Deutschland 83: case study blog tasks

Reviews and Features - 

1.

- Gone on to become an international success story

- The first episode was the highest-rating subtitled drama in television history in Britain

- A near-perfect series

2.

- This is a period drama that sometimes lacks drama

3. 

When they included footage of real important people from the time the series is set in, for example Erich Honecker and Ronald Reagan. 

4.

'It was watchable and different but full of holes and implausibilities.' I agree with this comment as it was a series that I wouldn't mind watching for a good reason but isn't necessarily something I would enjoy watching in my free time  and I also felt that some elements of history was missing at points.

'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!' I also agree with this comment as it is a period drama which has a purpose of educating people on what happened in the past and expanding knowledge about certain events. 

'I live in Germany and the locals didn't like it for two reasons: It was riddled with very silly inaccuracies, which were required for the plot to work; and it was on at the same time as the Voice.' This statement shows that the information given through the series is inaccurate and links with the first comment where they said it was 'full of holes', this would've made the Germans angry as it may have a huge impact on how people interpret things or generally give people incorrect information. The statement about people choosing to watch the The Voice over Deutschland 83 may be because they haven't managed to market their production and capture audiences attention as much as other TV shows have which has led to this disadvantage of losing many viewers.

Interviews and behind-the-scenes video features - 

1.

A thing that he really values now is his mobility and freedom.

2.

Although Channel 4 is a British, Public Service Broadcasting Channel the fact that they have done an interview in German could show diversity and their uniqueness and it fits in perfectly as the whole series is about Germany and it's ironic because the series is in German with English subtitles as well. 

3.

The fact that he spoke about Politics would interest Channel 4 news audience as the current political state in Germany is now different to how it was in 1983 and you don't hear much about in the news as much so it may be interesting to find out what it is like especially from someone who lives in Germany and isn't being given anything specific to say and it is just solely his personal opinion.

Behind the scenes clips - 

(Making Of: Why Should You Watch Deutschland 83)

1.

Rather than just showing trailers and teasers of the actual series to attract viewers, they have actually used the crew involved in the making from the producer to the actors to talk about what they think is best about Deutschland 83 and why they think audiences should watch it which may tempt them more.

2.

History is an important part of the appeal of the show because it is a period drama which talks about things that happened in the past and by them basing it on the history of German when they were going through one of their peakest times, they're educating the rest of the world about happened during that time.

3.

(Making Of: Set Design)

1.

Because it was a period drama they needed to create the set to suit the time and era it was set in. It's important for them to master the elements of mise-en-scene; things such as costume, settings and props because these things speak a lot to the audience themselves and they'd be able to convey a lot of messages just through these small things without having to verbally say it. For example, audiences would be able to get an understanding of what kind of person someone is by looking at their costume. 

2.

They had done a good job at creating the visual effects by putting on sets and on top of that, using visual effects. They also used motifs of the museum for the Stasi Museum which would've made it more realistic and they would've actually been able to use props from those times to add onto the historical element. 

3.

The props, costume and music was a key audience pleasure because rather than audiences just hearing about the past through dialogue, they were able to visually see it because of the costumer and props they used which would've made it more appealing for audiences and make them enjoy watching the content more as they get a proper insight into the period it was set in. The music used was also from the 80's which added onto the effect and made it more realistic to believe that it was set in those times. 

Textual analysis: trailer - 

1.

They use up-beat and thrilling music from the beginning which would grab the audience attention and also make them more curious as to what is happening and why the music is so dramatic. The music then becomes more fast-paced and has an 80's touch to it which relates to the period the series is set in.

2.

The audience pleasures suggested through the trailer include things like character identification; we learn who the main character is and get an insight on some of the events that occur in his life. Some may also think that there is aspects of stereotyping of how the German's were in the 80's as the text and characters were created through assumptions and things that people have heard and somethings would've been stereotyped to make the series more realistic. 

3.

The trailer uses action and enigma codes that were suggested by Roland Barthes in places such as using one scenario to build up another one (action codes) as there are a series of scenes occurring one after the other. They have also used enigma codes in the trailer as they don't give away much information about the series and build up tension and mystery to attract audience and make them want to watch it.  

4.

0:21-0:28 when he's unlocking the door without a key and opening brief cases creates suspense and connotes he's doing something secretly which portrays the spy sub-genre really well. The fact that he's jumping off buildings also connotes that he is doing something that he is not meant to and may be because he is trying to secretly find out information. 
0:44-0:47 builds up a lot of tension and shows the thrill element of the series as there are weapons being introduced and a dog barking aggressively means something is going wrong. 
0:52-0:54 they end the trailer by showing a bomb being blasted which leaves it at a cliff-hanger and builds up a lot of tension as audience would be curious as to why that happened and what happens next.

5.

One of the mise-en-scene used to capture the 1983's feel would be the costume of the characters, the military clothes are very of those times and even the casual wear he is wearing in the supermarket is not something you'd see someone of the 21st Century wearing. They also have a lot more subtle colours and wearing things such as checked shirts which is more of an 80's trend than a 21st Century trend.

Another mise-en-scene would be the set they used, the house were laid out in a more old-fashioned, traditional format, even the windows on the buildings are more traditional Georgian windows which adds onto the 1983 effect.

The makeup and hair also added onto the effect as the character had a slicked down to the side hairstyle which is known for being a popular old-fashioned hairstyle. Even the female characters had a lot more subtle, natural makeup which wasn't too eye catching or overwhelming.

6.

The producers chose this soundtrack as it is from the 80's and really adds onto the idea of period drama and makes it more realistic that it was set in 1983.

7.

Because some people may be put off by the idea of watching a movie in another language or having to read subtitles and it would've also been easier for them to get a better understanding of the story-line and what it's based on if it is in a language they understand.

Production and industry context -

1.

UFA Fiction is a German award winning film and television Company. Example of shows they have produced are Deutschland 83, Generation War, The Physician, The Tower etc.

2.

Fremantle is a global creative powerhouse. They connect the best creative talent and create timeless shows. Examples of shows they have produced are Got Talent, X Factor, Family Feud, Deutschland 83 etc. 

3.

Deutschland 83 reflects the international nature of television production as although it is a series made in German, it has managed to reach out to loads of audiences around the world and has become a success in England. 

Walter Presents:

1.

They introduce him by slowly showing his face by going from an extreme close-up to a medium shot. He does a self-intro by speaking about who he is and how he came up with the idea of Walter Presents, by talking about the hard-work that goes in it makes audience more tempted to use the product because often, the more effort that goes in, the higher quality of the product.

2.

Walter Presents seems to be more for adults as they have shown a lot of adult content in the trailer. Moreover, it seems to be for audiences that are into foreign language TV.

3.

How people are now watching genres that weren't popular a few years back and method of viewing shows has changed. 

Marketing and promotion:

1.

The original seed of the idea was based on something that happened to my husband when he was doing his West German military service in the 1980’s.

2.

Music was key to the story from the beginning. The top 100 songs of 1983 are still on the radio all the time.

3.

- After launching with 1.49 million viewers

- First episode has 2.5 million viewers

- Channel 4 which previously held the record with 2.2 million

4.

They have used positive language such as:

“Great fun, and powered by an irrestible 1983 vintage soundtrack.”

“This pacy saga could be your new subtitled obsession.”