8) Assessment: 750-word exam question
Sunday 26 April 2020
The rise of foreign-language TV: Blog tasks
The rise of foreign-language TV: Blog tasks
To continue our work on Deutschland 83, we need to read a range of articles on the foreign-language TV phenomenon. When answering the questions, consider the issues from both an audience and industry perspective.
Independent: British viewers can't get enough of foreign-language dramas
Read this Independent feature on foreign-language dramas. It features an in-depth interview with Walter Iuzzolino who curates Channel 4's Walter Presents programming. Answer the questions below:
1) What does the article suggest regarding the traditional audience for foreign-language subtitled media?
The "pretentious, dull and, possibly, a little odd."
2) What does Walter Iuzzolino suggest is the key appeal of his 'Walter Presents' shows?
"To Iuzzolino, the buzz around foreign TV was so strong that, over the course of two years before the project's launch"
3) The article makes an interesting claim for the popularity of subtitles in the multi-screen age. What does it suggest?
There can be hype built around more shows, extending to foreign language tv. Therefore, with the ease of viewing, it has become just as popular as regular tv.
4) What are the other audiences pleasures of foreign TV drama suggested by the article?
"a welcome enforcement for us to focus. "When you read subtitles, you have to be glued to the screen," says Deeks. "That concentration gives a particular intensity to the viewing experience. "
Now look at the bonus article - on Sherlock and how viewers are steering their favourite shows.
5) What examples are provided of how TV companies are increasingly using audiences to inform the production process?
They include Easter eggs for their fans. Sherlock listened to their huge Chinese fan base and pandered to them a little despite being a British production.
Film School Rejects: The foreign TV dramas you're missing out on
Now read this Film School Rejects feature on the foreign TV dramas you're missing out on. This contains some particularly useful background on Deutschland 83's reception internationally. If the website is blocked, you can access the article text here. Answer the following questions:
1) What does the article tell us about Deutschland 83's release schedule?
"Premiering on AMC Network’s Sundance TV in June 2015, the show was the first German-language TV series to premiere on a US network. The fact Germany’s commercial RTL channel received Deutschland ’83 five months after the US both signifies the series’ global appeal as well as foreshadows where the German crime thriller was (and is) to find its audience."
2) The article contains important statistics on viewing figures in different countries. What were the German viewing figures for the first and last episode? What were Channel's 4's viewing figures for Deutschland 83?
"US premiere garnering 0.066 million viewers compared to Germany’s 3.19 million"
3) Who are the two production and distribution companies behind Deutschland 83 and what did they announce in October?
"SundanceTV and FremantleMedia finally announced in October that there will be a second series of Deutschland 83"
4) What does the article suggest was the driving force behind the series being renewed for a new season (and possibly two new seasons)?
"it’s apparent the US critical reception and UK’s record-breaking viewership have a role to play in renewing the show"
5) How does Walter Iuzzolino use social media to engage audiences in new international TV dramas? How does he suggest this has changed the reception of foreign productions in the UK?
"Even if you’re weary of foreign drama, with Iuzzolino posting a “Weekend Pick” on his Facebook page and engaging with viewers on Twitter, it’s impossible not to become engrossed in the experience."
IndieWire: The rise of international television
Now look at this IndieWire feature on the rise of international television. If the website is blocked, you can access the text from the article here. Answer the questions below:
1) What does the article suggest regarding the difference between TV and film?
"Foreign films have a place on the arthouse circuit, but where can you find foreign TV?"
2) What cultural differences are highlighted in the article - for example in turning 'Prisoners of War' into 'Homeland' when remade in the US?
"On making “Prisoners of War” into “Homeland,” for instance, creator Gideon Raff noted that the original series focused on the experiences of and the idea of POWs, which he called an “open wound in Israeli society,” but that for the U.S. the emphasis was on the agent investigating the returned soldier, on a more American issues of distrusting the government and of a fears of agents among us."
