TV Industry
Introduction to the TV industry
Component 1 is the unseen exam, it is a mixture of short and long questions with no guarantee with which industry comes up. There are 6 different industries which could come up in this component including advertising, film, radio, video games, music videos and magazines. Component 2 is media products in depth. Everything that we look at for Component 2 will come up. TV, magazines and online media will come up in Component 2, there is no limit on how many questions will come up for each one. We need to study each one of these industries in huge detail.
Different types of media questions:
- Media Language - mise-en-scene, camera angles, shot types etc. (Analysis).
- Representation - How issues and events are constructed by the producer.
- Audience - Those who consume media products.
- Industry - The way in which media products make money.
Humans is a science fiction TV show, it is a British-America co-production. It was produced by Channel 4 in the UK and ANC in the US. It is a re-make of a Swedish TV show called Real Humans.
There are a range of narrative strands in Humans. This is what is referred to as a flexi narrative, This show includes themes of robots, artificial intelligence which is a sub-genre (genre within a genre) of science fiction. It is also about slavery, sex slavery and prostitution.
Genre can refer to the feature and the style of the media product.
To get a:
C = you must include media language
B = you must apply media language to theories
A = you must present a point of view/argument
How do the genre conventions of humans reflect the socio-historical context of this media product?
Genre - is a type of media product
Sub-genre - is a genre inside a genre
Hybrid genre - is a mix of one or two more genres
Genre conventions - things that we would expect to see in a typical genre
Humans is an unconventional science fiction genre.
Generic paradigmatic features - Something that shows the audience what genre something is.
Genre ensures variety for the audience, allowing the audience and the producer to categorise our media products.
It allows audiences to make decisions on what they want to watch
Steve Neale theory - Neale believes that films of a type (genre, like romance or horror) should include features that are similar, so the audience know it is a horror film or romance, but also include features that are different, to keep an audience interested. This is his theory of repetition and difference.
Humans genre is Sci-Fi, but it's sub-genre is artificial intelligence.
Humans also deals with other topics such as morals, and family life which do not convert to the Sci-Fi genre. Its set in the present modern days, not thousands of years into the future which will be typically seen in the science-fiction genre.
Intertextuality, is where one product references another media product. There is an intertextual reference of an eye from the sci-fi film Blade Runner.
P - Point, which comes from the question
E - Evidence, is from the media product and media language within.
A- Analysis
Why does it do this?
What extent is this scene typical to its genre?
- Binary opposition between dark, lowkey lighting in the warehouse and flashing high key lighting in the intro
The opening scene from Humans uses a number of science fiction, conventions. For example, the opening montage and credits shows a variety of futuristic mise-en-scene, including robots, machinery and other technology. The opening extreme-close up on an eye, functions as an intertextual reference to the 1982 sci-fi/artificial intelligence film Blade Runner, to establish the sub-genre which the show belongs to. The choice of colour-pallet is cold and clinical which is conventional to the Sci-genre. The mise-en-scene of the nude bodies standing functions as a pro-aertic code of sexual connections and creates a suggestion they will be used to sexual purposes which shadows the theme of Humans. The synth- soundtrack from the theme tune is typical to what you would expect from a science fiction TV show, as it sounds eerie and futuristic. The synthetic techno soundtrack pro airectly symbolises themes of fakeness and science-fiction conventions, to communicate the to audience that this is a science fiction genre. Many of the conventions could also convert to the horror genre create a disturbing atmosphere to the target audience.
For Steve Neale, it reflects the genre and sociohistorical context between Humans and the time it was made. He claims genre reflects the time it was made.
Zeitgeist - refers to the spirt of the time.
Allegory/Metaphor - A story about something else
THEMES:
- Sex trafficking
- Slavery
- Prostitution
- Affairs and cheating
- Family Life
- Humanity
- Singularity
-Post-modernism
- British Society
- Morals
- Sexualisation
- Unpaid labour
My notes:
- Dark, LED Low-key lighting of the brothel creates a sense of mystery and danger
- The eerie synthesised soundtrack, and the emphasised bass, creates the feeling of discomfort which has symbolic connotations of danger and aggression.
