NEWS ASSESMENT 1

Deutschland 83 Walkthrough

Deutschland 83

Season 1, Episode 1- Quantum Jump

• It was released in Germany in October 2015, and released in the UK in January 2016.
• Media language- Dark side - the East, Uniform, communism
•  Light Side - colourful, love, fruit.
• Grass and Concrete on floor, gives a rigid structure.
• Character- one side is in uniform, shadows on face, dull colour. Other side- bright, warm expression. 
• There is yellow writing on both sides show each side is happy the way they are.

         

Essay Stranger Things

What meanings are created in the sequence you have studied and what do they tell us about narrative, character development and genre?  1000 words

The sequence I have studied is the first episode of the Sci-fi series Stranger Things. Stranger Things is a long form TV drama which pays tribute to many 80s films, such as E.T, Alien and The Goonies as well as many other films from the 80s, giving the series lots of intertexuality. This long for TV drama includes many cliff hangers, multiple narratives and also stock characters, which are some of the conventions for a TV drama. 

Stranger Things use multiple parallel plots throughout the series, as well as the first episode I have analysed. Some of the plots include Will going missing, Nancy and Steve's romance, the science lab as well as the young girl Eleven running away from the government. By using parallel plots, they tend to cross over throughout, and the audience get ideas of this through enigmas in the story. As the episodes are only 45 minutes to an hour long, the story lines are able to develop slightly but then are left on a cliff hanger at the end of the episodes, just like the sequence I studied. In this sequence, we see Eleven, who has been running away from the government being discovered by the three boys who are looking for Will. As all these characters are seen as major by the audience, it suggests they are going to be even bigger as something has brought them together.

The sequence I studied had a variety of different genres. Some of these genres included sci-fi, adventure, mystery, romance thriller as well as family values. These are all included as the film was set in the 80s and the creators wanted to pay tribute to this time period. The scene where the Byers' phone rings, relates to the sci-fi genre as it has on screen diegetic noises of supernatural forces whilst Joyce speaks into the phone. Soon after this, there is an electrical spark which cuts off the mysterious call. It suggests the force doesn't want Will to have communication with his mother, so the audience are left wondering why. The use of contrasting genres, makes it appealing to all audiences. The romance is between Steve and Nancy. This is shown through the jump cuts whilst the teenagers are in her room. This shows the proximity between her and Steve and the intimacy of their blossoming relationship. Then there are also thriller scenes such as when Will is running away from the mysterious figure he saw on his way home from Mike's. This is just before he is taken. The use of different genres caters to different audience's needs and although there are some genres bigger than others, each one contributes to the story and the plots.

Throughout the sequence, there are many social groups being represented.  These different characters are intertwined in the multiple plots, which allows their character to develop. One example is Benny who owns the diner. When we first see him, he is angry as someone is stealing his food, but then understand it is Eleven who is rough looking. Slowly, the audience learns to like Benny throughout the sequence and when he is suddenly killed for no reason, it is saddening to the audience and a shock. The main group we see is the teenagers, both the younger age (Mike's group) and the older ones (Nancy, Steve and Barb).  The younger boys are the stereotypical elementary school boys, they get bullied and picked on, but towards the end of the sequence, we understand they are brave whilst going to search for Will. As for the older group, there is the two girls who are focused on their studies as well as gossip. The older teenage boy, Steve, is the typical jock who loves himself a bit and is obsessed with girls. It shows how there are different groups within the different social groups who do and represent different things.

Overall, the sequence I have analysed uses parallel plots to add to the intensity of the story line, as well as the use of multiple genres to capture all audiences. Representations are heavily being portrayed by an aray of characters who are all being developed slowly in the first episode.

East Germany in 80s Homework

Life in East Germany in the 80s

-There were no bananas. You could only get them once or twice a year, and you’d only be notified of their availability by word of mouth. So you’d have to rush to the veggie store and stand in line to get your one banana per person in your household.
-You couldn’t buy strawberries from a store. If you wanted them you had to go and work in the fields picking them for hours. 
-You could only watch one of a few state channels, but radio waves know no walls, so those close to the border were able to pick up signals from the West.
-The books were very low quality compared to the fine paper and good bindings and modern cover-graphics that were in the West. 
-East German kids did generally have fewer toys and fewer opportunities to go on holiday
-People weren't allowed past the Berlin wall into the west so many tried to sneak into the country but many failed resulting in death.
-There was a lot of surveillance, and most people lived double lives, in the sense that they learnt early that what you say and do at home is one thing, but what you're allowed to say publicly or in school is quite another.
-Equal rights where good for the time. Most women worked. There was affordable child-care available.

Education

-Education was compulsory for 10 years from age six onwards.

-Unlike West Germany, East Germany accomplished large-scale education reform and introduced a dense network of high-standard education facilities, especially kindergartens.