3) Why do you think Deutschland 83 was able to rise above these cultural differences to be successful in the US and UK? Did this inadvertently make the drama fail in Germany?
The show wasn't based on recent UK and US history like it was for Germany, meaning the dramatisation was more believable and less offensive to the western audiences.
4) What does the article suggest about subtitling?
it forces focus on the programme.
5) What does Sopranos actor Steven Van Zandt suggest is the appeal in foreign television drama?
“the way to make this more international is to make this more Norwegian. I want to know everything that is eccentric about Norway, different, funny, unique — all that I want to get into this show.”
The Guardian: How tech is changing television
Finally, read this Guardian feature on how tech is changing television. This has some particularly useful aspects from an industry perspective - how TV is made, the different formats of TV drama and more. Answer the following questions:
1) What are the traditional lengths for TV drama and what dictated these programme formats?
"a grid schedule designed around hours and half-hours"
2) How have streaming services such as Netflix or Amazon Prime changed the way TV drama narratives are constructed?
“Your form of storytelling has to reflect the fact that people could watch [the whole series] straight away. So the hooks at the end of every episode are very important. But you also have to think about how you give information. With a thriller for terrestrial TV, you tend to have a recap at the start of each episode. But, with SVOD [streaming video on demand], you can get straight on with the story.”
3) Why has the rise in streaming led to more complex storylines and an increase in cliffhangers?
“The fact that the audience can catch up easily on missed episodes has hugely changed content. You don’t have to go back very far to when commissioners had this idea that the audience was so fragile and fickle that you had to be careful how complex your story was...."
4) How have the "economics of production" kept TV drama largely sticking to the 45- or 60-minute episode format?
In order to maximise the use of time, and minimise the cost of actors and crew, while part of a drama is filming, another team is prepping the next section. So, while a streamed drama theoretically need not be divided at all, it still makes logistical and financial sense to hire on episode basis.
5) How has "permanent 24/7 connectivity" changed both the production and consumption of TV drama?
Permanent 24/7 connectivity has radically altered viewer responses. Live-tweeting by audiences has usefully democratised criticism, but the downside of this new media interaction has been in giving the old media a stick with which to beat broadcasters. Stories about alleged outrage over incomprehensible actors or violent action often turn out to be based on the fact that, from among millions of viewers, a tiny handful tweeted disagreeably.
To continue our work on Deutschland 83, we need to read a range of articles on the foreign-language TV phenomenon. When answering the questions, consider the issues from both an audience and industry perspective.
Independent: British viewers can't get enough of foreign-language dramas
Read this Independent feature on foreign-language dramas. It features an in-depth interview with Walter Iuzzolino who curates Channel 4's Walter Presents programming. Answer the questions below:
1) What does the article suggest regarding the traditional audience for foreign-language subtitled media?
The "pretentious, dull and, possibly, a little odd."
2) What does Walter Iuzzolino suggest is the key appeal of his 'Walter Presents' shows?
"To Iuzzolino, the buzz around foreign TV was so strong that, over the course of two years before the project's launch"
3) The article makes an interesting claim for the popularity of subtitles in the multi-screen age. What does it suggest?
There can be hype built around more shows, extending to foreign language tv. Therefore, with the ease of viewing, it has become just as popular as regular tv.
4) What are the other audiences pleasures of foreign TV drama suggested by the article?
"a welcome enforcement for us to focus. "When you read subtitles, you have to be glued to the screen," says Deeks. "That concentration gives a particular intensity to the viewing experience. "
Now look at the bonus article - on Sherlock and how viewers are steering their favourite shows.
5) What examples are provided of how TV companies are increasingly using audiences to inform the production process?
They include Easter eggs for their fans. Sherlock listened to their huge Chinese fan base and pandered to them a little despite being a British production.
