Baudrillard's Theory

What is it?

• The idea that in postmodern culture the boundaries between the 'real' world and the world of the media have collapsed and that it is no longer possible to distinguish between reality and simulation.
• The idea that in a postmodern age of simulacra we are immersed in a world of images which no longer refer to anything 'real'.
• The idea that media images have come to seem more 'real' than the reality they supposedly represent (hyper reality).

Definition from exam board

• Baudrillard implies that social theory loses its very object as meanings, classes, and difference implode into a "black hole" of non- differentation. Social theory itself thus loses its object, the social, while radical politics loses its subject and agency.

Applied to News

• Baudrillard's theory applies to newspapers and any cultural product. This particularly applies to news about news, or celebrities who are famous for being famous, where there is no clear sense of a 'real' lying behind the hyperreality. This however, does not explain anything specific to newspapers as it is an extremely high level theory of the postmodern world.
• Only appearances, there is nothing other than just illusions within the media.
• Opponents of postmodernism, means that we still live in the same old, modern society.
• Postmodernisms argue we have entered a new era beyond modernity.

Applied to LFTVD

• The theory may be celebrated in LFTVD's that refuse any simple identification of 'the real' in the fictional world. This does not explain anything specific to LFTVD's as it is an extremely high level theory of the postmodern world.
• Stranger Things can be described as hyperreal. It is a representation that is based on other media representations. The density of intertextuality that underpins Stranger Things results in a representation of small town America in the 1980's that is based on media texts of that era. 
• The representation of the 1980's in Stranger Things depends on signs- costumes, hair styles, props, set design, music, pop culture references- creating a hyperreal version of the 1980's. There is no attempt to represent the lived reality of 1980's America.
• Baudrillard's ideas are a very useful way to analyse how representations are constructed and the way meaning is made in a media text such as Stranger Things due to its extensive use of intertextuality and the predominance of signifiers to represent a historical time period. It does not help to consider LFTVD specifically as a media form, and it does not consider the pleasures of hyperreal media texts for audiences. 
• D83 shows the different realities are just illusions and are only appearances that aren't real.  

Gilroys Theory

Paul Gilroy's Representation theory is the idea that colonialism from the 1500s-1900s still exists/is present in the media. People from ethnic minorities being dehumanised and the idea of "other". Other meaning seen as abnormal and strange by the majority.

Definition from OCR:

- The African diaspora caused by the Slave trade has now constructed a transatlantic culture that is simultaneously African, American, Caribbean and British - the 'Black Atlantic'.

- Britain has failed to mourn its loss of empire, creating 'postcolonial melancholia', an attachment to an airbrushed version of British colonial history, which expresses itself in criminalising immigrants and an 'us and them' approach to the world founded on the belief in the inherent superiority of white western civilisation.


Applying the Theory to News and LFTVD:

News - In both Tabloids and Broadsheets ethnicity is commonly portrayed in a different way to how current society expectations/judgements would prefer, however opposing colonialism eras, the current way these ethnic minorities are portrayed is now more relevant to the nationality and political ideologies of the subject rather than their skin colour.
Due to the content that newspapers are producing being overseen by mostly older white males, culture and ethnic origin is still partially portrayed using post colonial stereotypes within the stories and the entire paper itself - allowing Gilroy's theory to be successfully applied.


LFTVD - Both Stranger Things and Deutschland 83 contain examples of ethnic diversity, however the two shows feature a heavy cast of white actors doubting the idea that the show is racially diverse. This is most likely due to the way in which the narrative in the shows due to the current era that the stories are set in with large numbers of ethnic inequality happening in the 1980's.
ST character Lucas is one of the only representations of how ST is racially diverse - linking to Gilroy's theory, as Lucas is a part of the group of young teenagers that act differently within the setting. Lucas, who is black, is addressed by the name 'Midnight' by bullies at the school. This is discriminating and makes him feel like a minority which links to Gilroy's theory. However, the other 3 boys in his friendship group are also attacked verbally and physically, providing an idea of cross discrimination throughout the narrative.
In D83, American General Jackson is the only true ethnic representation the audience are shown. Due to Jackson's powerful status in the army and the story, Gilroy's theory doesn't really fit here than in ST - however the verisimilitude of this situation is accurate as Germany in the 1980s was lacking in ethnic diversity.

Advertising revision

Charity:

• Trying to educate
• Trying to help
• Trying to gain donations

Lucozade:

• Trying to sell the product
• Using cover star
• Gerbner- Cultivation theory

Music Video revision

When analysing the videos:

• DRCAGES- Back up with language- Camera, editing and sound
• 4 Main points and use correct names for shots, transitions, etc.
• Polysemic- Lots of different ways of reading something

News Revision

• The Independent is online only
• Use CLIFT- Colour, Layout, Image, Font, Text
• Revise Guardian and Daily Mail- Who runs it, circulation, distribution
• Theoretical framework- LIAR- Language, Industry, Audience, Representation  
• Guardian- Become member, subscribe
• Daily Mail allows you to either be shown news or entertainment news
• Daily Mail bombards you with soft news with little amounts of hard news
• Masthead, Cover Stars, Puff-Tells you to look inside, Anchorage text, plug-other stories on the side and skyline

