We have completed some excellent work on our Advertising and Marketing CSPs. We now need to create an index to ensure we haven't missed any vital notes or tasks.
As you know, keeping an index of all your work is extremely good practice from a revision perspective. This keeps the vital CSP information fresh in your mind and also highlights if you've missed anything through absence or trips. It's particularly important this year as it gives you a chance to check your work, revise or go back and extend your answers as we cope with working in lockdown.
Advertising and Marketing index Your Advertising and Marketing index should include the following:
For your index, it needs to link to YOUR corresponding blogpost so you can access your work and revision notes quickly and easily. This also means if you have missed anything you can now catch up with the work/notes and won't underperform in future assessments/exams due to gaps in your knowledge.
New and digital media - the internet - has had a huge impact on the television industry in the last 10 years. Streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime have fundamentally changed the way we watch television. In just 15 years, Netflix has gone from a mail-order DVD company to a giant in the television industry. Next year, Netflix plans to spend $8 billion making original TV programmes. Watch Newsweek magazine's short video on how Netflix changed TV: TV Drama One of the key genres for Netflix and Amazon Prime is TV drama. Many of these dramas now have the budgets and production values of Hollywood movies and many top actors are choosing to work in television rather than film. In addition, the increase in streaming services has created a worldwide distribution network for acclaimed foreign-language TV dramas such as Deutschland 83.
Streaming services and audience
For audiences, streaming has changed the way we watch television. 'Event TV', when millions of people around the country would tune in to watch the latest episode of a drama at a set time, is far less common now. Many people now 'binge-watch' TV dramas by watching multiple episodes back-to-back.
The impact of new/digital media on TV: blog task Go to our Media Magazine archive and read the article on Netflix and the Cultural Industries (MM63 - page 45). Create a blogpost called 'The impact of new/digital media on TV' and answer the following questions: 1) What does the 'industry' concept in A Level Media Studies refer to? 2) What does David Hesmondhalgh argue with regards to how the creative industries have changed since the 1980s? 3) Choose the three most significant points Hesmondhalgh makes regarding the changing cultural industries. Why are these the most significant in your view? 4) What is technological convergence? 5) How are technology companies challenging traditional broadcasters in the TV industry? 6) What budgets will Netflix, Amazon and Apple spend on original programming next year according to the article? 7) How many countries are Netflix and Amazon available in? 8) The global nature of modern television means producers are having to consider international audiences when creating content. What example from Netflix does the article use to explain this? 9) Do you think technology companies such as Google, Facebook and Amazon will increase their interest in the television industry? 10) How do changes in technology influence the creation of TV dramas such as Capital or Deutschland 83? Try and make specific references to the two TV CSPs in your answer.
You'll need to complete this for homework - due first lesson after Easter.
We have now come to the end of the Advertising and Marketing unit. Normally, we would be doing an assessment in class in exam conditions but these are clearly not normal times! Instead, we are going to set you a blog essay that you can take as long as you wish to complete. This means you have access to ALL the information, theories, quotes and CSPs so everyone should do extremely well. Advertising assessment: tasks Revision We know that some of these Advertising CSPs will come up in your Paper 1 exam next year. Therefore, it's vital we have good quality revision material to return to over the next 15 months at various end of year exams and assessments. Look over your blogs and create revision cards or knowledge organisers for each of the Advertising and Marketing CSPs:
Here's an example template you can use for a Knowledge Organiser for this topic. You'll need to log in to your school Google account to view it. Alternatively, you may prefer simply to make flash cards for the theories and CSPs we have covered in this unit.
