Channel 4 audience?

The question would be directed at viewers who watch Channel 4 for its educational and informative aspects because it would allow them to see how a German may think of their country instead of a British editor scripting their opinion. 

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 1: Garden/BBQ scenes (East & West Germany)

4.58 – 8.20 and 34.00 – 37.20

TC

-Sometimes you can see people from afar, like with the dialogue/part where Martin’s Mum and her sister are speaking. It’s make it seem like somethings happening that we don’t know about

-Use of uniform: military

-Black Market: Shakespeare, Coffee, Corruption, Kidney Transplant, Blackmail/Coercion Unsuccessful Economy - rundown buildings. 

-State is more important than the family

-Sense of community

-OTS shot/tracking Martin = identification 

Handheld camera: realism 

-Binary opposition: Mother vs Aunt

(34:00-37:20)

-Informal talk between brother and sister

-Uniform: Military

-Narrative moment: Spy Genre (Suspense, Tension, Enigma)

-360 degree camera: under surveillance/paranoia

-Smart: clothing, High culture (Classical Singing), Modernist architecture: The elite, upper-middle classes (Working Class -East- sympathetic)

-Detached: Formal

-Cuba: black music

-Ethnic Diversity in the west: General Jackson (black)

AC

-BTEC Rock music (“99Luftballons”) -“How cool is this?”

-99LB: Anti-War

-It’s a party so you can hear multiple people talk at once

-Between specific characters, dialogue is scarce (Martin’s mum and her sister)

-Reagan: “danger”, “West is going crazy”

(34:00-37:20)

REP

-East German Military Uniform

-formal dressing

-Seems like everyone knows each other quite well; everyone is seen as family? (34:00-37:20)

-West German Military Uniform

-Casual/Informal dress (suit buttons undone, aprons on)

-Very disconnected due to the fact that it’s a party with a bunch of army officials

-Families don’t seem that interested with each other as well.

-Great open space

-Big House 

AP

-Personal Relationships: You get to see what’s a stake for our main character (Martin), making you want to root for him at the start

-Diversion: Nostalgia 

-Surveillance: Audience is seeing what life was like in East Germany in the 80s

Scene 2: Martin/Moritz first sees the West German supermarket 

14.30 – 20.25

TC

-Slow OTS tracking shot as Martin walks through the market: conveys a sense of confusion but also curiosity as he looks at everything on the stools

-Luxury: wood panelling, cultured 

-Plenty vs Scarcity

Stacked shelves: colour (Reference to Andy Warhol: Pop art)

Intertextual = post modernism

-Branded Puma T-Shirt, Jeans, Trainers

-Youth Culture, Consumerism

-Chase scene: Narrative Moment (Spy Genre)

AC

-Sweet Dreams Playing in the supermarket: Conveys how westernised the music here is, They’ll play anything as long as it sounds good and it’s not traditional

-“Sweet Dreams” can also convey Martin’s bewilderment to being in West Germany, the lyrics shown in the scene also relates to his story as well.

-Nostalgic 80’s music

-Intense music playing as he’s escaping

-Collectivism: Police State (Starzi)

Scene 3: Training montage scene when Martin/Moritz learns how to be a spy

20.40 – 22.40

TC

-Fast-paced editing including jump cuts, typical of montage sequence.
-Split screen / editing / graphics used to emphasise difference between East and West.

AC

-Music and SFX: Non-diegetic sound adds pace to the sequence.

-Dialogue/voiceover - covers a lot of narrative.

REP

-East v West - split screen emphasises the brands that are available in the West but not in the East. Also for fruit empty space showed what wasn’t available in the East.

-Representation of women - female assassin feels like a stereotype?

AP

-Intertextuality - similar to a Bond sequence (particularly with the gadgets)

-German audience - nostalgia in terms of products and brands. 

-International audience - surveillance (U&G theory) - learning about Germany, 80s gadgets etc.

-Genre pleasures - spy/thriller. 