Quick Revision

Film

1967

• Production
• Distribution
• Circulation
• Technology

2016

• Production
• Distribution
• Circulation
• Technology

Radio

• Public Service Broadcaster- Inform, Educate and Entertain
• New artists, smaller artists and lots of British artists. E.g. Ed Sheeran, Stormzy
• BBC Sounds- Online
• Website to promote and share on social media such as: Snapchat, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram
• YouTube consists of lots of celebrities in the videos.
• People pay a license fee for BBC
• Format of the show- news, competitions, celebrity and music
• Always has to be upbeat
• Listening figures have decreased after the summer- measured by Rajar
• They did a viral campaign were Greg James was hiding and people wanted to know where he went
• Radio 1 Big Weekend in Dundee 2020- Harry Styles, Camilla Cabello and Dua Lipa
• Janslam every day in January gave away a prize.
• Big Weekend brings people all over together
• Radio 1 attracts big stars and wants to target audience internationally
• Challenge adult audiences whilst attracting teens
• BBC work for you
• Doesn't rely on commercial adverts
• 6.58 million subs on YouTube
• 1.6 million on Twitter
• 1 million on Instagram
• Greg James broadcasts weekdays Monday- Thursday from 6:30-10 am
• A List get 25 plays, B List gets 15 and C List is 8
• Brit List which helps push featured new British artists
• DAB Radio
• 10 million listeners weekly

Examples

• Use of British Music
• How it promotes British Music
• Celebrity Interviews
• News Items
• Quizzes and Games
• How its different from other shows

Exam practice question rewrite

Explain why popular music radio programmes struggle to gain recognition as Public Service Broadcasting. Refer to The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show to support your answer.

In your answer you must also:

·      Explain how political, cultural and economic contexts influence the status of popular music radio programming.

I do not necessarily agree with the statement in question 1 that popular music radio programmes struggle to gain recognition as Public Service Broadcasting. The Radio 1 Breakfast Show provides for its under 30 adult audience a diverse and varied selection of content, although it does focus on popular music Radio 1 is branded the nation’s favourite station and historically has had popular music at the heart of its public service remit.

The Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Greg James celebrated its 52^nd Anniversary in 2017. For fifty years BBC Radio 1 has encouraged British Music to be its main focus however, it has diverted into playing other big name artists from other countries, breaking some of the biggest and most important acts of all time and throwing its support behind talented artists regardless of genre, from rock and pop to dance and grime.

According to the BBC Trust website, the remit of Radio 1 is to entertain and engage a broad range of young listeners with a distinctive mix of contemporary music and speech. Its target audience is 15-29-year olds and it should also provide some programming for younger teenagers. This remit remains part of the public service remit set up by Lord Reith in 1927 and still holds today- to inform, educate and entertain. Operating under this remit, the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show is funded by the licence fee which gives BBC popular music radio programmes more scope and range in terms of content and access to ‘star’ guests. It also gives it more options for modes of distribution, for example, via livestreaming and podcasts on iPlayer radio, iPlayer on TV, BBC Sounds app and website along with other extra content on digital stations and more outside broadcasts and events. The content of the BBC can be streamed via the internet or you can download multiple episodes of first run series via the BBC iPlayer Radio app. For example, the podcast which features the best bits from Greg James’s Radio 1 Breakfast Show is released every week on a Friday featuring the funniest stuff and highlights from celebrity guests, such as, Stormzy and Sam Smith. This service is provided for free under the licence fee and is set up as a subscription.

Despite this expanding provision of service, the Radio 1 Breakfast Show has come under criticism for its falling number of listeners. According to Rajar it has affected the programmes status by seeing audiences drop to just over 5 million listeners, which is the lowest audience for nearly twenty years. (This may be seen as an example of how The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Greg James is losing its popular appeal especially in justification of the BBC licence fee payment).

According to the BBC Radio academy website, though, it’s still the number one discovery place for musicians such as the Arctic Monkeys, and it explains that the internet has changed the way the music industry works forever but radio is still at the heart of it- radio is as important as ever. In today’s segmented ‘listening’ market, successful programme managers must already know their target audience and the brand values of the Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Greg James. These should attract and hold their attention, through its energetic style and popular content, including the music and celebrity culture it promotes through the presenter Greg James, who is the voice of the show. This is clearly illustrated by the content of the show on the 27^th January; there is the popular feature called unpopular opinions where the public and stars discuss various topics with Greg James.

According to Radio 1’s controller Ben Cooper, Radio 1 is evolving with its young audiences as we live through changing times for traditional radio. There have been record figures for Radio 1 videos on YouTube with 1.4 billion total views on Radio 1’s YouTube channel. Although traditional radio audience ratings show a gradual decline in listeners, online media has raised the profile of BBC Radio 1 and the Breakfast Show in a different way- meeting the needs of a young digital- savvy online audience by talking about certain topics that are trending online.

The Radio 1 Breakfast Show also contains in its running order regular news reports in the form of Newsbeat. The broadcast on 27^th January begins with the news and targets its news in both style and content at young audiences, this is evident in the selection and register of the information provided and the tone of the news presenters when reporting on certain topics. If it’s something sad or serious they sound very strong spoken and clear to ensure all information is passed but anything silly or happy then they are a lot more softly spoken. This style and content of news aimed at young audiences is also embedded in the presentation of news on the Newsbeat website. Traditionally news is not targeted at younger audiences and has often been packaged for adults, especially with scheduled breakfast shows. Newsbeat packages news aimed at the under 30’s- fulfilling the remit of providing information in the public sphere for young people and genuinely, I believe involving them as citizens.