Film School Rejects: The foreign TV dramas you're missing out on
Now read this Film School Rejects feature on the foreign TV dramas you're missing out on. This contains some particularly useful background on Deutschland 83's reception internationally. If the website is blocked, you can access the article text here. Answer the following questions:
1) What does the article tell us about Deutschland 83's release schedule?
"Premiering on AMC Network’s Sundance TV in June 2015, the show was the first German-language TV series to premiere on a US network. The fact Germany’s commercial RTL channel received Deutschland ’83 five months after the US both signifies the series’ global appeal as well as foreshadows where the German crime thriller was (and is) to find its audience."
2) The article contains important statistics on viewing figures in different countries. What were the German viewing figures for the first and last episode? What were Channel's 4's viewing figures for Deutschland 83?
"US premiere garnering 0.066 million viewers compared to Germany’s 3.19 million"
3) Who are the two production and distribution companies behind Deutschland 83 and what did they announce in October?
"SundanceTV and FremantleMedia finally announced in October that there will be a second series of Deutschland 83"
4) What does the article suggest was the driving force behind the series being renewed for a new season (and possibly two new seasons)?
"it’s apparent the US critical reception and UK’s record-breaking viewership have a role to play in renewing the show"
5) How does Walter Iuzzolino use social media to engage audiences in new international TV dramas? How does he suggest this has changed the reception of foreign productions in the UK?
"Even if you’re weary of foreign drama, with Iuzzolino posting a “Weekend Pick” on his Facebook page and engaging with viewers on Twitter, it’s impossible not to become engrossed in the experience."
IndieWire: The rise of international television
Now look at this IndieWire feature on the rise of international television. If the website is blocked, you can access the text from the article here. Answer the questions below:
1) What does the article suggest regarding the difference between TV and film?
"Foreign films have a place on the arthouse circuit, but where can you find foreign TV?"
2) What cultural differences are highlighted in the article - for example in turning 'Prisoners of War' into 'Homeland' when remade in the US?
"On making “Prisoners of War” into “Homeland,” for instance, creator Gideon Raff noted that the original series focused on the experiences of and the idea of POWs, which he called an “open wound in Israeli society,” but that for the U.S. the emphasis was on the agent investigating the returned soldier, on a more American issues of distrusting the government and of a fears of agents among us."
3) Why do you think Deutschland 83 was able to rise above these cultural differences to be successful in the US and UK? Did this inadvertently make the drama fail in Germany?
The show wasn't based on recent UK and US history like it was for Germany, meaning the dramatisation was more believable and less offensive to the western audiences.
4) What does the article suggest about subtitling?
it forces focus on the programme.
5) What does Sopranos actor Steven Van Zandt suggest is the appeal in foreign television drama?
“the way to make this more international is to make this more Norwegian. I want to know everything that is eccentric about Norway, different, funny, unique — all that I want to get into this show.”
The Guardian: How tech is changing television
Finally, read this Guardian feature on how tech is changing television. This has some particularly useful aspects from an industry perspective - how TV is made, the different formats of TV drama and more. Answer the following questions:
1) What are the traditional lengths for TV drama and what dictated these programme formats?
"a grid schedule designed around hours and half-hours"
2) How have streaming services such as Netflix or Amazon Prime changed the way TV drama narratives are constructed?
“Your form of storytelling has to reflect the fact that people could watch [the whole series] straight away. So the hooks at the end of every episode are very important. But you also have to think about how you give information. With a thriller for terrestrial TV, you tend to have a recap at the start of each episode. But, with SVOD [streaming video on demand], you can get straight on with the story.”
3) Why has the rise in streaming led to more complex storylines and an increase in cliffhangers?
“The fact that the audience can catch up easily on missed episodes has hugely changed content. You don’t have to go back very far to when commissioners had this idea that the audience was so fragile and fickle that you had to be careful how complex your story was...."
4) How have the "economics of production" kept TV drama largely sticking to the 45- or 60-minute episode format?