Assessment
David Gauntlett has argued against the idea that masculinity is 'in crisis’. To what extent do you believe masculinity is 'in crisis'? In your response you should refer to your Advertising and Marketing Close Study Products: the Score hair cream advert (1967) and the Maybelline ‘That Boss Life’ YouTube advert (2017). [20 marks]
Our second Advertising and Marketing CSP is the 2017 Maybelline 'That Boss Life Pt 1' mascara video advert. This gives us an opportunity to explore the idea of gender fluidity in society and the media - plus compare the changing representation of masculinity in advertising. Notes from the lesson are here: Gender fluidity Gender fluidity is when gender expression shifts between masculine and feminine. Indeed, gender identity has become a major media and social issue in the last 10 years. Young (and some older) people are increasingly identifying as gender fluid – and some have credited the internet for this change. They suggest that millennials grew up with the internet so can easily find information on topics like gender expression. You can read more on this view and gender fluidity in this CNN article here.
Maybelline 'That Boss Life Pt 1'
The Maybelline ‘That Boss Life’ advert is part of a digital campaign for their ‘Big Shot Mascara’ product. It has now been removed from YouTube but is available for Greenford students at this link (you'll need to sign in with your Greenford username and password). The campaign is significant as it was the first time Maybelline used a male brand ambassador and digital influencers. The use of YouTube stars Manny Gutierrez and Shayla Mitchell means the brand can reach their combined 5.1 million Instagram followers and 2.5 million YouTube subscribers. In addition, Gutierrez (‘MannyMua’) is Mexican-Spanish-American and openly gay, offering a very different representation of masculinity and sexuality to the 1967 Score hair cream advert.
Blog task: Maybelline 'That Boss Life' case study and wider reading Work through the following tasks to make sure you're an expert on the Maybelline CSP and particularly the wider social and cultural context. 'That Boss Life' close textual analysis Use your notes from watching the video to write about the connotations and representations created by the following technical and audio codes. Write at least a paragraph on each: 1) Narrative & genre: narrative theory and sub-genre 2) Cinematography: camera shots and movement 3) Mise-en-scene: costume & props 4) Mise-en-scene: actors, setting, lighting and colour 5) Editing: pace, transitions and visual effects 6) Graphics: text/graphics on screen 7) Sound: dialogue, music and sound effects
Maybelline 'That Boss Life': wider reading Read the following articles on this campaign: Glamour: Manny Gutierrez Is the First Man to Star in a Maybelline Campaign, and It’s a Huge Deal Your Story: Cosmetics giant breaks gender stereotypes by choosing male model as a face of the brand Complete the following questions/tasks: 1) Why was this campaign such a landmark for beauty product advertising? 2) What do the articles suggest regarding the changing representation of sexuality and masculinity? 3) Read this WWD article: Maybelline Taps Digital Makeup Influencers for New Mascara Campaign. Why might 'digital influencers' be so attractive to companies? 4) Why do you think Maybelline chose to use MannyMUA and MakeUpShayla in particular? 5) What does the WWD article suggest is the crucial factor for brands regardless of whether they use influencers or more traditional celebrities? Media Magazine: The Changing Face of Masculinity Now go to our Media Magazine archive and read the feature 'The Changing Face of Masculinity' in MM63 (page 15). This will allow us to compare our two advertising CSPs - the Score hair cream advert and the Maybelline digital campaign. Answer the following questions: 1) What message does the article suggest the Score hair cream advert is trying to communicate to the 1967 audience? 2) How does the article suggest the Score hair cream advert uses narrative to sell the product? 3) What 1967 stereotypes does the article suggest the Score hair cream advert reinforces? 4) Applying Stuart Hall's reception theory, what does the article suggest the preferred and oppositional readings could be for the Score hair cream advert? 5) Moving on to the Maybelline advert, why is the background of Manny Gutierrez and Shayla Mitchell significant? 6) What is the narrative of the Maybelline advert? 7) What does the article suggest the Maybelline advert's message is? 8) The final section of the article focuses on masculinity. What do the Score advert and the Maybelline advert suggest regarding the changes in society and media between 1967 and 2017? Complete this for next Monday.