In summary the Radio 1 Breakfast Show does have popular music at the heart of its broadcast, and this is evident in the diverse and global music policy that it has. On the 27 January broadcast, approximately 60% of the playlist was music by British artists or bands and the genre of music included pop, grime, indie rock and dance music from both British and International artists. Furthermore, in February the show promotes and covers the Brit Awards and September is the Live Lounge music month. Politically this may be seen as a waste of the taxpayer’s money, but it is in line with the very principles of how Radio 1 formed over 50 years ago, using popular music to appeal to a wider audience. This ethos is promoted by the Radio 1 Jam slam and Big Weekend bringing in acts such as Stormzy. The BBC is misunderstood if the fee-paying public believes the BBC is simply about popular music- at the heart of its revised remit is the commitment to bring diversity and cultural creativity in its music to represent all communities in the UK and promote British nationality on a global scale. The licence fee and the principles of public service broadcasting are the foundation which protects BBC Radio 1 and the Breakfast Show from the commercial pressures and influence of ownership in independent radio. (The biggest challenge that the Radio 1 Breakfast Show faced was how to keep a media savvy under- 30 audience in a technologically changing online media environment- one that I think it has achieved.)

Gender Theorists

Van Zoonen

• Patriarchy- Power of Men

Judith Butler

• Performativity- Perform your gender

Bell Hooks

• Power

Bandura Effect theory

Effect theory:

• The media has an immediate effect on our behaviours
• Hypodermic syringe model
• Particularly used in arguments for censorship

News

Useful

• Moral panic (coronavirus, asteroid)
• Can work with younger, vulnerable audiences (less educated)
• Useful when looking at advertising articles

Not useful

• Only have effect on very impressionable people- the immediate effect is rare
• Long term exposure is much more applicable- Gerbner

LFTVD

Useful

• Moving image has greater impression that text
• LFTVD has the option of bingeing- when you binge, the effect will be greater
• D83 presents different take on historical events which can make an impression on audience fast
• Characters make impression on audience- aspirational

Not useful

• LFTVD is not real- drama, not truth
• News has loyalty- Tv drama is not the same- you dilute the chance of it affecting you
• Tv drama is not trying to have an immediate effect. Entertain, not inform. They don't need moral panic

Exam cheat sheet

What is in each exam:

Paper 1:

Question 1- 17 mins

• Media language theories
• Representation theories
• Technical language to describe newspapers
• Recognise stereotypes and representation 

Question 2- 25 mins

• Differences between and genre traits of tabloid and broadsheet papers
• Media language used in tabloid and broadsheet papers

Question 3- 17 mins

• Political context of newspaper production (Daily Mail and Guardian)
• Social context of newspaper productions (DM and G)
• Economic/ business contexts of newspaper production (DM and G)
• Front covers of DM and G and have basic knowledge of stories inside
• Regulation of newspapers

Question 4- 17 mins

• Audience theories
• Media industries theories

Question 5- 17 mins

• Representation in Titanium and Stop where you are
• Representation in set Big Issue cover 
• Representation in set advertisements 

Question 6- 25 mins

• How music videos can be intertextual and how the set texts are
• How adverts can be intertextual
• How magazine covers can be intertextual
• How the contexts of production influence the music videos
• How the contexts of production influence the adverts
• How the contexts of production influence the magazine covers

Paper 2:

Question 1- 25 mins

• Political, cultural and economic contexts influence the status of popular music radio programming (Radio 1 Breakfast show)
• Political, cultural and economic contexts influence the promotion of the Jungle Book films
• Political, cultural and economic contexts influence the status of Minecraft within the video games industry

Question 2- 25 mins

• How films are produced, distributed and consumed with reference to the Jungle Book films
• How popular music radio is produced, distributed and consumed with reference to the Radio 1 Breakfast Show
• How video games are produced, distributed and consumed with reference to Minecraft

Question 3- 50 mins

• Contexts of production for D83 (social, economic, political)
• Contexts of production for ST (social, economic, political)
• Representation in D83
• Representation in ST
• Theories that are appropriate  

Question 4- 17 mins

• All theories in reference to LFTVD

Media Questions

Paper 1

News 1:
10 marks- Language, representation theory- 15 mins

News 2:
15 marks- Forms and conventions- 25 mins

News 3:
10 marks- Audiences e.g. technology- Daily Mail and Guardian- 15 mins

News 4:
10 marks- Theory- Industry/regulation- Daily Mail and Guardian-15 mins

Music video, Big Issue, Advertising

Paper 2:

Tv Drama- 30 marks- 1 hour- Make sure i use a conclusion
Tv Drama- 10 marks

Jungle Book, Minecraft, Radio

Henry Jenkins- Fandom Theory

• Believes that fans play a key role in the media
• Distributing the product, sharing it online
• Textual Poaching- Audiences taking a media product and remaking or reworking it to create their own meaning
• Fan made content has increased due to the advances in technology 
• Identity is constructed through your fandom- participation in a community of fandom

Evaluate the usefulness of Jenkins theory to news production

Useful (does it apply to news well?)

• Fans play a huge role in spreading news via social media- Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
• Fans can comment and answer back
• Citizen journalism- public can post the truth

Not Useful

• Fandom doesn't work in the same way- news consumers don't create fan communities in the same way
• Citizen journalists/public are still relatively powerless compared to the big corporations
• As an individual you can't express/influence in the same way as the big corporations

LFTVD Essay and notes

PEAL- Point, Evidence, analysis, link to the question.

