DEUTSHCLAND 83

Media Language
The series is visually interesting, constructing a stylised representation of ‘real’ places which
transmit meanings about characters, places and issues. A detailed analysis of different aspects of
mise-en-scene will provide students with a strong foundation to build on in terms of analysing
representations, ideological meanings and audience positioning. Analysis should include:
• Mise-en-scene analysis
• Semiotics: how images signify cultural meanings
• Postmodernism: Use of pastiche and bricolage

Narrative
• How does the use of the narrative conventions of the spy thriller and crime drama – use of
enigmas, binary oppositions, restricted and omniscient narration etc. – position the audience?
• The narrative of Deutschland 83 has been controversial – particularly in Germany -through its
use of binary oppositions to contrast East and West Germany.
• The role of the hero and effect of audience alignment with Martin Rauch, a Stasi Officer.
• The narrative of Deutschland 83 can be defined as postmodern in its self-reflexive style.
• Narratology including Todorov.

Genre:
• Conventions of the TV series and the way in which this form is used to appeal to audiences
• Definition of the series as belonging to the spy thriller genre
• Conventions of the period drama and reasons for its popularity
• Analysing the use of specific genres to discuss wider issues in society
• Genre theory including Neale

Media Representations
Deutschland 83 provides a range of representational areas to explore from the national and
regional to political structures and gender roles. All of the areas tend to overlap with
representations of a nation’s historical past allowing students to consider how representations
reflect social, cultural and historical circumstances:
• Representation of national and regional identity (East and West Germany (Europe))
• Representation of gender: male hero and spy, the female ‘love interest’ etc., the way
characters signify wider issues in society.
• Analysis of how the representations convey values, attitudes and beliefs about the world – both
contemporary and past.
• Theories of representation including Hall

Feminist theories including bell hooks and Van Zoonen (role of women)

CAPITAL

Media Language
Capital is a complex mainstream television product in which the codes and conventions of the
crime drama are intertwined with aspects of social realism. Detailed analysis of this media form
including the process through which media language develops as genre will provide students
with an opportunity to understand and reflect on the dynamic nature of genre. Analysis should
include:
• Mise-en-scene analysis
• Semiotics: how images signify cultural meanings
Narrative
• Which narrative techniques are used to engage the audience in the opening episode of
Capital?
• How does the use of the narrative conventions of the crime drama – use of enigmas,
restricted narration etc. – position the audience?
• Capital is characteristic of contemporary TV narrative style in its use of multiple story structure.
• The ways in which the narrative structure of Capital offers gratification to the audience.
• Narratology including Todorov.
Genre
• Conventions of the TV mini-series and the way in which this form is used to appeal to
audiences; how it is distinct from, but related to series and serials.
• Definition of the series as a hybrid genre, belonging to the drama, social realism and crime
genres
• Genre theory including Neale.
Media Representations
Capital provides a wide range of representational areas to explore; the family, place, nation, class,
ethnicity, race and issues.
• Negative and positive use – or subversion – of stereotypes.
• Representations of family and their ideological significance – Capital constructs its
representation of nation in part through contrasting images of the family.
• Representation of place – London and by implication, the nation.
• Analysis of how the representations convey values, attitudes and beliefs about the world.
• Theories of representation including Hall.

When the residents of an affluent London street receive a strange note they dismiss it as a marketing campaign, until things begin to escalate. When the residents of an affluent London street receive a strange note they dismiss it as a marketing campaign, until things begin to escalate.

‘No Offense’ and ‘ The Killing’ revision cards

No offence:

Origin Country: Great britain

Type: Police Procedural

Author: Pual Abbott

The series managed 2.5 million viewers on its first episode, which is Channel 4’s biggest breakthrough since 3 years beforehand. However the show quickly lost popularity overnight, with episodes after only having 1.2 million watchers. Afterwards it was released in France on the france 2 channel where it had 5.46 million viewers.

The series was based off of the crime investigation, station and workers of the greater Manchester police and was recorded in Manchester from 5 may 2015 to the 18th of October 2018 until it was discontinued on the 28th November 2019 and confirmed by Martin Carr on twitter.

The plot revolves around the investigation of 3 cases, a drowning, a murder and a disappearance. Which all turn out to be linked, someone is specifically targeting girls with down syndrome.

The Killing:

No Offence:

No Offence is about a group of police officers try their best to keep the streets of Manchester free of crime. When all else fails, they decide to use unconventional methods to teach the perpetrators a lesson.

The drama show has a rating of 8/10 by IMDb and within the first episode No Offence launched with 2.5 million viewers on Channel 4 and was Channels 4’s biggest midweek drama launch for more than three years. However over night the show was loosing 1.2 million viewers and the weekly consolidated series average remained at 2.5 million views and finished 47% up on Channel 4’s slot average.