-There was no teaching of reading, writing or arithmetic, but the fundamental concepts were taught to develop intellectual and motor skills.

Suspicion And Tension 

- Many east Germans were put under surveillance if the stasi thought that they were being rebellious by associating themselves with Western culture. 

- East Germany regarded the west as being run by old fascists and corrupted by big, international companies. They suspected the west to prepare for WW3. The west stated that the east deprived citizens of their human rights such as freedom of religion, speech and ability to leave the country. 

Why did people want to escape the East?

- The East was heavily run by the government which meant that people had a lack of freedom in how they lived their life. Everything was controlled, their social life, their work, what they said and what they did. People wanted to escape the East in order to have more freedom and the ability to express their views without being scared of being imprisoned or punished. 

Why did people like and respect the public?

- There was no unemployment as they didn't believe in the concept therefore there was no benefits and workers were afforded the safety of their jobs as they couldn't be fires unless they committed a serious offence. 

- They helped women in the workplace as they though the patriarchy was viewed as a symptom of capitalism. They implemented a strong foundation of laws to protect mothers and distribute childcare services. There was more equality as there was a smaller gender pay gap than in the West.

- They offered free health care, free places to kindergarten and school and had affordable housing.  

Regulation Homework

Final Scene Analysis

Camera

-High angle looking down on social worker  from Benny – Patriarchy
- Extreme close up on phone after it falls connoting extreme panic. 
- Most camera shots of the young people were eye level showing equality amongst us and directly with the audience
- Gun shot was long shot of Connie which cut to close up of Eleven. This shot demonstrates panic
- Level three shot of boys in woods with Mike in the front showing he is the leader
- Two mid shot of Jonathon and Joyce close on the sofa signifies closeness in relationship

Mise En Scene

- Byers’ house – dim lighting, brown clothes, 80s interior connoting poverty 

- Yellow phone contrasts and stands out showing it is important and for communication to Will.

- Benny’s diner is where Eleven seeks shelter - is a stereotypical suburban diner.

- Woods is dark and raining with thunder showing pathetic fallacy that something bad may happen.

- Nancy’s bedroom is stereotypical of a studious teenage girl in the 80s.

- Choppers, torches, shine Eleven’s, theme of light within the final scenes. 

Sound

- Off screen sound of pot wash in Benny’s diner to on screen of Benny washing 

- Off screen diegetic knocking showing disruption in the narrative and raises alarm 

- Diegetic dialogue ‘you don’t sound the same as you did on the phone’ shows suspicion 

- Non diegetic contrapuntal song commences as soon as Benny is shot – White Rabbit Jefferson – volume and pace increase as Eleven runs away emphasising the panic and the disruption.

- Non diegetic sci fi instrumental emphasises tension when the boys find Eleven 

- Joyce on the phone with on screen diegetic sound of mysterious creature/ potentially Will.

- Nancy’s room – Africa Toto is contrapuntal – romantic mood – 80s theme

Editing

- Many jump cuts in Nancy's room showing the close proximity between her and Steve and intimacy.

- Pace of cuts increase when Connie shoots Benny connoting danger and panic. 

- Sound effect of electric bang when the phone cuts out showing that Will may be in danger. Sci fi. 

- Shot reverse shot during conversations between two people showing follow of dialogue. 

- Order of the narrative – multi stranded narrative underlines the LFTVD drama conventions. 

- Most scenes happen simultaneously except Eleven’s escape and discovery which links the characters at the end of the episode leaving on a cliff hanger for the next episode. 

Netflix TV

Stranger Things Presentations

OwnerShip:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1WcOZORCu8fFKySiAlzXFDJ8EZIe26SJyc9ijsDJm8p4/edit?usp=sharing

Production:
 https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1hPOdOLhCoMXUMpyvVQj5BqzCWgECtAtC1casZ3Nv6iQ/edit?usp=sharing

Distributuion:
 https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1-1c6Ikuopbl7ItwvhWcHWAQfXHM3uzCAurdBLl_Wb08/edit?usp=sharing

Circulation:
 https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1RDBwl4DcrSHPSEI3e_-kY4B-Kym7_Sv9t76ceN5_rHo/edit?usp=sharing

Social Group Essay

How are different social groups represented in the sequence you have analysed? What role does the use of media language, signs and signifiers have in constructing and presenting these representations as real?

The sequence I have analysed is the first episode of Stranger Things. This allows the audience to be introduced to the different social groups that are being represented throughout the episode.