Scene 4: Briefcase scene when Martin/Moritz is stealing the NATO nuclear plans

31.13 – 33.30

TC

-Close-ups of Martin while picking lock and photographing the documents.

-Close-ups of the documents themselves - words like highly classified, actual details of the missiles and Ronald Reagan’s signature. These are recreations of real documents from the time - emphasising the historical aspect of the show and the way it is based on real events; positions audience to be on Martin’s side. 

-Shot from behind the blinds continues recurring motif of shots through windows or from behind objects. Creates voyeuristic pleasure and also fits the genre of spy thriller. Audience are given the experience of spying by continually using camera shots that give the impression of observing events from a distance. 

AC

-Non-diegetic sound - music helps convey the tension of the scene and satisfy genre expectations of spy thriller.

-Diegetic sound - deliberately increased volume of Martin’s breathing, lock picking, turning pages in briefcase. Creates intensity, tension.

REP

-Reality - this is a key scene in establishing D83 as a show based on real events. The close-ups of actual documents from the time help to blur the boundaries between historical fact/real events and fiction.

-East v West - presents West as threat to world security, nuclear war. 

AP

-Blumler & Katz - Uses and Gratifications theory. Surveillance - the use of real documents and genuine moments from history of cold war educates audience about German/American/Russian history. Threat of WW3.

-U&G: Personal relationships - this scene is effective because the audience is now invested in the character of Martin. We care about what happens to him which creates the tension in the scene. Audience have to want Martin/Moritz to escape here for whole drama series to work. Emotional investment in character. 

-Action and enigma codes - audience think Martin will be caught at any moment. U&G theory - diversion. Visceral pleasure - scene is tense for audience to watch, adrenaline.

-Voyeuristic pleasure - seeing a scene or activity we wouldn’t normally have a chance to see.

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 the world.

1) What kind of company is UFA Fiction and what shows have they produced? 

UFA Fiction is a German award winning film and TV show company. They have produced 'A Thousand Lines',  'Hartz and Herzlich', 'Rolling- Das Quiz Mit Der Munze', 'Heligoland 513' and many more. 

2) What kind of company is Freemantle and what do they produce?

Freemantle have been creating, producing, distributing and investing in content worldwide for over 100 years. As a global producer, Freemantle are expert at working with creative talent from all over the world to translate ideas into award-winning productions for every major market. They have produced shows such as 'The price is right', 'Deadliest Catch', 'The Responder', 'Supermarket Sweep' and many more. 

3) How does Deutschland 83 reflect the international nature of television production?

Deutschland 83 has been broadcasted around the world by the company Freemantle in partners with UFA Fiction which has made them successful globally, especially in the USA and the UK however 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 an successful company who produce only the best and high-quality shows that will keep their audience on their toes and enjoy their shows. In addition Channel 4 presents Walter as producing shows that are action packed filled with action codes throughout such as guns, cars flipping over, blood, dead bodies etc. which will obviously excite an audience. 

2) What audience are Channel 4 trying to appeal to with the 'Walter Presents' series?
Channel 4 are trying to appeal more to a younger audience I would assume as they showed many shows with young protagonists and many action codes that would interest younger generations however I would also argue they are also trying to target the older generation due to Deutschland 83 as it brings in an element of nostalgia for an older audience as it is a period drama. 

3) How does the 'Walter Presents' series reflect the changing nature of television in the digital age?

As live television views are declining in numbers, more and more people especially younger generations are watching TV shows on on-demand platforms therefore Channel 4 aims to promote the 'Walter Presents' series to attract more audiences to watch these shows on their on-demand service to increase profits and streams. 


Marketing and promotion

Trailer

 

1) What audience pleasures are suggested by the trailer? Think about Uses & Gratifications theory (Blumler and Katz).

Surveillance: Deutschland 83 is set in Germany 1983 and it shows to viewers how life was in Germany during the East and West conflict. In addition the show also provides information on the Cold War which was very important event in history as it nearly led to WWIII. 

