Deutschland 83: case study blog tasks

Introduction: Reviews and features:

 1) Find one positive aspect and one criticism of Deutschland 83 in the reviews.

The reviews emphasise the nostalgia that the show conjures up because it is based in the 1980s, complete with the music and product branding, and they also highlight the great actors and actresses who appear in the programme and how well they portray their characters, as well as the two producers who are a married couple who wrote the screenplay for the programme. The criticism of the reviews is that the sad past of Germany may have prevented German viewers from enjoying the show.

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

This year, a lot of critics are throwing away their notebooks because only one German show was included in the competition schedule. Despite 90 years of suffering, the heyday of Lang, Lubitsch, and Murnau seems as far away as ever.

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?

"Only then to find out that it was an American writer" This shows an audience member that is criticizing the German viewers that may not like the show and the ones that do will think it is great due to being German.

"Not rating much of Walters output so far I'm afraid." This viewer suggested that the show was enjoyable with its soundtrack, the reviewer also compared it to other Walter presents shows that may be more enjoyable to a foreign watcher in their opinion.

Promotional interview:

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

He disbelieves in the idea of an East and West Germany since, after the Berlin Wall fell, things changed so swiftly that he was spared from having to grow up on both sides of the political spectrum. The freedom he currently enjoys and the freedom he had while filming the show, in his opinion, indicate why the West was so alluring and why so many Germans attempted to scale the wall but failed. Despite having to accept Germany's troubled past, he is yet pleased to be German due to its prosperous past.

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 helps one of the major television channels achieve its objective of educating and entertaining its viewers. This is done in part via the Walter Presents television series, which introduces British audiences to a variety of international television programmes, but it is also done by the way this interview is set up.

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

The question would be directed at viewers who watch Channel 4 for its educational and informative aspects because it would allow them to see how a German may think of their country instead of a British editor scripting their opinion. This is because so many political topics are shown and broadcast on the channel.

Textual analysis: Audience pleasures and representations:

Scene 1: Garden/BBQ scenes (East & West Germany)

4.58 – 8.20 and 34.00 – 37.20

Even though they reside in a working class small house, the East appears to have a joyful and welcoming atmosphere from the camera images taken in the kitchen, which are visible via a window. Despite Edel's mansion and the wealth that can be shown, in the west the camera work is shot in such a way that Martin is positioned to be further away from the people in this scene. This will make the audience in this scene more on edge and cold and create tension between Martin and the people in the house as the audience is unsure if he will be caught.

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

14.30 – 20.25

When Martin is trying to flee, we can see that he comes across a shop that sells TVs that display the affluence of the West and how he bumps into someone who is holding oranges, which are typically unavailable in the East. Martin is also handed clothing with branding on it, such as puma. When we enter the shop, we notice that the shelves are stocked with a wide variety of goods in a variety of colours, including fruits that are unavailable in the East. The song "Sweet dreams are made of" may be heard playing in the background when we are inside the shop, but the lines, "Some of them want to use you," possibly be related to Martin being used as a spy for the West. As we can see from the two policemen spotted having ice cream outside the supermarket, the talk on the bench demonstrates how they believe that Westerners are more sluggish. The music played at the shop may potentially evoke feelings of nostalgia in elderly viewers because of the song's compositional era.

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

20.40 – 22.40

We can see that the editing is really quick because they compressed a few weeks into a 2 minute sequence. We can also see how they compared the east and west and used a split screen to display the contrast between the two. Another 80s song from the soundtrack adds to the montage's pace. At the conclusion of the clip, the music abruptly stops as he exclaims, "You're on your own," emphasising the precariousness of his predicament. We can also observe how women are portrayed and how they can be perceived as more, as when the lady attempts to murder the genuine Moritz.

Scene 4: Briefcase scene when Martin/Moritz is stealing the NATO nuclear plans

31.13 – 33.30

We may observe how, in 2013, when the papers were made available to the public, the camera work displayed closeups of Martin opening locks and taking pictures of documents. Also, we can observe the recurring motif of objects being shot through blinds and truly feeling the atmosphere of secrecy in each scene. Martin's anxiety and the intensity of the situation are conveyed via the deliberate amplification of diegetic sound. Yet, we can also link this to surveillance and how the audience is learning from the papers and documents being given. This can also fall under audience pleasures and how they invested into Martin's position so a sense of personal bond could be developed.