In order to maximise the use of time, and minimise the cost of actors and crew, while part of a drama is filming, another team is prepping the next section. So, while a streamed drama theoretically need not be divided at all, it still makes logistical and financial sense to hire on episode basis.
5) How has "permanent 24/7 connectivity" changed both the production and consumption of TV drama?
Permanent 24/7 connectivity has radically altered viewer responses. Live-tweeting by audiences has usefully democratised criticism, but the downside of this new media interaction has been in giving the old media a stick with which to beat broadcasters. Stories about alleged outrage over incomprehensible actors or violent action often turn out to be based on the fact that, from among millions of viewers, a tiny handful tweeted disagreeably.
The impact of new/digital media on TV: blog task
The impact of new/digital media on TV: blog task
Go to our Media Magazine archive and read the article on Netflix and the Cultural Industries (MM63 - page 45). Create a blogpost called 'The impact of new/digital media on TV' and answer the following questions:
1) What does the 'industry' concept in A Level Media Studies refer to?
The company and financing and advertising involved with making a product.
2) What does David Hesmondhalgh argue with regards to how the creative industries have changed since the 1980s?
• Cultural industries have moved closer to the centre of economic action
•There has been an increase in media corporations owning companies in different sectors of the industry
• Globalization has meant media texts can circulate more easily across borders reducing North American dominance
• Deregulation has reduced public ownership
• Advertising ‘dollars’ have significantly increased as has cross promotion within texts
• Digitisation has allowed the technology sector to compete directly with traditional media companies
• Niche audiences are increasingly targeted.
3) Choose the three most significant points Hesmondhalgh makes regarding the changing cultural industries. Why are these the most significant in your view?
-synergy began to be used more often
-the first media industry to be affected was music because of the free streaming/downloading
-tech companies are now able to compete with media companies
4) What is technological convergence?
When devices are merged together into one device.
5) How are technology companies challenging traditional broadcasters in the TV industry?
They offer binging and on-demand services that are more appealing than the traditional methods of TV.
6) What budgets will Netflix, Amazon and Apple spend on original programming next year according to the article?
Next year Netflix plans to spend $8bn on original material; Amazon’s budget is estimated at $4.5bn. Apple has recently joined the fray with a $1bn spend.
7) How many countries are Netflix and Amazon available in?
130.
8) The global nature of modern television means producers are having to consider international audiences when creating content. What example from Netflix does the article use to explain this?
"For example, take the monster in Stranger Things named (by the kids) the ‘Demogorgon’ after a Dungeons & Dragons demon prince. To ensure that connection transcended language barriers, Netflix’s team dug into old D&D materials to nail down how various cultures translated ‘Demogorgon’ in the mid-1970s."
9) Do you think technology companies such as Google, Facebook and Amazon will increase their interest in the television industry?
Yes because they are diversifying in order to keep up with the times and stay afloat in the free market.
10) How do changes in technology influence the creation of TV dramas such as Capital or Deutschland 83? How?
They were created with the intention of being viewed in quick succession.
Go to our Media Magazine archive and read the article on Netflix and the Cultural Industries (MM63 - page 45). Create a blogpost called 'The impact of new/digital media on TV' and answer the following questions:
1) What does the 'industry' concept in A Level Media Studies refer to?
The company and financing and advertising involved with making a product.
2) What does David Hesmondhalgh argue with regards to how the creative industries have changed since the 1980s?
• Cultural industries have moved closer to the centre of economic action
•There has been an increase in media corporations owning companies in different sectors of the industry
• Globalization has meant media texts can circulate more easily across borders reducing North American dominance
• Deregulation has reduced public ownership
• Advertising ‘dollars’ have significantly increased as has cross promotion within texts
• Digitisation has allowed the technology sector to compete directly with traditional media companies
• Niche audiences are increasingly targeted.
3) Choose the three most significant points Hesmondhalgh makes regarding the changing cultural industries. Why are these the most significant in your view?