The television industry has changed significantly in recent years - with subtitled foreign programming a perfect example. Through globalisation and developments in technology, the way we watch television is completely different to even 15 years ago. We need to explore the rise in popularity of foreign-language television and work out why audiences like it and what is behind the recent surge in interest. Foreign-language television Foreign-language television is becoming increasingly mainstream with the rise of on-demand services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime alongside UK digital channels such as BBC4. Audiences are now accustomed to 'binge-watching' TV drama and seem increasingly open to content from around the world. This perhaps reflects the global nature of the internet and the fact younger generations are more likely to see themselves as global citizens. It also reflects the global nature of the television industry with a small number of international media conglomerates owning the vast majority of TV production companies.
Walter Presents ‘Walter Presents’ is a video-on-demand (VOD) service from Channel 4, available through their online streaming site All4. The service presents international TV drama curated by Walter Iuzzolino. The service aims to avoid so-called arthouse programming in favour of more mainstream productions, aimed at competing against Netflix and Amazon Prime. Walter Iuzzolino stated any selected show must be popular in its native country and it must be “award-winning or critically acclaimed”. Watch the trailer for the ‘Walter Presents’ service and think about the following questions:
Close-textual analysis: how does the trailer use film language to encourage the audience to watch?
What conventions of TV drama are highlighted in the trailer?
How many clips from Deutschland 83 can you spot?
What audience pleasures are suggested by the trailer?
Meet Walter promo clip Channel 4 created a short introductory video for ‘Walter Presents’. Watch the clip and think about the following:
How is Walter introduced?
What target audience is this aiming at?
What audience pleasures are suggested from the promo?
What does Walter say about TV drama?
The rise of foreign-language TV: Blog tasks To continue our work on Deutschland 83, we need to read a range of articles on the foreign-language TV phenomenon. When answering the questions, consider the issues from both an audience and industry perspective. Independent: British viewers can't get enough of foreign-language dramas Read this Independent feature on foreign-language dramas. It features an in-depth interview with Walter Iuzzolino who curates Channel 4's Walter Presents programming. Answer the questions below: 1) What does the article suggest regarding the traditional audience for foreign-language subtitled media? 2) What does Walter Iuzzolino suggest is the key appeal of his 'Walter Presents' shows? 3) The article makes an interesting claim for the popularity of subtitles in the multi-screen age. What does it suggest? 4) What are the other audiences pleasures of foreign TV drama suggested by the article? Now look at the bonus article - on Sherlock and how viewers are steering their favourite shows. 5) What examples are provided of how TV companies are increasingly using audiences to inform the production process? Film School Rejects: The foreign TV dramas you're missing out on Now read this Film School Rejects feature on the foreign TV dramas you're missing out on. This contains some particularly useful background on Deutschland 83's reception internationally. If the website is blocked, you can access the article text here. Answer the following questions: 1) What does the article tell us about Deutschland 83's release schedule? 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? 3) Who are the two production and distribution companies behind Deutschland 83 and what did they announce in October? 4) What does the article suggest was the driving force behind the series being renewed for a new season (and possibly two new seasons)? 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? IndieWire: The rise of international television Now look at this IndieWire feature on the rise of international television. If the website is blocked, you can access the text from the article here. Answer the questions below: 1) What does the article suggest regarding the difference between TV and film? 2) What cultural differences are highlighted in the article - for example in turning 'Prisoners of War' into 'Homeland' when remade in the 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? 4) What does the article suggest about subtitling? 5) What does Sopranos actor Steven Van Zandt suggest is the appeal in foreign television drama? The Guardian: How tech is changing television Finally, read this Guardian feature on how tech is changing television. This has some particularly useful aspects from an industry perspective - how TV is made, the different formats of TV drama and more. Answer the following questions: 1) What are the traditional lengths for TV drama and what dictated these programme formats? 2) How have streaming services such as Netflix or Amazon Prime changed the way TV drama narratives are constructed? 3) Why has the rise in streaming led to more complex storylines and an increase in cliffhangers? 4) How have the "economics of production" kept TV drama largely sticking to the 45- or 60-minute episode format? 5) How has "permanent 24/7 connectivity" changed both the production and consumption of TV drama? There is a fair amount of work here - the questions are not too challenging but there is plenty to read. However, this will prepare you brilliantly for the extended essay question in Media Paper 2 - particularly if the question focuses on industry or audience. Complete for next Monday.
