D83 Background context

D83 Trailer analysis

Deutschland 83

• Episode 1 - Quantum Jump
• October 2015- released in USA
• January 2016 on Channel 4 in the UK
• Episode titles taken from actual NATO military exercises
• Subtitled 
• ABC1 audience- Lexus advertisement, subtitles and knowledge of the cold war
• Split screen from the two sides of Germany- Strauss- binary opposition 
• Genre- Romance, action
• Similar to Stranger Things as it follows the point of view of young people fighting against an evil.
• Cold war Spy thriller set in 1983
• Early action sequence- Barthes proairetic code
• Iconic 80's signifiers- Ronald Reagan, Frankie goes to Hollywood- Two Tribes song
• Potentially sexualised narrative with romantic sub plot
• Action sequences as USP, high production values
• Surveillance equipment as part of the mise-en-scene encodes spy conventions
• Spy thriller but also a hybrid coming of age drama- Steve Neale repetition and difference theory.
• Medium/ high production value drama
• Moritz Stamm/ Martin Rauch- 2 characters- Moritz (West) Martin (East)
• Evil Empire- 1983 Ronald Reagan speech
• Walter Presents- This is the distributor
• Costs a lot to recreate the 80's- Industry
• Culturally relevant German export
• East German Socialist ideology- Seen as aspirational through the character of Martin Rauch but then reverts to stereotype e.g. harsh eastern block representations
• Using Gauntlett D83 oscillates between diversity and encoding at times a singular, straightforward east/west identity
• Premiered at the Berlin Film Festival, globally distributed
• Critical success
• Commercial success- highest rated subtitled drama in the UK but flopped in Germany
• East VS West symbolism
• Sundance TV and RTL TV German/American co-production
• Sundance are U.S. pay TV channel owned by AMC specialising in non mainstream content
• RTL largest free-to-air TV channel in Germany
• Point- D83 had pedigree and backing in terms or production and distribution
• June 2015 Sundance TV premiere, Germany November 2015, UK January 2016
• Direct synergy with programme and 1980's soundtrack. Spotify playlist for each episode- marketing to youth audiences also nostalgia as key appeal
• Todorovian equilibrium
• Episodic it is open ended- micro narratives connected by narrative arcs.
• Disruption- Aunt pushes him to join East secret service. Gets job as aide to West German General in charge of nuclear deterrence 
• 
  

Netflix Industry questions

1. What happened to Netflix in April 2017
Netflix hit a milestone of a 100 million subscribers, 50 million subscribers in the US

2. Which companies does Netflix now have more subscribers than?
Amazon prime and Hulu

3. How many countries is Netflix available in?
190+ excluding china, north korea, syria, crimea.

4. Which countries is Netflix not available in and why might this be?
china, north korea, syria, crimea. Because of privacy law and their government

5. Where do half of Netflix’s subscribers, 50 million, come from?
America


6. When was Netflix founded, who by and where?
California, mark randolph and reed hastings in 1997

7. What did Netflix begin as and how did it change the service?
It was a video distribution service like lovefilm, it changed into an online streaming platform

8. When did Netflix expand into Internet video on demand (VOD)?
2007

9. What was revolutionary about the way they offered viewing?
Viewers could consume a piece of media within a day whilst not having to wait everyday for a new episode, this is binge watching

10. How did this new model of viewing (binge-watching) help shows that may have otherwise struggled to be aired?
Helped keeping shows on the air

11. What has helped Netflix’s growth?
Technology has changed

12. What were some of the problems that Netflix had?
None of the content belonged to Netflix they borrow them and not owning rights to shows

13. What was Netflix’s solutions to these problems?
Go from being a library to actually creating their own content

14. What was Netflix’s first original show and when was it launched?
House of Cards in February 2013

15. How did House of Cards make history?
It was the first tv show that had big film actors

16. What else did the drama show in terms of cast and crew?
Big actors

17. By 2016, how many original programmes a year was Netflix producing?
126 original programs a year and 2019 nearly 471

18. How many awards have they won?
58 awards

19. How are competitors trying to address Netflix’s place in the market?
Creating their own streaming services

20. How does Netflix plan to stand out from the crowd?
Expand into live tv aswell as streaming still.

 
YouTube VIDEO SOURCE B
Business Insider - How Netflix is Killing traditional TV (06/01/15) 2.34 mins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBafi8PsaHo

Task: Watch the short video and answer the questions below.

