Blog task: Deutschland 83 Close-textual analysis

Blog task: Deutschland 83 Close-textual analysis

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. Remember, you can watch the episode for free on the All 4 website and the main reading and research tasks for Deutschland 83 are on this case study blogpost here.

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

The song that was playing was a west German pop song which the youth was listening to which could suggest that the youth doesn't really care about the war between the west and east. The audio that was playing was happy music.

The event that was taking place was a birthday party. The location this took place in was a gritty with run down buildings.

The camerawork was handheld which creates realism. The costume Martin was wearing was a army uniform.

In West Germany the houses are clearly much more modern and big with more brighter colours.

When Martin is going through the brief case when he wasn't supposed to, there were 360 degree camera angles which makes Martin look as if he is being watched by someone. It also creates suspense and tension.

West Germany is clearly portrayed as wealthy as there is food and wine on the table at the BBQ.

Representation of East & West Germany / Family / Gender

In Scene 1 gender is reinforced when the mother is cooking food. This illustrates that Women are the ones that are supposed to be in the kitchen doing the cooking.

Gender is reinforced again when Martin comes back from serving for the country. This reinforces that men had to go to war and fight for their country.

In West Germany it is clear that there is a wider range of ethnicity.

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

14.30 – 20.25

Make notes under the following headings:

Technical codes – particularly mise-en-scene

Martin was told to put on western clothes (Jeans, Puma T-shirt and a pair of trainers) when he was kidnapped from East Germany to West Germany.

Audio codes – particularly music

In the supermarket the song reinforces what might happen to Martin.

Representation of East & West Germany / Communism & Capitalism / Historical accuracy

Audience pleasures

This creates enigma codes as the audience would question 'Will Martin make it out alive?'

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

20.40 – 22.40m

Make notes under the following headings:

Technical codes – particularly camerawork and editing

Fast paced montage editing which compressed the time.

There was a numerous amount of jump cuts.

Voice over was used to shorten the time.

Audio codes

Non-diegetic sound (80's Soundtrack)

Voice over

Audience pleasures

Suspense was being created which kept the audience interested.

Intertextuality

Martin was  becoming the spy in West Germany, he was practising what to do while he's the spy. He was also given a new identity.

Similar to James Bond (Spy Genre).

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

Audience identification voyeurism.
Extreme close-ups of the locks and briefcase.

High angle shots - surveillance (The shots through the blinds) 

Audio codes – diegetic and non-diegetic sound

The music that was being used creates suspense as Martin is looking for the keys and files.

There was heavy breathing, Foley sound.

Audience pleasures

Suspense and tension was being built.

Diegetic sound.

Deutschland 83: case study blog tasks

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.


Reviews and features

Read the following reviews and features on Deutschland 83:

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

1) What positive aspects of Deutschland 83 are highlighted in the reviews?

"It’s a perfect moment in a near-perfect series. Deutschland 83’s first episode of eight was the most-watched foreign-language drama in UK history." - The Guardian  

"Martin is superbly played by Jonas Nay"

2) What criticisms are made of the show?

"This is a period drama that sometimes lacks drama"

3) Why did the Telegraph suggest that Deutschland 83 did the 'period' aspect of 'period drama' so well?

The period feel was heightened with snatches of news footage of Erich Honecker, the East German leader. Most gripping of all was a televised excerpt from Ronald Reagan's "Evil Empire" speech in 1983. In it, Reagan quoted from CS Lewis's Screwtape Letters, where Lewis wrote that the greatest evil is ordered "by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voice".

That everyday nature of evil was cleverly captured in Deutschland 83. The Stasi baddies spoke the same language as the goodies in West Germany; they wore less fashionable versions of the same kind of clothes. And the charm of the protagonist, Martin Rauch, was such that you rather wanted him to pull off his clunking espionage stunts against the West.

4) 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?




Interviews and behind-the-scenes video features

Channel 4 News: Matt Frei interviews Jonas Nay

 

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

Jonas' says that he lives in a very small town in Germany where, the only people that recognise him are the only people that know him.

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!)

Channel 4 decides to do the same as the actual movie: Deutschland 83. They let the actors speak in German with English. Deutschland 83 has a lot of viewers from London and by doing this, it give's the Londoners a real feel along with fitting the target audience of Deutschland 83.

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

This might interest the Channel 4 News audience because it'll give them a insight from a German's perspective on their situation in Germany.