Representations of social, cultural and historical events can vary within long form television dramas from different countries. Discuss how and why audiences might respond to and interpret these representations differently.

In your answer you must:

• Consider the contexts in which long form television dramas are produced and consumed
• Explain how media contexts may have influenced different aspects of realism and audience response in the set episodes of the two long form television dramas you have studied
• Make judgements and reach conclusions about the differences in realism of social, cultural and historical circumstances between the two set episodes.

In Deutschland 83 and Stranger Things representations of social, cultural and historical events vary depending on the industry and the audience they are distributing to. These representations are gender and military/ government and helps to show the differences between long form television dramas and allows the audience to interpret these representations differently.

ST is a Netflix original that was released in July 2016 on the platform worldwide in over 190 countries simultaneously with subtitles for other countries. The episodes were released all at once to allow for binge watching with a budget of $6 million per episode. The show was created by the Duffer Brothers and the show used a main poster for advertising and released a trailer which helped to tease the audience and create a buzz about the show. For ST being a Netflix original and being released only on the platform it allowed ST to being advertised to a much larger demographic. This is an advantage for any LFTVD as it stops the show being shown all over the web and allows for more internet traffic to Netflix as the show is a key aspect in advertising Netflix's model. These industry strategies help to explain how the contexts in which LFTVD are produced and consumed. As Livingstone theory shows, Tv is regulated by OFCOM but Netflix is controlled by a company in Holland so they don't abide by UK rules. Parents regulate kids and what they see. Therefore, it makes it a lot harder to regulate.

For D83 the show was premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and was released in October 2015 in the USA as it didn't succeed in Germany due to its cultural relevance of the Cold War and the division in Germany. The show became a real success in USA due to the clever advertising by Sundance Tv who focused on the Spy aspect which helped to expand the overall target market for D83's advertising. D83 was then released in January 2016 on Channel 4 in the UK with the help of the distributor Walter Presents. This was a major factor in how media contexts are produced and consumed because of the subtitles that are used on the episode. By using the older fashioned production process it allows for D83 to really be able to connect with their fans which helps influence different aspects of realism and how they audience will respond to this new romantic spy genre. The show was also the highest rated subtitled drama in the UK.

Overall for both LFTVD's the budget play a massive role of the level of production capabilities that allow ST and D83 to create effects which will enhance the filming and production of the show. With ST having a budget of $6 million per episode it allowed for the producers to create the special powers that Eleven possess along with being able to create the special effects for the demogorgon and action sequences. The producers have used props that reference the 80's to create nostalgia for the older audience. This then relates back to the question that this how they are appealing to the audience of the show and how they produce and how the audience consumes the new cinematography used on the show. In D83 they were able to have large production companies but in order to create the 80's theme they brought in help from people that were around during the Berlin Wall. They got NATO to help in sharing military tactics to help improve in creating the army aspect but also the industry spent a lot of the budget in creating the 80's nostalgia which is similar to ST. This allows for the industry to create links with the audience.

ST is a story about 4 young boys who are very nerdy and are shut out by society. They end up on a crazy Sci-Fi adventure when was one the boys mysteriously disappears. The boys are then left trying to understand the supernatural and it all links back to dungeons and dragons which is a reference to the 80's culture. It's typical of a LFTVD as it follows the theory that Todorov has which is that every drama has a specific story it follows that will consist of sudden changes or things that hinder the overall outcome. This however, refers to the boys living a normal life and the supernatural is the antagonist that ruins the happy equilibrium. This idea links to the way that audiences are influenced and consume the tv drama.

But in D83 the narrative has a more different ideology. This is the fact that in D83 the story focuses on an East German socialist ideology, seen as aspirational through the character of Martin Rauch but then reverts to stereotype e.g. harsh eastern block representations. D83 focuses on the cold war and is a culturally relevant German export. The audience experiences what life is like on both sides of the wall with the audience assuming that because in history east was seen as bad and west good, the narrative changes the audiences outlook and perspectives on the cold war. As the narrative focuses on east Germany the audience begins to feel that east is good because we see through family relationships that there is real connections and stories whether it's on the east or west. This idea links back to Todorov's narrative theory which overall shows the way in which a narrative has significance to the audience and their relationship with the drama.

In D83 gender is represented as key aspect of the show. Van Zoonen's theory of feminism is an ideology that shares the idea that gender in LFTVD's are constructed by cultural and historical context. In D83 females are represented as strong and powerful individuals. This is shown through Lenora and Anna who are strong individuals in a very oppressed life in East Germany. Lenora is a prime example as in those days women were looked down upon. However, Lenora subverts these stereotypes and is the main person in charge of Martin's mission. This shows that rather than a man being in charge she is becoming a leader and unfollowing Van Zoonen's theory of women being objectified.

But in ST it's different apart from a few anomalies. Women in ST such as Mike's mum are objectified for their bodies and personal traits rather than in D83 when they are seen as powerful individuals. But there are some powerful women in ST but they aren't introduced until the end of the episode. The main female is Eleven who with her special powers really develops into a strong character overtime. However, a character like the government agent disrupts the overall equilibrium of the story when she kills Benny and becomes power hungry. This is how D83 creates a conclusion about realism of social, cultural and historical circumstances.