With school now closed for the majority of students, we are going to have to make our A Level Media lessons entirely blog-based for the next few weeks. This won’t be too different to how we work normally – we’re lucky to have our blog system already set up and ready to go. The immediate priority is finishing our current units, Advertising and Marketing and Television, and getting through to Easter. The first thing you need to do is check all the recent work is posted on your blog and complete. This means the following for Advertising and Marketing:
Most of you will have these done already but it’s worth checking first. In terms of new Media work, from now on the week’s work will be emailed to you and put on the Year 12 Media blog as normal. You can then work on that during the week when is convenient for you – but aim to have it complete and posted on your blog by the following Monday. We’ll also email you new work on Monday too. Remember, if you need more work to do then use the resources we have available – for example, our Media Magazine archive contains hundreds of articles on a huge range of topics. If you have the A Level Media textbook or theory book, you can work your way through that. Alternatively, spend some time watching brilliant TV or film to increase the variety of media you consume (such as watching the rest of Deutschland 83). We are living in very strange times but if we can keep on top of our work things WILL settle down eventually and we can look forward to some fantastic A Level grades next year.
Postmodernism is one of the more challenging ideas in A Level Media but fortunately Deutschland 83 provides a brilliant case study as a postmodernist media text. We need to be able to look for postmodern ideas in the media texts we study - and some of that we've done already in our work on advertising and marketing, intertextuality and genre. Notes and definitions
Postmodernism: a late 20th-century style and concept in the arts, architecture, and criticism, which represents a departure from modernism and is characterized by the self-conscious use of earlier styles and conventions, a mixing of different artistic styles and media, and a general distrust of theories. (Source: Dictionary definition) A brief history Postmodernism is linked to the premodernism and modernism eras. Pre-modernism: up to late 19th century. Religion dominates society. Modernism: late 19th century to mid-20th century Science dominates; religion questioned; distinct difference between high culture (e.g. art) and low culture; industrialisation. Postmodernism: mid- to late-20th century to present Blurring of high and low culture/art and popular culture; media-driven hyper-reality; style over substance.
Postmodernism and the media Postmodernism is often defined by scepticism, irony, self-referentiality or intertextuality. What does that mean? The Simpsons provides an example. The structure is a classic family sitcom but the content ridicules authority (including its media conglomerate owner) and is full of intertextual references to other films, TV shows and popular culture.
Further examples of postmodernism An example in architecture would be Las Vegas; in art, Andy Warhol's pop-art of the 1960s. Award-winning 1998 German film Run Lola Run (‘Lola Rennt’) is credited with revitalising German cinema with a postmodern take on crime drama that features a repeating narrative and a blurring of genres.
Postmodernism: theory and terminology Strinati
Dominic Strinati identified five ways to define postmodernism: 1. ‘Media-isation’ of culture – we make sense of reality using media texts 2. Emphasis of style over substance e.g. celebrity, reality TV 3. Breakdown of difference between art and popular culture 4. Confusion over time and space – modern society is built on the instantaneous 5. Decline of meta-narratives or grand narratives (e.g. religion or political theories such as communism) Key terms There are some key terms we need to learn when studying postmodernism in media texts: Bricolage The juxtaposing of old and new texts, images, ideas and narratives to create new meanings. Hyper-reality Jean Baudrillard argued that audiences view the ‘copy’ of reality in the media as more real than the original. Fredric Jameson discussed the idea of ‘historical deafness’ by suggesting the media-isation of history means we only understand historical events through their media representation.
