TV: Deutschland 83 case study

TV: Deutschland 83 case study

Our second television close-study product is critically acclaimed German cold war spy drama Deutschland 83.

Just like our work on Capital, we need to know everything about Deutschland 83 - from textual analysis of key scenes to how it was funded, distributed and promoted. The notes from the lesson are here:

Historical context: The Cold War

The Cold War was a political dispute between the Eastern Bloc (the Soviet Union – Russia and 14 other states) and the Western Bloc (USA and NATO allies including the UK). It took place from 1947 to 1989.

There was never large-scale fighting between the two sides but on at least two occasions the world came close to a fully-nuclear World War 3.

The Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall was a symbol of the Cold War, constructed after the Berlin crisis of 1961.

It divided Communist-controlled East Berlin and NATO-supporting West Berlin. East Germans were not allowed to cross the border for a better life in the West – many were shot trying to climb over the wall.

The East German government eventually allowed people to freely cross the border on 9 November 1989.

1983: a critical year in the Cold War

The Cold War almost boiled over into nuclear war in 1983 when a NATO exercise called Able Archer caused some politicians in East Germany and the Soviet Union to believe the USA was planning a nuclear first-strike.

Deutschland 83 screening

We will watch the CSP episode - Season 1, Episode 1 - in class. It is also available here on the All4 website for streaming Channel 4 programmes.




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?

So far the show has been unremarkable, all this was very well done  As well as being a monument to a corrupt state based on mass informing on each other, the Staci HQ was a lesson in early Eighties bad taste. 

2) What criticisms are made of the show?

The show was said to 'lack a lot of drama but made up for it with a deep sense of period. 


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

The telegraph said this because the drama did a good job in explaining everything that happened which may have lead to a war also they did it through the yes of a younger person which means that it may grab the interest of a younger audience and educate them.

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?

'Not quite the flop of the year' this suggests that although it wasn't the very worst, it was still quite a bad show because it is being considered a flop.

"This show is excellent. Great German actors, great plot & accurate historically speaking. Got me hooked straight away" I agree with this statement because i feel like it was very entertaining to watch as the actors did a very good job with portraying the Germans and i felt like i was watching something real.

"Superb characterisations and riveting action are leavened by wry humour, making Deutschland delightfully addictive." I agree with this  because the show is serious although it does have some funny scenes in it that really make us laugh.

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? 

He trusts that realize Germany is joined he esteems living in Germany, even in the existence he lives now, which is his opportunity and portability. He trusts that he can think what he loves, and state what he loves. He felt that individuals in East Germany at the time that they were compelled and checked frequently . He trusts that the present outlook in Germany is great. He additionally goes onto saying how he is pleased to be German as they have a specific commitment towards mankind as a law based nation. He trusted that this pride was not generally felt, and had to a lesser extent an association.

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 will interest the audience of channel four who will be able to understand what is being said because it would have had the English subtitles

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

He gets some information about the current political circumstance in Germany to connect with crowd individuals who are keen on governmental issues, yet in addition in an alternate nation to get an alternate point of view on how legislative issues is treated in an alternate nation excepting UK. Additionally, this enables gathering of people individuals to get some answers concerning current issues in an alternate nation.

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 genre that it is based in is very interesting it is based on spy drama and is similar to James Bond in many ways therefore it may get them intregued.

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

It is important because it can be a way for the younger generation to learn something new when watching the show . Also they may not want to read so showing them the show will be  a successful to get them to learn.

3) What technical aspects are highlighted in the video?

The production shot as well as costume. 

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?

They were very important because the directors need to make sure they are as accurate as possible because this is all based around a real time so if it is not accurate than it will look really bad on screen.

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

I believe it was quite realistic because the soldiers all had goof costumes and anyone with a higher status wore a different suit, something more accurate to their position as a leader or a general. Also the training camp looked really realistic as well.

