Television industry contexts

 1) What does the article suggest regarding the traditional audience for foreign-language subtitled media?

If you'd mentioned to a colleague that you'd spent Saturday night glued to a subtitled European drama, you'd have been quietly declared pretentious, dull and, possibly, a little odd.

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

To Iuzzolino, the buzz around foreign TV was so strong that, over the course of two years before the project's launch, he watched more than 3,500 hours of small-screen action; as the channel's curator, he was in a state of anxiety, convinced that someone would realise his idea before he could launch it.

But until the mid-Noughties, foreign language programming was on the periphery; as though, says Iuzzolino, the channels were "restaurants who had put a special on the board". Walter Presents makes the specials board the main offering – so you can't play safe with the televisual equivalent of a cottage pie.

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

There may be something else in foreign TV's new popularity, too. It may sound prosaic but when we're frequently distracted from our TV viewing by Twitter feeds and a pinging WhatsApp, subtitles are a welcome enforcement for us to focus. "When you read subtitles, you have to be glued to the screen," says Deeks. "That concentration gives a particular intensity to the viewing experience. You just can't multitask when you're watching a foreign-language drama."

What this means is that when watching a drama with subtitles especially one in a foreign language it can be quite difficult to keep up with what is going on on the screen as your eyes fixate on the subtitles as it pops up straight away distracting you from the main scene which means you have to be quick reading the subtitles so you can then move your eyes and carry on watching the drama fully. 

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

"We all love getting that insight into a different culture," says Deeks. "The unfamiliar setting gives a freshness to genre pieces."- Diversion 

You develop a love for the distant world because while you're watching, you're in Sweden," he says. "If you see something amazing set in Argentina, then Argentina itself, the houses, the people, what they wear, what their voices sound like, the language, is one of the biggest appeals. There is a huge pleasure in that." -  Entertainment 

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 premiere had 3.19 million viewers.

*By the series’ conclusion the figures had fallen down to 1.63 million — it’s lowest figure.

*Channel 4 saw viewing figures reach a peak of 2.13 million viewers in a prime time TV slot, earning it the title of the UK’s highest-rated foreign drama.

3) Who are the two production and distribution companies behind Deutschland 83 and what did they announce in October? 

After a period of uncertainty surrounding its renewal, SundanceTV and FremantleMedia finally announced in October that there will be a second series of Deutschland 83 (called Deutschland 86, more likely than not followed by the pivotal year of 89)

4) 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?

Walter Luzzolino uses social media to engage audiences in new international TV drama as the Walter Presents streaming service is dedicated solely to foreign drama. Having launched successfully in the UK via Channel 4’s online streaming service All 4, Iuzzolino – the titular Walter — brought his world of dramatic subtitled TV to America with “USA” added to the end of the brand name. Walter Luzzolino suggests he has changed the reception productions in the UK as he was inspired by his childhood to because of being exposed to "a lot of different textures, types, and cultural perspectives" as he grew up in Italy and it grew to be his passion to want to spread his ideas to other people and showing them the true beauty and nature of foreign language TV.

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

They involve in episodes being available at an instant which advanced towards the trend of binge-watching which further contradicts the traditional method of viewing TV drama's as they would of had to of been viewed once a week .

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

This is due to the constant release of episodes meaning cliffhangers had to be increased in order for story lines to be more interesting .

3) 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. So, while a streamed drama theoretically need not be divided at all, it still makes logistical and financial sense to hire on episode basis.

4) How has "permanent 24/7 connectivity" changed both the production and consumption of TV drama?

Due to viewers being a able to format responses and opinions online .

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

• 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.

2) What is technological convergence? 

Digitilisation of media .

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

Texts being available through the internet .

4) 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?

In order to address such diverse audiences with the same programmes producers have to take great care to ensure their productions can be understood widely.  For example, take the monster in Stranger Things 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. (Barrett 2017) Consequently the Demogorgon was renamed in some parts of the world based on what the demon prince of Dungeons & Dragons was called. In addition, they try to use the actors that regularly voice particular performers in foreign language versions. So, the actors who dubbed Winona Rider (Joyce Byers) in Beetlejuice and Bram Stoker’s Dracula are used for Stranger Things.