Industry- TV

Question 1

Peaky Blinders - Industry

Answer 1

• OWNERSHIP
• PSB role (Public vs Private)
• PB (psb) addresses BBC remit-
  -INFORM- various social issues covered eg. the challenges faced by working-class people in post-war Birmingham.
  -EDUCATE- piques viewers’ curiosity about the historical and social aspects of the time in which it is set, and encourages them to delve deeper.
  -ENTERTAIN- a combination of captivating storytelling, well-defined characters, a memorable soundtrack, and drama and action.
• ECONOMICS
• Vertically integrated BBC- in-house production (bbc studios) TV, Radio, Films.
• BBC worldwide is responsible for distributing BBC products globally and the revenue supplements the revenue from the license fee.
• BBC funded via license fee and selling their property. and international co-productions.
  -International coproductions becoming more common as it is a global industry, eg Netflix’s distribution of The Last Kingdom to ‘rescue’ it.
  -Adv of international coproduction size of the target audience, Production costs are shared, Production roles also shared, one country does creativity vs post-production.
• BBC Coproduction- Caryn Mandabach Productions, Tiger Aspect, and Yorkshire Screen Fund. First to receive a grant from YSF for rep of the country.
• Steven Knight as a mark of quality- Grew up in Small Heath, also written other successful films/TV, Dirty Pretty Things and Hummingbird- also crime dramas with strong characterization and explorations of social issues. His name brings in major appeal to production companies.
• DISTRIBUTION
• was distributed by the Weinstein Company in the USA but after the #MeToo movement’s revelations, the rights were sold to Netflix. Good example of Netflix’s commitment to ‘telling local stories on a global platform’, like Squid Game.
  -Increasing competition in SVOD (sub vid on demand), Netflix used to be the dominant SVOD but recently competition has increased dramatically, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Disney, etc.
  -To battle the decline in subs, Netflix posed a cheaper ad-supported option to attract subscribers who prioritize saving money.
• MARKETING, target audiences via
• Trailers- BBC trailers tend to be short and intend to arouse audience interest by providing small pieces of information, that appear in the gaps between programs and on social media.
• Posters- build public awareness as they are generally seen by a large number of people in populated areas.
• Viral Marketing- use of social media platforms, spread by the public, cost-effective and viral.
• Q&A sessions
• REGULATION
• Regulated by OFCOM which prioritizes furthering the interest of viewers by protecting them from offensive material.
• Embraces post 9 pm watershed via themes of crime, corruption, and murder so not suitable for younger and.
• Watershed is no longer as valid due to streaming services so content is available 24/7.

Question 2

Peaky Blinders- Industry Theory

Answer 2

• Cultural Industrues- David Hesmondahlgh (maximise audieces and minimise risk)
• Star power- BBC as a mark of quality + star-studded’ cast, Cillian Murphy, Sam Neill, Helen McCrory established in Hollywood and British TV (star-driven)
• Character- the mysterious persona of Tommy Shelby was admired by audiences, his passion and masculinity, audiences wanted to emulate.
• Intertextuality- nostalgia of the 1920’s, decor/fashion, allows ppl to experience that society, Gangster genre is reminiscent of The Sopranos and Godfathe

Question 3

The Bridge- Economical Factors

Answer 3

• OWNERSHIP
• Swedish and Danish Coproduction (Filmlance International and Nimbus Film)
• SVT = PBS funded by license fee so described as a QUANGO (quasi-autonomous non-gov org)
  -leftist liberal
  -1.5mil Swedish viewers
• DR (Denmark radio) = PBS license fee.
  -‘DR dominates Danish cultural life- each week, 97% of the population listens or watches something”
  -“Denmarks small and relatively heterogeneous, so appeals to almost everyone”
  -left-wing
• ECONOMICS
• Factors affecting funding:
  -Grant received from Copenhagen Film Fund
  -€1mil grant by Creative Europe Media to maintain high production value
  -Some scenes set in Copenhagen are filmed in Malmo to reduce production costs.
  -Ystad-Osterlan FilmFond- Swedish org that provides funding to film projects in Ystad-Orlestan region
  -Film I Skane- Swedish org providing funding for TV projects in Skane region
• BBC 4
  BUDGET: £48.7million- 2016
  PRIMARY ROLE: to reflect a range of uk and international art and culture
  PROVIDE: range of innovative high-quality programmes which are culturally and intellectually enriching, offer international and foreign language features to give a voice to people around the world.
  Eg. squid games, money heists and dark have had a positive global impact.

Question 4

The Bridge- Theory

Answer 4

• Cultural Industries- Hesmondhalgh: Techniques to Maximise audience and minimise risk-
  -STAR POWER: ensemble cast have become household names in their native countries, several making the jump to Hollywood, eg, Sofia Helin
  -CHARACTERS: Saga has become something of an icon in Scandinavia- a neurodiverse feminist anti-hero detective for the 2000s
  -GENRE: The bilingual nature of the show and the unique Nordic noir conventions make it easy to promote across two different countries –USP
  INTERTEXTUALITY: Nordic Noir is an institutional genre – knowledge is inclusive to fans of the genre eg, The Killing
  ENIGMAS: High anticipation for new series on social media. High profile marketing campaign. Killer reveals and last minute plot twists.
  BBC QUALITY: BBC4 brought a range of new ‘foreign language’ crime dramas, enlightening the public to the phenomenon of Nordic Noir - trusted by UK
  -WORLDWIDE REPUTATION: Sold Worldwide- premiere screenings of first episodes attracted fan base from all over the world- available on Netflix in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Canada etc.