1. What does DVR and VOD allow viewers?
Allows viewers to watch tv shows outside of regular times on channels

2. What is ‘our future’ for watching TV?
Non wired tv

3. Which company has been the most disruptive to the traditional TV model?
Netflix

4. Is Netflix a perfect substitute for traditional TV?
No

5. Why do audiences have fewer reasons to be tied to their cable box or TV?
Companies are now offering streaming services

6. Pay per view (PPV) TV subscribers have fallen by how many since 2013?
389,000 since 2012, Netflix subscribers reaching 100 million by 2017

 

7. How many subscribers have Netflix increased since 2013?
43%

8. How many worldwide subscribers were Netflix predicted to reach in 2017?
100 million

9. What is the main reason given for the prediction that Netflix audiences will grow?
Companies are offering subscriptions to Netflix in deals

10. What will happen to linear and cable TV?
It will disappear

 
WRITTEN SOURCE 1
The Guardian
Steve Hewlett – Will Netflix really steal traditional TV’s crown? (12/06/16)
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jun/12/will-netflix-really-steal-traditional-tvs-crown

Task: Read the article and answer the questions below.
1. What 4 reasons are given to explain how Netflix can be seen to be an Internet era success story?
79 million subscribers, 192 countries, billions of dollars in revenues and here in Britain from zero to five million subscribing households in just four years.


2. What is it about TV that Netflix suggests people don’t love?
People don’t love the linear tv experience

3. How are the changes Netflix are making ‘revolutionary’?
The fact they are defeating traditional tv it seen as a landmark in tv history

4. Has Netflix had the same impact on traditional TV viewing in the UK as it has in the US?
No because customers of Netflix are also customers of Sky and Virgin

5. What 4 reasons or statistics are given to show how UK viewing preferences for Netflix and traditional, linear TV compare?
Netflix generates roughly 38 minutes of viewing per day but tv generates 3.5 hours viewing per household. A billion hours streamed by Netflix compares to 65 billion hours streamed by tv. Netflix is easy to use however; people aren’t adding it to their tv diet.

6. How much have Netflix spent on content and original content respectively?
$10 billion


7. What is Netflix’s ‘strategic vulnerability’?
The ability to overturn the existing order

8. Which 2 factors are at play that, according to the writer of the article, do not go in Netflix’s favour?
Big tv companies already have on demand services available for existing customers and also Sky has lucrative deals with studios to deny Netflix access to desirable content.


WRITTEN SOURCE 2:

The Guardian
Dan Gilmore - Ways of watching: How technology is changing our TV habits (15/02/13)
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/feb/15/ways-watching-technology-television

Task: Read the article and answer the questions below.

1. What is ‘time-shifting’ and why might audiences like it?
Time shifting allows audiences to fast forward, pause, stop, rewind individual episodes and some instances on live tv. It allows them to catch up on things they might have missed or want to go back and rewatch.

2. How does ‘binge-watching’ help audiences catch up with popular dramas?
It allows them to view many episodes in one sitting.

3. What does the writer prefer to call ‘binge-watching’?
Immersive viewing

4. In which 2 ways does ‘immersive viewing’ (time-shifting/binge-watching) affect traditional TV models?
Commercial-free arenas

5. What/who does the writer compare the ‘next general of professional motion picture storytellers’ to?
Newspaper journalists

6. How does the long form TV series House of Cards fit into the format of ‘unlimited story cycles’?
Allows for exploration of characters and subplots.



