D83 Trailer Analysis

• The use of the non-diegetic parallel music (Major Tom by Peter Schilling) connotes a theme of drama and panic that is likely to ensue in the series because of the loud drum beats that it contains that are aligned with the cuts emphasise the seriousness of the drama. This is paired with the diegetic off-screen dialogue of Reagan's speech (1984 addressing his fears of communism in the USSR) which emphasises realism and verisimilitude of fear during the 1980s. When it is combined with the split screen of the non-fiction images of the cold war preparations for nuclear war it emphasises the fear that was felt by eastern europeans during the 1980s which many of the shows audience would be able to empathise with. This is effective because the combination of editing and the music choices allows potential audience members to understand the seriousness and verisimilitude of the series that are appropriate for a highly intelligent demographic. 
• The use of the split-screens throughout the trailer (such as, soldier-spy) creates enigma within the audience because they are left wondering how Martin can live a duel-lifestyle and questions where his true allegiance lies. This is combined with the fast-pace cuts and transitions of action-scenes which emphasises the intense narrative that is shown in the drama. This encourages the audience to watch the show because the trailer creates many enigmas that makes the audience to watch the series as they want to resolve these. In addition to this, the enigmas combined with the action in the trailer have connotations of an open-ending narrative as this action must be spread over many episodes and as a result, it is likely to make people continue to watch.
• The trailer attempts to avoid subtitles and German dialogue because it may limit the potential audience that they can attract. This is because there is likely to be an audience resistance within some people to watch a whole series that contains subtitles. Subsequently, if subtitles are used there may only be a certain demographic that is likely to watch the show, this is often ABC1 who are often associated with a higher-level of intelligence that are engaged enough to read the subtitles throughout a series. Therefore, the decision to not use subtitles or German dialogue could have been a profit-based decision in order to get the largest number of viewers to ensure the success of the show.

Poster Analysis D83

D83 Representations

D83 Scene Walk Through

D83 Characters

Life in East Germany in the 80s

Regulation of Netflix

Stranger Things Essay

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

Long form TV drama’s (LFTVD) use a variety of different devices of media language in order to create meanings for their narrative, character development and genre. One of the most important conventions of LFTVD is that they are produced over many episodes and series which allows the audience to begin to form a relationship with the characters and as a result of this emotional attachment have a need to continue to watch the show. In addition to this, LFTVD uses a numerous multiple narrative strand which helps to keep audiences invested as they have to focus on many different storylines that eventually come together over the course of the series. Furthermore, streaming services that take on these LFTVD such as Stranger Things, allow directors to me more niche and specific with their content and as a result they are able to provide shows that have more specific genre’s such as: sci-fi, family drama and coming of age.

In the sequence that we have studied we see that multiple narrative strands are presented to us throughout the sequence and they appear to all intertwine into a cliff hanger at the conclusion of the first episode. We see an example of this where there are multiple scenes happening simultaneously such as: the diner scene with Benny and Eleven, Joyce and Jonathon preparing ‘missing’ leaflets, and the boys planning the search for Will. This is important because it shows how all the different narrative strands have relevance to each other and that the audience will have to follow the rest of the series in order to understand how the narrative links together. Subsequently, this creates the mystery narrative because it is unusual for the secret service, young children and the supernatural all to be linked within one show which is attractive for the audience. In particular the narrative strand of the off the mysterious supernatural creature in the scene where we see them preparing posters for the search for Will. For example, the extreme close-up and panning shot of the yellow phone falling after it has been electrocuted coupled with the on-screen diegetic sound of a mysterious creature breathing down the phone helps to create meaning for the audience. It does so as it signifies the first contact between Will and his mother as well as confirming the audience’s suspicions that the supernatural was the reason for Will’s disappearance. In addition to this the yellow phone juxtaposes the brown design of the set and costumes which shows the audience how important that the phone will be in episodes of the LFTVD to come.