A major social group being represented in Stranger Things is teenagers. This group is then split into two; the older teenagers and the younger ones. The older teenagers are Nancy, Jonathan and Steve. Nancy and Steve are stereotypical representations of teenagers in the 80s because Nancy is very dedicated to school but also has a keen interest in talking about boys with her best friends. This is because Nany is first shown on the phone (which is an 80s one) talking to her best friend Barb about boys.  Steve is the school jock, popular and comes across as a bit of a jerk. Jonathan however, is not the stereotypical teenager as he helps out his family. For example, he sates how he took an extra shift for money but he is giving this money to the family and not spending it on himself. He is also first show as cooking breakfast, before waking up his brother. This suggests he is becoming the father figure.

Secondly, the other group of teenagers is the younger lot of boys. They give a representation of geeky, bullied elementary school children. This can be seen from when they stay after class to look at the new radio the school has gotten in. Also there is a scene when two other boys start picking on them for their appearances.  Another scene that adds to this representation is when the boys are in Mike’s basement playing the board game Dungeons and Dragons. Later, Mike states they have been playing for almost 10 hours, which shows their dedication to the game.

Another group being represented is families and their relationships. The two families we see in this first sequence is Mike’s family and Will’s. Mike’s family is a proper American, middle classed family which don’t seem to have a close bond. The mother is the one to make the rules and the father just agrees, like when Mike wants his friends to stay longer but his mother won’t allow. He then proceeds to ask his dad and he just tells him to listen to his mother. She is stereotypical because she is seen making the dinner and looking after the baby too, which is a stereotypical mother in the 80s. In contrast, Will’s family is close and not the stereotypical family of the 1980s. This is because Joyce Byer’s seems to work quite a lot to provide for her family, she is constantly seen wear her uniform in multiple scenes. Also, the father figure is now put onto the teenager Jonathan as he is seen making breakfast and suppose to get Will up for school.

Stranger Things Episode Walkthrough

Stranger Things Narrative questions

Stranger Things Episode Timings

80s Film Research Homework

The Duffer Brothers created Stranger Things as a homage to 1980s films.

ET

The intertexuality in Stranger Things to ET is the  bike chasing scene. In ET, the most iconic scene is when the young children use their bikes to get away from the police. The police are trying to get ET back from the kids, and the kids are trying to get ET back to his spaceship. In Stranger Things, the young children are also trying to get away from the evil people who are trying to get Eleven. Mike and his friends have been hiding Eleven and keeping her safe from the scientist, and when they find out she is with them, they must get her to safety. The camera shots are mid shots with a mix of close ups.

Also, in ET, the kids find a stranger creature, something they do not understand what it is. Similarly, in Stranger Things, the young boys find Eleven and have no idea who she is or anything about her. But in both films, they take them in and form a relationship. The camera shots are both mod shot.

Alien

In Alien, the scientists are all dressed up in hazmat suits when to go exploring. Stranger Things replicates this when they go looking in the lab. Both places are dark and gloomy and therefore  the scientists use lights and the settings are in the labs too.The shots are long shot too. 

Another similarity between the two, is the scene when the humans are being possessed by the supernatural thing. In Alien, it is wrapped around his head in a hospital-like room with scientists around him, but in Stranger Things Will is being held with the thing in his mouth and around him. 

The Goonies

In The Goonies, the group of young boys have some roles that also are the same as the Stranger Things boys. For example, the leader is Mikey and there is the goofy one who is called Chunk. In Stranger Things, the leader is Mike and the goofy one is Dustin, both roles have similar thinking abilities and characteristics as The Goonies.

Stranger Things Character Analysis

• Goes 'against the binary'
• Characters move beyond simply good or bad. 
• Steve an Hopper are examples of complex characters.
• Novelists- multiple story lines and characters that stretch over a number of episodes and seasons.
• We ma seen flashbacks that explain the characters background. 
• Systemic change - isn't just focused on one individual.
• "Communities facing challenges and dealing them by embracing or rejecting their own diversity"- Jeff Gomez

Representations

• Teenagers- There are two groups of teenagers being represented;the young group of boys and Nancy, Steve and Jonathan. 
• Family life and relationships- There are multiple families which are being shown. There is Mikes's family and Will's family who are mainly being shown in Stranger Things. 
• Mothers
• Absent Fathers
• Police
• Government 

Stranger Things Intro

Overview

Stranger Things is an American science fiction-horror web television series created, written, and directed by the Duffer Brothers and released on Netflix. Set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, in the 1980s, the first season focuses on the investigation into the disappearance of a young boy amid supernatural events occurring around the town, including the appearance of a girl with psychokinetic abilities who helps the missing boy's friends in their own search.

Poster Analysis 

Setting- Night time, prison like background, space-like.
Genre- Fantasy, supernatural, action, sci-fi 
Themes- mystery, power, another sci-fi world.
Narrative- A search of some sort, children's view point, binary opposition.
Intertexuality- ET, Ghostbusters, Star Wars, Goonies.
Characters-Mainly young with some older, various expressions, a smaller, mysterious figure at bottom.
Historical Period- 80s clothing.  

