DEUTSCHLAND 83 Flashcards
How many episodes is the show?
8 episodes a season
What language is it in?
German
Who is it co-produced by?
3 People
Sundance TV
RTL
UFA Fiction
What is it successful for in the UK?
Most successful foreign language drama aired by C4
What genre is Deutschland 83?
Spy Thriller
What are 4 codes and conventions of Spy-Thriller?
Dark and serious tone
Suspense
A legal force
Undercover people
What is the Cold War?
A political dispute between the Eastern Bloc and Western Bloc
When did the Cold War take place?
1947-1989
Who is the Eastern Bloc?
Soviet Union, Russia and 14 other states
Who is the Western Bloc?
USA and NATO
What is the Berlin Wall a symbol of?
Cold War
What did the Berlin Wall do?
Divide West and East Germany
What was West Germany seen as?
Capitalist
What was East Germany seen as?
Communism
Who is a character of importance in the show?
President Reagan
Who produced D83?
UFA Fiction
Who distributed D83?
Fremantle Media
Who broadcasted it in Germany?
RTL
Who broadcast it in the USA?
SunDanceTV
Who broadcast it in the UK?
Channel 4
What is the big conglomerate?
Bertelsmann
Who is the production company of D83?
UFA Fiction
Who is the distribution company of D83?
Fremantle
Who is the Broadcast channel?
RTL
What is RTL in Europe?
Leading entertainment brand
How many channels does RTL have?
60 TV Channels
What is Walter Presents?
A section on C4 that specialises in foreign language drama and comedies
What was Walter Presents’s first show and when?
D83 2016
What are the criteria for Walter Presents? 3 things
Must be popular in native company
Must be award winning
Must have ‘finest writing, directing and acting’
How are RTL, SunDance and C4 similar? 3 points
All focused on entertainment
All connected to conglomerates
Stream D83
Who wrote D83?
Anna and Joerg Winger
How did Anna create a successful drama?
Used historical context and real-life events
What was personal to Anna Winger??
Her husband was a radio signaller
How did the music attract audiences?
Realism element - 1980s culture
What are 2 key statistics with D83 and C4?
Highest-rated foreign-language drama in UK history
The series was the first on Walter Presents
What do Curran and Seaton say?
A small number of conglomerates continue to dominate the industry and follow the stereotypical pattern.
What is an issue with media concentration?
Conglomerates create monopolies
What does Hesmondhalgh say?
Minimise risk + Maximise Audiences = Maximise Profit.
How can businesses minimize risk? 4 ways
Vertical Integration
Horizontal Integration
Genre
Diversification
What is vertical integration?
A business strategy where a company owns multiple stages of a media product - production, distribution and circulation
What is an example of Vertical integration with D83?
Bertelsmann - the conglomerate that owns RTL etc
What is horizontal integration?
A business strategy is when one firm acquires another firm operating in the same industry
What is an example of horizontal integration?
Disney and LucasFilm
What is diversification?
New products into new markets
How did C4 use diversification? 2 ways
All 4 - online platform
Walter Presents
How does the genre of D83 minimise risk? What theory?
Spy Thriller - popular
Neale’s theory - conventions so people don’t get bored
Why does D83 being shot on location minimise risk?
Historically accurate
How does using the same crew across different episodes minimise risk?
Don’t have to pay more people
Audiences don’t get confused and lost
How was one director being prepared for shooting while one was shooting minimise risk on D83?
Efficient and good time management
How does D83 in the UK being on Walter Presents minimise risk?
Good reputation
Specialises in foreign language shows
Who regulates C4?
Ofcom
What is the UK age rating for D83?
15
What is the German age rating for D83?
12
What is Neale’s genre theory?
That genre is a process which generic codes and conventions are shared by producers and consumers through repetition in media products
What does Neale’s genre theory mean? 2 reasons
That genre is fluid
Genres constantly evolve
What does L&L say?
They think the needs of the citizen are in conflict with the needs of the consumer
Why do we regulate the media?
To protect citizens from harmful content
How do we link D83 with Livingstone and Lunt?
C4 has to abide by the UK broadcast regulations
List 3 points on the UK D83 Release advert?
Shows that it is historical
Difference in colour can represent E vs W
‘ Under Cover’ - Spy thriller
List 3 points on the Sundance USA release advert?
Bright colours
Shows sub plots
Catch phrase changed - Under The Gun
How does the C4 trailer appeal to audiences? 3 points
Lyrics match the visuals
Links to genre
Action shots
What is synergy?
Products around a brand
What is Barthes’ 5 codes?
Hermeneutic - enigma
Proairetic - action
Semantic - connotations
Symbolic - representations
Cultural - history
List 3 social groups in D83?
