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.
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.
"It’s a perfect moment in a near-perfect series."
"Deutschland 83 is a serious thriller driven by jeopardy of the all-out nuclear kind."
"war TV drama Deutschland 83, which premiered at last year’s festival, has gone on to become an international success story,"
2) Why does the second Guardian article suggest the Germans didn't like the show?
"By focusing the story around Martin Rauch, a young East German border guard going undercover in the west, it doesn’t just make the viewer empathise with a Stasi agent on a human level"
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?
"As absurdly OTT a critique as I've ever read. I stomached the first ep before turning off. It was laughably silly, especially the DDR auntie character, and I remember thinking how daft the alledged NATO general's office looked with totally bare walls and a couple of desks. Its ambition overrreached its budget and - crucially - that couldn't even be made up for in the script."
2) Why does the second Guardian article suggest the Germans didn't like the show?
"By focusing the story around Martin Rauch, a young East German border guard going undercover in the west, it doesn’t just make the viewer empathise with a Stasi agent on a human level"
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?
"As absurdly OTT a critique as I've ever read. I stomached the first ep before turning off. It was laughably silly, especially the DDR auntie character, and I remember thinking how daft the alledged NATO general's office looked with totally bare walls and a couple of desks. Its ambition overrreached its budget and - crucially - that couldn't even be made up for in the script."
"far too many plot holes to be taken seriously."
"Loved this series. I was in West Germany in the summer of 1983 and I thought the programme makers captured the mood of the time perfectly. East Germany was much less well done (and more cartoonish) but it didn't really matter. You have to read Uwe Tellkamp's The Tower to get an idea of East Germany at that time. Unbelievable somehow that this was all happening only 6 years before the fall of the wall."
I agree as although the show is entertaining, its representations, especially in plots involving topics like this are difficult to properly represent.
Promotional interview
Channel 4 News: Matt Frei interviews Jonas Nay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFXRyQ4vohY
1) What does Jonas Nay say about growing up in a united Germany?
Promotional interview
Channel 4 News: Matt Frei interviews Jonas Nay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFXRyQ4vohY
1) What does Jonas Nay say about growing up in a united Germany?
He can express his beliefs in a free, united country.
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!)
Their remit is to to deliver high-quality, innovative, alternative content that challenges the status quo This meets their remit as it would be different for a British audience to see a different language on television.
3) Interviewer Matt Frei asks about the current political situation in Germany. Why might this interest the a Channel 4 audience?
Audiences can gain more knowledge on foreign politics in the modern day.
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 the world.
1) What kind of company is UFA Fiction and what shows have they produced?
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!)
Their remit is to to deliver high-quality, innovative, alternative content that challenges the status quo This meets their remit as it would be different for a British audience to see a different language on television.
3) Interviewer Matt Frei asks about the current political situation in Germany. Why might this interest the a Channel 4 audience?
Audiences can gain more knowledge on foreign politics in the modern day.
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
- 360 degree camera movement circling Martin
- Several shots in the East German party of key characters shot over-the-shoulder
- Contrast of homes in East and West Germany
- Representation of East & West Germany / Family / Gender
- Western family is unhappy unlike Martins eastern family
- Makes east seem appealing
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
- Puma logo red T-shirt as a colourful contrast to the dull East
- Supermarket shelves full of colour and stacked high
- Audio codes – particularly music
- Sweet Dreams Are Made Of These - famous western song
- Representation of East & West Germany / Communism & Capitalism / Historical accuracy
- Annet as a strong women working for the Government
- Policemen eating ice cream is symbolic of differences
- Audience pleasures
- Surveillance: learning about threats of WW3
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
- Fast-paced editing including jump cuts, typical of montage sequence
- Split screen / editing / graphics used to emphasise difference between East and West.
- Audio codes
- Non-diegetic sound adds pace to the sequence.
- Voiceover - covers a lot of narrative.
- Audience pleasures
- Surveillance of learning spy gadgets
- Intertextuality
- Similar to James Bond films
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
- Shot from behind the blinds continues recurring motif of shots through windows or from behind objects
- Close-ups of Martin while picking lock and photographing the documents
- Audio codes – diegetic and non-diegetic sound
- Non-diegetic sound - music helps convey the tension of the scene and satisfy genre expectations of spy thriller
- Diegetic sound - deliberately increased volume
- Audience pleasures
- Surveillance of real history documents
- Personal relationship - we worry for Martin that he will get caught
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 the world.
1) What kind of company is UFA Fiction and what shows have they produced?
A TV and film producer which produced Softies, Miss Sophie and Deutschland 1983.
2) What kind of company is Freemantle and what do they produce?
2) What kind of company is Freemantle and what do they produce?