- Highly sexualised representations of the women who are prostitutes are emphasized through them shouting sexualised phrases at the man
Class Notes:
Tracking shot of Leo walking through the brothel puts the audience into his perspective, this constructs a highly uncomfortable mode of address which is further anchored through the mise-en-scene of the numbers on the doors of the cubicle, which constructs a degrading and problematic atmosphere.
The use of low-key lighting functions as an hermeneutic code which creates a mysterious and creepy atmosphere to the target audience. This ominous setting symbolises the extreme danger that Leo is putting himself in and reinforces the issue of sexual exploitation in our society.
The MES of Niska's costume has significant sexual connotations, dressed in red lingerie makes Niska appear both vulnerable and impressionable, whilst objectifying and sexualising her, which is further reinforced by the MES of her seductive hand movements, blowing a kiss to Leo, this mid-shot directly addresses Leo and also directly addresses the audience, positioning them in an uncomfortable, yet confusing mode of address.
The low-key LED lighting coloured with reds and purples, functions as an intertextual relay to the audience, making reference to other TV shows and films featuring brothels. This allows audiences who have no experience with the sex industry to instantly identify and understand this scene. The extensive use of the colour red is highly polysemic, which connotates sex and danger this reinforces to the target audience the dangers of working in the sex industry and the danger that the main characters are in.
The mise-en-scene of the tablet which Leo flicks through serves to dehumanise the workers of the brothel, by reducing each of them to a preview video of them and a number. The process of selecting a prostitute here, resembles a video game and this further objectifies and dehumanises the woman by reducing them down to just a simple number, which can be selected by a price. This functions as a clear and powerful allegory for sexual violence. In video games, producers suggest that in the world of that narrative, selecting a woman to have sex with is as easy as playing a video game. Intertextual reference to video games, Leo uses the tablet to select a girl based on sexual attractiveness which resembles the process of selecting an avatar in a video game, this could also be an intertextual reference to online shopping. However, although the scene uses explicit reference to the objectification of women within the context of the narrative it could be argued that the workers in the brothel are not woman and are indeed not even human. The robotic nature of these characters is encoded through the mise-en-scene of the inhuman eyes of the performers and is anchored through the artificial and exaggerated movements of the women. The audience is forced to accept a difficult and extremely problematic binary opposition between humanity and artificial intelligence, this clearly demonstrates the ideology of the producers of the show that sexual objectification is extremely harmful to our society therefore it could be argued that humans exist to enlighten the audience about this extremely relevant issue.
The mid-shot of Niska trapped behind a glass door, polysemically encodes not only her sexual availability but also symbolically suggests that she is trapped and can only be saved by Leo
Textual Analysis of Humans:
Analyse and evaluate Roland Barthes:
- Structuralism - Levi Strauss
- Semiotics Roland Barthes - how meaning is communicated to the audience.
- Hermeneutic code - Something which is not explained
- Proairectic code - suggests that something is going to happen
Diegesis / diegetic (Sound) - In the world of narrative
Non- diegetic - Not in the world of narrative
The Diegesis used in the sound in the opening scene of Humans is complicated and highly engaging, these diegetic sounds construct a confusing and enigmatic atmosphere this is further reinforced through the sound of non-diegetic sound, a ghostly melody plays as Anita looks up to the moon reinforcing the highly mysterious mode of a address in this positions the audience in a strangely relaxed and confusing situation, this confusing nature is further reinforced through the mise-en-scene of Anita's nudity which places the audience in a vulnerable position. This highly sophisticated number of elements engages the audience into the scene. The moon functions as a powerful hermeneutic code to suggest humanity and technological advancements, extraterritorial life, witchcraft. This is highly polysemic
A high pitch drum comes from no considerable source. A stereotypical conventional sound of the science fiction genre.
