House of Cards - Year 1

TASK 1

What visual codes are at work in the analysis of Grand theft auto?  

• ·          How does Barthes semantic code apply in the analysis of the masculine and feminine figures? 
• ·           What connotations do the visual codes have?

The female - GTA

 Highly sexualised, she has her tongue sticking out whilst licking a lollipop this is seen as a seductive expression. The female body's language is almost swayed and standing in a feminine position. The female is wearing red which has connotations with lust and love but is also strongly linked with prostitution. 

The girl is seen playing with her hair this suggests that she's not that intelligent and also suggests that she is a confused character. 

      

She is also licking a lollipop very suggestively which promotes the idea that she is a playful character and maybe enjoys a bot of mischief and attention.

The male- GTA

The male has a scruffy stubbled beard which suggests that he is tough man and has maybe been in prison also links to the idea that he doesn't care about his appearance.

The man is seen wearing gloves so that it could mean he is ready to fight and get his hands dirty.

The man is looking very aggressively at the camera which highly suggests that  he is ready to confront anyone over anything. 

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House of Cards: Chapter 1

House of Cards uses a number of different media techniques in order to portray different representations of the main characters, location and politics.

The mise-en-scene of Chapter 1, gives a strong representation of the main character, location and politics. The main character Frank Underwood is seen as a quite sinister character and through mise-en-scene this is further proven with the low-key lighting throughout the whole episode. This represents a sense of mystery and suspense which all conform to the conventions of a thriller. Frank Underwood is always dressed smart and slick this accentuates how politicians are dressed and are portrayed. Frank Underwood is also looking for revenge and is a power hungry character, this is represented through setting as most of the plotting and scheming occur late evening/night this represents a sinister atmosphere as well conforming to a political thriller conventions it also shows how sinister Frank’s character is. An example of this would be when Frank shatters the plates in his house this can represent the power struggle Frank is going through as he was cheated from being State Senator. Another example of corruption is when Frank blackmails Peter to work for him with no questions asked.

In, HoC, there is a use of dull and muted colours and with low-key lighting. The dull muted colour offers a sense of realism towards the audience as HoC portrays the corruption and power struggles within Washington, which is unknown to the public/audience. The low-key lighting conforms to the genres of a thriller and in HoC case the genre hybridity of a drama/thriller.

Also mise-en-scene has a part to play in the character of Zoe Barnes, who is an ambitious reporter working for the Washington Herald.  Zoe’s life has a vast contrast from Frank/Claire’s life. She lives in a messy apartment with paper and work scattered everywhere this suggests that she doesn’t care about her appearance. When Zoe first meets Frank she was wearing a revealing V-neck to try and sway Frank. This suggests that Zoe will do whatever it takes to get where she needs to be.

Peter Russo is a corrupt solicitation, who is involved in dark matters such as drugs and adultery. Peter becomes one of Frank’s pawns when he gets arrested for drink driving. Through mise-en-scene it showed Peter’s situation through dull/muted colours also when Peter was arrested it was set in the night, which gives it a more sinister feeling.

Another significant part of Chapter 1 is the sound used throughout the episode; there is a use of diegetic and non-diegetic sound within the episode. More significantly diegetic sound is more predominant, this usually occurs from Frank when he is narrating what’s happening within the episode and what he is planning. Frank looks directly at the camera almost if it’s a conversion between Frank and the audience. Despite this there is still non-diegetic sound in the episode, which is mainly the background music, this is more mysterious and it adds to the tension of the episode, it also gets your blood pumping and heart racing through the music. With the background music it conforms House of Cards to a political thriller. During the presidential elect winning party, there was a lot of patriotic music but Frank’s voice was more noticeable. During the episode the characters voices override the background music.

The editing of the show gives us a strong representation of the character, Frank Underwood.  The pace of the editing varies from scene to scene however it all adds up to paint this character, Frank, as a vicious and vengeful character. In an argument between Frank and his wife Claire, there is the use of shot reverse shot. The cuts and changes are very quick to suggest that this argument is heated and this shows the tension in the scene. This represents not only Franks but also Claire as characters that will not back down and will fight until they get their own way. There is also a very similar example that shows Zoe Barnes as and ambitious and arrogant character. In the scene where she is handing in the Education Bill, she is constantly interrupting her co-workers and there for the shot pace is very fast as the camera goes to the co-workers then is instantly back on her as she always has something to say. This shows that her character will make sure that her voice is heard as she want to make it to the top. In the title sequence of the show, there is a series of sped up establishing shots of the city of Washington DC. This represents the setting of the show as a very fast paced and busy establishment. This also sets the tone for the show itself

