1) Read the section on Strinati's five ways to define postmodernity. What examples are provided of the breakdown of the distinction between culture and society (media-isation)?
The examples are advertsiing which can make a poor quality product seem good and additionally another example will be The characters Bruno and Borat have more ‘reality’ for film.
2) What is Fredric Jameson's idea of 'historical deafness'? How can the idea of 'historical deafness' be applied to Deutschland 83?
Jameson, is the idea of historical deafness. He argues that as mediaization increases so the culturefinds itself losing a sense of historical context.in addition this can be applied to deutchland 83 as the story which is showed is not true but the settig,s and characters make it look real.
3) What examples and theories are provided for the idea of 'style over substance'?
Big brother's
branding influences people to buy think for example nike trainers
4) What examples from music are provided for the breakdown of the distinction between art and popular culture? Can this be applied to Deutschland 83?
5) What is bricolage? What examples of bricolage can be found in Deutschland 83?
Bricolage refers to the process of adapting and juxtaposing old and new texts, images, ideas or narratives to produce whole new meanings.in addition this can be shown by the genre which was chosen for deutchland 83 which is mystery and spy like james bond which is interesting for people who watch media.
6) How can the audience pleasures of Deutschland 83 be linked to postmodernism? Read 'The decline of meta-narratives' and 'Media texts and the postmodern' to help answer this.
They can be linked to postmodernism as the show is showing how the world was in the [past at 1983 and how Germany was divided into two parts.
8) Now look at page 4 of the factsheet. How does Deutschland 83 demonstrate aspects of the postmodern in its construction and ideological positioning? Deutschland 83 demonstrates aspects of postmodernism as they show the differences between the two parts of Germany which shows how one side is very different to the other. 9) Which key scenes from Deutschland 83 best provide examples of postmodernism? Why? The character martin training to be a spy could link to the genre as james bond which can engage the audience. 10) Why might audiences enjoy the postmodern aspects of Deutschland 83? What audience pleasures might elements of bricolage or pastiche provide viewers?
They might enjoy the postmodernism aspects as these aspects are the one which will engage the uadience to watch the show as the genre they have chosen which is spy genre is to interest people who watch this type of genre which can be anyone around the world.
There is a lot of challenging work here - you will have over a week to complete it so take your time, read around the subject and re-watch the scenes from the first episode on All4 to help develop impressive academic answers to these questions.
what impact do subtitles have on the way we watch TV?do they still act as a deterrent for audiences or in a world of multi-screen distractions do they provide a more immersive TV experience?
It will be useful for people who don't speak that language
help people to understand the media better
Helpful when someone is learning a new language
if you have hearing disabilities then that can help you to understand the film/tv.
when you read you understand the media product better.
In class, we have deconstructed Episode 1 of Deutschland 83, exploring how meanings are created in the key scenes using technical and audio codes.
We need to consider the audience pleasures of Deutschland 83 alongside various representations created in the first episode.
Recap: Uses and Gratifications theory (Blumler & Katz 1974)
Researchers Blumler and Katz (1974) suggested that media audiences are active and make conscious choices about the way they consume media.
They suggested there are four main uses or gratifications (pleasures) that audiences get from the media:
Diversion: escape from everyday problems and routine - entertainment.
Personal Relationships: using the media for emotional and other interaction (e.g. developing affection for characters in TV drama).
Personal Identity: finding ourselves reflected in texts or learning behaviour and values from the media.
Surveillance: Information useful for living or learning
Deutschland 83: representations
We also need to consider a range of representations in episode 1 of Deutschland 83:
East & West Germany
Communism and Capitalism
America and Americans
Gender
Family
Reality / history
Are stereotypes used? Do the representations reinforce or subvert what we usually see in the media?
Blog task: Deutschland 83 Close-textual analysis
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. Remember, you can watch the episode for free on the All 4 website and the main reading and research tasks for Deutschland 83 are on this case study blogpost here.
Scene 1: Garden/BBQ scenes (East & West Germany)
4.58 – 8.20 and 34.00 – 37.20
The audio which is the happy music shows that the character is in peace and that there is no tension in the drama.in addition the sound which is used is the west Germany song from the youth culture.furthermore the show the location with the camera work with long shots.therefore the costume that the character wore shows that he is in the army and looks like he is coming back to him after a long period of time.
Scene 2: Martin/Moritz first sees the West German supermarket
14.30 – 20.25
Make notes under the following headings:
The technical codes which is the camera work with pov shots to show his perspective of the market.furthermore he costume changed into western clothes with jeans and furthermore the audio which is a song reinforces what happened to martin.furthermore they showed the wider range of diversity which is involved in the war.