7. What does this shift in the way we view TV bring for audiences?
Golden age of storytelling in a serial format

8. What has new digital technology enabled with Video on Demand?
It has allowed for anybody to find something interesting to watch

9. Why is the writer worried about issues of privacy and streaming?
Letting big companies and by extension, governments know what we read and see in an online world.

 

WRITTEN SOURCE 3:
Netflix Media Centre
Erin Dwyer – Ready, Set, Binge (17/11/17)
https://media.netflix.com/en/press-releases/ready-set-binge-more-than-8-million-viewers-binge-race-their-favorite-series

Task: Read the article and answer the questions below.
1. How has Netflix changed the way the world engages with stories?
Viewers watch when, where and how they want, at whatever pace.

2. What kind of fan has this given rise to?
Binge Racer

3. What characterises the ‘binge-racer’?
Strive to be the first to finish by speeding through an entire season within 24 hours of its release

4. How many members have chosen to ‘binge-race’ on Netflix?
8.4 million members

5. Which kinds of content do binge racers like to watch?
Everything

6. Are differences in consumption preferences dependent on where the viewer is globally? Give some examples in your answer.
It depends on countries as to what shows are popular.

7. Which country has the most binge-racers and what is the most ‘binged’ drama?
Canada- Trailer Park Boys

 
8. List 5 of the top 20 binge raced shows that you have seen.  Is your set product in the top 20 list?
Stranger Things, Fuller House, Trailer Park Boys, The Ranch, Orange is the new black

9. What are the top 5 countries for binge racing?
Canada, USA, Denmark, Finland, Norway

10. Why has the concept of binge racing grown more than 20 times in the last 4 years? What reasons can you give for this?
It allows people to feel included in conversations about certain shows and it also helps people come up with topics to discuss. Along with shows being released that target large fan bases such as Marvel’s show Defenders.


 

Stranger things fandom

	What is the product? Give an overview.	Who is it by? What demographic/ psychographic can the fan be defined by?	Where can you find this product? Which platform?	Which features of the drama’s content does the product focus on? What does it suggest is the main appeal of the TV drama?	How have other fans responded to the content? Give examples of how they respond?	Are the fans targeted by the TV drama’s creators in any way?
Fan-made product 1	Mugs- To idolise fans favourite characters within Stranger Things.	TheTeeWarehouse is the creator. The creator fits into the C1C2 bracket and the audience that this creator is targeting is ABC1C2. The mug aims to target the older audience.	Amazon, Etsy, Ebay (computer, smartphone, tablet)	The most popular Mug features ‘Hawkins police’ logo, however others also feature character cartoons and other notorious logos from the show.	The character themed mugs have inspired other fans to either help distribute original designs or re-make their own design and sell it themselves.	The creators want fans to create their own Stranger Things themed products in order to help promote the show.
Fan-made product 2	Retro VHS Lamp- Looks like an old VHS tape to show the nostalgia of the 80’s with a Stanger Things logo on it.	ReelVHSLamps is the creator. The creator fits into the C1C2 bracket and the audience that this creator is targeting is ABC1C2.	Etsy, Amazon, Ebay (computer, smartphone, tablet)	Each lamp features the stranger Things logo across the front sticker. The colour of lighting inside the VHS tape differs to choice (Neon 80’s colours).	The VHS lamps have inspired other fans to either help distribute original designs or re-make their own design and sell it themselves.	The creators want fans to create their own Stranger Things themed products in order to help promote the show.
Fan-made product 3	T-shirts- These contain the Stranger Things logo as well as pictures of characters.	KSDApparelcO creates best-selling t-shirts for a targeted ABC1C2 audience. The age target is more plentiful (larger range).	Etsy, Amazon, Ebay (computer, smartphone, tablet)	All of the available t-shirts host different designs –ranging from  characters, Main Logo, Eggos/food and main locations in the show.	The character and main logo themed t-shirts have inspired other fans to either help distribute original designs or re-make their own design and sell it themselves.	The creators want fans to create their own Stranger Things themed products in order to help promote the show.