Moreover, the camera work also does a good job in the representing of characters in the show. There are many close-up shots on peoples faces in order to show emotion. Peter Russo is portrayed, through the use of camerawork, as an untrustworthy character. In the scene where his meeting is interrupted but his secretary posing as the president elect there are close up shots to his face and we can see that, even though we know he is lying, he keeps a strong, straight face. This immediately show the audience he is manipulative and not to be trusted. This is also reinforced in the scene where he lies to his secretary saying that he was alone the night before. This is a heated scene which uses the shot reverse shot at a fast pace. This shows that he wont crumble under pressure also. It also show that Christina, his assistant is quite a doubting character and is sceptical of his actions. When Russo is finally caught and called out by Frank he becomes worried and paranoid and agrees to everything Frank says. This shows him to be a pushover character being easily controlled by Frank. In the scene where Frank is told that he will not be made Secretary of State there is a close up shot, which shows his slight change is emotion. The change is enough for the audience to know he is hurt by the decision however it also shows him go from neutral to hurt to angry in a matter in a second showing he is ready to fight for his position.

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Starter activity: Eastenders : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIurmAcqn8M

Discuss the similarities and differences  of UK Soaps and US Long form dramas

UK Soaps are shorter in length 

UK soaps are lower in budget 

US dramas have a formal attitude whereas UK Soaps are quite urban 

Record notes on how technology has influenced the production, distribution and exhibition of long form TV drama.

Task 3 read the following link Identify AT LEAST 3 reasons why digital production is cheaper and a more convenient medium http://silverscreenmodes.com/the-end-of-film/

A film print costs about $2000, a digital disk less than $100.

A 90 minute movie is usually over 8,000 feet of film. If you’ve ever looked through developed film stock, it’s amazing how many frames it takes to advance a scene. Modern reels of film come  in 2000 ft. lengths, so that’s almost nine reels of film per movie, and many movies last longer than 90 minutes.

On the shooting end of digital, you no longer have to stop “filming” to reload film magazines, you just keep on shooting

Digital (streaming)

•In just a decade, Netflix has grown from a video service with seven million U.S. subscribers to one that reaches 93 million people worldwide.

•When Netflix first launched in the late 1990s, it distributed DVDs – mainly films – by mail. The convenience of the service disrupted the existing film rental industry and eventually led to its demise.

•during the early 2000s, advances in compression technology – coupled with more homes gaining access to high-speed internet services – allowed large video files to be easily streamed over the internet.

•video streaming services such as Netflix (what I call “portals”) deliver programming “on demand” via the internet, viewers can choose what and when to watch instead of watching “what’s on.”

•Subscription TV therefore offers significant benefits to terrestial TV.

•Netflix (originally a US company) provides services to 43% of the US market, it has developed its global market with a presence in 190 countries.

•Its popularity is achieved by providing high production content in several TV serial genres.  This includes complicated serial dramas (“House of Cards”), action series (“Daredevil”), horror series (“Hemlock Grove”).

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•Task 4 what is the comparative production costs of a typical UK Soap e.g. EastEnders compared to an episode of House of cards

House of Cards have a larger budget hen typical UK soaps such as EastEnders. For one episode of EastEnders it costs around £141,000 to produce whereas House of Cards costs around £4.5 million ,which is increasing over time,. This is a tiny amount compared to House of Cards vast budget. 

House of Cards is available in 4K and HD. Also House of Cards actors are more well known and have higher wages then EastEnder actors and actresses. 

Synopsis 

Genre conventions of a Thriller: The intensity of emotions they create particularly those of apprehension and exhilaration, of excitement and breathlessness, all designed to generate that all-important thrill. By definition, if a thriller doesn't thrill, it's not doing its job.

