Deutschland 83: case study blog tasks

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.

A positive is that Deutschland 83 is exciting and different.A criticism is that it can feel unrealistic or too dramatic.
 
2) Why does the second Guardian article suggest the Germans didn't like the show?

The article says some Germans did not like it because it was not historically accurate and felt too American in style.

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?

Some comments said the show was “entertaining” and “gripping.” Others said it was “unrealistic” or “over the top.” I partly agree because it is entertaining, but some parts are exaggerated.

Promotional interview

Channel 4 News: Matt Frei interviews Jonas Nay

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

Jonas Nay says he grew up in a united Germany and did not experience the division himself.

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 shows the interview in German with subtitles to educate audiences and show different cultures. This fits its role as a public service broadcaster.

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

The audience may be interested because Germany is important in Europe. Political issues can affect the UK as well.

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
• East looks dull and simple
• West looks bright and modern
• Representation of East & West Germany / Family / Gender
• East Germany = poor and controlled
• West Germany = rich and free
• Family roles are traditional

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
• Bright lighting and lots of products
• Audio codes
• Upbeat music
• Audience pleasures
• Surprise and excitement

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 editing
• Close-ups
• Audio codes
• Energetic music
• Audience pleasures
• Enjoyment and tension

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
• Quick cuts
• Close-ups
• Audio codes – diegetic and non-diegetic sound
• Tense music
• Audience pleasures
• Suspense and drama

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? 

UFA Fiction makes TV dramas such as Deutschland 83.

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

Fremantle produces and distributes TV shows worldwide.

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

The show was made in Germany but shown in many countries.


Walter Presents

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

 

1) How does Channel 4 introduce 'Walter'?

Walter is introduced as an expert who chooses the best foreign dramas.

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

It is aimed at people who enjoy international and high-quality dramas.

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

It shows that people now watch shows online and from different countries.


Marketing and promotion

Trailer

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

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

The trailer shows action scenes and mystery. This makes people want to watch.

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

English is used to make it easier for UK audiences to understand and enjoy.


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?

Anna Winger used real Cold War events to make the story realistic.

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

The soundtrack uses 1980s music which makes it more enjoyable and nostalgic.

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?

The show had high viewing figures and was very popular for a foreign language drama.

2) How does the press release describe Deutschland 83?

It is described as exciting, original and successful.


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 a spy theme, so it looks like a thriller.

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

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

Different countries like different styles. Marketing is changed to attract each audience.