Stranger Things Audience notes

• 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

Stranger Things Industry notes

• Season 1 had a budget of $6 million per episode, season 2 increased to $8 million
• The teens reportedly made $20,000 per episode in season 1
• Original story created by Matt and Ross Duffer
• Season 1 consists of 8 episodes
• Was filmed at the beginning of 2016 and premiered worldwide on Netflix on July 15th 2016
• Filmed in Atlanta, Georgia in a town known as Jackson
• Filming took six months and seven days to film an episode
• Used a 4k medium camera, and various lenses and colours to help in fitting the time period
• Netflix distributed the show
• 21 Laps Entertainment
• Netflix, Amazon- Which contains DVD and Blu Ray box sets
• Television, laptop, game console, smart phones, computer and tablets all of which can view Stranger Things
• The release date was simultaneous across the globe and all episodes were released all at once
• Marketing- trailer, poster
• Fandom- merchandise (mugs, clothes, posters and etc)
• Merchandise includes, Lego, Funko Pop, etc.

Stranger Things Industry

Stranger Things Representation Essay

Stranger Things Representation Essay

Within the sequence social groups of all ages are shown in the last few scenes. Firstly, when Mike, Dustin and Lucas are out searching for Will they talk about the supernatural and other geeky stuff. Therefore, the key social group that is presented in this scene is nerds which is shown by them talking about the supernatural which links to other significant films such as ET shown by the boys cruising around on choppers and using torches out in the woods. These representations present the social group of geeks/nerds due to the link to the Sci-Fi genre which Stranger Things incorporates. The way in which media helps to make this scene feel real is the direct link to ET as many of the older audience and some teens grew up watching ET and therefore, understand the enjoyment of the representation of ET Easter eggs and links. Also, in this scene their social group of being nerds/geeks means that the boys are outsiders in society. Furthermore, the boys only have each other to tackle society in Hawkins. So, in this scene when the boys are searching for Will, they share a passion and love for Will and show worry and sympathy for Wills disappearance.

In the next scene in this sequence the story reverts to Nancy studying and Steve has interrupted by climbing into her room to share his feelings towards her.  Nancy and Steve are the sole focus of this scene with their social group being teenagers. Furthermore, the love between the two characters is also focused on and plays a significant role in how the episode finishes. This representation of love is shown through part of the scene. Then the way it switches shows the power Nancy has and therefore, this changes our entire opinion of Nancy and we begin to like her again after the horrible way she betrayed her friend Barbara after Nancy was being popular. The social group of teenagers that’s focused on in this scene indicates that teenagers have a lot of drama around love and relationships.

As this sequence continues the story heads to the Byers household in which Jonathan and Joyce are reminiscing about Will being in their lives. The social group that is analysed in this scene is family love and absent fathers. Firstly, family love is shown through the characters sheer emotions and the fact they can’t stop being so close together as they are trying to comfort one another in this very tough and stressful time. Also, Jonathan is having to step up and look after his mum (Joyce) as their father/husband is no longer around as he has moved on. Furthermore, could their father not being there have such an emotional effect on the Byers family that they can’t handle their emotions very well. Therefore, due to being in this situation Jonathan is trying to break his characters stereotype of being the weird, quiet kid to the man of the house in Joyce’s time of need.

In the last scene when the boys find Eleven. The social group highlighted is geeks and the Sci-Fi genre and the supernatural. This geek and Sci-Fi correlation are created through the clever reference to ET. This is because in ET the children find him in the woods late at night and within Stranger Things, they use the same idea to introduce the boys to Eleven. Furthermore, the boys who are geeks in society who love and worship the Sci-Fi genre are living out their own story when Eleven and her powers are introduced into the story. This is how in which their social group is highlighted within this scene.