LFTVD Conventions

TV Dramas

-Various Locations

-Stock characters

-multiple narratives

-45 min to an hour episodes

-Dramatic cliff hangers 

-High production values

Intro to LFTVD

The Exam

-2 questions, one is 30 marks the other is 15
-Stranger Things and Deutschland 83
-Both are series with long narratives.

Network TV

-US network broadcasters must satisfy their advertisers and hold market share controlled by federal regulation. 
-NBC
-CBS

US Cable TV

-Launched in 1970s
-HBO was the 1st US National subscription cable TV channel
- Other US players include FX, Showtime, AMC.
-These subscriptions based cable channels can take more risks with content and form.

VOD- Viewing on Demand
-Content viewing VIA TV still dominates in UK
-Use of timeshift is increasing.
-3/4 of households in UK have PVR uptake but it has plateaued.

Audiences

-Binge watching started with DVD in late 90s/early c21
-US long form TV drama often uses easter eggs and mid season breaks to generate fan intensity  and maintain media profile.

Why Do Audiences Watch: 

-High quality drama

-Multiple episodes- hours,days , years.

-Content can be dark and difficult but innovative.

-It now attracts some of the best and innovative writers and actors.

-Timeshifterse , easily accessible. 

State of the Nation and Cultural Zeitgeist

• LFTVD challenged the simplistic story lines and stereotypical characters that dominate network TV in US.
• CULTURAL ZEITGEIST

Statement of Intent

Statement of Intent

The idea of my music video is to have a filmed being created within. It will be about the artist who will be portraying the part of a youngish girl who goes out to have fun and find herself. Many of the shots will be from someone else’s perspective however we will not know or find out who this is.

The genre of the music video is dance, and listening to the music it makes me think of music and them having a good time. I will also include a party scene to fit the genre of dance. It will fit to the beat dropping in the music. As the audience is 16-25, they will be able to relate to my music video, also the genre. This genre would be played at parties and clubs, and this age range would also be at the age of going to parties and dancing to the genre.

The performer in my video will be the age of the audience so they will attract the audience member we are targeting. She is a young artist so will keep in the young section of Universal’s artists.

The costumes in my video will be casual, the artist will wear different outfits throughout to show different sides. The lighting will be bright in most of the video however will include a few dark when in the club and party scenes to make it as realistic as possible. The actress in my video will represent the artist. There will be natural make up to show the casualness within the film and music video. There won’t be many props used in my video. It will be used in most scenes. The settings I will use will be bedrooms to start with to have the artist going out. I plan to use different settings around Chelmsford as I have a few places in mind that will fit with the concept. My intertextuality will include a scene from Forrest Gump, my actor will be sat on a bench with something in her hands, just like the iconic scene from the movie. The representation will come from the artist who is of the younger generation. This representation will attract my audience because 16-25 is the age people will be able to relate to this.

I will use Adobe Premiere pro to edit my music video. To start with, the shots will be slow motion and at a normal pace. Then when the beat drops I will use fast cutting shots and fast shots. I will use shots such as crabbing (when the artist walks down the street), close ups of the actor and etc.

My video will be narrative and have a secondary purpose of performance. The narrative will be the story behind the camera, the artist who is meeting someone secretly and goes on a few adventures with them. My performance will come in when the actor is performing to the camera, as if she is making her own music video. The narrative will be relatable to the younger age group of the range as they want to be mature and go out with friends and also just want to try and find who they are. Also, the performance base will attract all of the audience because the artist will be having a good time and the target audience is of the age where fun is a key factor to life.

One shot I would like in my video is of the artist walking and has flashbacks that flicker to the beat as she walks.

The message of my video will be that you can find yourself when you try hard enough to look for it. Only you can do it for yourself so take the time to do it.

Website

On an artist’s website the usually include their newest music with a music video link. I will include this so the fans can check out their new songs easily. The web design has to relatable to the artist. My web site will have a certain theme about it to relate to the artist. I will use blue and pink as the main colours and use it throughout the website pages. The different pages on my website will be home, about, music, video, gigs, gallery and contact. I also had a bar to the right of different social media platforms. This way my audience can keep up with my artist on different media. Also, as my audience is 16-25, it is a range that are familiar with social media and my style of artist. My record company is Universal, and therefore will have a mention of their name. Other features on my website will be comments for the audience, this way they can have a say on my music and make them feel included. To keep the readers interested, there will be lots of moving elements to my website.

Synergy is when two or more organisations or other agents cooperate to make a better ‘effect’ than they would separately. It is important to media industries because it could give them a much better result, than just doing it by themselves. I will have a logo for my artist, which will be memorable to her fans. I will use images for a gallery on my website, some of which will be from filming the newest music video. On my website I will have a link and also a video of my new video.