An internal diegetic sound - Sound in a character's head.
Extra diegetic sound - Sound that exists between Diegesis
Subjective sound - Sound only a particular character can hear
Pleonastic sound - Exaggerated sound
Roland Barthes argues meaning is constructed through a complex codes to what extent do you agree with this statement. Use Humans to reference
Signs and symbols
Roland Barthes theory of semiotic is extremely helpful when analysing humans uses a complex and fascinating combination of codes to construct meaning for it's many audiences.
- Darkness functions as a hermeneutic code. Creates mysterious and creepy atmosphere and unsettling uncomfortable position for the audience.
-Fast, editing clips
- Slow, moving shot of Anita starring at the child, acts a a hermeneutic code - Why is she creates unsettling
- Slow, unsettling long shot
The voice over sound of the scientist explaining artificial intelligence begins as diegetic sounds but then shifts into extra diegetic sound as it functions as a voice over explaining the ending montage clearly functions as a powerful hermeneutic code brining us a number of ethical and questions about Anita's past, these things construct a powerful empathy for Anita which establishes her status as the protagonist, this constructs a binary opposition between Anita and the family. A mid shot from reverse of Anita clutching Sophie is barely lit through extreme low-key lighting, Anita herself forms a mere silhouette, which functions as a symbolic code which Anita is not only mysterious but potentially threatening
The shot of Laura and Anita additionally functions as a hermeneutic code with a mixture of distrust and fear which raises a significant question to the audience 'why is she mistrusting Anita?' This suggests to the audience that robots are gong to take over, by using the audiences pre-existing knowledge of the science fiction genre the producer is able to proaireticly produce a range of
Narrative
Narrative is the way in which the story is told, everything is narrative. Media Language is narrative.
Todorov – narrative / narratology theory - All narrative features a stage of movement
Equilibrium - Stage of balance
Aristotle argues that all narrative is complex.
Anita is kidnapped and sold into a family as a slave. The father Joe, has trouble with housework, so he buys a Synth. Laura as an issue with Anita replacing her, the child Sophie has two mothers which is quite confusing .
Todorov describes equilibrium - stage of balance, such as the Hawkins family daily life which involves going to work, school etc. The Hawkins family buys Anita, which is a disequilibrium. The episode ends with another disequilibrium, another cliff-hanger, Anita carrying Sophie outside.
What is representation? The representation of a group of people, an issue or main event made by the producer.
The representation of women in humans in complicated.
Fetishism - An obsession with a particular object or thing.
Commodity - A product
How is Anita Fetishized:
- Close up shot of feet of Anita being wheeled to the shop to be sold.
- Close up shot of Anita face as she is being switched on, and the the slow zoom out after.
- Salesman handing Joe the envelope with a wink, sexualises Anita
We are all facing the idea that Artificial intelligence is progressing so quickly that soon it will outperform humans. Thee themes of anxiety perform through the casting of Anita and Laura, the binary opposition is constructed through these two women, Gemma Chan who has been cast as Anita is hegemonically very attractive which is emphasized through the close up of her face, and then further anchored through the reaction shot of Joe quickly looking at the floor. After Joe looks at Anita we cut back to Laura, who is not at home. The dark dull and boring mise-en-scene encodes that Laura is significantly less hegemonically attractive than Anita. An establishing montage of Anita's zipped being slowly unzipped, in a close panning shot constructs a highly fetisistic and obsessional mode of address, whoever these shots also encode Anita as not just a sexual fetish object but also a commodity. By selecting an East-Asian actor the producers are referencing the specific sexualision of east-Asian women. Anita draws attention to the stereotypical assumption that east-Asian women are submissive and sexually desirable through being submissive, this is further reinforced through the stereotypical representation of the Hawkins family, being a stereotypical white, nuclear, middle class family. Joe's decision to buy Anita positions the target audience in a highly uncomfortable mode of address as the binary opposition constructed through their differences functions as a allegorical reference to slavery they are white and British and middle class.