Narrative Techniques of a Thriller

• Plot twists and turns
• Flashbacks
• Misdirections
• Making the audience work

Characters

President elect Garrick Walker,
Linda Vasquez Chief of staff, woman, latino tough as a 2 dollar cheque
Frank/Francis Underwood -House majority whip – keep the sludge moving.
Clair (Frans wide)- shady, direct, cold, ruthless, own ambitions and for her husband
Washington Herald: Zoe Barnes- willing to go against the law, very ambitious 
Recently elected  secretary of state   Michael Kern –
Peter  Rousseau - drink driver,solicitation, use of controlled substances.
Christina Gallagher assistant

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Conventions of Drama

Exhibits real life situations with realistic characters, settings and stories

Portrays journeys of character development

Intense social interaction

Purpose of a dramatic story line is to move the audience

Heart of drama is the conflict

Conflicts include inner/outer realistic struggles depicting hardships, difficulty and pain 

Audience can relate to the characters
Structured with climaxes and anti climaxes to keep the audience emotionally attached and the tension ongoing
A form realisation at the end/happily

Conventions of Political Drama

• Corruption in politics and congress
• Realistic
• Power struggle

House of Cards do conform to these conventions such as the corruption in congress as Frank was falsely promised senator and also when Frank blackmails Peter to work for him.

There is a power struggle with Frank as he is trying to reach the top.

This offers a sense of realism 

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Task 7

Write a 500 word synopsis of House of cards

You are expected to decode the narrative from watching the film

At least three narrative (strands) exists, describe theme as part of the synopsis.

Describe the Genre of the film

Identify the main characters and their character role hero/anti hero, protagonist/antagonist

   Frank Underwood is an ambitious democratic congressman and the House Majority Whip.

The show starts by introducing Frank Underwood who is the main protagonist and it shows an injured dog and how Frank gives a dark metaphor about pain whilst strangling the dog. This shows Frank is willing to do anything when needed.

The story moves on to the successful election of President Garret Walker, Frank then introduces other main characters throughout the party. Whilst still having a direct mode of address with the audience.

 Frank helped and ensured the election of President Garret Walker, who falsely promised to promote Underwood to Secretary of State. However Walker and Chief of Staff Linda Vasquez, a Latino woman, go against that promise and instead appoints Senator Michael Kern. Frank angered with the decision and infuriated with the betrayal of Walker and Vasquez. This is due to the amount of help and effort Underwood gave the two and they went against him. With this feeling of betrayal and regret Underwood as this is a stab in the back for Underwood so he and his wife Claire, a ruthless CEO of an environmental company, make a pact to destroy Kern and for Frank to become president.

Frank needed to gather his own team to do anything he wants with no questions asked.

Whilst this was occurring, ambitious reporter for the Washington Herald, Zoe Barnes comes into play as she makes her resources available she becomes one of their pawns. Zoe Barnes is looking for her big break and thought she had found it with Frank.

Another pawn for Frank and Claire is Peter Russo who is an unfaithful solicitation

Deutschland 83 essay

In this essay i will discuss the different theories and theorists that can be applied to Deutschland 83 and use them to analyse different representations and media language.

Neale's genre theory can be applied to Deutschland 83. This genre theory is about what genres are, and about how and why they are created, change endure or decline. As well Neale accentuates the fact that genres are not fixed but constantly evolve this can lead hybrids with other genres which is perfectly example din Deutschland 83. Deutschland 83 is originally a spy genre but due to the advancements in the story and the way its been set out, a clear genre hybrid can be spotted. It includes a Comedy genre as well as a Thriller genre.The conventions of a spy genre is that the main protagonist is usually male, there's features of weapons/tech, Secrecy, dark colour palette and tension and suspense and even plot twists. The conventions of a comedy genre is that lighting tends to be bright, main character usually male and their life isn't running too smoothly. Hybrid of Deutschland 83 conforms to both to a Spy genre and comedy genre show. It contains a male protagonists who's life isn't running smoothly. Deutschland 83 also used a Dark colour palette but subverts from it in a lighted heart moments. As it is a spy genre it contains a lot of  Tech and Weapons , Secrecy, Tension and Plot twists. An example of this is in the first episode in t= 18:10 where Martin is running away from the general and his Aunt in the supermarket and the song 'Sweet Dreams' is playing, this comedic as Martin is dumbfounded of the West and can be seen visually shocked, this helped with a moving camera added to the intensity of the scene as well. Despite it being as comedic it was also a tense scene as Martin found that what had happened today and tried to run away and keeps the audience on the edge of their seat to find out what has happened to him. In the West it used bright colours to accentuate the comedic values this was proved through mise-en-scene and what Martin was wearing during that scene. This can lead to both a democracy and multiculturalism ideology within that episode. 

