The rise of foreign-language TV: Blog tasks

The rise of foreign-language TV: Blog tasks

Independent: British viewers can't get enough of foreign-language dramas

1) What does the article suggest regarding the traditional audience for foreign-language subtitled media?

Not many people watched foreign-language shows a few years back but now it's become normal. It's not even a trending genre, it's just mainstream as it so normal for people to now watch foreign-language films/shows.

2) What does Walter Iuzzolino suggest is the key appeal of his 'Walter Presents' shows?

 Imported programming is certainly on the mind of acquisition teams. They stream a lot of foreign-language films and shows which have become popular over the years.

3) The article makes an interesting claim for the popularity of subtitles in the multi-screen age. What does it suggest?

It has become more popular ever since people are able to stream it from online as more people have access to it. 

4) What are the other audiences pleasures of foreign TV drama suggested by the article?

The foreign dramas are also created in plenty of different genres and people get to see the different lifestyles in different Countries and traditions.

5) What examples are provided of how TV companies are increasingly using audiences to inform the production process?

Shows such as Sherlock have been influenced by fans; some scenes contain dialogue that only Chinese speaking viewers can understand however the things being said are necessary to understand the plot. 

Film School Rejects: The foreign TV dramas you're missing out on

1) What does the article tell us about Deutschland 83's release schedule?

Deutschland 83 didn't receive as much viewers in the US than in Germany. However it became more popular in the US than in Germany eventually after they premiered it.

2) The article contains important statistics on viewing figures in different countries. What were the German viewing figures for the first and last episode? What were Channel's 4's viewing figures for Deutschland 83?

The German premiere had 3.19 million views which then dropped down to 1.63 million views by the last episode.

Channel 4 saw viewing figures reach to a peak of 2.13 million viewers. 

3) Who are the two production and distribution companies behind Deutschland 83 and what did they announce in October?

- Sundance TV

- Fremantle Media 

They announced that they will be creating a new series called Deutschland 86.

4) What does the article suggest was the driving force behind the series being renewed for a new season (and possibly two new seasons)?

What with its lackluster response in Germany, it’s apparent the US critical reception and UK’s record-breaking viewership have a role to play in renewing the show.

5) How does Walter Iuzzolino use social media to engage audiences in new international TV dramas? How does he suggest this has changed the reception of foreign productions in the UK?

Promote the shows on their social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.

IndieWire: The rise of international television

1) What does the article suggest regarding the difference between TV and film?

More so than film, TV tends to feel culturally specific, tailored to domestic tastes.

2) What cultural differences are highlighted in the article - for example in turning 'Prisoners of War' into 'Homeland' when remade in the US?

The original make of 'Prisoners of War' focuses on the idea of POWs, which he called an “open wound in Israeli society”. However for the U.S. the emphasis was on the agent investigating the returned soldier, on a more American issues of distrusting the government and of a fears of agents among us.

3) Why do you think Deutschland 83 was able to rise above these cultural differences to be successful in the US and UK? Did this inadvertently make the drama fail in Germany?

It was more successful in the UK and the US as loads of Germans hated the series after watching the first episode because of the way some of them were represented and a lot of them also felt like the information was inaccurate and it wasn't really historical context. 

4) What does the article suggest about subtitling?

Peoples opinions on them are that they're really hard work 'somewhat obscure'.

5) What does Sopranos actor Steven Van Zandt suggest is the appeal in foreign television drama?

'The way to make this more international is to make this more Norwegian'.
The fact that the guy speaks English brings the American audience into the show, and you start to live the show and Norway the way the character does.

The Guardian: How tech is changing television

1) What are the traditional lengths for TV drama and what dictated these programme formats?

The three most frequent lengths of TV and radio programming – referred to on commissioning forms as 60’, 30’, 15’ – arose from a grid schedule designed around hours and half-hours in order to make programmes easy to find. 

2) How have streaming services such as Netflix or Amazon Prime changed the way TV drama narratives are constructed?

'Your form of storytelling has to reflect the fact that people could watch straight away'. Netflix, notes that the new producers are changing content as well as structure: “The demography of the video platforms is a bit younger, and it’s a global audience. 

3) Why has the rise in streaming led to more complex storylines and an increase in cliffhangers?

As producers are now making more effort to create content that viewers would enjoy throughout the series. They are having to create more unique storylines to differentiate themselves and to also keep viewers engaged.

4) How have the "economics of production" kept TV drama largely sticking to the 45- or 60-minute episode format?

Streaming dramas can theoretically last anything from 60 seconds to 60 hours, there has so far been little structural experimentation. Episodes within a series may have unequal lengths. 
It turns out, results not from creative conservatism but – as with Greene’s rationed narratives – from the economics of production.

5) How has "permanent 24/7 connectivity" changed both the production and consumption of TV drama?