In D83 military representation is a key focus in developing the story. This is due to the fact that the cold war is a key historical context within the show. Hall's reception theory shows that messages and meanings are developed and decoded by the audience. The audience will look at the how the German army is represented and will develop different opinions of whats being represented. This is created by the respect Martin has for working in the eastern army and therefore, as he is the main character the audience believes that the east were the good guys, yet in history this ideology has been proven wrong. Yet in ST the government/military are already seen as the bad guys after the first scene with scientist who end up opening the gate and releasing the supernatural into the regular world. This creates the representation of negativity surrounding the government along with images of torture and psychological effects being inflicted on Eleven. This overall shows how the audience relaxes and develops opinions to contexts.

In conclusion, i have found that audiences react to social and cultural ideologies presented by industries in different ways. Historical facts and figures set out in the two episodes shows how the industries want to connect with the audiences and therefore, leads to them developing an opinion and understanding. But overall i feel that the only way audience develop new meanings is if their views are challenged and are personal. This is shown in both episodes by the 80's nostalgia which helps in developing realism which therefore, attracts audiences and is the key reason why audiences consider watching these shows, due the ideological forms they are distributing.

Question 4 Plan practice

Todorov’s theory of narratology

Meaning:

·      The structure and function of the narrative.

Todorov’s theory is the idea that all narratives share a basic structure which entails a movement from one state of equilibrium to another.

It’s the idea these two states of equilibrium are separated by an imbalance or disequilibrium.

The way in which narratives are resolved can have ideological significance.

Equilibrium- The overall balance within a narrative which can include changes in which characters gain more power as the story develops.

ST:

• The idea that the boys live a happy normal life 

• Will goes missing and then this causes a disruption in the equilibrium

• Then by meeting Eleven it causes more damage to the equilibrium

• When the government official kills Benny a power shift emerges.

D83:

• There is tension already due to the historical context of the cold war.

• Martin lives a happy life in East Germany

• Lenora is the disruption to the equilibrium and takes Martin away from his life

• There are moments of change in the narrative when Martin makes mistakes on his mission

• Also, when he gains the documents, the audience feels a power shift within the story.

Question 3 plan practice

Language

·      Levi Strauss- Binary Opposites

·      80’s Nostalgia is created in both ST and D83

D83

·      1983 the only time the world listened to German POP

·      Music unified East and West

·      Just like the music this is a technicolor drama, an antidote to the didactic procedurals and melodramas more typical of German television

·      99 Luftballons- Diegetic

·      Major Tom

·      West- Capitalist

• East- Communist
• Wall went up 1961
• West Germany lent East Germany a billion deutschmarks because they were running out of money.
• Social contradictions 
• Gilroy/Bell Hooks- The Americans- Racial diversity

ST

Boys Houses

·       Close up of demogorgon character then focuses on Mike ·       Walkie talkie chats between Mike and Lucas ·       The camera changes angles of the  mid shots when the boys change positions they are sitting in along with jump cuts between the two boys, to show the conversion. ·       Worried about Will ·       The camera continues to track in throughout their conversion to show the tension building and also the panic the boys are feeling. ·       Camera crabs to Mike leaving the house  ·       Mike sees steve climbing into sisters room , mike rides off as steve continues to climb  ·       The non-diegetic music is played to aid the mystery genre aspect

37:12- 37:20 37:19      37:19- till the end of scene 37:56

The scene is open ended as they were talking about looking for Will and Mike decides to sneak out in order to go find Will in the middle of the night. The camera crabs left following Mike as he leaves the house, which reveals the next scene with Steve sneaking into Nancy’s room.

Industry

·      Netflix for Stranger Things. Was released globally all in one go. Only on a small minority of platforms.

·      Channel 4, Sundance TV for D83. Was released in USA, Germany and UK later. Walter Presents helped in distributing the drama and helped make it popular in the UK. Sundance focuses on Spy aspect to attract audience and Channel 4 focused on the main story.

D83:

·      Luzzolino owns Walter Presents

·      Sundance Tv and Channel 4 distribute it

·        According to Symphony, within the first 35 days of its release, Stranger Things averaged ratings around 14.07 million adults between the ages 18–49 in the United States. This made it the third most-watched season of Netflix original content in the U.S. at the time

·      Stranger Things is an 80s inspired series, meaning it markets to a wide range of audiences.One of the ways they have successfully created a fandom for the show was through immersive experiences such as the 360° virtual reality video posted on YouTube shortly after its release.

·      To target the older audience, The producers have tapped into the 80’s nostalgia.

·      21 Laps Entertainment was the company that produced stranger things with Shawn Levy being the director. The Duffer brothers are the people who created it.

·      They are an American film and television production company run by the director Shawn Levy, they are a commercial company.

·      This company is an international distributor meaning they distribute all around the world.

·      Stranger Things is an original story created by Matt and Ross Duffer.

·      Writers: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Jessie Nickson-Lopez, Paul Dichter, Justin Doble, Jessica Mecklenburg, Alison Tatlock

·      Season 1 consists of 8 episodes, season 2 is 9 and season 3 is 8.

·      Tools used: posters were used expressing the sci-fi image, this includes the lead character and the different important parts to tie the series together. Furthermore this is accompanied by the trailer, showing the different parts of the series giving an enlightenment and leaving the audience in mystery of what happens. 

·      Social media and campaign use to promote: social media was used to promote the drama, this included the likes of twitter and instagram to share information on the show along with links to posters and trailers. As well as this a more personal effect was taken, this was done with the use of twitch, 4 hour live streams were done with professionals playing games set in the 80s, this references to the setting of stranger things and adapts the audience to this setting, promoting the show. 