Todorov's theory of Narratology can be linked to Deutschland 83. Narratology is the study of narrative; in this case, of narrative structure and how the parts fit together to make a whole. Todorov argued that  All narratives can be seen as a move from one state of equilibrium (where nothing need occur) to another, new equilibrium. The disruption to the equilibrium is what drives the narrative towards a new equilibrium. The movement from the initial equilibrium to the new equilibrium entails a transformation (e.g. the hero expresses their heroism and defeats the villain) – this transformation expresses what the narrative values.This is shown in the first episode of Deutschland 83 as the equilibrium for Martin was his everyday life working at border control, living with his mum and being with his girlfriend. The disequilibrium cam when his aunt came into the East in an attempt to take him away and become a undercover spy in the West working for the East. At first Martin did not want to do it but then is forced into when he gets his finger broken and drugged after being questioned by the general. He wakes up in the West in a massive house and only to find another general and his aunt there. After first refusing to do the task, in the end he understood the implications and decided to do it for the good of his country, this has become his new equilibrium and he understood his job and wanted to complete it to go back. 

Van Zoonen Feminist theory is applied in Deutschland 83. In patriarchal culture, the way women's bodies are represented as objects is different to the representation of male bodies as spectacle. Gender is preformative – our ideas of femininity and masculinity are constructed in our performances of these roles. Gender is ‘what we do’ rather than ‘what we are’. Moreover, gender is contextual – its meaning changes with cultural and historical contexts. An example within the first episode is t=7:40 when Martins Mum is in the Kitchen with her sister Lenora this is a perfect example of Van Zoonen as it shows a gender stereotype of women in the kitchen doing domestic chores. This constructs a specific performance which has certain specific historical context of women becoming more domestic. This scene is also significant as it shows a clear divide between the two sisters. Martins Mum is from the East and is proven by the clothes she is wearing which is more of the working class and it accentuates their families social status and class. Whereas Lenora the sister is seen wearing more smart clothing and even has a cigarette in her hand this oozes power and strongly suggests that she is of a higher class and has been from the West of Germany. This shows two sisters and the contrast of lifestyle and class. Another example of Van Zoonen in the text is t=37:24 this wide shot presents Yvonne as the centre of attention and almost as the spectacle. This links to the idea that gender is perfomative and where Yvonne is obliged to perform a classical song  by her father wishes and expectations , which is a vast contrast from her brother who is expected to be a soldier and leader this signify the societies ideas of femininity and masculinity and are constructed within these two roles. This portrays the ideology of feminism and women having equal rights.

Barthes theories of multi stranded narrative, connotation and denotation, enigma code all can be applied/justified in the first episode of Deutschland 83. Multi stranded narrative relates to the idea of a ball of string and this signify the idea that there are multiple story lines within one narrative. 

Hall- 

Deutschland 83 timed analysis

T = 7




Dark Palette, Wide shot to show buildings, Editing shows the location

t=25



forces of evil in the modern world - real life footage makes the drama part documentary , presence of R Reagan adds authenticity to the drama.


t=33



Focused on the foreground, Mid shot, low key lighting muted colours, mise en scene suggests that shes in a higher class/status, body language suggests power, subverts from gender norms of male being in power.

t= 1.55



Difference of ideology, levels of irony/humour

t= 2.59




Neale theory of genre hybridity applies, low angle and colours/lighting

t=3.03



Contrast to beginning

t=5.47




t-7.06



Todorov equilibrium theory applies, Propps theory of the damsel. patriarchal representations of female role apply . Van Zoonen applies

t=7.40



Van Zoonen gender stereotype of women in the kitchen doing domestic chores, Contrast of the east and west. Contrast of class

t=13.04


Disequilibrium Todorov, Foreground, sent on a quest, Propps theory

t=16.59


Mise en scene elements, costume and props. american clothes.

t=18.10


midshot, bright colours shows the West in bright colours , comedic scene , sweet dreams intertextual link that song came out in the year it was set in.

t=31.32



comedic moment cant get in , closeup , music in the background adds to the tension

t=32.16

Genre hybrid, spying

t=33:48.

silent, builds tension, woman wearing yellow dress stands out

t=35:33

the pass that they previously practised fails which is fairly comedic, neales genre hybrid

t=37:41

moving camera looking up , focused on martin

t=38:13

Focused on martin, but in the background see the aunt, builds suspense/tension

t=38:18

shows her perspective of whats going on, midshot

t=42.28

comedic, neales genre hybrid, aunts away with the fairies and dancing

t=43.39

Lowly saturated colours, characters blend in suggest they dont want to be caught

t=43.53

wide shot to show everything that going and shows a woman in a car they should avoid.

