Media P2 CSP - D83 Flashcards
What are the key context points for D83?
- The cold war
- references to 1980s culture
- divide of the east and west (communism v capitalism)
- the berlin wall
- president reagan (evil empire speech)
Who does walter present?
Walter presents a video on demand service provided by channel 4 and specialising in foreign language drama and comedy.
It is free to view and financially supported by ads
Which companies produced D83?
Sundance TV
RTL group
What was the digital marketing strategy that sundance TV created?
Sundance TV created the digitial marketing strategy that reflected the use of the locations in germany to recreate the east and west.
How was channel 4 involved with D83?
Channel 4 is a free to air british public service.
D83 was aired on channel 4 in january 2016
Who is the target audience for D83?
- The primary target audience is young adults, mostly european men, to relate to the main character
- The secondary target audience is elderly adults who can relate to the experience of war
How could a female audience be targeted by D83?
D83 could potentially target a female audience slightly due to the female empowerment of lenora
How is D83 regulated?
Channel 4 is licensed by Ofcom to broadcast so D83 had to subject to compliance with their rules
How was D83 funded?
Most of the production was by RTL, but the funding was from sundance.
The budget was $40m
Why did the german audience not like D83?
Many german audience who viewed the show blamed the overly sympathetic depiction of east german agents.
What are some of the factors that may have contributed to D83 ‘failing’?
- Lack of advertising / promotion
- failure to entice RTL’s core female audience
- Popular among younger viewers but the show doesnt appeal to a mass audience
- some german audience felt uncomfortable with the shows depictions of each side of germany
How does D83 show their social contexts?
- Reflects the social contrast in divided 1980s germany: east germany is represented as a controlled state through lenora and west germany is represented as more free
- Both sides of germany are represented as dominantly white and the representation of the raccial integration of the american military appears to add to their ‘otherness’
How does D83 show their cultural contexts?
- The episode reflects specifically German concerns about cultural amnesia
- The spy narrative is of global cultural resonance and helps explain the international success of the series, despite its poor audience figures in germany
How does D83 show their historical context?
- The episode explores the historical trauma of german division and reunification
- The episode represents the division of germany in 1983, where the east is poor and controlled, and the west is rich anf free
- The show also shows representations which reflect the difficulties faced by germany in coming to terms with its divided past and the political and military tensions of the early 1980s in germany
How does D83 show their economic context?
The programme reflects the highly competitive nature of US television since sundance channel seek quality programming to maintain the brand
What ideas around gender does D83 create?
- The show is dominated by male characters and the female characters work for the men throughout
- Men are the figure point of the plot with martin being the main protagonist
- Society in the 80s was very patriarchal and male dominated, however lenoras character provides a sense of female empowerment
How does Todorovs narratology theory apply to D83?
Equilibrium - martins equilibrium is quickly established through his job, family, girlfriend
Disruption - martin getting kidnapped
Recognition - martin learning to become a spy and being trained
Attempt to repair - martin stealing the documents
New equilibrium - martins ongoing status as a spy
How does hesmondhalghs theory apply to D83?
- RTL are working with Sundance to use their reputation and reach to access the US market, the company is vertically and horizontally integrated
- The use of the spy genre helps to sell the product and maintain audience
- They focus on whats successful and popular
- The show was a reduced risk as it had already been shown in two countries
How does Halls reception theory apply to D83?
Oppositional reading - show is critisised by many germans for not being nostalgic and accurate enough about east germany, martin not knowing how to use a phone may show that east germans were more dumb
Negotiated reading - British and americans may not understand and relate to the nostalgic element of the show, however linking it to spy features makes the show enjoyable
Dominant reading - audiences will enjoy the show as a form of entertainment and will appreciate the historical accuracy and the links to modern day political issues
How does Strauss’ theory apply to D83?
Binary opposites:
- State vs family - martin may feel like he needs to chose between working for his state and east germany or staying with his family
- Manipulation vs Love - martins relationship with lenora is manuplaitve but she is still his aunt
- Danger vs Safety - Martin becoming a spy carries a high risk of danger
How does Propps theory apply to D83?
- Hero - martin
- villain - east could be considered the enemy since theyve kidnapped martin and sent him to west as a spy, Lenora could be villain aswell
- Donor - Tobias (trains martin to become a spy chases him through supermarket)
- Helper - Karl (works with wolfgang, martin and lenora)
- Princess - Annette (martins gf)
- Father - wolfgang edel (general of the facility martin is spying on, martin and wolfgang begin to trust each other)
- Dispatcher - walter (works with lenora and recruits martin by drugging him)
How does butlers theory apply to D83?
At the end of the episode we can see martin and his aunt lenora standing behind him.
Lenora is standing behind him and looking down on him, which makes her seem like she is dominant, which is stereotypically a male quality.
Martin looks quite innocent and submissive.
How does Van zoonens theory apply to D83?
- There isnt much proof of the narrative objectifying women, however it can be seen the other way around
- Martin could be objectifies through the way that mrs werner looks at him
- Howeverm it could be said that women are potentially objectifies since Linda Seiler is seduced by martin to get information about her
How does Barthes theory apply to D83?
- There are several times where hermeneutic codes are used to create mystery and play into the spy genre, such as when martin is filmed trying to pick a lock through blinds
- Various symbolic codes such as spy genre icons used throughoyt