We are also shown many different developments in the characters we are introduced to during this short sequence which helps the audience to associate themselves with the characters. Firstly, we are introduced to a few relationships that will be significant over the course of the LFTVD, the use of the jump-cut of Nancy and Steve helps us to see the proximity between the two. As the pair move closer together in the warm lighting (with the contrapuntal music of Africa by Toto) the jump-cuts are made quicker and we are made aware of their intimacy and sexual intentions that they may possess, all of which is happening at the same time as others are trying to find Will which creates a negative representation of the two characters early on. Also, the use of the diegetic dialogue spoken by Benny: “you don’t sound the same as you did on the phone” shortly before Connie shoots Benny shows us how the secret service and government officials are at the centre of mystery for all the characters in the show. In addition to this, the low angle of the group of government officials entering the diner shows how they exert their power over the civilians and makes us, as members of the audience, fear them and what they are capable of.

Another important meaning that is created within this sequence is the identification of genre that is created through the use of media language. In this sequence, there are large amounts of non-diegetic instrumental music used throughout that increases in volume at certain points such as when Connie shoots Benny or when the boys are beginning the search for Will and come across Eleven for the first time. In particular the scenes in which Eleven is involved the music seems to be most prominent which seems to further suggest that she is the supernatural being that relates to the sci-fi genre in which the show orientates itself. Furthermore, the special effects that are used when the phone gets electrocuted during the first contact between Joyce and Will shows the lightning and electricity that will become very important, the use of special effects helps us to understand the fictional, supernatural and scientific genre of the show. In addition to this we are shown how mysterious this LFTVD is when the gun shot goes off in the diner and the camera quickly zooms from a long-shot to a close up of Eleven, where we see the panic and worry in her facial expressions. This helps us to understand that Eleven is a focal point for mystery and supernatural themes within the show and helps the audience to focus on how her character will develop to help us understand this meaning.

Netflix and Technology

Production Industry- Slide Show

How are different social groups represented in the sequence you have analysed?

Stranger Things Representations

Stranger Things Scene by Scene Analysis

Stranger Things Character Analysis

Introduction to Long Form TV Drama

Institutional Context

1. US network broadcasters must satisfy advertisers and hold market share that is controlled by federal regulation
2. The impact of this on context is a reliance on highly formalised genre conventions which meet mainstream expectations but conservative drama

US Cable TV

• Launched in the 1970s HBO was the first US national subscription channel 
• Major US players include: FX, Showtime and AMC
• These subscriptions based cable channels can take more risks with their context 
• By the 2000s 'water cooler' moments were created

Trouble with UK TV Drama?

• UK broadcasters have failed to compete with US cable channels so have moved towards LFTVD in order to allow cable and subscription channels to take more and more risks
• Terrestrial channels rely heavily on genre-based, formulaic drama
• SKY Atlantic has helped harness the success of LFTVD within the UK

Subscription VOD (video on demand)

• Content viewing via a TV still dominates the UK
• 3/4 of UK households have a personal video recorder to uptake but it has since stagnated and then reduced due to technology such as the planner etc
• Use of time-shifting has increased
• Growth of SVOD web based channels is considerable with Netflix dominating this sector with 24% of the UK market and 5 million subscribers, a 10 %  increase since 2015-16

Why do audiences love LFTVD?

• High quality drama
• Multiple episodes
• Content can be dark, difficult and innovative
• Attracts the best quality actors and writers from around the world
• Time shifting makes it easily accessible
• Rise of binge watching
• Keeps people invested
• A lot of creativity 
• Lots of different companies competing
• Streaming services will allow them to be more niche
• Can play with the theme and character development in unique ways 
• State of the nation TV and Cultural Zeitgeist

What does TV Drama need?

• Various Locations
• Stock Characters
• Multiple Narratives
• Generally one hour episodes
• Dramatic cliff hangers
• High production values

What does it mean?

• has a number of episodes in order to create a narrative 
• technological change within the industry has helped its growth
• how audiences consume and interpret their LFTVD
• values, attitudes and beliefs through representations
• Considering economic context behind the large budgets