Deutschland 83: case study

 Introduction: Reviews and features

Read the following reviews and features on Deutschland 83:

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

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

-The supermarket scene is a perfect moment in a near-perfect series. Deutschland 83’s first episode of eight was the most-watched foreign-language drama in UK history.

- It backtracks into stereotypes.

2) Why does the second Guardian article suggest the Germans didn't like 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, it makes us engage with the socialist regime’s worldview, in which a military exercise in West Germany poses a potentially existential threat.

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?

-As if to make up for such a radical premise, it then backtracks into stereotype.
-It was watchable and different but full of holes and implausibilities.

-The way the agent is infiltrated is totally implausible.

Promotional interview

Channel 4 News: Matt Frei interviews Jonas Nay

1) What does Jonas Nay say about growing up in a united Germany? 
He sees the Cold War as distant history and growing up in a united Germany gave him freedom with a lot of mobility.

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?
Channel 4 wants to create change through entertainment and one way they do this is by representing unheard voices which is reflected in the video as it allows him to speak German yet allows his voice to be heard by English speaking people through the subtitles.

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

It's remit is to deliver high-quality, innovative, alternative content that challenges the status quo so, it's audience would be interested in politics to educate themselves about the world and the so called 'status quo'.

Textual analysis: Audience pleasures and representations

We need to consider the audience pleasures of Deutschland 83 alongside various representations created in the first episode.

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

4.58 – 8.20 and 34.00 – 37.20

-Technical codes – particularly mise-en-scene-

-360 degree camera movement circling Martin when talking to Edel and his sister created sense that things are closing in on Martin.

-Several shots in the East German party of key characters shot over-the-shoulder or through other guests. Emphasises family and friends present and welcoming atmosphere.

-Representation of East & West Germany / Family / Gender-

-Strong contrast in the East German party scene with close family, friends enjoying

-Perhaps an example of fetishisation of the working class in the media - it makes East German life seem appealing and positive which is arguably historically inaccurate

-Diegetic sound in the party in the East - conversation/chatter and music. Song is significant (99 Luftballons) - upbeat pop song helps to capture the positive atmosphere in the East. Non-diegetic music used in the West BBQ scene - ominous and threatening.

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

14.30 – 20.25

-Technical codes – particularly mise-en-scene-

-Use of colour and costume. Iconic Puma logo red T-shirt as a colourful contrast to the dull East.

-Supermarket shelves full of colour and stacked high. Almost an example of postmodern art and designed to emphasise the difference between East and West.

-Audio codes – particularly music-

-Music - Sweet Dreams Are Made Of These. Diegetic sound but full of meaning to convey Martin’s first experience of the West. 

-Representation of East & West Germany / Communism & Capitalism / Historical accuracy-

-Shot of two policemen eating ice creams is symbolic of the difference between East and West. 

-Several shots emphasise representation of East and West - close-up of chandelier, wide shot of luxurious bedroom etc.

-Gender representation: ‘What does Annett want?’ Does this represent traditional gender roles as they were at the time or should we criticise Deutschland 83 for a lack of depth to female characters?

-Audience pleasures-

-Surveillance (Uses and Gratifications theory). Danger of WW3, reference to Pershing II missiles. Key elements of Deutschland 83 based on historical fact. 

-Music, 1980s references, nostalgia. Faithful reconstruction of Germany in the 1980s. 

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

20.40 – 22.40

Make notes under the following headings:

-Technical codes – particularly camerawork and editing-

-Fast-paced editing including jump cuts, typical of montage sequence. 

-Split screen / editing / graphics used to emphasise difference between East and West.

-Audio codes-

-Music and SFX: Non-diegetic sound adds pace to the sequence.

-Dialogue/voice-over, covers a lot of narrative. 

-Audience pleasures-

-German audience, nostalgia in terms of products and brands. 

-International audience - surveillance (Uses and Gratifications theory) - learning about Germany, 80s gadgets etc.

-Genre pleasures - spy/thriller. 

-Intertextuality-

-Intertextuality, similar to a Bond sequence (particularly with the gadgets)

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

31.13 – 33.30

-Technical codes – particularly camerawork and editing-

-Close-ups of Martin while picking lock and photographing the documents.Close-ups of the documents themselves - words like highly classified, actual details of the missiles and Ronald Reagan’s signature. These are recreations of real documents from the time - emphasising the historical aspect of the show and the way it is based on real events; positions audience to be on Martin’s side. 