Anita represents a:
- Person
- Synth/Robot
- Artificial Intelligence
- Woman
- Personal assistant
- Mother
- Prostitute
- Doll
- Friend
- Slave
We are both organism and machine - Donna Haraway (Humans are reliant on technology: phones, computers etc.)
Humans draws attention to the cool, edgy discussion: What is humanity?
Judith Butler - Theory of gender formatively
- Sex is what you are biologically born as.
- Gender is the category which somebody identifies as.
- Montage of extreme close up shots of zips being slowly unfastened are symbolic of sex and sexualisation, and construct an almost erotic atmosphere for the target audience. Additionally, the use of extreme close ups function as a hermeneutic code, suggesting to the audience the wonderful things that are contained inside. It is highly suggestive of the desire involved in opening a new product, and insinuates that Anita will be highly desirable.
- A binary opposition is constructed through the montage that contrasts Anita and Laura. Anita is highly hegemonically attractive, while Laura is more conventional and even relatable for the target audience
- Immediately after, Anita approaches Toby in the stereotypical white middle class setting of the Hawkins household, and formally introduces herself. There is an exaggerated slow zoom reaction shot on Toby's face, which emphasises the proairetic code of him licking his lips. This clearly communicates to the audience Toby's sexual attraction to Anita, which ultimately presents Anita as a sexualised object
- "Soph, look, there's a really posh one' - emphasises the commodity status of the synths
- Anita's eyes are heavily made up, and form a point of fascination for Joe
- The scene where Joe buys Anita draws attention to a significant societal issue that we are all facing: the idea that artificial intelligence is progressing so quickly, that soon it will outperform us humans. These themes of anxiety are encoded through the casting of Anita and Laura. A binary opposition is constructed between these two women. Gemma Chan, who plays Anita, is hegemonically very attractive, which is emphasised through the close up of her face, and then further anchored through the reaction shot of Joe quickly looking at the floor. After Joe has purchased Anita, we cut back to Laura. he dark, dull, boring and dreary MES encodes that Laura is significantly less hegemonically attractive than Laura.
- An establishing montage of Anita's zip being slowly unzipped in a close, panning shot, constructs a highly fetishist and obsessional mode of address. However, these shots also encode Anita as not just a sexual fetish object, but also a commodity.
- The negotiation of exoticism. Anita is an East Asian woman, and the casting of Gemma Chan was deliberate and considered. In the Swedish original version of Humans, an East Asian actor was also cast in the role of Anita. By selecting an East Asian actor, the producers are drawing attention to the stereotypical fetishization of East Asian women. Anita draws attention to the stereotypical assumption that East Asian women are both submissive and sexually desirable through being submissive. This is further reinforced through the stereotypical representation of the Hawkins family being a stereotypical white nuclear middle class family. Joe's decision to buy Anita positions the target audience in a highly uncomfortable mode of address, ads the binary opposition constructed through their differences functions as an allegorical reference to slavery.
• Therefore, in this postmodern age of simulacra, audiences are constantly bombarded with images which no longer refer to anything ‘real’
• Because of this, we are now in a situation that media images have come to seem more ‘real’ than the reality they supposedly represent. This concept is referred to as 'hyperreality'
- It is impossible to objectively define what is real (Everybody's perspective of the world is completely different from one another, it is social construct)
- 'We live in an age where there is more and more information, and less and less meaning.'
- 'Since all forms of meaning have collapsed media products reflect ideologies and messages that have never even existed in the first place.'
- Parenthood (Stereotypical mum and dad)
- Sexualities (Being heterosexual is normal, being gay is tolerated but generally seen as different)
- Capitalism (Success in life can clearly be defined through earning)
- Religion
'Television products are significantly influenced by the contexts in which they are produced.’
Explore how Humans targets and attracts a specialised audience.
Fan art created by fans
In what ways is age represented in the TV shows that you have studied?
- The apparent age of the characters is very young. Lena (the character) is 14 years old, which may mean that some audiences may feel uncomfortable by this.