t=44.38

Neales genre hybridity, Van Zoonen female views

t=45.29

shows a hand on the shoulder in a close up. Wide shot to show the passing of information

t=46.16

Extreme wide shot that's zoomed at to show isolation and almost power for the female

t=46.23

moving shot of martin running

t=46.37

#

camera stay stills and martin runs to join the group

Long Form TV Drama Deutschland 83

Deutschland 83

Directors - Edward Berger / Samira Radsi

Shot Location - Filmed in Berlin and Potsdam Germany / Stazi museum

Budget- $40Million Germany Biggest Budget

How many countries- USA, Germany , UK, Europe

Revenue- 

LIAR-

Language
Industry
Audience
Representation

Old fashioned Vibe- e.g TV
colourful but muted colours
lowly saturated
shot reverse shot- passing cigarettes
use of real life footage gives authenticity
intertextual link song in the grocery
costume (Verisimilitude)
Handheld shots following character
smooth establishing shots
Animated title sequence with light hearted music but serious visuals
lots of character movement suspenseful music to fit mood
silence for effect
low angle shots


Editing

Throughout the first episode, the pace of camera changes to build suspense. This is evident from when Martin was running away from his aunt and the East Germany generals. Audiences would've became engrossed as the pace increases it leads to increased pressure.
Blue tone to represent a more moody , serious scene this was seen in East Germany.
Throughout the episode there was a use of colours but they were muted colours to conform to the authenticity and when the episode was set.
News footage from real television gives high levels of authenticity and makes it relatable to the audience and relates to the idea of Verisimilitude.

Sound
"Sweet Dreams" is a song by Euthrymics , made in 1983. This is an intertextual link as this song came out the year the episode was set and it accentuates the fact that where it was set and it makes it authentic as possible as the West was allied with America and thus the reason thew song being played in the grocery store.
Use of silence in meeting with the general playing chess, was unsettling.
Amplified  sounds and fast music links to the ideal of paranoria and makes the audience be on the edge of the seats as they're instantly interested.

Mise-en-scene
Verisimilitude - uniforms and offices gives more authenticity
A lot of dark humour within the episode examples are when the Aunt was drugged and dancing, also at the beginning scaring the two thief

Camera Work
Wide shots of buildings establishes shots and builds suspense. As well shows transitions within the episode and it shows off the iconic places.
Shot reverse shot with the aunt and general passing the cigarettes. It builds the pace and tension and it goers back and forth.
Lots of camera movement shows panning and handheld
Match on action and pulling focus when Martin was on the phone to his girlfriend.


Class
Gender
Todorov
Hall
Van Zoonen
4 Micro Elements

Genre Conventions- Spy

Main Protagonist usually male
Weapons/Tech
Double Agent (Plot Twist)
Secrecy
Dark Colour Palette
Tension and Suspension

Genre Conventions - Comedy

Lighting tends to be proud
Main character usually male
Life doesn't run smoothly


Hybrid of Deutschland of 83 conforms to both to a Spy genre and comedy genre show. It contains a male protagonists who's life isn't running smoothly. Deutschland 83 also used a Dark colour palette but subverts from it in a light heart moments. As it is a spy genre it contains a lot of  Tech and Weapons , Secrecy, Tension and Plot twists.

Genre theory is about what genres are, and about how and why they are created, change endure or decline.

Neale argues that genre is a process by which generic codes and conventions are shared by producers and audiences through repetition in media products.

This means that genres are not fixed, but constantly evolve with each new addition to the generic corpus (the body of products in a genre), often playing with genre codes and conventions or becoming hybrids with other genres.

Generic codes and conventions are not just established in media products but in products that refer to these products such as critical writings or advertising and marketing material, what Neale referred to as ‘the inter textual relay’.

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Theories of Representation – Hall

Representation is not about whether the media reflects or distorts reality, as this implies that there can be one ‘true’ meaning, but the many meanings a representation can generate. Meaning is constituted by representation, by what is present, what is absent, and what is different. Thus, meaning can be contested.

A representation implicates the audience in creating its meaning. Power – through ideology or by stereotyping – tries to fix the meaning of a representation in a ‘preferred meaning’. To create deliberate anti-stereotypes is still to attempt to fix the meaning (albeit in a different way). A more effective strategy is to go inside the stereotype and open it up from within, to deconstruct the work of representation.

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Stuart Hall's theory of representation (Guardian Research)

A more western population such as Americans may view Deutschland 83 the preferred reading in the fact that it is a fictional story and almost sympathise for Martin and will see the story from the point of the view the main protagonist. 