Behind the scenes clips

The All4 website has a range of clips from behind the scenes of Deutschland 83. Watch the following:

Making Of: Why Should You Watch Deutschland 83
Watch this short promotional clip for Deutschland 83.

1) Why should audiences watch Deutschland 83 - what does the clip offer viewers?

The clip encouraged viewers to watch Deutschland 83.

2) Why is history an important aspect of the appeal of the show?

It's set when the Cold war was taking place. The show gives us an insight of what it was like in Germany when the Cold War was taking place.

3) What technical aspects are highlighted in the video?

The fast-paced editing and action-packed.


Making Of: Set Design
Watch this interview with Production designer Lars Lange.

1) Why were the set design, costume and props so important for Deutschland 83?

Because the atmosphere/design etc. is supposed to reflect when the Cold War was taking place.

2) How historically accurate was the setting, costume and props?

They've spent hours on designing the setting to make sure it is accurate and precise.

3) Why were the props, costumes and music such a key audience pleasure for Deutschland 83?

They were key audience pleasures because of the realism that comes within Deutschland 83 when the music was being played from West Germany along with the costumes of the soldiers and the props.


Textual analysis: trailer

 

1) The opening of the trailer uses sound and editing to draw the audience in. Explain why this is effective.

The opening of the trailer uses dramatic sound along with fast-paced editing to draw the attention of the audience.

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

There are a numerous amount of enigma codes within this trailer which leads the audience to questioning what will happen next.

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

4) Pick three shots/scenes from the trailer that capture the spy thriller sub-genre. Why might this appeal to an audience? Try and apply Neale's genre theory 'repetition and difference' (theoriginal notes on genre theory are here).

At 0:11, there's a shot of him in uniform on one side and on the other side it is him in casual clothes with text saying "Under-cover". This illustrates that it is a spy drama.

At 0:22, you can clearly see that the spy is picking the lock which portrays that he is a spy trying to access a room which he is not supposed to be in.

At 0:24, you can see that Martin is opening a brief case and from his facial expression you can see that he is under some pressure which tells us that this is a spy drama.

5) Pick three examples of mise-en-scene from the trailer that capture the 1983 setting the confirm the sub-genre of period drama. Why might this appeal to an audience? 

At 0:33, the room that the man is sat in seems very antique/old. 

At 0:34, the TV is a very antique.


6) The trailer uses the song 'Two Tribes' by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Why did the producers select this soundtrack for the trailer?

The reason the producers selected this soundtrack is because it builds up suspense as the trailer goes on which creates excitement for the audience.


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

The reason I think the trailer avoided subtitles and German dialogue is because there was barely any dialogue in the first place. The trailer has fast-paced editing so the subtitles would have to cross different scenes which would look very unprofessional. 
Production and industry context

Deutschland 83 was produced by German production company UFA Fiction and distributed internationally by FremantleMedia 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? 

The UFA have produced successful films and TV series’ such as "Danni Lowinski", "March of millions" and "The Tower", UFA Fiction is producing the domestic crime procedurals "Bella Block", "Donna Leon", "Soko Leipzig" and "Soko 5113". The company also released "Bornholmer Strabe" - a drama about the last night before the Berlin Wall fell, "Naked among wolves", a TV drama set in the concentration Camp Buchenwald in 1945 and currently "Ku'damm 56– Rebel With a Cause" which depicts the lives of four women in a Berlin dance school of 1956, which becomes the arena for the battle between sexual revolution and conservatism.

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

Freemantle Media is a global creative powerhouse. They build world-class partnerships, create great value and deliver irresistible entertainment that is core to the ever changing world of our audience.

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


Walter Presents

Watch this Channel 4 trailer for their Walter Presents international drama.

1) How does Channel 4 introduce 'Walter'?

Stars off with fast paced editing which tells us how the man gets his day started, then the focus shifts to him watching films and doing admin work based on them.

2) What audience are Channel 4 trying to appeal to with the 'Walter Presents' series?

Audience are trying to find the best series or movies that are suggested because the man clearly spends a lot of time going through movies and series and he has done it for a long time.

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

It suggests that they'll have the best choice in movies.



Marketing and promotion

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?

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. 

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. 

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).

3) List the key statistics concerning audience figures. Why is 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.

4) How does the news release describe the drama?

The release of fully consolidated ratings for 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?