There are some key terms we need to learn when studying postmodernism in media texts:
Pastiche
This refers to media products that imitate the style of another text, artist or time period. Pastiche is an example of intertextuality and takes a positive view of the original source.
In contrast parody is similar but ridicules the original source (e.g. Scary Movie parodies horror).
Fredric Jameson on parody and pastiche
“Pastiche is, like parody, the imitation of a peculiar or unique, idiosyncratic style, the wearing of a linguistic mask, speech in a dead language. But it is a neutral practice of such mimicry, without any of parody’s ulterior motives, amputated of the satiric impulse, devoid of laughter.”
Jameson suggested pastiche does not offer up comment on society or history – it is simply done because it is ‘stylish’. He marks this as an example of ‘historical deafness’.
Deutschland 83: a postmodernism text
The following scenes of Deutschland 83 provide excellent examples of bricolage, hyper-reality and pastiche:
Opening scene: 0.00 – 3.00
Title sequence followed by archive footage: 8.10 – 9.15
Running/supermarket scene: 17.10 – 18.10
Postmodernism & Deutschland 83: blog task Go to our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive and open Factsheet #54: Introduction to Postmodernism. 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) 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)? 2) What is Fredric Jameson's idea of 'historical deafness'? How can the idea of 'historical deafness' be applied to Deutschland 83? 3) What examples and theories are provided for the idea of 'style over substance'? 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? 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.
7) Read the analysis of media concepts and postmodern approaches on page 3 of the factsheet. Choose three of the concepts and write an example from Deutschland 83. Clue: genre, representation, ideology and audience would all be good options for this task. 8) Now look at page 4 of the factsheet. How does Deutschland 83 demonstrate aspects of the postmodern in its construction and ideological positioning? 9) Which key scenes from Deutschland 83 best provide examples of postmodernism? Why? 10) Why might audiences enjoy the postmodern aspects of Deutschland 83? What audience pleasures might elements of bricolage or pastiche provide viewers?
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. Deadline: confirmed by your coursework class teacher.
We have studied the changing representation of women and men in advertising and now we need to apply those ideas to our first advertising CSP. The 1967 Score hair cream advert provides a compelling case study for the representation of both men and women and allows us to explore how historical contexts inform representations in the media. A reminder of some of the notes from recent lessons: Hypermasculinity in advertising Hypermasculinity is defined as: a psychological term for the exaggeration of male stereotypical behaviour, such as an emphasis on physical strength, aggression, and sexuality. Advertising in the 1950s-1980s often featured a hypermasculine representation of men – and some representations in the media today still continue this.
Masculinity in crisis? David Gauntlett
Media theorist David Gauntlett has written extensively on gender and identity. He disagrees with the popular view that masculinity is ‘in crisis’:
“Contemporary masculinity is often said to be 'in crisis'; as women become increasingly assertive and successful… men are said to be anxious and confused about what their role is today.”
Instead, Gauntlett suggests that many modern representations of masculinity are “about men finding a place for themselves in the modern world.” He sees this as a positive thing. (Gauntlett, 2002) Gauntlett: three key ideas Idea 1: Identity is becoming more fluid Idea 2: There are generational differences
Idea 3: Things change over time
Score hair cream advert: CSP context The Score hair cream advert is an historical artefact from 1967. It should be examined by considering its historical, social and cultural contexts, particularly as it relates to gender roles, sexuality and the historical context of advertising techniques. Context: 1967 can be seen as a period of change in the UK with legislation on (and changing attitudes to) the role of women – and men – in society. Produced in the year of decriminalisation of homosexuality and three years before the 1970 Equal Pay Act, the representation of gender could be read as signalling more anxiety than might first appear. The reference to colonialist values can also be linked to social and cultural contexts of the ending of Empire.
