TV: The impact of new/digital media on television

TV: The impact of new/digital media on television

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?

Companies that create and distribute media texts, the standard practices of media production, as well as the regulatory and legal frameworks in which the companies operate.

2) What does David Hesmondhalgh argue with regards to how the creative industries have changed since the 1980s?

That since the 1980s there’s been
a significant shift in cultural production:

• 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

• Globalisation 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?

> Globalisation, which reduces North American dominance, as the market will therefore become more diverse and varied.


> Digitisation allows for digital media to compete with traditional media, showcasing the era of technology and how it has changed the media landscape forever.


> Niche audiences are increasingly targeted. This perhaps demonstrates the shift in culture as companies attempt to appeal to certain demographics.

4) What is technological convergence? 

Digitisation of media

5) How are technology companies challenging traditional broadcasters in the TV industry?

Digitisation, and the ability to distribute texts via the Internet, meant that technology companies could compete directly with media companies and, arguably, even become media companies.

6) What budgets will Netflix, Amazon and Apple spend on original programming next year according to the article?

Netflix: $8.5b Amazon: $4.5b Apple: 1B

7) How many countries are Netflix and Amazon available in?

Netflix: 190 countries
Amazon: 200 countries

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?

The monster in Stranger Things was 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. This lead to it being renames in parts of the world.

9) Do you think technology companies such as Google, Facebook and Amazon will increase their interest in the television industry?

I do think that they'll increase their interest as they can expand their market for more niche shows and create opportunities for profit.

10) How do changes in technology influence the creation of TV dramas such as Capital or Deutschland 83? Try and make specific references to the two TV CSPs in your answer.

Changes in technology allowed for wider global reach, bringing in more diverse audiences. For example, Deutschland 83's popularity in other countries.

TV: The rise of foreign-language television

TV: The rise of foreign-language television

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?

Fifteen years ago you'd be considered "pretentious , dull and possibly a little odd" however nowadays the audience is part of the mainstream.

2) What does Walter Iuzzolino suggest is the key appeal of his 'Walter Presents' shows?

He says that you develop a love for the foreign world, as you're enveloped in the language and culture.

3) The article makes an interesting claim for the popularity of subtitles in the multi-screen age. What does it suggest?

It suggests that subtitles force the viewer to put all their focus into watching the show, as you can't multitask in order to understand the plot. "When you read subtitles, you have to be glued to the screen,That concentration gives a particular intensity to the viewing experience. "

4) What are the other audiences pleasures of foreign TV drama suggested by the article?

Shows usually explore the cultures of their countries, as well as the general setting and language appealing to audiences.

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?

Sherlock was influenced by the massive Chinese fan base by referencing and acknowledging their nicknames. Sherlock's internet presence is huge, and so producers are finding ways to acknowledge their fans.


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?

The German viewing figures for the first episode was 3.19 million viewers and the last episode was 1.63 million, and Channel 4's viewing figures for Deutschland 83 was 2.13 million viewers.

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 called Deutschland 86.

4) What does the article suggest was the driving force behind the series being renewed for a new season (and possibly two new seasons)?

The US critical reception and the UK's record breaking viewership.

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?

Iuzzolino posts a "Weekend Pick" on his facebook page and engages with viewers on twitter. This engrosses the audience in 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?

It suggests that TV is constantly evolving and tends to be specifically tailored to domestic tastes. Films don't have such obligations.

2) What cultural differences are highlighted in the article - for example in turning 'Prisoners of War' into 'Homeland' when remade in the US?

The original series focused on an “open wound in Israeli society,” but 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?

I believe that the fact that there were cultural differences meant that for Uk and US audiences, the dramatisation of the events were easier to be entertained by as it doesn't hit as close to home as it would a German audience.

4) What does the article suggest about subtitling?

"People's perception of subtitle films , let along subtitle TV shows, is that they're really hard work - and somewhat obscure"

5) What does Sopranos actor Steven Van Zandt suggest is the appeal in foreign television drama?

Steven Van Zandt suggests that the appeal in foreign television drama is that you learn how other people live, and people love that.


