LFTVD - Stranger Things Flashcards
What are some key parts of media language?
Camerawork (Camera movements/Shots)
Sound (Dialogue, Diegetic, Speed/Volume/Pitch)
Editing (CGI, Cuts/Wipes/Fades, Montage, Pace, Aspect Ratio)
Mist-en-scene (Costume, Setting, Make-up, Lighting, Composition)
What is the intertextual relay?
Genre being presented in advertising and marketing as well as media products.
What are some examples of Stranger Thing’s intertextuality?
ET, Stand by Me, Star Wars, Dungeons and Dragons, etc.
What is the primary age demographic of Stranger Things?
18-49
What are some representations of women within Stranger Things?
CONVENTIONAL:
Joyce- Maternal and protective of Will, Emotional and hysterical with Will’s disappearance
Florence- Frustrated with male officers, secretary over policeman
Mrs. Wheeler- Housewife and homestead, frustrated with husband and lack of attention
Eleven- Young and victimised ‘damsel in distress’
Nancy- Princess, stereotypically beautiful, virgin and innocent
UNCONVENTIONAL:
Joyce- Strong against adversity
Nancy- STEM genius and academic
Eleven- Super powerful, super natural, shaved head makes her androgynous. Doesn’t follow usual genre roles/performances
Representations of women are mixed and diverse.
What are some representations of men within Stranger Things?
CONVENTIONAL:
Hopper- High status sheriff, lazy, disrespectful, distrustful
Other men- Several men in positions of power (Dr Brennan, Principal) and are also antagonistic
Fathers- Not a good connection with their children, absent physically or emotionally
The Boys- Immature, silly, fun
UNCONVENTIONAL:
The Boys- Being emotional about Will’s disappearance, caring personality
Hopper- Emotional and caring about Eleven and his daughter, similar representation from Bennie
What are some representations of race and ethnicity within Stranger Things?
-Several white characters represented as evil and antagonistic
-Several black characters, made in a more modern context
Lucas- Ethnic integration within the friendship group presented as a protagonist
What are some representations of age within Stranger Things?
CONVENTIONAL:
-Children not listened to by adults, still treated as small and immature
UNCONVENTIONAL:
-Heroic and brave, go out to save their friend. Alternative and challenges stereotypes
Who was Stranger Things created by and what were some of their inspirations?
The Duffer Brothers
-Grew up in the 80s and took a lot of inspiration from their personal life
-Massive fans of Spielberg, Kubrick, King and Shyamalan
Who are some of the big stars from Season 1 of Stranger Things?
Winona Ryder (Joyce) and Mathew Modine (Dr. Brennan).
How many viewers did Stranger Things get in its first 35 days of streaming?
15 million.
What are some of the advantages of Stranger Things streaming on Netflix over terrestrial TV?
-Distribution appeals to audiences who enjoy binge watching
-No need for ad breaks so the Duffer Brothers could be more creative and incorporate product placement
-Netflix allows for more flexibility with a requirement of only 8 episodes in comparison to the conventional 22 for US TV
-High initial budget of $48 million which allowed Stranger Things to have big set pieces,lots of practical effects and recognisable stars
What are some examples of industrial intertextuality with Stranger Things?
-Intertextual references within the show to things such as E.T, Alien and the Shining which add nostalgia and minimise the risk on launch
- Partnership with Hasbro for a Stranger Things version of D&D, drawing in nostalgic audiences
-Promotion from Netflix through posters based on a classic film that has inspired Stranger Things
How does the genre Stranger Things participates in benefit the show industrially?
-The sci-fi genre has always been considered low risk as it’s proved very popular
-Hybridity with teen drama, coming of age, paranormal/horror, comedy helps maximise profits by overlapping with several audiences
How is Stranger Things regulated?
-Streaming sites such as Netflix aren’t regulated by OFCOM, allowing for the Duffer Brothers to get away with more
-Child actors within a dark and controversial horror story as well as gory and scary effects isn’t something a regular TV company could do
-No watershed (not shown at a later time) which means very accessible to under 15s at any time of day
What are some of the conventional ways Stranger Things was promoted?
-Social Media through several platforms and pages aimed at 16-40yo
-Cast and crew on chat shows across the world, promoting the show and cementing them as stars
-Multiple magazine covers aimed at the +40 yo audience, comics and books
-Cast and crew attending the award ceremonies
-Super Bowl advertisement
What are some of the unconventional ways Stranger Things was promoted?
-Partnerships with Hasbro for a D&D set
-Fictional news report made about Barb
-Word of mouth promotion from celebrities and influencers
-The first 8 minutes of EP1 released on YouTube in order to tease the audience and create enigma
-Twitch game marathon with the cast and audience voting, aimed at young male target audience (aligned with the audience of sci-fi/horror/teen horror)
What sort of audience does the historical setting of Stranger Things engage with? What within the series constantly supports this?
An American 30-45 yo audience, backed up with constant intertextual references to 80s classics which in turn make an audience feel clever.
What engages a younger audience with Stranger Things? What doesn’t?
DOES:
-Protagonist being children, audience can literally relate on an age level
-Protagonists enduring school life, a shared experience which favours younger people who are actively in educational but is a universal experience
-Netflix exclusivity targets a modern audience who enjoy on demand media
DOESN’T:
-Arguably forced sexualisation of very young teenagers, audiences thought producers unnecessarily brought it in
-Intertextual references which a lot of younger audiences may not understand
What engages a male audience with Stranger Things?
-Variety of strong male characters
-All the main characters in S1 are male apart from Eleven
-Offers role models
-For young males; the Twitch event, mobile game, Fortnite skins and Lego
What engages a female audience with Stranger Things?