Personal Identity: Deutschland 83 is also a coming of age story as it follows main protagonist Martin as he navigates going into adulthood and dealing with this top secret mission which was not easy to settle into as a young adult which certain teenagers and young adults can relate to. 

Diversion: Deutschland 83 also provides a lot of entertainment and diversion for its audience as it's a spy thriller genre which is an extremely exciting genre and keeps an audience on their toes at all times. It allows an audience to escape from reality and live vicariously through Martin. Not only that Deutschland 83 also shows some romance and upbeat music which highlights a more uplifting genre and that it's a hybrid genre therefore reaches more audiences and makes it more enjoyable. 

2) How does the trailer use action and enigma codes (Barthes) to encourage the audience to watch the show?

The trailer uses many action codes such as guns, explosions, Martin running away and jumping off a balcony, lockpicking cabinets, opening a briefcase etc. This makes it very evident that the TV show is a spy thriller as it contains many action and enigma codes that reinforce this genre as mentioned above. The trailer entices the audience to watch the show in order to find out why all these things happened in the show due to the many enigma codes that are planted in the trailer in order to purposefully keep the audience in the dark so that they become encouraged to watch the show in order to find out. 

3) The only words heard in the trailer are in English. Why do you think the UK trailer avoided subtitles or German dialogue?

The UK trailer avoided subtitles and German dialogue to appeal to a British audience as usually many TV shows are in English that are showcased on TV in the UK. Nevertheless international dramas are becoming more popular however it is still mainly enjoyed by niche audiences unless a TV show becomes insanely popular, therefore using avoiding using German dialogue may appeal more to a British audience. 

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?

'The original seed of the idea was based on something that happened to my husband when he was doing his West German military service in the 1980’s. He was a radio signaller in West Germany, listening to the Russian troops in East Germany. Occasionally the Russians would greet him by name. So they knew that he was listening and he knew there must be a mole at his base – but he never figured out who the mole was. It could have been a boss or a colleague. My idea was to tell a story form the point of view of the mole. At the time of the fall of the Wall there were more than 2000 Stasi agents undercover in West Germany. In recent years, there have been some movies about the 1980s in East Germany but few about the West, so I liked idea of seeing it all through the eyes of someone who has never been there before. Our main character, Martin/Moritz, is a kind of an Alice in Wonderland.

2) Anna Winger discusses the use of music. Why might the soundtrack attract an audience?

'Music was key to the story from the beginning. The top 100 songs of 1983 are still on the radio all the time! It was just an incredible year of pop culture and the songs really travelled, maybe because music videos started around that time as well, so there was a visual component for the very first time.' The soundtrack may attract an audience as it brings an element of nostalgia for individuals who listened to these songs growing up.

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. The series forms part of Walter Presents, a brand new on-demand service showcasing the world’s best foreign-language drama.

2) How does the press release describe Deutschland 83?

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. Season 1 culminates with the true story of a nuclear stand-off in late 1983, caused by a NATO war game and botched intelligence on the East German side.

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 UK DVD cover focuses on our young protagonist Martin who is listening to music on a cassette player which reinforces this coming of age drama. In addition we see graffiti on the Berlin Wall behind Martin which may indicate an urban area where young people live and grew up in. The DVD cover also communicates this change between teenage years and adult years as the teenage years are presented as colourful, romantic, joyful whereas the other side (growing up) as bleak, melancholy, serious. 

2) How do these use font, colour and graphics to appeal to an audience?

The font in both is sans serif which reinforces young, modern, informal which portrays that this show is targeted to a modern audience. In the American poster, colour is used very vividly through the bright blue and pink scheme which is used to grab your attention and show that it is a thrilling, exciting and action packed series. In the UK DVD cover Martin is grey possibly to portray that he has had his identity stolen from as he's forced to become an undercover spy. 

3) Why might the distributors Freemantle International have used different marketing campaigns in different countries? 

The distributors have used different marketing campaigns in different countries as different countries have different cultures and values, the same marketing campaigns may not appeal to both audiences. In addition the North America and East Germany had more conflict due to Ronald Reagan's speech which started the scare in East Germany.