Blog task: Score advert and wider reading Complete the following tasks and wider reading on the Score hair cream advert and masculinity in advertising. Media Factsheet - Score hair cream Go to our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive and open Factsheet #188: Close Study Product - Advertising - Score. Our Media Factsheet archive is on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets. If you need to access this from home you can download it here if you use your Greenford login details to access Google Drive. Read the factsheet and answer the following questions: 1) How did advertising techniques change in the 1960s and how does the Score advert reflect this change?
2) What representations of women were found in post-war British advertising campaigns? 3) Conduct your own semiotic analysis of the Score hair cream advert: What are the connotations of the mise-en-scene in the image? 4) What does the factsheet suggest in terms of a narrative analysis of the Score hair cream advert? 5) How might an audience have responded to the advert in 1967? What about in 2019? 6) How does the Score hair cream advert use persuasive techniques (e.g. anchorage text, slogan, product information) to sell the product to an audience? 7) How might you apply feminist theory to the Score hair cream advert - such as van Zoonen, bell hooks or Judith Butler? 8) How could Stuart Hall's theory of representation and David Gauntlett's theory regarding gender identity be applied to the Score hair cream advert? 9) What representation of sexuality can be found in the advert and why might this link to the 1967 decriminalisation of homosexuality (historical and cultural context)? 10) How does the advert reflect Britain's colonial past - another important historical and cultural context? Wider reading The Drum: This Boy Can article Read this article from The Drum magazine on gender and the new masculinity. If the Drum website is blocked, you can find the text of the article here. Think about how the issues raised in this article link to our Score hair cream advert CSP and then answer the following questions: 1) Why does the writer suggest that we may face a "growing 'boy crisis'"? 2) How has the Axe/Lynx brand changed its marketing to present a different representation of masculinity? 3) How does campaigner David Brockway, quoted in the article, suggest advertisers "totally reinvent gender constructs"? 4) How have changes in family and society altered how brands are targeting their products? 5) Why does Fernando Desouches, Axe/Lynx global brand development director, say you've got to "set the platform" before you explode the myth of masculinity? You will have lesson time to start this work but you will need to complete for homework - due next week.
David Gauntlett has written extensively about gender, identity and the mass media and is a key theorist for A Level Media Studies. The Advertising and Marketing topic is a great opportunity to apply some of these ideas and give us some degree-level knowledge and theory. David Gauntlett: Media, Gender and Identity
There is a huge amount we can take from Gauntlett's work across the mass media but these are three key ideas that we can apply to our Advertising and Marketing CSPs. Idea 1: Identity is becoming more fluid David Gauntlett writes that there is a “decline of tradition”. “The mass media is a force for change… The traditional view of a woman as a housewife or low-status worker has been kick-boxed out of the picture by the feisty, successful 'girl power' icons. Meanwhile the masculine ideals of absolute toughness, stubborn self-reliance and emotional silence have been shaken by a new emphasis on men's emotions, need for advice, and the problems of masculinity.”
Idea 2: There are generational differences Gauntlett highlights the differences in views on identity between young and old – e.g. on homosexuality or masculinity. “The mass media has become more liberal, and considerably more challenging to traditional standards… and this has been a reflection of changing attitudes, but also involves the media actively disseminating modern values.
Idea 3: Things change over time Gauntlett talks positively about the media and audiences changing over time. “Views of gender and sexuality, masculinity and femininity, identity and selfhood, are all in slow but steady processes of change and transformation. “These things are not stationary. To discuss gender and media is to aim arguments at moving targets - which, again, is just as well.”
Gender, identity and advertising: blog task Read this extract from Media, Gender and Identity by David Gauntlett. This is another university-level piece of academic writing so it will be challenging - but there are some fascinating ideas here regarding the changing representation of men and women in the media. 1) What examples does Gauntlett provide of the "decline of tradition"? 2) How does Gauntlett suggest the media influences the way we construct our own identities? 3) What does Gauntlett suggest regarding generational differences? Is it a good thing that the media seems to promote modern liberal values?