-Strong representations of women such as in Joyce and Eleven which are often underrepresented
-A hybridity of genres within the show which include romance and comedy
What about the characters makes the plot easy to understand?
Simple stereotypes which help initially make the narrative understandable which develop into more complex characters.
How does Shirky’s theory of audience interaction present itself when it comes to Stranger Things?
-Interactive 360 degree view of the boys bedroom
-Online interaction with the save Barb hashtag who fans sympathise with
-Online wiki pages created by fans as well as fan fiction, art and cosplay (backed up by producers sharing it)
What was the difference in marketing when it came to targeting age groups?
-Online media such as Twitter interaction, Twitch streams, social media posts and special features such as Facebook lenses
-Traditional media such as chat shows and magazines targeted the older audience
What are 2 ways enigma built within the audience?
-The YouTube trailer which has gotten over 8 million views to date and has been shared hundreds of thousands of times
-The first 8 minutes of EP1 being released on YouTube which was an unconventional move that kept audiences hooked for the shows release
How does Gerbner’s cultivation theory present itself within Stranger Things?
-Constant repetition of negative representations, especially American issues
-Conspiracy theories, murder, violence, bullying and child victimisation
-It could be argued mean world syndrome could be cultivated through this repetition and mainstream audiences into thinking this is the norm
How does Bandura’s social learning theory present itself within Stranger Things?
-Bullying and fighting within the show, with limited regulation it can be harsher than typical terrestrial TV
-Due to this same lack of regulation, younger audiences can be exposed to this
-It could be argued this behaviour could be learned within the audience and in turn lead to violence
What elements support and counter Stranger Things being a risk?
RISK:
-Duffer Bros weren’t established
-Young cast of unknowns
-Not based on a book or film (no pre-sold audience)
-High budget ($6 million per episode)
SAFE:
-Produced by Shawn Levy (‘safe pair of hands’)
-Recognisable names (Winona Ryder)
-Intertextual references
-Hybrid genres
-High budget ($6 million per episode)
How can you apply Curran and Seaton to Stranger Things?
-Internet doesn’t challenge dominance of established industries but Netflix has proven otherwise (competing with terrestrial TV)
-Streaming services are dominated by a small number of large companies (Netflix, Amazon, etc.) can be seen as an oligopoly
-Netflix is a gatekeeper for content, determining which can and which can’t be released on their platform
-Netflix offers a platform for media products with diverse cultures with a massive investment in original content
What media language is seen within the first laboratory scene?
-Slow track into a door with a quiet soundtrack, jump scare from the man running through with alarm sounds and flashing lights
-Scientist frantically pressing buttons and looking behind him
-Entering elevator, hearing the growling and looking up with an overhead shot
What is some of the media language seen in Will’s kidnapping scene?
-Chaos of Will’s crash connoted through fast cuts and unclear movement
-Suspenseful orchestral music
-Dog barking and monstrous noises in the telephone
-Tracking shot following Will to shed
-Craning high angle showing Will’s terrified face (similar to laboratory)
How can you apply Livingstone and Lunt to Stranger Things?
-Netflix has to abide EU regulations but not Ofcom’s
-Contains scenes potentially distressing to youths that escapes watershed
-Regulation up to account holder
-Ofcom recognises this and plans on working with streaming platforms
How can you apply Hesmondhalgh to Stranger Things?
-Reduced risk through genre, actors and intertextuality
-Increased surveillance has led to Netflix’s algorithms for recommendations
How can you apply Hall’s representation theory to Stranger Things?
-Predominantly patriarchal, heteronormative society with absence of other representations
-Preferred meanings within EP1 such as vulnerable child, harassed mother, eg.
-Preferred meanings neglect evolution through narrative
How can you apply Gauntlett to Stranger Things?
-EP1 depicts patriarchy and strong gender roles but contradicts with Hopper v Jonathan v Will
-Fan culture allowed self expression with characters, fan art, fiction and memes
-Emphasises audience, overlooks media producers, genres and narrative
How can you apply Van Zoonen to Stranger Things?
-Representation of patriarchal 1980s America with female characters typically subordinate
-Empowered representations of Eleven, Nancy and Joyce.
-Useful when considering gender roles but neglects class and power relations
How can you apply hooks to Stranger Things?
-Patriarchal social order (men in charge and women not) with eventual empowerment of some women
-Intersectionality seen within Joyce vs Mrs Wheeler
-Lack of ethnicity with empowerment existing only for white women
-Helps identify ideological messages through intersectionality but overlooks how audiences may respond to representations of social inequality
How can you apply Butler to Stranger Things?
-Eleven doesn’t conform to gender norms, mistaken for a boy but increasingly conforms to social norms while Will stays more sensitive and feminine
-Butler calls this ‘gender trouble’ and other characters police this (eg. Will being bullied) but this all overlooks how people experience gender
How can you apply Gilroy to Stranger Things?
-Colonialism influences the predominantly white worlds with a minority of black characters who are represented positively
-Story is driven by white characters
-Shows how media representations are addressed to a white audience (marginalising others) but overlooks the intersection of these systems
How can you apply Jenkins to Stranger Things?
-There is extensive evidence of fan culture for ST through participatory culture and textual poaching
-‘Justice for Barb’ meme demonstrates convergence culture
-Social media allows audiences to interact with cast, writers and producers
-The success may be down to spreadability but this theory overlooks meaning constructed by the producers
How can you apply Hall’s reception theory to Stranger Things?
-Preferred reading can be identified, elements used to encourage audiences to sympathise with Will
-Hall overlooks the fact that a media text may contain multiple/contradictory messages