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?

The three most frequent lengths of TV and radio programming - referred to on commissioning forms as 60', 30', 15' - arose from grid schedule designed around hours and half an hours to make programmes easy to find.

2) How have streaming services such as Netflix or Amazon Prime changed the way TV drama narratives are constructed?

Importance of hooks at the end of the episodes have increased importance, due to the fact that audiences can choose to watch the entire show right away. Narratives in general have changed in order to anticipate streaming; things like recaps at the beginning of episodes aren't present for streaming video on demand.

3) Why has the rise in streaming led to more complex storylines and an increase in cliffhangers?

Commissioners used to have this idea that the audience was so fragile and fickle that you had to be careful how complex your story was. Now you can binge narratives in one go so engaging the audience is even more important.

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.

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."

TV: Postmodernism and Deutschland 83

TV: Postmodernism and Deutschland 83

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)?

The characters Bruno and Borat

2) What is Fredric Jameson's idea of 'historical deafness'? How can the idea of 'historical deafness' be applied to Deutschland 83?

He argues that as mediaization increases so the culture finds itself losing a sense of historical context. History is now reduced to ‘talking heads’ documentaries and historical knowledge is often based on media representations. This can be applied to Deautschland 83 with how many foreign audiences are presented with a dramatised version of 1980s Germany and make sense of it exclusively from the show's representation of it.

3) What examples and theories are provided for the idea of 'style over substance'?

Logos and packaging will influence a buyer to the point where it becomes more important than the product itself.

Programmes such as Big Brother celebrate style over substance due to many celebrities spawned from that show are now "famous for being famous" rather than having an identifiable talent or identity.

4) What examples from music are provided for the breakdown of the distinction between art and popular culture? Can this be applied to Deutschland 83?

Advertising (low art) often makes reference to visual art (high art) or uses classical music (high art) to help sell its products

Pop music (low art) often samples classical music (high art)

In postmodern culture Andy Warhol created multi-coloured prints of the Mona Lisa (high art) and Campbell’s soup cans (low art)

5) What is bricolage? What examples of bricolage can be found in Deutschland 83?

Bricolage refers to the process of adapting and juxtaposing old and new texts, images, ideas or narratives to produce whole new meanings. One example could be that Deutschland 83 uses iconography from the spy genre, reminiscent of James Bond, and mixes it with contrapuntal pop music.

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.

Deutschland 83's exploration of meta narratives such as communism reflects a postmodern perspective as it denies single truths/realities in favour of a more dramatised story. The series focuses less on positioning itself on the side of one ideology, instead focusing on diversion for the audience through it's entertaining narrative and
personal identity in the show's relatable characters.


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
83 uses traditional codes and conventions associated with the spy genre, although somewhat parodies them.

representation

Deutschland 83 approaches both the East and West sides with integrity, taking on a post-modern approach and somewhat deconstructing stereotypes of each side.

The conventional approach would have been to create one dimensional characters based on stereotypes that are easy to predict whereas Deutschland 83 tries to humanise both the East and West.

audience
Deutschland 83's audience is encouraged to engage with the text and form different perspectives.

8) Now look at page 4 of the factsheet. How does Deutschland 83 demonstrate aspects of the postmodern in its construction and ideological positioning?

Deutschland 83 has a morally grey ideological position, with our protagonist and his allies doing things like assassinations and spiking a woman's drink to dispose of her.

9) Which key scenes from Deutschland 83 best provide examples of postmodernism? Why?

The spy training montage - something seemingly obligatory in the genre.

10) Why might audiences enjoy the postmodern aspects of Deutschland 83? What audience pleasures might elements of bricolage or pastiche provide viewers?

The audience gets nostalgia from the 80s music and iconography reminiscent of pop art. Some may see the dramatisation of the divide between east and west Germany as appealing as it makes the narrative digestible to a wider audience.

There is a lot of challenging work here - you will have over a week to complete it so take your time, read around the subject and re-watch the scenes from the first episode on All4 to help develop impressive academic answers to these questions.