It has radically altered viewer responses. Live-tweeting by audiences has usefully democratised criticism. For most viewers the benefits of self-scheduling, repeat viewing and audience feedback outweigh such disadvantages.

TV: Exam question

TV: Exam question

Question 1 - “Realism is a vital component of television drama”. To what extent does an analysis of your television close-study products support this view? [25 marks]

Realism is an important part of television drama as it adds onto the narrative structure and helps audiences get a better understanding of what is happening as if real life events weren’t included, audiences may struggle to pick up on small conventions and may fail to understand what is trying to be portrayed to them. Too much surrealism could also make TV dramas too fictional and interfere with the narrative structure as if everything is made up, they wouldn’t really have a form to follow and go from.

In capital, realism is used to attract the British audiences. They have included stereotypical characters that you would find around Britain; more specifically London to take on the roles on the street they were focusing on and built their storyline from that. Realism is important because the more real the scenes are, the more tense they get and as tensions rise audience would be more eager and tempted to continue watching to find out what happens next. Realism could be used as a method to keep audiences engaged and to also have them coming back to continue watching the upcoming episodes if left on a cliff-hanger as many TV dramas are.

However, a bit of unrealistic exaggeration is necessary when it comes to TV dramas as that is what builds the story on and keeps it flowing the conflict, drama and tension. If dramas were based solely on realism they may not be as interesting and appealing to audiences as they would already be aware of what happens in real life, there wouldn’t be any suspense or anything for them to look forward to which would make them want to continue watching.

Realism is being used to a certain extent to make the plot more believable, help audience’s get a clear understanding of what is taking place in the scenes and makes them feel more of a closer bond with the characters and feel more empathetic. It also enables them to feel more hooked into the scene and tempts them to continue watching and progress onto more episodes. 

Although television drama relies on a lot of exaggeration and made up content, it still needs to be somewhat believable and relatable as audiences wouldn’t be able to get a clear understanding nor be interested in what’s happening if they aren’t able to related and imagine further which would build up thrill and make them want to keep watching as they would get more into the series and almost feel as if they are in the scene themselves. 

In Deutschland 83, a lot of the content is non-fictional as it is a historical text however even then some of the things shown in at are made up or exaggerated for audience pleasures. In order to make it more interesting for audiences, rather than just showing the historical side of the country at those times, they also included sub-genres such as romance and family to make it more realistic and audiences would also feel a closer relationship with the character by knowing more about them personally. Other than for audience pleasures, some things were made up or exaggerated in Deutschland 83 as the directors and script writers wouldn’t know precisely what happened in those days and the show is made off stories that have been told by historians and people that lived in those days so if there was a good in the storyline that they weren’t sure about, they would’ve made up things to make sure the narrative is clear and flowing without any gaps in it.

The main reason realism is so important in TV dramas is because it creates audience pleasures and helps them get a better understanding of what the director is trying to say to them whilst also enjoying the show with more sub-genres within it to keep them intrigued.

Postmodernism & Deutschland 83: blog task

Postmodernism & Deutschland 83: blog task

1.

- Even a poor quality product can be successful depending on how well it is marketed.
- The characters Bruno and Borat have more ‘reality’ for film audiences than their creator Sacha Baron Cohen

2.

Historical deafness suggests that the culture is losing its historical context  and historical knowledge is now based on media representations. Deutschland 83 contradicts this idea as it is a period drama made to educate people on the history of Germany during this time period.

3.

- People now tend to purchase things for the label rather than the actual product. They are willing to pay higher prices just for the brand rather than the quality of the product. 

- Jameson argues that this creates a cultural depthlessness

4.

- Pop music; low art

 samples classical music; high art

5.

Bricolage is something created from a range of different (available) things. 

Bricolage is used is Deutschland 83 when they are showing two different types of worlds in one country and they use mise en scene to create these scenes. 

6.

Audiences still watch and respond to classical structures and representations as they are used to it and may feel that it is more reassuring. This may be one of the audience pleasures as they would be using a structure that audiences are comfortable with which may also be more easier to understand and pick up small details.

7.

- Representation: In Deutschland 83 the character from the West was represented as the hero whereas the ones from East were represented as the villains. 

- Genre: the spy genre has been well presented in Deutschland 83 using elements of mise en scene such as costume and the props they used.

- Ideology is used in Deutschland 83 when they use binary opposition; East and West Germany.

8.

Modern texts include elements that reflect postmodernsim which is seen to be part of postmodern culture.

9.

Postmodernism is shown is Deutschland 83 by there posh,modern buildings and interior in their houses and offices. This shows development in the country and on top of that, shows the luxury and comfort they had in West Germany. 

10.

Audiences would enjoy the postmodern aspects of Deutschland 83 as the director has used Bricolage to construct a diverse range of things such as the idea of romance, family beliefs, war, action etc. and put it all together. 