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

They were very key to the audience because they needed to make sure that what they were watching was realistic as possible because if not it would give them a wrong idea about that time.

Textual analysis: trailer

 

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

This is effective because it would make more people interested in watching the show to see what will happen especially if they are intrigued, also a trailer is very important because it is what attracts people to the show.

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

The gatherings of people delight recommended by the trailer is for the most part done intensive observation and individual connections. All through the trailer, there is a great deal of quick paced altering, alongside blasts and clasps of activity in the trailer. This enables the group of onlookers to appreciate and connect with the crowd, and consequently they would need to observe more. 

The utilisation of individual connections should be possible through the hero as they may feel compassion towards him as he has been sent to west Germany without his family and companions and thus they feel compassion toward him. Additionally, it could be translated that there could be an individual character appeared a few people may identify with a specific circumstance, anyway it will be hard as this is endeavouring to reproduce something from years prior.

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

The trailer utilises Barthes action  and enigma codes so as to connect with the gathering of people. For instance, the activity codes when Martin is fleeing and battling individuals, additionally go about as enigma codes. This grasps the gathering of people into needing to observe more, as they need to realise what occurs, in this way this implies they are constrained into viewing the arrangement and perceive how the story unfurls.

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' (the original notes on genre theory are here).

The Digital clock countdown- heterosexuality- classic spy movie shot- also plays as an enigma code. Sudden gun pulled by maid- the fight scene is very fun to watch it is the action code - repetition- paints a picture to its audience using sexuality.

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? 

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

The song fits in with the set and the  it matches well also it may be a lot easier for audiences from america and UK to understand what is being said.

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

Because it may be confusing to the audience also many people may judge and react in a bad way if they were to see German subtitles therefore they may just avoid the show completely.

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 teh world.

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

UFA Fiction is a German honour winning film and TV Company and an interesting pioneer in the German film and TV advertise, offering an astounding arrangement of movies and arrangement which have unequivocally impacted the German creation scene. The shows they have delivered are The physician  , Age war , "Dannie Wilkins" and "The Tower".

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

A Free mantle is company which produces shows across the globe.

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

The international nature of television is reflected in Deutschland 83 by the reflection of the potential war and what everyone was going through when it was all about to kick off it is basically like a documentary.

Walter Presents

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

1) How does Channel 4 introduce 'Walter'?

Th high key lighting is very effective also following the character around is good to build suspicion and leave the audience confused and lost.

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

They are appealing for audiences all around the world as they don't only want to aim for one specific audience they want to widen their range.

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

This arrangement mirrors a difference in nature of TV in the computerised age is that the arrangement is on interest, and not being communicated on TV, which demonstrates the difference in the advanced age, as most things are done on the web and thus this arrangement being on the web implies that it is anything but difficult to access for a scope of gatherings of people, and numerous organisations depend on the web as an approach to broadcasting and publicizing their arrangement, for example, this one, this will enable them to pick up progress, which could be dicey on the off chance that they were communicating the show on TV, as it would not have contacted a more extensive crowd.

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?

They used the genres spy and mystery 

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

This will attract them because the music is aimed for the certain type of people.

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?

4) How does the news release describe the drama?

They show the drama as being very interesting therefore it will attract more people to watch the show.

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?

It shows that thee will be war and fighting because there are nukes and missiles in the background which suggest that the show will be about war.

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

The utilisation of colors utilised in this spread is being depicted as being very disheartening, which could depict the story line, yet in addition the black out utilisation of hues could show that how it is being spoken to previously, and the shading could be an image of the past. The foundation proposes the differentiating sides between West Germany and East Germany, the utilisation of spray painting is utilised to depict this is an elective path with the utilisation of motto and furthermore pictures, this is a powerful and novel route in depicting this.

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

There are many vibrant colours which make it stand out on the poster nd help attract us too it. However because the person is in black and white it also make him stand out compared to all the things in the surrounding.

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

Countries all round the world have dfferent distributors.