Scene 3: Training montage scene when Martin/Moritz learns how to be a spy
The fast pace editing and montage with the jump cut of narrative showed how he entered the army with the different steps and the diegtic sound which was the voice over helped to narrate the shot which helped us understand better than using furthermore the undiegetic sound was used to build tension as the scene is moving fast.in addition the intertexuality used in this is the James bond genre.
Scene 4: Briefcase scene when Martin/Moritz is stealing the NATO nuclear plans
31.13 – 33.30
The technical codes that were used in this was the close-ups used in show the props.the tracking shot and the fast pace to build tension and we can go into his state of mind.the audio codes that were from the non-diegetic sound was the 80's soundtrack which was used to build tension.in addition the diegtic sound of the movement of the character makes us feel like we are in his state of mind and are in the scene with him.
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.
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:
1) What positive aspects of Deutschland 83 are highlighted in the reviews?
a good show to show differnces between two parts of the same country.
2) What criticisms are made of the show?
There is lack of actual drama and that the show is showing everything in a very simplistic way but it wasn't like that when it took place.
3) Why did the Telegraph suggest that Deutschland 83 did the 'period' aspect of 'period drama' so well?
They did that by using the spy genre to show the two different sides of their country.
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?
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 says that he is proud of his country Germany now for being united and that a lot of young people don't know about the division in germany.
1) Why were the set design, costume and props so important for Deutschland 83?
This is all important because these things can reflect a lot in the representation for that period.
2) How historically accurate was the setting, costume and props?
They tried their best to make sure that everything seems real by making sure that they are using te documents which they used 30 years ago and the technology that was used that time like the telephone and the small camera.
3) Why were the props, costumes and music such a key audience pleasure for Deutschland 83?
They were key to audience to the audience because these are the type of things which make things look real and are the things which can visually represent the time era.
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 as it usess face pace editing and sounf o 80's to build tension fo rth audience.
2) What audience pleasures are suggested by the trailer? Think about Uses & Gratifications theory (Blumler and Katz).
3) How does the trailer use action and enigma codes (Barthes) to encourage the audience to watch the show?
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).
1)Digital clock countdown- intertextuality- classic spy movie shot- also plays as an enigma code 2)Sudden gun pulled by maid- creates thrill 3)Hotel room fighting scene- repetition- uses intertextuality to paint picture of story-line to audience
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?
The props like the camera and teelophone,the costume wore in the two different armies and the setting shown.
6) The trailer uses the song 'Two Tribes' by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Why did the producers select this soundtrack for the trailer?
This is because they're show was tragetted at foreign countries and this type of music is easily recognised in the uk and america.
7) The only words heard in the trailer are in English. Why do you think the UK trailer avoided subtitles or German dialogue?
This is because they might think that people will judge this show to be a foreign language show. 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 award winning film and television Company and a unique leader in the German film and television market, offering a remarkable portfolio of films and series which have strongly influenced the German production landscape
2) What kind of company is Freemantle Media International and what do they produce?
freemantle media is a company which produces shows all across the world globally.
3) How does Deutschland 83 reflect the international nature of television production?
This reflects the international nature of television production because what happened in Germany was very historical and could have resulted in world war 3. Walter Presents
it introduces the show with high key lightning and the movement of one of the charcter. 2) What audience are Channel 4 trying to appeal to with the 'Walter Presents' series?
they are trying to appeal to audience all around the world. 3) How does the 'Walter Presents' series reflect the changing nature of television in the digital age?
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 describe the drama to be very interesting.
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?
The DVD cover communicates by the costume and the rockets shown in the DVD..
2) Analyse the mise-en-scene in the UK DVD cover. What does it communicate to the audience?
The costume that he is wearing the suit and the jeans shows the binary opposition of the character. 3) How does the American branding use font, colour and graphics to appeal to an audience?
This appeals to the audience with the vibrant colour used in the font and DVD. 4) Why might the distributors Freemantle Media International have used different marketing campaigns in different countries? This is because different countries need different marketing which can interest them to watch a show.
Marxism & hegemony: blog tasks Mail Online review of Capital 1) Re-read the Mail Online review of Capital. Why does it suggest that Capital features a left-wing ideology?
capital features a left wing ideology because capital is showing the immigration to have an positive effect in Britain and showing how hardworking they are.in addition they are also doing this by showing how the middle upper class people are greedy and materlistic. 2) Choose three quotes from the review that are particularly critical of Capital and paste them into your blogpost. Do you agree with the criticisms? Why?