How has new technology changed the way audiences watch TV drama? Has this also increased the popularity of foreign language content or are the two unconnected?

- People are able to stream online; through websites such as Netflix, amazon prime, BBC iPlayer etc.

- This makes it easier for audience to access; can watch them wherever they are, whenever they want.

- They don't need to worry about missing streams at certain times or don't need to record TV shows to re-watch them.  

- They also have access to international TV shows on apps such as Netflix, they therefore more exposure to foreign language dramas and dramas produced in other countries. 

- The two have become connected as they are now available on the same/similar streaming sites and audiences have easier access to foreign language TV dramas. 

Audiences are also a lot more aware of foreign language dramas now because of popularity on streaming sites and more people would want to watch the shows. 

Blog task: Deutschland 83 Close-textual analysis

Blog task: Deutschland 83 Close-textual analysis

Scene 1:

- Opening sequence shows the contrast in East&West Berlin; West Berlin is more lively and enjoyable whilst East is more serious, dull and the main concern was politics.
- Technical codes; mainly mise-en-scene (CLAMPS)
- Representations of the East and West, family, gender

It was filmed in East Germany which is a communist state. The actors were dressed in traditional 1980's clothing which reinforces the concept of period drama. They also showed women smoking which challenged the stereotypes of women as it represented her as more more modern and powerful which showed the audience that this was a time of change for women and they had more freedom and were able to do what they wanted to. There was two sisters living two different lives on each sides of the country; east and west. There was also non-diegetic sound in the background in some of the scenes; the director used music from the 1980's to make it more effective and onto the 80's feels. The concept of economic problems were also conveyed by them showing gritty, run down buildings. 
The scenes in West Germany were a lot more modern and lively with a big gathering and a bbq in the garden. They also had modern/posh houses which connoted wealth and luxury that East Germany didn't have. 
- Men were doing the bbq; reinforces stereotypes of the man doing the dirty work.
- Relationship between a father and daughter; gender roles.
- Privilege vs exploitation (children)
- Helps audience understand that West Germany was a lot more developed than East Germany.
- 360 degree shot; (camera surveillance), creates more tension

-Typewriter text
- Hand held camera; creates realism and be able to see things from characters perspective. 

Scene 2:

- Martin/Moritz first sees west supermarket.

- Technical codes; mise-en-scene

- Audio code; music

- Representation; west/east  - communism/capitalism

- POV shot; identification 

- He wears western clothes to fit in

- He was shocked when he entered the supermarket; it was new to him.

- Communism; individual (independent) but in west connection matters (with one another).

Scene 3:

- Montage of the training scene; Martin/Moritz learns how to become a spy. 

- Technical codes; camera work and editing

- Audio codes

- Audience pleasures

- Inter-textuality

The montage they show has fast-paced editing/compressed time/narrative jump cut - table scene. They have used binary opposition to show the difference between the West and East. There is only non-diegetic music during the montage and no voice-over as voice-overs would slow down the pace. 

They mainly only use voiceovers and music in this sequence rather than dialogue; non-diegtic sound. 1980's track in the background which picks up its pace as the scenes develop and builds up tension. 

Use of rom-com with the girl makeover; during the montage. Also has elements of James Bond type spy genre. 

Scene 4:

- Briefcase scene when Martin-Moritz is stealing the Nato nuclear plans. 

- Technical codes; camerawork and editing

- Audio codes; diegetic and non-diegetic sound.

- Audience pleasures

- The close-ups used build tenion; close-up on briefcase, the lock, face etc. These scenes were also very fast-paced as scenes were constantly changing which built up tension. 

- Change in facial expressions; helped audience read and understand what the character's feeling. 

- Soundtrack is tense; non-diegtic sound

- Breathing heavily which shows the character's under pressure and also makes it more thrilling for audience to watch. 

- Foley sound; locks, draws etc. 

- High angle shot; creates the effect as if audience are seeing what's happening from the surveillance camera. 

- Shots through the blind reinforces the spy genre and builds up on the suspense. 

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.”

Applying Marxism: blog task

1.

What does Marxism suggest regarding power in society?

It suggests that power is held by a minority; the type of people that work hard for their money and they use this minority to control everyone. 

2.

Why is The Apprentice a good example of the media reinforcing capitalist values and ideologies?

Because they use Lord Alan Sugar who is a billionaire who keeps striving for more and more and is a hardworking entrepreneur who's main aim is to keep investing and increasing his profits. Another reason would be because a group of people are competing to win money to expand their business. 

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 - Being working class offers a range of positive experiences regardless of the hardship and economic deprivation. 

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.

The characters in capital reinforces stereotypes in London and also shows diversity. Roger who is a banker is a lot on the capitalist side as him and his wife seem to be very driven by money and his main focus is to make more and more money and live a rich lifestyle. The Kamal's show family lifestyle and also show how migrants are now socially accepted in London.