A distribution company which sells movies to companies which show the movies or TV series.
3) How does Deutschland 83 reflect the international nature of television production?
3) How does Deutschland 83 reflect the international nature of television production?
It was shown in Germany, the UK and USA.
Walter Presents
Watch this Channel 4 trailer for their Walter Presents international drama:
Walter Presents
Watch this Channel 4 trailer for their Walter Presents international drama:
1) How does Channel 4 introduce 'Walter'?
A place for action packed shows.
2) What audience are Channel 4 trying to appeal to with the 'Walter Presents' series?
2) What audience are Channel 4 trying to appeal to with the 'Walter Presents' series?
Audiences interested in surveillance of action such as spy's to crime.
3) How does the 'Walter Presents' series reflect the changing nature of television in the digital age?
We can access different shows all in one place - convergence. It also shows how television tries to adpat to changing customer needs of faster paced, thrilling shows.
Marketing and promotion
Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eb0yFr2jVAU
1) What audience pleasures are suggested by the trailer? Think about Uses & Gratifications theory (Blumler and Katz).
3) How does the 'Walter Presents' series reflect the changing nature of television in the digital age?
We can access different shows all in one place - convergence. It also shows how television tries to adpat to changing customer needs of faster paced, thrilling shows.
Marketing and promotion
Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eb0yFr2jVAU
1) What audience pleasures are suggested by the trailer? Think about Uses & Gratifications theory (Blumler and Katz).
Surveillance - Learn more about the cold war due to the real life footage
Personal Relationships - Mortiz being beaten up by a girl so we pity his as we understand hes the main character
Diversion - Escape into a different world full of action
Personal Identity - Some may relate to him as a young man
2) How does the trailer use action and enigma codes (Barthes) to encourage the audience to watch the show?
Clips of Mortiz fighting and running creates action codes which intrigue the reader as this communicates the show is extremely thrilling.
3) The only words heard in the trailer are in English. Why do you think the UK trailer avoided subtitles or German dialogue?
They may think that the show is made for German audiences to enjoy rather than them. They may also not understand the show and its content.
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?
2) How does the trailer use action and enigma codes (Barthes) to encourage the audience to watch the show?
Clips of Mortiz fighting and running creates action codes which intrigue the reader as this communicates the show is extremely thrilling.
3) The only words heard in the trailer are in English. Why do you think the UK trailer avoided subtitles or German dialogue?
They may think that the show is made for German audiences to enjoy rather than them. They may also not understand the show and its content.
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?
With loads of research of the past being implemented into the show blurs the lines between fiction and reality which is interesting as it heavily informs the audience in a entertaining way.
2) Anna Winger discusses the use of music. Why might the soundtrack attract an audience?
2) Anna Winger discusses the use of music. Why might the soundtrack attract an audience?
It is nostalgic for a older audience but also may help a younger audience understand and escape into this older, different world/society.
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?
It has had 2.5 million viewers. It was considered the most successful foreign drama due to its viewership and its historical contexts and how that's been added into the show.
2) How does the press release describe Deutschland 83?
“It’s only January but let’s call it already: coolest show of the year.”
Grazia
“This is the next subtitled sensation……..unmissable TV.”
TV Times
“This pacy saga could be your new subtitled obsession.”
The GuardianInternational 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?
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?
It has had 2.5 million viewers. It was considered the most successful foreign drama due to its viewership and its historical contexts and how that's been added into the show.
2) How does the press release describe Deutschland 83?
“It’s only January but let’s call it already: coolest show of the year.”
Grazia
“This is the next subtitled sensation……..unmissable TV.”
TV Times
“This pacy saga could be your new subtitled obsession.”
The Guardian
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 slogan "Over the wall. Under cover" suggests how not only is this an action film where the protagonist fights but its also a spy sub-genre film.
2) How do these use font, colour and graphics to appeal to an audience?
The pop art featured in the background of both adverts appeal to a nostalgic audience as this art style was popular from the 1950s.
3) Why might the distributors Freemantle International have used different marketing campaigns in different countries?
2) How do these use font, colour and graphics to appeal to an audience?
The pop art featured in the background of both adverts appeal to a nostalgic audience as this art style was popular from the 1950s.
3) Why might the distributors Freemantle International have used different marketing campaigns in different countries?
The UK advert is more relaxing and connotes a sense of respect due to its soft but bright high key lighting as well as the bolded font of the title. Furthermore, the neutral colour scheme connotes nostalgia. However, the American advert is more intense with the bright, neon colour scheme and Martin being in a soldier outfit which connotes pride in ones nation and identity. The bombs used in the back connote power and control which may appeal to an American audience who seeks to learn how other countries hold power.
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