"The hardest worker on the street was an illegal immigrant" I disagree with this statement because a small minority cannot represent everyone.
"But that concept went nowhere. The residents were bemused, but not scared." I agree with this because if this happened to me I would be very scared but in the drama they don't seem to be worried at all .
"It’s more complicated... and terrible" I disagree with this statement because this drama is very easy to understand after watching one episode. 3) What scenes or characters from Capital could be read as promoting left-wing ideology?
The character Quetina represents left wing ideology as she is shown as very hardworking and in the drama they also show what she goes through in her life as an illegal immigrant.
4) What about the other side of the argument - are there any aspects of Capital that reinforce the status quo in capitalist London?
capital reinforces the status quoin capitalist London by showing the character rogue who is a investor bank and is very hardworking and dedicated to his work. Media Magazine feature on BBC drama The Casual Vacancy and ideology Now go to our Media Magazine archive and read the feature 'The Beeb, The Mail and JKR' in MM53 (page 20). This focuses on the politics of The Casual Vacancy, another BBC three-part drama based on a book by JK Rowling.
Answer the questions below: 1) Why did the Daily Mail suggest The Casual Vacancy promoted a left-wing ideology?
They suggest that because the showing different types of characters.They show the upper middle class people to be greedy as they sell food banks and charities.
2) How does the article suggest characters, narrative and setting are used to promote a left-wing ideology?
The article suggests that by showing different type of characters with different ideologies and values.in addition they are showing how the rich people are making decision over the poor people. 3) What research is quoted regarding BBC bias and what did it find? Do you think the BBC is biased?
bbc quotes""is the BBC too cosy with JK rowling"
4) Gramsci's theory of hegemony suggests people are kept under control through active consent - the control of 'common sense'. How could you apply the Daily Mail or the BBC to the idea of hegemony and dominant ideologies in the UK media?
an example of hegemony is presented in the daily mail by showing how the upper middle class is dominant is making decision for everyone around them.
Our TV drama texts give us a great opportunity to apply Marxist theories such as Gramsci's hegemony.
However, Marxist theory goes much further than we've covered in lessons - and it's important that we learn the background to Marxism and explore the different ways we can apply it to a range of media texts.
Applying Marxism: blog task
Go to our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive and open Factsheet #66: Applying Marxism. Our Media Factsheet archive is on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets - you'll need to save the factsheet to USB or email it to yourself in order to complete this at home. Read the factsheet and answer the following questions:
1) What does Marxism suggest regarding power in society?
Marxism suggests that power is held by minority which they use to control everyone and the majority type of people are working to make a living.
2) Why is The Apprentice a good example of the media reinforcing capitalist values and ideologies?
The apprentice is a good example of the media reinforcing capitalist values because the show shows how one character has all the power and control which is shown by character of alan sugar.
3) Come up with three examples of media texts (e.g. TV programmes, newspapers etc.) that either fetishise working class life (e.g. EastEnders presents quite a harmonious East End community which probably doesn't accurately reflect East London life) or demonise working class life or poor people (e.g. The Daily Mail and The Sun newspapers regularly demonise people living on benefits with headlines referring to 'scroungers'.)
'Only Fools and Horses' - A show which focuses on two brothers and their granddad who live a working class life, they are seen to struggle but their humour and attitude towards it is seen as quite likeable and makes people want to have a much more positive attitude towards issues like that.
'Rich House Poor House' - Channel 5 show where a poor family swaps houses and lives with a rich family and vice versa. It highlights the struggle the poor family goes through and makes some people crave a better lifestyle.
'Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole' - Another channel 5 documentary that focuses on working class people on benefits. Exposes the harsh reality of what it's like to live on benefits and how tough having a working class background can be for some people.
4) Look at the bullet points on page 4 of the factsheet:
When making a Marxist reading of a text, look out for representations that:
show the values of the power elite as beneficial to the mass
show queries or challenges to the base as meaningless, foolish or anti-social via ‘failed revolt’
show the subdominant position of the masses as a naturalised idea
show the values of the power elite as ‘natural’ or ‘right’
show that being a member of the mass is a good thing
show the masses accepting the values of the power elite
show the values of the power elite as being ‘for the good of the masses’ (even when unpleasant)
Now apply those bullet points to Capital. Think about the setting, characters and narrative strands - how many of the bullet points apply to Capital? Does Capital reinforce or challenge the values of capitalism? Give examples from episode 1 to support your points.
In my opinion the way they represent the character of quetina is very much showing how they are reinforcing capitalist as they show how she is being forced to live in poverty.