4) Why does Gauntlett suggest that masculinity is NOT in crisis? 5) Does advertising still reinforce the "conventionally rugged, super-independent, extra-strong macho man" that Gauntlett discusses? Offer examples for both sides of the argument from the wider advertising industry. 6) Gauntlett discusses the idea of 'girl power' and offers examples from music and film. Does advertising provide evidence to support the idea of 'girl power' or is the industry still reinforcing traditional representations of men and women? 7) Do you agree with Gauntlett's argument under 'Popular feminism, women and men' where he suggests that younger generations are not threatened by traditional gender roles and are comfortable with social changes? Does advertising provide examples either reinforcing or challenging this idea that younger generations are more comfortable with changing gender roles?
8) What examples from advertising does Gauntlett provide for the changing nature of gender in society (from the section on Judith Butler's Gender trouble)?
9) Why is advertising such a good example of the 'contradictory elements' that Gauntlett discusses with regards to the mass media? In other words, how does advertising continue to both reinforce and challenge gender stereotypes? 10) Finally, Gauntlett makes a clear case that things change and modern identities are increasingly fluid. What is your opinion on this debate - do you agree that the media reinforces the changing attitudes towards gender and sexuality in society? This is a significant amount of work but you'll have some lesson time to start the reading. Complete this for homework, due next Monday.
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.
Deutschland 83: case study blog tasks 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. 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 reviews. 2) Why does the second Guardian article suggest the Germans didn't like the show?
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? 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? 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!) 3) Interviewer Matt Frei asks about the current political situation in Germany. Why might this interest the Channel 4 News audience?
Behind the scenes clips 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) According to the clip, why should audiences watch Deutschland 83? 2) Why is history an important aspect of the appeal of the show? 3) What technical aspects are highlighted in the video? 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? 2) How historically accurate was the setting, costume and props? 3) Why were the props, costumes and music such a key audience pleasure for Deutschland 83? Textual analysis: Audience pleasures and representations
We need to consider the audience pleasures of Deutschland 83 alongside various representations created in the first episode.
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 canwatch the episode for free on the All 4 website or on Amazon Prime.
Scene 1: Garden/BBQ scenes (East & West Germany)
4.58 – 8.20 and 34.00 – 37.20
Make notes under the following headings:
Technical codes – particularly mise-en-scene
Representation of East & West Germany / Family / Gender
Scene 2: Martin/Moritz first sees the West German supermarket
14.30 – 20.25
Make notes under the following headings:
Technical codes – particularly mise-en-scene
Audio codes – particularly music
Representation of East & West Germany / Communism & Capitalism / Historical accuracy
Audience pleasures
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
Audio codes
Audience pleasures
Intertextuality
Scene 4: Briefcase scene when Martin/Moritz is stealing the NATO nuclear plans
31.13 – 33.30
Make notes under the following headings:
Technical codes – particularly camerawork and editing
Audio codes – diegetic and non-diegetic sound
Audience pleasures
You will do the majority of this textual analysis work in class - this section of your case study simply requires typing up your notes in an easy and memorable way (bullet points are fine).
Production and industry contexts 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? 2) What kind of company is Freemantle Media International and what do they produce? 3) How does Deutschland 83 reflect the international nature of television production? 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). 2) How does the trailer use action and enigma codes (Barthes) to encourage the audience to 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?
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? 2) Anna Winger discusses the use of music. Why might the soundtrack attract an audience?
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? 2) How do these use font, colour and graphics to appeal to an audience? 3) Why might the distributors Freemantle Media International have used different marketing campaigns in different countries? There is a lot of work here - allow at least three hours to get through everything. Remember: this is an in-depth CSP so you need to know every aspect in real detail. You'll get a chance to work on this in lessons but will need to finish for homework - due date confirmed by your coursework teacher.