An oppositional reading would be more suited to Germans as this was proved as Deutschland 83 lost half its German starting audience with only 1.72m viewers. This could be as the Cold war was still fresh in the minds for Germans and its too close to home. This could be also linked to the Stasi within the political context of East/West Germany.

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The economic context for long form TV drama is summed up in p 154 where its states that the reduction in costs of technology coupled with increased competition (p.   ) has resulted in higher quality long form TV dramas. This includes factors such as

• CGI allowing visual effects even within TV budgets
• Drones allowing arial photography
• The development of high definition cameras, with low lightr sensitivity enabling recording low key lighting set-ups at night.

The developments of streaming technologies has enabled LFTV dramas to be made available on Netflix, BT, Virgin, Sky and Amazon who are actively commissioning proprietary content on their streaming services in order to differentiate themselves from other providers.

• The emergence of low cost streaming services is only possible through the lower cost of computers
• The political drive to create high speed connections
• The cultural contect of changing attitudes as to what constitutes television.

Streaming as a technology has also allowed

• Programmes to be made without obvious segmentation in order to fit advertising breaks
• Less adherence to rigid program lengths
• Less need for traditional narrative elements such as cliff hangers as programmes can be watched as complete series.;

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Viewpoints and ideologies in media language   (p156)

Referring to pages 156 of the OCR media studies book you will refelect of the ideologies influencing media language in TV dramas, these may include

·         Individualism - Deutschland 83 mainly focuses on Martin the protagonist and his journey of going to the west. Phone call to Girlfriend/ Take care of his mother/Shakespeare shows corruption 

·         Consumerism- E.g. In Deutschland is when Martin jumps the wall and runs away from the general. Also, the Shakespeare books and the scene in the Grocery store/trying all the gadgets and spy skills/Puma/ Hypocrisy

·         Patriarchal- The scene at the generals party, Yvonne is expected to sing and show herself off. /Lenora- East German spy leader subverts the ideoalogy  / Anett/ Martins mum in kitchen 

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(p159.)    Todorov’s narratology can be used to analyse narratives of LFTVD’s but the theory has its limitations.   Essentially the dramas can be analysed in terms of how they suggest an initial equilibrium and how they disrupt this equilibrium with an event that creates a drive towards a narrative resolution.

(p161) Todorov’s theory is designed to explain a linear narrative with a distinct ending, a narrative resolution.   As Long form TV dramas are serial narratives (meaning they drive towards a resolution over e.g. the length of a series in order to meet audience expectations however the prime interest in these dramas is in how the resolution is delayed ,  a delay which creates a sense of anticipation by combining the movement towards that resolution with other narrative strands.

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Cultural Context-

• The episode reflects specifically German concerns about cultural amnesia and remembering. The need to remember - recent media products have explored East German experience in a way that represents how ambiguities of that experience were buried in the triumph of the West at reunification
• An example will be the tensions between the East and West
• Spy narrative is of global cultural resonance, despite its local origin , and helps explain the international success of its series
• The representational complexity of the programme reflects the context of the high expectations of LFTVD.

Historical Context-

• The episode explores the German division in 1983 : the East poor, controlled and firmly ideological: the West rich, free but self-doubting
• The complex and ambiguous representations in Deutschland 83 reflect the difficulties faced by Germany in coming to terms with its past., the political and military tensions of the early 1980s in divided Germany. The collapse of communism in 1989 meant that much more East German experience was swept under the carpet. 

Political Context-

• The representation of concern in both Germany about american sabre about rattling may reflect either contemporary German political confidence, as the lead in European politics or a liberal critique of american republican politics by the programme american writer or both 

Economic Context-

• The complexity of the characteristics and representations reflects the economic pressure to create quality flagship programming. 

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Levi Strauss Levi Strauss’s idea of the binary opposition – that the system of myths and fables was ruled by a structure of opposing terms such as hot/cold, male female can be applied to LFTVD.

The opposites of way of life between East/West - west is more richer and more modernised whereas the east is more poorer 

Male Leader/Female Leader 

State:Family - Lenora is more interested in the East Germany state rather her than her own sister 

Martin wants to be back home with his girlfriend and family 

Manipulation/love-  becoming a spy/lying to his girlfriend 

Danger/Safety- always in danger and safety isn't given yet

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Stereotypes 

• Walter is a stereo typically ruthless spymaster
• Young people at the party are stereotypical pleasure-seeking teenagers
• Martin flawed young man with lack of self control 
• General Jackson Black male - Gung-ho american military man 
• Yvonne troubled and rebellious young teenager