Gender
Lack of Ethnicity
Difference in Class
What is a patriarchal structure?
A general structure in which men have power over women
How is Lenora represented in D83?
4 points
Seen as powerful women
Supports Van Zoonen’s theory
Appears in opening scene
Why is Renata Edel significant in D83?
She is the turning point for Martin as it is the first spy action he does
Looked down as a party animal
Why is Renata different to Ursula?
She’s very stylised and sassy - wearing make-up and hair down
Ursula has hair up and understated clothes
Who does Renata represent?
Women who aren’t taken seriously and not listened to
Why is Anette significant in D83?
Conforms to male gaze, blonde and sensible
Why is Ingrid (Martin’s mum) significant?
She conforms femininity stereotypes
Contrasts Lenora
Lot less power
How is Fran Netz significant?
She is in a gendered role
Gatekeeper
How is Yvonne Edel significant?
Trying to break the gender role
Dependent on her dad
How is Ursula Edel significant?
Does domestic entertaining - Husband gets all the praise
How does flexi-narratives keep audiences happy?
Keeps them intrigued
Forms various layers
What is binary opposition?
Pairs of opposed, conflicting focus
name 2 examples of binary opposition in D83?
East vs West
Yvonne vs Anette
How is General Jackson represented?
Takes authority and demonstrates that all media represent the same stereotypical values and beliefs
What does General Jackson being the only black character in Epi 1 show?
Makes it clear that there is a lack of ethnic diversity in the series
How do you link Gilroy’s theory to D83?
D83 focuses on a social world which is predominantly white - narrative is focused and driven by white characters
What does the building represent at the start of episode 1?
Enigma code - what is it?
Meetings, work and professionalism
We see Lenora being portrayed as very powerful. How do we in the opening scene?
Centre of the shot, we see him in the chair smoking which resembles stress
We see Reagan on the TV, what does this connote & represent?
Intertextuality
Political context in the 80s
Historic retro TV - what it was like
We see the Berlin location at night, what does this represent?
Concealment
What are 3 common spy thriller conventions?
Mysterious
Enigma codes
Gadgets
We see Reagan talking about a nuclear threat and applause straight after, what does this show and represent??
Tension created - genre conventions
America taking a stand when they all stand up
Lenora - NVC is very angry
How is Lenora represented with her outfit and looks?
Watch, red lipstick and hair represents elegance, sophisticated and connote financial stability
How else is Lenora represented especially at the start when we are introduced to her at the start? 3 points
Female main protagonist
Subverts stereotypes
Connotations of authority
She has a plan and we see her grab coffee, why is this significant?
Banned item of the East Germany
Shows how she is in West Germany
We get introduced to Martin, why is this significant?
In the centre of the shot - we see him asking questions which presents him at first as intimidating and scary
We see both Lenora and Martin both getting introduced by being in the centres of both shots, what does this connote?
Connotes importance
We see Martin intimidating questioning the 2 boys about the books? What does this connote?
Connotes intimidation, power and authority
We see the 2 boys scramble back out of the room, what does this connote?
Fear
The reason why the boys were in there is because of some books, why is this significant?
Because it shows the difference between East and West - books are like gold dust in the East
Lack of lighting at the border crossing, what does this connote?
Mystery, darkness and curiosity - what is this place? Enigma code
Lenora visits Martin and Ingrid in the East, what does this show specifically the conversation between Annette and Lenora?
The relationship between the 2 - one living in the East and one living in the West
What does talking about Ingrid’s dialysis show?
How healthcare is so expensive in the East
We see Lenora spot Martin and then cuts back to him in Kitchen, what questions does this make us feel?
Why is she constantly keeping track of him?
Does he know about what she is planning?
Lenora then brings the guy in the house to speak to Ingrid, what does this show? Mid-shot
How it is like Lenora is using her disease as a bribe if she allows this
Intimidation
Then Martin gets involved, talking about his work and then gets put to sleep to transport him to the West?
Connotations of fear, power and authority
Name 2 social groups in D83?
Male vs Female
East vs West
What are 2 events in D83 and issues?
Cold War - represented as scary from German
Berlin Wall - division
What is an example of Hall’s representation theory in D83?
Lenora subverts gender stereotypes as she is a powerful character
What is a partiarchal structure?
A general structure in which men have power over women
How are patriarchal structures reflected on D83?
By the roles that men play e.g General, President and soldiers etc
How is Lenora portrayed using Van Zoonen’s theory? 3 points
Seen as the most powerful woman in the series
Supports VZ theory as she argues that very few women are like Lenora and it in D83, it is only her
What does Lenora influence for the main story?
Sets up Martin to be the spy from East to West and influences the recruitment process and she is the main female protagonist
What was life like back in East Germany?
Poverty, Surveillance, Punishment
