Deutschland 83: case study blog tasks

Reviews and features

Read the following reviews and features on Deutschland 83:

The Guardian - Your next box set: Deutschland 83
Daily Telegraph review
The Guardian - Deutschland 83 Pity the Germans don't like it

1) What positive aspects of Deutschland 83 are highlighted in the reviews?
The period drama included a  lot of 80's culture that was very well received by the British viewers. For exampl, the music was very nostalgic, the costumes and the props (the walkman).

2) What criticisms are made of 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 – in the way The Lives of Others did – it makes us engage with the socialist regime’s worldview, in which a military exercise in West Germany poses a potentially existential threat.
Yet as if to make up for such a radical premise, it then backtracks into stereotype. Stasi officers are cruel ideologues who blackmail family members and fake reports for political ends. The West German officers have messed-up private lives, but they are honest. And to top it all, the peace movement in the west turns out to have been infiltrated not just by Soviet agents, but gay Soviet agents at that – a McCarthyite fantasy come true. In Germany, where the cold war can still send chills, that feels a bit too simple.'
3) Why did the Telegraph suggest that Deutschland 83 did the 'period' aspect of 'period drama' so well?
'The period feel was heightened with snatches of news footage of Erich Honecker, the East German leader. Most gripping of all was a televised excerpt from Ronald Reagan's "Evil Empire" speech in 1983. In it, Reagan quoted from CS Lewis's Screwtape Letters, where Lewis wrote that the greatest evil is ordered "by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voice".'

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?
'The whole series was something of a learning experience for me. I think that's why I loved it so much. Always happy to have my knowledge topped up!'
This is a clear example of the uses and gratifications that audiences use shows for- this specifically being surveillance.

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 learned about the cold war in school and pieced info together from his parents knowledge. He says itb wasn't history for them but as a new generation it was history for him.

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's remit is to 'deliver high-quality, innovative, alternative content that challenges the status quo.' The fact that they use a different language shows how they strive to represent a wide range of demographics- not just British people. 

3) Interviewer Matt Frei asks about the current political situation in Germany. Why might this interest the Channel 4 News audience?
The audience might want more knowledge on the more global politics rather than just in the UK- this relates to why they might be watching Deutschland 83. 

The All4 website has a range of clips from behind the scenes of Deutschland 83. Watch the following:

Making Of: Why Should You Watch Deutschland 83
Watch this short promotional clip for Deutschland 83.

1) Why should audiences watch Deutschland 83 - what does the clip offer viewers?
It begins with nostalgic music to show  the audience immediately what the nature of the show is and when it is set, and it then offers real audience reviews and thoughts on the acting, cinematography and production.

2) Why is history an important aspect of the appeal of the show?
Because it is a real life event, the history is authentic and must be reproduced by the actors well or it will not have an effect on the audience because it won't seem like an accurate depiction of what happened/what people know.

3) What technical aspects are highlighted in the video?
The cinematography, costume, design, are credited as very important to the storyline and doing the time period justice.They are noted as 'striking'. 
Making Of: Set Design
Watch this interview with Production designer Lars Lange.

1) Why were the set design, costume and props so important for Deutschland 83?
The props etc all add to the mise-en-scene of the time period it needs to reflect. Therefore the authenticity of the costumes, gadgets, set design all heighten the realism of the show to have a stronger impact on the audience.

2) How historically accurate was the setting, costume and props?
The props consisted of old fashioned computers and gadgets, and the style of the houses and offices matched those of the 80's. Props like the monitoring stations weren't authentic but were made to look like the type that was used during the cold war.

3) Why were the props, costumes and music such a key audience pleasure for Deutschland 83?
It has a sense of nostalgia, especially for an older audience. people remember that and those times which make them enjoy the show a lot more. 
Textual analysis: trailer

 

1) The opening of the trailer uses sound and editing to draw the audience in. Explain why this is effective.
The opening is fast paced to maybe give an insight to the audience about the adrenaline and tension that is in the episodes- it makes it appear more interesting and shows the different types of situations the characters will be in. For example, the love interests are deliberately shown as well as violence and chase scenes.

2) What audience pleasures are suggested by the trailer? Think about Uses & Gratifications theory (Blumler and Katz).
Surveillance is a key use of the show for the audience, with the historical events being placed and shown within  the story line. We can see this through the use of Ronald Reagan's speech as it is actual footage and not an actor. There is also diversion as the audience can become immersed in the tension of the violence and love scenes.
3) How does the trailer use action and enigma codes (Barthes) to encourage the audience to watch the show?
The enigma code is the audience questioning the explosions and fight scenes happening throughout the trailer. The audience want these questions answered so then they feel encouraged to watch the show. The action code of him taking pictures and spying in the film makes the audience feel that the narrative will progress further and it'll get a lot more exciting as the storyline develops. 