In the poster on the right, you can clearly see the wall that is diving west and east Germany. Half the poster is in vintage with a drawing on the wall of a old man (maybe someone important) smoking whereas, on the right had side of the poster it is a young couple kissing which is coloured.

2) Analyse the mise-en-scene in the UK DVD cover. What does it communicate to the audience?

The setting suggests that there may be a air strike as Martin is looking up and he has got his headphones in his ears. The clothing that Martin is wearing is formal which portrays that he is working for the army.
The props that is being used in the poster is the headphones and the radio in his hands which may help him communicate with his team.

3) How does the American branding use font, colour and graphics to appeal to an audience?

The American branding includes all the ammunition e.g. The missile's in the background which tells the audience there will be action in the series which appeals to the audience.

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

Because some countries may be sensitive to the way Deutschland 83 is being advertised.

Media Magazine: the appeal of arthouse cinema

Media Magazine: the appeal of arthouse cinema

Complete the following tasks to improve your understanding of arthouse film and the possible audience pleasures that the genre offers:

1) Read Beyond Hollywood: Reading Arthouse Cinema. This is in MM45 on page 24 - go to our Media Magazine archive to find the article. Sum up the article in one sentence.

2) What are some of the suggested audience pleasures for arthouse film?

Some audience pleasures for the arthouse film is personal identity. Arthouse films usually present more unique narratives which the audience can relate to or often learn something from it.

3) Why do some audiences struggle with arthouse film? Refer to some media theory here (there are some important media theories discussed in the article itself).

The ‘return to the equilibrium’ described by Todorov is often absent in arthouse cinema. In arthouse films there is no narrative structure which puts the audience off of watching arthouse films because it is difficult to understand the narrative.


4) To what extent is arthouse film only for the middle classes and older audiences? Why might this be the case? 

This might be the case because the younger generation are more into action films or are often at home watching Netflix. Furthermore, arthouse films doesn't get enough publicity hence why not a lot of people watch arthouse films. 

5) What type of audience would A Field In England appeal to?

The type of audience A Field In England would appeal to is most likely a middle-aged/ older audience.

Applying Marxism

Applying Marxism: blog task

Go to our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive and open Factsheet #66: Applying Marxism. Our Media Factsheet archive is on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets - you'll need to save the factsheet to USB or email it to yourself in order to complete this at home. Read the factsheet and answer the following questions:

1) What does Marxism suggest regarding power in society?

Marxism suggests  Power was held by a minority (the elite or bourgeoisie) who had access to capital and could use their money and power to generate more wealth .

2) Why is The Apprentice a good example of the media reinforcing capitalist values and ideologies?

The Apprentice is a good example of media reinforcing capitalist values and ideologies because The fact that Sugar has all the power reinforces the ‘superior’ position of the capitalist elite. He has power as he has used the system to create wealth and he is shown using this power to provide a livelihood for the winner of the competition. 

3) Come up with three examples of media texts (e.g. TV programmes, newspapers etc.) that either fetishise working class life (e.g. EastEnders presents quite a harmonious East End community which probably doesn't accurately reflect East London life) or demonise working class life or poor people (e.g. The Daily Mail and The Sun newspapers regularly demonise people living on benefits with headlines referring to 'scroungers'.)

Capital fetishises working class life as it suggests that you'll eventually become rich as the residents on Pennys Road bought their properties for a cheap price however, the price went soaring.




4) Look at the bullet points on page 4 of the factsheet:

When making a Marxist reading of a text, look out for representations that:

• show the values of the power elite as beneficial to the mass
• show queries or challenges to the base as meaningless, foolish or anti-social via ‘failed revolt’
• show the subdominant position of the masses as a naturalised idea
• show the values of the power elite as ‘natural’ or ‘right’
• show that being a member of the mass is a good thing
• show the masses accepting the values of the power elite
• show the values of the power elite as being ‘for the good of the masses’ (even when unpleasant)

Now apply those bullet points to Capital. Think about the setting, characters and narrative strands - how many of the bullet points apply to Capital? Does Capital reinforce or challenge the values of capitalism? Give examples from episode 1 to support your points.

Capital shows the values of the power elite as beneficial to the mass. The white British family are seen as the power elite as they're wealthy and they have luxurious assets such as weekend homes, luxurious house they live in. Capital reinforces the values of capitalism by doing this.