The country of origin of the show is the United Kingdom.

The genre of the show is Police procedural, Drama and Black comedy, with 3 series.

The Killing:

The Killing is crime series that follows the police investigation of the murder of a young girl. It interlocks three different stories.

The dram television show has a rating of 8.2/10 by IMDb.

The country of origin of the show is Denmark. The show translates to Forbrydelsen, meaning The Crime’.

The genre of the show is Crime Drama, Psychological Thriller, Mystery and Scandinavian Noir.

The series is noted for its plot twists, season-long storylines, dark tone and for giving equal emphasis to the stories of the murdered victim’s family and the effect in political circles alongside the police investigation. It has also been singled out for the photography of its Danish setting, and for the acting ability of its cast.

No Offence

A police series based in Manchester from the writer of ‘Shameless’. On channel 4. Has a women as the lead role, and other female characters as well as males.

Genres: Drama, Police procedural, Dark Comedy

The first episode launched with 2.5 million viewers.

Mark Scheme notes:

• the importance of targeting an audience beyond the national evident in Channel 4’s investment in online company TRX (The Rights Exchange) which aims to facilitate the sale of programmes abroad
• No Offence is produced by AbbotVision, the independent producer of Shameless – which was successfully remade in the US– suggesting that the appeal to an international audience is a deliberate strategy
• No Offence represents British national culture to a British audience – but this identity is also used as a selling point internationally through the appeal of difference
• The series has a social realist aesthetic which is a recognizable
  national style but is also popular in Europe (evidenced in the
  popularity of social realist films in Europe)
• No Offence was broadcast on France2 the public service broadcaster, to very high viewing figures; the perceived weakness of French broadcast TV provides opportunities for export.
• The series’ focus on the detective narrative and crime drama is familiar and understood globally, the representation of the independent, female detective has proven popularity.

Television – A product which will provide rich and challenging opportunities for interpretation and
in depth critical analysis.

The missing

The Missing is a complex mainstream television product in which the codes and conventions of the crime drama are recognisable but they are also challenged and sometimes subverted.

Media Representations – The Missing provides a range of representational areas to explore; gender, the family, place,
issues, events, class. Negative and positive use of stereotypes
Opportunities for discussion of performative identities in the representation of gender in The Missing – Judith Butler
Feminist debates – Violence and the representation of gender. This could include the controversy around using violent crime against women as popular entertainment
Representations of family and their ideological significance
Representation of place – northern Europe and the Middle East
Analysis of how the representations convey values, attitudes and beliefs about the world
Theories of representation including Hall
Feminist theories including bell hooks and Van Zoonen

Media audiences

The production, distribution and circulation of The Missing shows how audiences can be reached, both on a national and global scale, through different media technologies and platforms, moving from the national to transnational through broadcast and digital technologies. The way in which different audience interpretations reflect social, cultural and historical circumstances is evident in the analysis of The Missing which is explicitly linked to contemporary issues.

Social, political, economic and cultural contexts
The Missing’s parallel storylines, set in the past and present foregrounds the Iraq war and the political debates and controversies about the British involvement in it. The role of popular culture in examining past history is relevant here. The institution of the army frequently operates as a microcosm of wider social and cultural contexts in the exploration of changing expectations of gender roles as well its relationship to family structures. Values and ideologies of different cultures are represented through different religious and ethnic beliefs.

Witnesses

Television – product not in the English language

Media Language
The series is visually interesting, constructing a stylised representation of ‘real’ places which transmit meanings about characters, places and issues. A detailed analysis of different aspects of mise-en-scene will provide students with a strong foundation to build on in terms of analysing representations, ideological meanings and audience positioning.

Media Representations
Witnesses provides a range of representational areas to explore from the national and regional to family structures and gender roles. All of the areas tend to overlap with representations of nation signified through aspects of ethnicity, religion and class, while the reinforcement and subversion of gender stereotypes allow students to consider how representations reflect social, cultural and historical circumstances:

Representation of national and regional identity (Northern France)

Representation of gender: The woman as detective, the male boss, gender stereotypes etc.
Feminist debates – Violence and the representation of gender. This could include the controversy around using violent crime against women as popular entertainment
Analysis of how the representations convey values, attitudes and beliefs about the world
Theories of representation including Hall
Feminist theories including bell hooks and Van Zoonen

Media Audiences
Issues of audience are also relevant throughout the other theoretical frameworks. In media language, the use of different formal structures to position the audience to receive and interpret meaning is central, while the study of representations has at its heart the reinforcement of social and cultural values for audiences.