·      Synergy and merch: synergy can be referenced with the twitch streaming, using another game to market stranger things, coca cola is referenced frequently within the show but not necessarily in the marketing campaign.  Merch has been created alongside collabing with big brand companies such as nike to offer a shared product promoting the show and the clothing brands. 

 ST:

·      According to Symphony, within the first 35 days of its release, Stranger Things averaged ratings around 14.07 million adults between the ages 18–49 in the United States. This made it the third most-watched season of Netflix original content in the U.S. at the time

·      Stranger Things is an 80s inspired series, meaning it markets to a wide range of audiences.One of the ways they have successfully created a fandom for the show was through immersive experiences such as the 360° virtual reality video posted on YouTube shortly after its release.

·      To target the older audience, the producers have tapped into the 80’s nostalgia.

·      21 Laps Entertainment was the company that produced stranger things with Shawn Levy being the director. The Duffer brothers are the people who created it.

·      They are an american film and television production company run by the director Shawn Levy, they are a commercial company.

·      This company is an international distributor meaning they distribute all around the world.

·      Stranger Things is an original story created by Matt and Ross Duffer.

·      Writers: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Jessie Nickson-Lopez, Paul Dichter, Justin Doble, Jessica Mecklenburg, Alison Tatlock

·      Season 1 consists of 8 episodes, season 2 is 9 and season 3 is 8.

·      Tools used: posters were used expressing the sci-fi image, this includes the lead character and the different important parts to tie the series together. Furthermore this is accompanied by the trailer, showing the different parts of the series giving an enlightenment and leaving the audience in mystery of what happens. 

·      Social media and campaign use to promote: social media was used to promote the drame, this included the likes of twitter and instagram to share information on the show along with links to posters and trailers. As well as this a more personal effect was taken, this was done with the use of twitch, 4 hour live streams were done with professionals playing games set in the 80s, this references to the setting of stranger things and adapts the audience to this setting, promoting the show. 

·      Synergy and merch: synergy can be referenced with the twitch streaming, using another game to market stranger things, coca cola is referenced frequently within the show but not necessarily in the marketing campaign.  Merch has been created alongside collabing with big brand companies such as nike to offer a shared product promoting the show and the clothing brands. 

Audience

Stranger Things:

• 15-49-year olds
• Why they love it- 80's nostalgia
• How is the audience been targeted?
• Synergy with Netflix
• Extensive Narrative Enigmas- Always wanting to know more about the story
• Emotive representations
• Realism- Friendship/loyalty, young protagonists, collective identity
• Retro styling- Nostalgia, soundtrack, hybridisation- sci-fi, thriller
• Must see appointment tv 

Gratifications theory- Personalisation (identify with characters), Information (anything that it teaches you), Entertainment (what viewers want), Social interaction (water cooler chat)

• Escapist, non-realist entertaining drama- Diversion
• Discussed, written about, hyped and virally sold- Social interaction
• Identity is key appeal e.g. Personal identity with notions of difference
• Information is given on 1980's cultural history- Surveillance culture

D83

·      Highest rated foreign Tv drama in history

·      Industry is appealing to audiences via the spy genre to open a larger audience, rather than focusing on a niche topic of the cold war.

·      October 2015- released in USA

·      January 2016 on Channel 4 in the UK

·      ABC1 audience

Representation

·      Stuart Hall- Stereotypes

·      Family: Stereotypes used in this are shown through power hungry men who want to be in control however, someone like Lenora is very powerful in Martin’s family as she works for the government.

We also look at Annete who stands up to Martin’s mum because she is keeping secrets about Martin’s whereabouts. However, she is represented as a strong woman, but she is also stereotyped as a helpless girlfriend as Martin has been taken away from her and she can’t do anything as he is in the West.

Martin is stereotyped as a young adult and conforms to this stereotype as he is a family man and is always wondering and asking if his family is okay.

In Edel’s family Wolfgang is the powerful one as he is the general. But his son Alex wants to be in charge but is always overlooked by his dad’s success. He seems to be friendly towards Martin but seems to feel jealous about him getting a higher role than him. Could show signs that his dad doesn’t respect him or give him any love. He is represented as a power hungry individual and conforms to this stereotype as he is the son of the general and therefore, has the same mindset. Yet he subverts to this representation as he comes across as friendly and welcoming.

ST:

Woods ·       Boys discover Eleven

·       The significant focus is the supernatural and Eleven as she has met the boys. This is important because the stories of how Eleven got there and how the boys got there has now joined.

·       Representation in this scene is from ET as Stranger Things uses an Easter egg to represent this. It’s like ET as the boys discover Eleven in the woods the same as how ET was found. This representation is then used throughout the entire scene.

·       The representation is kept throughout the scene. The boys being curious shows their geeky side into the supernatural and how they are living out movies they worship.

·       Not only that their curiosity shows the love and bond between the boys and Will because they want to save their friend. This then links to the significance of the boys within the story.

·       The stereotype used in this scene is curious teenagers. This is because the boys know it's dangerous outside yet they don’t listen and are curious to know where Will is and what happened to him.

·       Their parents apart from Joyce are seen as bad parents because they don’t know where their kids are and the fact they are outside in a dangerous environment.

Theorists notes and Tv drama Industry and Regulation

• Curran and Seaton- Power and Media: The idea that a small group of businesses control the media and concentrates it which is limiting creativity. socially diverse patterns of ownership help create more varied and adventurous media production.