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).
Throughout the trailer, there are fight scenes that are repeated, with scenes of him running where we can see his facial expressions. This conveys the sub genre of this drama is spy/thriller, and also gives the audience an insight as to what the narrative is.
The element of a spy going undercover to the opposing German side (during the Cold War) acts as an aspect of difference/. This would encourage the audience to watch the show, as it is a concept that has not been typically covered in the same way in the spy genre.
The timer counting down (0;12) and the shot of Martin/ Moritz opening the suitcase (at (0;24) also reiterates the fact that Deutschland 83 is a spy/thriller genre. This is because these scenes are often repeated d=in typical action or spy films in order to signal to the audience that there will be a large amount of action and/or tension following that particular scene


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 scene where he gets beaten up by a women whilst spying in her room.
• The change of costume when martin comes to the West.
• The use of technology that is not seemed to be used now.

6) The trailer uses the song 'Two Tribes' by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Why did the producers select this 
soundtrack for the trailer?
It is an upbeat, 80's style song that is nostalgic and very well recognised by older audiences. It reflects the actual content of the show and allows the audience to expect the show to be in that time period.

7) The only words heard in the trailer are in English. Why do you think the UK trailer avoided subtitles or German dialogue?
It may have become less appealing to watch as there is more effort required to watch a show with subtitles. 
 
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 the world.

1) Read this Freemantle Media press release on the worldwide success of Deutschland 83. How is the drama described by the distributor? Why was it considered such an international success?

“Deutschland 83 has become the must-have European drama series of the year. Having attracted critical acclaim in the US and now the attention of this impressive list of buyers, the compelling series is all set to captivate viewers around the world.” 

2) Read this Freemantle Media press release on Deutschland 83 becoming Channel 4's highest rated foreign drama. What was the consolidated viewing figure for Episode 1 of Deutschland 83? What praise for Deutschland 83 is included in the press release?

3) How does the press release promote the Channel 4 'Walter Presents' collection of international TV drama?

They promote it by stating that Walter presents will host more than 600 hours of drama that will be available for all box set viewing in All 4.

Walter Presents

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

1) How does Channel 4 introduce 'Walter'?

Channel 4 introduce Walter as a very hard working person who chooses the best for its audiences and thought his trailer there is a sense of trust that it made between the audiences andWalter suggesting that dramas on this show cannot be bad.

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

The audiences that channel 4 tries to appeal are a educated audience and hard working who can watch shows for entertainment purposes or diversion and surveillance.

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

There is a changing nature that is presented because different people have different tastes andpreferences and there is something that is suited to everyone is different ways.
Marketing and promotion

Look at the online Channel 4 press pack for Deutschland 83.

1) Read the programme information from the press pack. How does the programme information seek to interest a reader from the first paragraph?

This seeks to interest the audiences as it provides historical information and intrigues audiences as they would want to know more about east and west Germany for surveillance purposes. The fact that this paragraph states that its is filled with suspense and characters are mentioned provides us with more of a insight as we would want to know what actually happens to him.
2) What does the programme information suggest the main strengths of the programme are?

It suggests that there are gripping scenes which capture and reveal experiences of Germans during that time period. This keeps audiences interested and intrigued because of the differences outlined between east and west are also significant as audiences are able to tell the differences.

3) Read the press pack interview with writer Anna Winger. How did she use the historical context and real-life events to create a successful drama?

She did a lot of research into the history of the Cold War etc in order to make sure that the context of the show was as accurate as possible. She took inspiration from the personal memories of the cast members, and also interviewed many people such as politicians, diplomats and ordinary people.

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

It is clear that the music played a huge part in portraying the time period. Pop culture as a major part of 1983 and the 80s, so including key songs that were popular at the time helps to promote the idea of the past and nostalgic memories etc.
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 UK DVD cover communicates the sub-genre with the actor positioned close enough for us to see the expression of awe on his face while holding the Walkman and headphones. This communicates that he is from the communist society- the wall in the background. The quote at the bottom directly tells the viewer that it is a 'gripping cold war thriller'.

2) Analyse the mise-en-scene in the UK DVD cover. What does it communicate to the audience?
The mise-en-scene in the UK cover is dull, to perhaps convey that the period of time wasn't as bright and fun as the 80's are remembered as. The props create nostalgia as it refers to old technology, which hints at the nature of the series.

3) How does the American branding use font, colour and graphics to appeal to an audience?
The american cover uses colour to make the show look interesting and action-packed. The font used is old fashioned and very similar fonts to those that were used on brands like Nike or puma in the 80's. 

4) Why might the distributors Freemantle Media International have used different marketing campaigns in different countries? 
The countries might have different  target audiences within them, with different interests. For this reason, they have to be sold to in different ways as one type of imagery on a cover might not sell to one place as well as  the other due to their different cultures and interests.