-synergy began to be used more often
-the first media industry to be affected was music because of the free streaming/downloading
-tech companies are now able to compete with media companies
4) What is technological convergence?
When devices are merged together into one device.
5) How are technology companies challenging traditional broadcasters in the TV industry?
They offer binging and on-demand services that are more appealing than the traditional methods of TV.
6) What budgets will Netflix, Amazon and Apple spend on original programming next year according to the article?
Next year Netflix plans to spend $8bn on original material; Amazon’s budget is estimated at $4.5bn. Apple has recently joined the fray with a $1bn spend.
7) How many countries are Netflix and Amazon available in?
130.
8) The global nature of modern television means producers are having to consider international audiences when creating content. What example from Netflix does the article use to explain this?
"For example, take the monster in Stranger Things named (by the kids) the ‘Demogorgon’ after a Dungeons & Dragons demon prince. To ensure that connection transcended language barriers, Netflix’s team dug into old D&D materials to nail down how various cultures translated ‘Demogorgon’ in the mid-1970s."
9) Do you think technology companies such as Google, Facebook and Amazon will increase their interest in the television industry?
Yes because they are diversifying in order to keep up with the times and stay afloat in the free market.
10) How do changes in technology influence the creation of TV dramas such as Capital or Deutschland 83? How?
They were created with the intention of being viewed in quick succession.
Postmodernism & Deutschland 83: blog task
Postmodernism & Deutschland 83: blog task
Go to our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive and open Factsheet #54: Introduction to Postmodernism. Our Media Factsheet archive is on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets - you'll need to save the factsheet to USB or email it to yourself in order to complete this at home. Read the factsheet and answer the following questions:
1) Read the section on Strinati's five ways to define postmodernity. What examples are provided of the breakdown of the distinction between culture and society (media-isation)?
2. Emphasis of style over substance e.g. celebrity, reality TV
3. Breakdown of difference between art and popular culture
4. Confusion over time and space – modern society is built on the instantaneous
5. Decline of meta-narratives or grand narratives (e.g. religion or political theories such as communism)
2) What is Fredric Jameson's idea of 'historical deafness'? How can the idea of 'historical deafness' be applied to Deutschland 83?
3) What examples and theories are provided for the idea of 'style over substance'?
5) What is bricolage? What examples of bricolage can be found in Deutschland 83?
The juxtaposing of old and new texts, images, ideas and narratives to create new meanings."
6) How can the audience pleasures of Deutschland 83 be linked to postmodernism? Read 'The decline of meta-narratives' and 'Media texts and the postmodern' to help answer this.
7) Read the analysis of media concepts and postmodern approaches on page 3 of the factsheet. Choose three of the concepts and write an example from Deutschland 83. Clue: genre, representation, ideology and audience would all be good options for this task.
genre
Traditional spy genre texts use the expected codes and conventions.
Deutschland 83 mixes genres and conventions in a postmodern style.
representation
Traditional media texts would have more one dimensional characters based on stereotype whereas Deutschland 83 humanizes both the East and West.audience
Traditional audiences were believed to be more passive, accepting whatever stereotypes were presented on TV as the real deal.
Deutschland's audience has been encouraged to consider the characters to be 3 dimensional, regardless of what side they are from.
8) Now look at page 4 of the factsheet. How does Deutschland 83 demonstrate aspects of the postmodern in its construction and ideological positioning?
The dramatization of real life events creates "hyper-reality" for viewers.
9) Which key scenes from Deutschland 83 best provide examples of postmodernism? Why?
The scenes where they flesh Martin out as a character, giving unconventional sympathy to an alternative ideology.
10) Why might audiences enjoy the postmodern aspects of Deutschland 83? What audience pleasures might elements of bricolage or pastiche provide viewers?
The root of the series is grounded in convention, giving viewers familiar iconographies to reward them as well as modern ideologies forced into the time period to further allow viewers to relate.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)