Deutschland 83: case study

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.

This is a serious thriller which hypes up the audience however only generated 3 million viewers.

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

The show makes us like the character Martin even though in real life Stasi officers are cruel.

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?

"Great show with superb soundtrack"- The 80s soundtrack really fit the show.

"This whole series was something of a learning experience"- Yes since it showed us how life was operating at that time in Germany.

"I also hoped it was sign of things to come on German TV". - It was made by an American writer.

Promotional interview

Channel 4 News: Matt Frei interviews Jonas Nay



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

There is lots of freedom to think whatever you want.

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!)

It is very innovative in comprasion due to many languages being spoken.

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

The audience can see how political views have changed overtime. 

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

Make notes under the following headings:

• Technical codes – particularly mise-en-scene
• Representation of East & West Germany / Family / Gender

Family is very close. East is presented as warm and friendly which subverts the stereotype of the East in most cold war media. Handheld camerawork creates sense that audience is attending party in East. In west, 360 degree shot circling the children which creates an ominous feeling that Martin is in major danger.

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
• Audio codes – particularly music
• Representation of East & West Germany / Communism & Capitalism / Historical accuracy
• Audience pleasures

Non diegetic fast paced electronic soundtrack creates pace and tension while Martin is running away.  Dialogue in supermarket reference to nuclear missiles and WW3 which creates drama and tension. The uses and gratifications are diversion and surveillance. West is more colourful and more food than in the East symbolising their wealth.

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

Editing montage sequence- fast paced editing condenses weeks into 2 min sequence. Split screen to show difference between East and West. Surveillance learning about Germany and 80s gadgets. Fruit missing in East portraying that 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

Dietetic sound deliberately increased volume of Martin's breath reinforces spy thriller genre and tension. Blurs boundaries between fiction and reality. East vs West presents West as threat to world security (nuclear war). Action and enigma codes- audience will think Martin will be caught at any moment. U and G theory- diversion and visceral pleasure . Person relationships- audience want Martin to escape.

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? 

A German award winning media company and they have made shows such as faking Hither and our wonderful years and also a thousand lines.

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

This is a British multinational television production and distribution company based in London. They have produced The Price is Right, Grand Designs and the farmer wants a wife.

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

This show popular outside Germany due to the distribution of Fremantle.


Walter Presents

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

 

1) How does Channel 4 introduce 'Walter'?

Walter is introduced as a globally acclaimed company.

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

I think they are targeting teenagers and young adults due to the wide range of genres like spy thriller, crime and coming of age which the audience may relate to. This links back to U and G personal identity.

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

TV are building up to be more older audience focused while the younger audience are using streaming platforms.


Marketing and promotion

Trailer



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

They are provided surveillance due to the 1983 Cold War. Also, personal identity due to being nostalgic over the 80s soundtracks.

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

They are many actions codes by showing explosions and gunshots while the enigma code is that Martin is not showing us his pictures he took.

3) The only words heard in the trailer are in English. Why do you think the UK trailer avoided subtitles or German dialogue?
So the UK audience can relate and understand the show properly.

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?

They created a fictional character to fit in with the real life events going on in that time.

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

These soundtracks are still popular to this day and are very iconic to older audiences.



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 had 1.49 million viewers after launch and overtaked another show called The Returned by 300k viewers on its 1st episode.

2) How does the press release describe Deutschland 83?

The greatest show of the year and a sensation.


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 portrays the two different contrasts between the East and West.

2) How do these use font, colour and graphics to appeal to an audience? They are very bright and appealing colours which may intrigue an audience.

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

Both countries relate to it in different ways. They each have different experiences about how it went in 1983.