LFTVDs; Stranger Things + Deutschland 83 Flashcards
outline the context of Netflix’s position at the release time of Stranger Things
- in 2016, Netflix was threatened by 4 things;
- creation of Amazon Prime + its stability due to other streams of income to support it (unlike Netflix)
- Netflix has to rase subscription fees; as their previous business model of low fees wasn’t sustainable for the long term
- content on Netflix is reducing
- their global growth isnt as hoped
what challenges did terrestrial and cable broadcasters face
- by 2014, wired broadband, Wifi, 4G were widely available globally
- 4G smartphones allowed series to be watched on demand, or binge watched over a long period of time
- this challenged the scheduled programming model of terrestrial and cable broadcasters who relied on creating loyal audiences around shows
how has technological developments changed our TV engagement
- TV can be watched whenever, wherever
- we can pick the shows we want to watch
- TV can be watched more frequently
- audiences are more segmented - more likely to watch TV alone due to different preferences with a plethora of choice
- audiences have an expectation of free and no ads
outline the 3 stage creation process of TV
1) production: filming, script writing, editing, securing rights, casting, location finding and managing
2) distribution: releasing it onto streaming platforms or cinema, marketing, film premiere, interviews, publicity
3) exhibition: the release
how has technological developments changed the creation process of TV
- advertising is easier with social media
- editing, filming, visual effects are easier and better
- AI could be used for scripts
- communication is quicker
- thus, the whole process is made quicker and easier
define verisimilitude
- verisimilitude = the creation of a believable world in a text
define horizontal and vertical integration
- horizontal integration = an expansion strategy where a company owns multiple companies within an industry. e.g. Disney buying Pixar, Marvel etc
- vertical integration = an expansion strategy where a company owns various stages of a production process within the same industry. e.g. 20th Century Fox, who creates (Fox Studios) their content and distributes it on their channels; Fox Broadcasting Channel
what percent of all household have a Netflix subscription
- 60%
list the feature of Netflix’s primary audience
- m/c parents (buying for family)
- western watchers
- 18-50 years
- ABC1/ Mass Market
- digital natives
define polysemic
- polysemic = capable of having multiple meanings
what are the 6 films that have cultural references in ST
- Alien (1979)
- Carrie (1976)
- Firestarter (1984)
- Poltergeist (1982)
- Stand by me (1961)
- E.T. (1982)
what genres does ST consist of + its effect
- as its a hybrid genre, ST consists of;
- teen, crime, sci-fi, horror, period, fantasy
- this allows the show to appeal to more groups of people
outline the binary oppositions between the East + West of Germany
- East (COMMUNISTS): economic struggle, the system is disliked by society (political unrest), hunger + poverty, very harsh social control/ censorship, fear form people used as a form of control
- West (CAPITALISTS): economic prosperity, society likes the system, little to no control/ oppression, more choice
state some facts about D83 being a foreign show
- after its launch in 2015 on Channel 4, D83 became the UK’s highest rated foreign language drama with over 3M viewers
- was the first series to be brought on by an American broadcaster before being shown in Germany
how was Deutschland 83 written with its streaming platform in mind
- D83 was written with ad breaks in mind, unlike ST
what was the German audiences reaction to D83
- D83 wasnt very popular in Germany
- the viewer rates on RTL (where it was released) halved from the first to last episode of seaosn 1
- the series is described as “a hit abroad, but a flop at home”
outline the business model of D83 + criticisms of it
- during the 1st season, D83 was produced by UFA Fiction and a German TV channel, RTL, that is not known for high quality, internationally acclaimed productions - some say D83 (a historical series) was too complex for RTL
- RTL was criticised to have marketized D83 - a modern, quirky show - with old fashioned, dull advertisements
- there was a weekly release of 2 episodes on RTL (with a total of 8 episodes), which isnt suited to the viewing habits of young audiences who prefer to binge watch
- was distributed in 10 countries
what are the positives of the current TV landscape
- there are high quality dramas being created, with big stars, high budgets, great writing.
- the subscription TV and internet model has reinvented TV
- big streaming sites are bringing high revenue to the TV industry
what are the negatives of the current TV landscape
- the global TV companies will dominate the market at the expense of minority media companies / low budget media
- this will lead to a lack of risk taking, more generic, stereotypical TV
state how ST was a risk for Netflix and for some how it was mitigated
- the time + $4M put into each episode, is a risk if its not gained back. this was mitigated by hiring Winona Ryder - older gen were more likely to watch as she’s an iconic cast member
- young main characters is a risk if they cant act, are annoying, puberty
- was made at a vulnerable time for Netflix
- Duffer Brothers weren’t established directors. this was mitigated by Shawn Levy being an established producer
- wasnt based on a previous book or film - theres no pre-sold audience
- pastiches (being a show set in the 80s) can be a hit or miss as they can be uninventive. this was mitigated by ST being a hybrid genre show, giving it broader appeal
state how D83 was a risk for Channel 4/RTL/UFA Fiction and for some how it was mitigated
- was the 1st German language show released in the US, people may not be interested. this was mitigated by D83 being released onto well known US + UK platforms and also had an American writer
- had an unknown cast
- was a period drama with no established audience. was mitigated by the soundtrack which had notable throwback songs
- had a high budget
- the political content (cold war) can be risky as people may not respond to it well
who is the target audience of Deutschland 83
- from Europe, German speakers, ABC1, fans of EU arthouse cinema + culture, 35-55, more politically + historically educated
how was D83 marketed
- created an interactive slideshow of East + West Berlin places before and after the reunification
- propaganda style art posters, weekly 80s music playlists
- Anna Winger (US writer) tweeted sharp, insightful running commentary
- ASOS interview with Jonas May (the main character)
outline Netflix’s marketing of ST
- used the fandom/word of mouth for later seasons - St is full of spreadable content - it can be made into memes and merchandise,
- Stephan King wrote a tweet applauding ST
- partnership with Twitch - was a broadcast in which the opening 8 mins of the show was played
- 360 degree interactive YouTube video of a set
by ____, wired broadband, Wi-Fi and 4G were widely available
- by 2016, wired broadband, Wi-Fi and 4G were widely available
Netflix grew its subscriber base by nearly _____ between ______
- Netflix grew its subscriber base by nearly 10 million between 2016-17
outline the ownership of D83
- funded and co-produced by RTL (a German TV channel)
- RTL is a large, diversified company
- RTL employed UFA Fiction who produced D83
what was D83’s connection with Sundance TV
- Sundance TV is an american streaming platform
- D83 was put onto Sundance TV for American streamers
- Sundance TV is owned by AMC
what was a large source of cost for the 2 shows
- making them periodically accurate
- D83: they needed to hire historians on both sides of German history (e.g. NATO advisers)
- they needed to source + create historically accurate sets, costumes and props
outline Channel 4’s relation to D83
- the series was broadcast on Channel 4 - a UK streaming platform
outline Walter Luzzolino
- is a foreign film and TV expert
- has his programme ‘Walter presents’ in which he introduces more cultured content to audiences
- is on Channel 4
what was a large risk for D83
- it was a foreign language show and many people may not like to read subtitles
who were notable cast members in D83
- Maria Schrader: director of unorthodox
- Sylvester Groth: starred in a Tarantino film
- helps attract fans + makes it more marketable
