DEUTSCHLAND 83 CASE STUDY

Introduction: Reviews and Features

1) Find one positive aspect and one criticism of Deutschland 83 in the reviews.

- “It’s a perfect moment in a near-perfect series.”

- “Not quite “the flop of the year”, as Bild called it, “but underwhelming nontheless”.

2) Why does the second Guardian article suggest the Germans didn't like the show?

- After decades of being seen as boring and ugly, Germany has found a way of making people abroad think it is cool and sexy yet Germans don’t like it.

3) Find three 'below the line' comments from either of the Guardian articles. What did the audience think of Deutschland 83? Do you agree with the comments?

- “it backtracks into stereotypes”

 - “After decades of being seen as boring and ugly, Germany has found a way of making people abroad think it is cool and sexy yet Germans don’t like it.” 

- “international success story”

Promotional Interview

1) What does Jonas Nay say about growing up in a united Germany? 

- He said there is no difference between east and west Germany and that he would've lived in west Germany as a 25 year old back in 1983 as he values freedom.

2) The Channel 4 News interview is conducted in German with English subtitles. How does this reflect Channel 4's remit as a public service broadcaster and their target audience? (Clue: revise your work on Channel 4 and Public Service Broadcasting here!)

- It shows Channel 4 is providing diversity and allowing multiple different people access to what they are showing as English is a widely spoken language.

3) Interviewer Matt Frei asks about the current political situation in Germany. Why might this interest the a Channel 4 audience?

- The audience may be curious into seeing how far the politics has changed over the years.

Textual analysis: Audience pleasures and representations

Scene 1: Garden/BBQ scenes (East & West Germany)

4.58 – 8.20 and 34.00 – 37.20

- Technical Codes: Back view, 180 view, hand held cameras, army uniform, expensive clothing, house - modernist, 360 hand held tracking shots.

- Audio Codes: German dialogue, music = "99 red balloons" west german pop song in east, classical music diegetic sound.

 

- Representations: Corrupt - bringing goods from west into east.

- Audience pleasures: PR - mum, girlfriend. PI - soldier, Cuba reference - cover nearly blown, genre pleasures - spy thriller 

Scene 2: Martin/Moritz first sees the West German supermarket 

14.30 – 20.25

- Technical Codes: low angle, low-key lighting in back room - tension, seriousness, secretive spy, iconic puma brand logo + jeans/ trainers, western capitalism.

- Audio Codes: upbeat music, diegetic sound - "sweet dreams"

- Representations: intertextuality, post-modernism, supermarket = wealth, abundance.

- Audience Pleasures: TV consumer electronics - TV consumer electronics - news actual footage.

Scene 3: Training montage scene when Martin/Moritz learns how to be a spy

20.40 – 22.40

- Technical Codes: split screen - binary opposition- east vs west

- Audio codes: non diegetic - music, fast temps, 

- Representations - femme fatale - conventions

- Audience Pleasures: adopted a different identity

Scene 4: Briefcase scene when Martin/Moritz is stealing the NATO nuclear plans

31.13 – 33.30

Production and industry contexts

1) What kind of company is UFA Fiction and what shows have they produced? 

- German award winning film and television company.

- Deutschland 83

2) What kind of company is Freemantle and what do they produce?

- British based international television content, production and subsidiary.

- Idols, Got Talent, The X-Factor

3) How does Deutschland 83 reflect the international nature of television production?

- Deutschland 83 is a German television programme where the actors are German and speak German, however, the show is aimed at an international audience and is able to be watched by many as there are English subtitles on the screen.

Walter Presents

1) How does Channel 4 introduce 'Walter'?

- Walter is presented as an international drama filled with action and tension.

2) What audience are Channel 4 trying to appeal to with the 'Walter Presents' series?

- They are trying to appeal to new fans and those who are appealed to the same genre.

3) How does the 'Walter Presents' series reflect the changing nature of television in the digital age?

- The internet is bringing attention to international media work that may not have been discovered. 

Marketing and promotion

1) What audience pleasures are suggested by the trailer? Think about Uses & Gratifications theory (Blumler and Katz).

- Personal Identity - Martin as a young person is relatable to a young audience.

- Personal Relationship - Martin has relationships with his mum and his girlfriend.

-Surveillance - There is historical events used in the show. whilst still being fictional.

 Diversion - There is action and drama involved.

2) How does the trailer use action and enigma codes (Barthes) to encourage the audience to watch the show?

- Enigma - the fact that Martin is a spy makes us want to know more about what he is doing and why.

- Action - explosion and running scenes

3) The only words heard in the trailer are in English. Why do you think the UK trailer avoided subtitles or German dialogue?

- This might of been because majority of UK viewers are English speaking so it makes sense for the trailer to be in English so they understand what is going on.

Press pack

1) How did she use the historical context and real-life events to create a successful drama?

- Thomas Lovegrove, a British military historian who worked with us on Deutschland 83, first called our attention to Abel

Archer, the NATO manoeuvres in the autumn of 1983 that was misunderstood by the East as a real attack. The Russians prepared to retaliate but came to their senses last minute. At the time that we were developing the show, it was exactly 30 years after it happened, so the first information about Able Archer had just been declassified.

2) Anna Winger discusses the use of music. Why might the soundtrack attract an audience?

- It was just an incredible year of pop culture and the songs really travelled. Fashion, hair styles and colour

palette, suddenly became a part of the 1980’s music experience. A fun detail is that the composer of our score, Reinhold Heil, was a keyboardist in the Nina Hagen band. And he actually produced the song “99 Luftbalons” for Nena, so he is very much of that Zeitgeist. In many cases I had songs in mind when I was writing.

Press release

1) List the key statistics concerning audience figures. Why was it considered the most successful foreign language drama?

- The first episode made £2.5million and it was considered successful because it overtook shows like "The Returned".

2) How does the press release describe Deutschland 83?

- Deutschland 83 is a stylish coming of age story, framed within a suspenseful thriller.

International marketing

1) How does the UK DVD cover communicate the sub-genre of the drama?

- The graffiti on the wall implies the separation between the two states.

2) How do these use font, colour and graphics to appeal to an audience?

- The vibrant bright colours draw the audience in and makes them question what the show might be about.

3) Why might the distributors Freemantle International have used different marketing campaigns in different countries? 

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