-Shot from behind the blinds continues recurring motif of shots through windows or from behind objects. Creates voyeuristic pleasure and also fits the genre of spy thriller. Audience are given the experience of spying by continually using camera shots that give the impression of observing events from a distance.
-Audio codes – diegetic and non-diegetic sound-

-Non-diegetic sound - music helps convey the tension of the scene and satisfy genre expectations of spy thriller.
-Diegetic sound - deliberately increased volume of Martin’s breathing, lock picking, turning pages in briefcase. Creates intensity, tension

-Audience pleasures-

-(Blumler & Katz ,Uses and Gratifications theory) Surveillance, the use of real documents and genuine moments from history of cold war educates audience about German/American/Russian history. Threat of WW3.

-( Uses and Gratifications theory) Personal relationships, this scene is effective because the audience is now invested in the character of Martin. We care about what happens to him which creates the tension in the scene. Audience have to want Martin/Moritz to escape here for whole drama series to work. Emotional investment in character. 

-Action and enigma codes, audience think Martin will be caught at any moment. U&G theory - diversion. Visceral pleasure, scene is tense for audience to watch, adrenaline.

-Voyeuristic pleasure, seeing a scene or activity we wouldn’t normally have a chance to see.

Production and industry contexts

Deutschland 83 was produced by German production company UFA Fiction and distributed internationally by Fremantle International. It was broadcast on RTL (Germany), SundanceTV (US) and Channel 4 (UK) as well as many other broadcasters around the world.

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

UFA Fiction is a German production company.They have produced shows like Deutschland 83,Ku’damm 56 and Charité .

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

It's a major multinational television production and distribution company headquartered in London, that produces and distributes a wide range of entertainment, drama, film, and documentary content across 27 territories.

3) How does Deutschland 83 reflect the international nature of television production?
It had different marketing campaigns for different countries and is enjoyed by people all over the world.

Walter Presents

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

1) How does Channel 4 introduce 'Walter'?

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

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


Marketing and promotion

Trailer

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

Surveillance- can learn about Germany during the cold war before the collapse of the Berlin wall.

Diversion- Action(explosions, guns), spy genre conventions.

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

Action codes- guns, explotions, running creates intrigue about the narrative.

Enigma codes- Is he safe?, Why is he doing this? create interest for an audience which may make them watch the show.

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

To appeal to an audience with a majority of English speaking people.


Press pack 

Read the Channel 4 press pack interview with writer Anna Winger. (If the link doesn't work, you can find the text from the interview here). 

1) How did she use the historical context and real-life events to create a successful drama?
"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. He was a radio signaller in West Germany, listening to the Russian troops in East Germany. Occasionally the Russians would greet him by name. So they knew that he was listening and he knew there must be a mole at his base – but he never figured out who the mole was. It could have been a boss or a colleague. My idea was to tell a story form the point of view of the mole. At the time of the fall of the Wall there were more than 2000 Stasi agents undercover in West Germany."

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

"Music was key to the story from the beginning. The top 100 songs of 1983 are still on the radio all the time! It was just an incredible year of pop culture and the songs really travelled, maybe because music videos started around that time as well, so there was a visual component for the very first time."

Press release

Read this Channel 4 press release on the success of Deutschland 83. (If the link doesn't work you can find find the text from the article here).

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

After launching with 1.49 million viewers, the first episode has now consolidated with 2.5 million viewers, overtaking the launch of The Returned (9th June 2013) on Channel 4 which previously held the record with 2.2 million.

2) How does the press release describe Deutschland 83?
“This is the next subtitled sensation...unmissable TV.”

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?
It shows the two sides of Germany on the Berlin wall which shows the differences the protagonist will have to face as a spy on the other side of Germany.

2) How do these use font, colour and graphics to appeal to an audience?
The American advert uses graffiti- like art in the background which could be a symbol of rebellion and showcases how the protagonist is an outsider to the west because he is black and white whilst the majority of the poster is in bright colours which could intrigue an audience.

The UK DVD cover uses imagery of the Berlin wall to communicate the setting and time period of the drama which would appeal to an audience.

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

They used different marketing campaigns in different countries to appeal to each country's audience and what they like.