• Livingstone and Lunt- Regulation: Tv regulated by OFCOM but Netflix is controlled by a company in Holland so they don't abide by UK rules. Parents regulate kids and what they see. Makes it a lot harder to regulate stuff.

• David Hesmondhaigh- Cultural Industries: Minimise risk and Maximise audience through horizontal and vertical integration, formatting cultural products. Large conglomerate operates across different cultural industries. Internet has been contained to some extent by large profit orientated set cultural industries.

If ST is rated 15:

• Strong language
• Brief or comic sexual nudity
• Sexual activity usually without a lot of detail
• Threat and horror
• Violence without dwelling on the inflection of injury or pain
• Verbal references to sexual violence
• Drug taking

9pm watershed traditional television Channel 4- D83- Post watershed scheduling. Now irrelevant due to catch-up.

OFCOM rules:

• Protect under 18s
• Prohibited material doesn't appear
• Don't insight hatred
• Commercial reference needs to be regulated

Terrestrial- Regular TV

OFCOM has no power to issue sanctions on Netflix, as it is regulated by the Dutch regulator.

Essentially the part to evaluate is the idea that the rise of convergent technologies puts traditional regualtion at risk.

ST and D83 revision grid

	ST	D83
Language ·      Genre ·      Narrative ·      FAM ·       CLAMPS ·      STOPS	Woods ·       There is a night search for Will  ·       The groups of volunteers are shown by using a mixture of long shots which indicate how many people are helping to search for Will, showing the support the local community has for his disappearance. ·       The camera used a mid shot angle to focus on who the significant characters are and the camera is shot from behind the trees to make it seem like someone is watching Hopper and Mr Clarke. This adds to the mystery genre and can create suspense. ·       There is a mid shot of Mr Clarke and a woman approaches to tell him about Hoppers family and says his daughter died a few years back. ·       Long shot of Hopper walking off to show that he is alone in his thoughts. ·       Hopper spoke about family and the camera tracks them from in front. ·       The low key lighting makes the torches only a spotlight with very minimal visibility, adding to the sense of the mystery genre. ·       Throughout the scene the diegetic sound is used as background noise of people shouting for Will along with the noise made by the characters footsteps. 35:50- scene starts 36:20 37:00 37:00-37:03 35:50- 36:20- Continues till 36:40 ·       The scene is unresolved because Will is still missing yet we learn more about Hopper’s family as he reveals that they are in another city. Boys Houses ·       Close up of demogorgon character then focuses on Mike ·       Walkie talkie chats between Mike and Lucas ·       The camera changes angles of the  mid shots when the boys change positions they are sitting in along with jump cuts between the two boys, to show the conversion. ·       Worried about Will ·       The camera continues to track in throughout their conversion to show the tension building and also the panic the boys are feeling. ·       Camera crabs to Mike leaving the house  ·       Mike sees Steve climbing into sisters room , mike rides off as Steve continues to climb  ·       The non-diegetic music is played to aid the mystery genre aspect 37:12- 37:20 37:19      37:19- till the end of scene 37:56 ·       The scene is open ended as they were talking about looking for Will and Mike decides to sneak out in order to go find Will in the middle of the night. ·       The camera crabs left following Mike as he leaves the house, which reveals the next scene with Steve sneaking into Nancy’s room. Nancy’s Room ·       The camera crabs from the last scene to reveal Steve and then jump cuts to him knocking on Nancy’s window ·       Steve sneaks into her room ·       Nancy tries to revise ·       Steve falls in through the window  ·       Diegetic sound of the window opening and closing along with music being played from the stereo which references 80’s POP culture. 37:56- 38:10 38:16- 38:45 38:10-38:16 38:31 ·       Open ended as the scene continues later on and leaves the audience wondering what will happen next. Benny’s Diner ·       Benny is killed and the camera shoots through the diner counter to create the viewpoint that Eleven can see. ·       Eleven eating ice cream while Benny washes ·       She is completely silent only smiles ·       Agent arrives looking for Eleven ·       Eleven escapes ·       Camera pans to the woods to lead onto the next scene ·       Diegetic sounds of pots and pans hitting each other. Along with a knocking sound of the door. ·       Non-diegetic music is played when Benny is killed which adds to the drama and mystery aspect and continues until the following scene after the camera has panned. 39:46 38:45-39:16 39:16 40:10 40:21 ·       Unresolved as Eleven escapes however, Benny is killed and we are introduced to the department of energy's head leader for the first time, rather than in a flashback.	·       Verisimilitude (realism) ·       Coffee, Shakespeare book and briefcase- props- Mise-en-scene ·       Historical advice and military advice from NATO. ·       Shot around Berlin ·       Variety of choice in West Germany- Moritz in West Germany for the first time in the supermarket ·       Soundtrack helps to represent the year 1983. 99 Red balloons are a diegetic sound ·       Music unified East and West Germany ·       Potentially sexualised narrative with romantic sub plot
Industry ·      Producers ·       Distribution ·       Marketing ·      Technology	·       According to Symphony, within the first 35 days of its release, Stranger Things averaged ratings around 14.07 million adults between the ages 18–49 in the United States. This made it the third most-watched season of Netflix original content in the U.S. at the time ·       Stranger Things is an 80s inspired series, meaning it markets to a wide range of audiences.One of the ways they have successfully created a fandom for the show was through immersive experiences such as the 360° virtual reality video posted on YouTube shortly after its release. ·       To target the older audience, The producers have tapped into the 80’s nostalgia. ·       21 Laps Entertainment was the company that produced stranger things with Shawn Levy being the director. The Duffer brothers are the people who created it. ·       They are an american film and television production company run by the director Shawn Levy, they are a commercial company. ·       This company is an international distributor meaning they distribute all around the world. ·       Stranger Things is an original story created by Matt and Ross Duffer. ·       Writers: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Jessie Nickson-Lopez, Paul Dichter, Justin Doble, Jessica Mecklenburg, Alison Tatlock ·       Season 1 consists of 8 episodes, season 2 is 9 and season 3 is 8. ·       Tools used: posters were used expressing the sci-fi image, this includes the lead character and the different important parts to tie the series together. Furthermore this is accompanied by the trailer, showing the different parts of the series giving an enlightenment and leaving the audience in mystery of what happens.  ·       Social media and campaign use to promote: social media was used to promote the drame, this included the likes of twitter and instagram to share information on the show along with links to posters and trailers. As well as this a more personal effect was taken, this was done with the use of twitch, 4 hour live streams were done with professionals playing games set in the 80s, this references to the setting of stranger things and adapts the audience to this setting, promoting the show.  ·       Synergy and merch: synergy can be referenced with the twitch streaming, using another game to market stranger things, coca cola is referenced frequently within the show but not necessarily in the marketing campaign.  Merch has been created alongside collabing with big brand companies such as nike to offer a shared product promoting the show and the clothing brands.	·       Sundance created the digital marketing strategy to create the East Berlin now, East Berlin then and West Berlin now, West Berlin then ·       Interview with Jonas Nay ·       Owen Jones has an ABC following which helps in promoting the show to a larger audience ·       Industry is appealing to audiences via the spy genre.   ·       Sundance Tv trailer focuses only on the spy element to attract audiences ·       Channel 4 is very left wing- they get into the action to provide the best news and programmes
Audience ·       Who ·       How ·       Access ·       What pleasures ·       Uses + gratifications	15-49 year olds Why they love it- 80's nostalgia How is the audience been targeted Synergy with Netflix Extensive Narrative Enigmas- Always wanting to know more about the story Emotive representations Realism- Friendship/loyalty, young protagonists, collective identity Retro styling- Nostalgia, soundtrack, hybridisation- sci-fi, thriller Must see appointment tv  Gratifications theory- Personalisation (identify with characters), Information (anything that it teaches you), Entertainment (what viewers want), Social interaction (water cooler chat) Escapist, non realist entertaining drama- Diversion Discussed, written about, hyped and virally sold- Social interaction Identity is key appeal e.g. Personal identity with notions of difference Information is given on 1980's cultural history- Surveillance culture	·       Highest rated foreign Tv drama in history ·       Industry is appealing to audiences via the spy genre to open a larger audience, rather than focusing on a niche topic of the cold war. ·       October 2015- released in USA ·       January 2016 on Channel 4 in the UK ·       ABC1 audience
Representation ·       DR CAGES ·       Relationships ·       Political	Woods ·       Boys discover Eleven ·       The significant focus is the supernatural and also Eleven as she has met the boys. This is important because the stories of how Eleven got there and how the boys got there has now joined. ·       Representation in this scene is from ET as Stranger Things uses an easter egg to represent this. Its similar to ET as the boys discover Eleven in the woods the same as how ET was found. This representation is then used throughout the entire scene. ·       The representation is kept throughout the scene. The boys being curious shows their geeky side into the supernatural and how they are living out movies they worship. ·       Not only that their curiosity shows the love and bond between the boys and Will because they want to save their friend. This then links to the significance of the boys within the story. ·       The stereotype used in this scene is curious teenagers. This is because the boys know it's dangerous outside yet they don’t listen and are curious to know where Will is and what happened to him. ·       Their parents apart from Joyce are seen as bad parents because they don’t know where their kids are and the fact they are outside in a dangerous environment.	·       Contains loads of history that the audience is accessing which is very niche. However, D83 is a spy drama which opens a much larger audience which leads to its success. ·       West Germany lent East Germany a billion deutschmarks because they were running out of money. ·       Channel 4 is very left-wing, get into the action with their news. ·       The representation of power-hungry individuals within the families is very unrealistic especially for Martin as his life in East Germany was very calm and he spent time with his family. Everyone was represented as if communism was the right way to be living. However, this representation of power becomes more realistic when Lenora (the catalyst) is introduced into the story and disrupts the equilibrium of Martin’s East German life. ·      The idea that Wolfgang is powerful i feel is misinterpreted as he comes across as a powerful person in the Western army. ·       Stereotypes used in this are shown through power hungry men who want to be in control however, someone like Lenora is very powerful in Martin’s family as she works for the government. ·       We also look at Annete who stands up to Martin’s mum because she is keeping secrets about Martin’s whereabouts. However, she is represented as a strong woman but she is also stereotyped as a helpless girlfriend as Martin has been taken away from her and she can’t do anything as he is in the West. ·       Martin is stereotyped as a young adult and conforms to this stereotype as he is a family man and is always wondering and asking if his family is okay. ·       In Edel’s family Wolfgang is the powerful one as he is the general. But his son Alex wants to be in charge but is always overlooked by his dad’s success. He seems to be friendly towards Martin but seems to feel jealous about him getting a higher role than him. Could show signs that his dad doesn’t respect him or give him any love. He is represented as a power hungry individual and conforms to this stereotype as he is the son of the general and therefore, has the same mindset. Yet he subverts to this representation as he comes across as friendly and welcoming.