Production and industry contexts: 

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

The domestic crime procedurals "Bella Block," "Donna Leon," "Soko Leipzig," and "Soko 5113" are currently being produced by UFA Fiction, a German award-winning film and television company that is a market leader in Germany. Other notable films and TV series produced by UFA Fiction include "Danni Lowinski," "March of Millions," and "The Tower," among others.

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

For broadcast and cable networks, syndication, streaming services, and other media, Fremantle North America creates and distributes scripted and alternative programming.

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

Younger people nowadays are attracted to shows or movies if they have an actor that is around their age due to the fact that they can possibly relate to them. 

Walter Presents: 

1) How does Channel 4 introduce 'Walter'?

Channel 4 portrays Walter as a knowledgeable, white man who "knows it all" when it comes to foreign drama. Walter is used to introduce the synopsis of the episode, provide a brief rundown of what to expect, and offer critiques as well as his own opinions of the show.

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

The Walter presents is attempting to appeal to an ABC1-level audience because a foreign language show's target audience will likely be more intelligent and culturally aware than viewers in the C2DE class.

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

The "Walter presents" accomplishes this by allowing potential viewers to download all of the episodes as a box set for free so they can watch it anywhere. Moreover, having the 4OD enables 4 to market their work online and have immediate access to it.

Marketing and promotion:

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

The trailer suggests that one audience delight is diversion. There seems to be a lot of action in the series. Another important audience interest made clear in the teaser is surveillance. The series is unmistakably inspired on the cold war-related events that took place in Germany in 1983. 

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

The trailer's various gunfights, running sequences, and confrontations function as action codes. Images of a large room filled with what look to be politically influential people holding serious conversations can be seen in enigma codes. Due to their interest in the resolution of the conflict and the mystique around the show's secrets, they draw viewers to the programme.

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

Due to its rapid pace and abundance of simultaneous events, the trailer did not include subtitles or German language. The viewer would have been distracted from the real shots in the trailer if German dialogue or subtitles had been included since there would have been too many things happening on the screen at once.

Press pack:

1) How did she use the historical context and real-life events to create a successful drama?

For the purpose of writing this drama, Winger and her team performed extensive research. They created their imaginary characters and then placed them in the timeline of actual events against the backdrop of the actual political milieu of the period..

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

The soundtrack is mentioned because it may have sentimental value for some people who were alive at the time and recognise the music, but it is primarily there for the viewers to feel a sense of nostalgia with the soundtrack as the 1980s were full of pop culture references that are used in modern media everywhere.

Press release:

1) List the key statistics concerning audience figures. Why was it considered the most successful foreign language drama?

The first episode, which debuted with 1.49 million people, has now consolidated at 2.5 million viewers, breaking the previous record of The Returned (9 June 2013) on Channel 4, which had 2.2 million viewers. Deutschland 83 is a chic coming-of-age tale set against the actual events, culture wars, and political reality of Germany in the 1980s, wrapped up in a gripping thriller.

2) How does the press release describe Deutschland 83?

The Deutschland 83 premiere episode demonstrated that the German spy drama is currently the highest-rated foreign-language drama in UK TV history.

International marketing:

1) How does the UK DVD cover communicate the sub-genre of the drama?

Yet, the much more sombre bearded guys frowning on the left signal a more serious political subject, while the pair kissing in the backdrop on the wall in graffiti may also suggest romance in the programme. The UK DVD cover shows a young man looking up at the sky and listening to the walk man in what appears to be a coming-of-age story.

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

The US poster's font is far more modern and has little to no connections with war, in contrast to the UK poster's text, which was lifted verbatim from a military/commercial font from the 1980s. The first episode is already accessible on iTunes, so this could be done to appeal to the younger population that it is trying to target. The poster's engaging colour scheme will appeal to a contemporary and young audience. Last but not least, the visuals of the missiles and the Berlin War serve as entertainment for action audiences who are lured to images of violence in addition to making a direct reference to the Cold War.

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

While the US and the UK have citizens who have similar perspectives on issues, the UK may have a more realistic perspective, therefore the poster's creators may have taken this into account and produced a much more sombre style of poster.