- The use of close up BEV shots position the audience literally on top of the young couple
- A highly voyeuristic mode of address, where the audience are essentially seeing something that they shouldn’t see
However, the soundtrack, which combines a thrumming bass noise with eerie sound effects, which is highly typical of the horror genre. Additionally, the iconography of a creepy child all by himself..
Representations of age and gender
The mock exam
Two Questions
Two questions -
- One is a 30 mark/50 minute question comparing Les Revs and Humans
- The other is a 15 mark/25 minutes question on EITHER humans or Les Revs
Simon and Lena
The lake pub
Immediately before this scene, we see a shot of Julie on an empty bus, which constructs a vulnerable and bleak atmosphere. The scene immediately after is set in the Seurat family house, which presents an aspirational mode of address to the middle class French audience. French media, for example films and TV shows are far more likely to feature wealthy characters and aspirational upper middle class settings.
These two scenes also forma a diegetic binary opposition to Simon and Lena's night.
The Lake Pub is lively, exciting and inviting and positions the target audience in an exciting mode of address. This mode of address is constructed. The MES of pool tables function as a proairetic code for social interaction and fun. The low key orange lighting presents a warm and inviting colour palette, that suggests the potential of a welcoming atmosphere. The MES of bottles of alcohol form a proairetic code, for drinking, fun and excitement. Finally, the clientele of the pub are young and hegemonically attractive people, which constructs a symbolic atmosphere of sexual potential. Lena makes constant eye contact with Simon, which connotes her desire to seduce him. Her body language indicates her interest in him, by moving in close towards him. She asks Simón to 'buy me a drink', which indicates her interest in him.
Lena's assertively is potentially stereotypically masculine by actively picking up a man at a pub, and demonstrating her sexual interest, the producer of Les Revenants is actively contradicting Liesbet Van Zoonen's feminist theory, By reinforcing the atypical representation of women being sexually active, Les Revants challenges hegemonic norms and values that exist around women
Simon acts in a grumpy, impatient and even desperate manner. He clearly has no sexual interest in Lena, which is encoded through his complete lack of dialogue, and the short terse delivery of his questions. Simon almost seems surprised and even uncomfortable with Lena’s assertiveness.
Cinematography
Camera angles
Mise en scene
Lighting
Costume
Colour
Editing
Binary oppositions
Sound
Setting
Props
Gestures
Facial expressions
Shot types
Stuart Hall - representations
How significant are economic factors in the TV industry? Refer to Humans to support your answer.
Knee jerk reaction: Economic factors are essential to the TV industry
Plan
MES
Target audience
Representation
Camera angles
Preferred reading
Narrative
Polysemic
Metanarrative
Allegory
Multi-strand narrative
Archetypes
Construction
Intertextual readings
Editing
Fast paced editing
Montage
Semiotics (roland, codes)
Binary Oppostions
Gender performativity
Postmodernism
DAC
Definition, argument, context
- Economic factors refer to the financial implications of making and distribution a TV show. In this essay, I shall argue economic factors are essential to the production and distribution of TV shows, as the purpose of every TV show is to minimise risk and to maximise profit for it's producer. In order to explore this point, I shall refer to Humans, a sci-fi series first broadcast 2015 on Channel 4 in the UK, and AMC in America. This US/UK co-production conveys a variety of different meanings to different audiences, and was a remake of a Swedish TV show.
- The marketing campaign for Humans was highly atypical and even controversial, breaking many of the so-called rules of advertising. An excellent example of this is the Persona Synthetics TV spot advert, which takes a highly unusual mode of address.
- In a highly atypical move, the Persona Synthetics trailer choses to advertise the cyborg (or synth) from the TV show, as opposed to the TV show itself. None of the main characters appear at any stage, and there is even no reference to the title of the TV show itself. The advert accomplishes a fascinating feat: it is literally placing the audience in to the world of the Humans narrative, and demonstrating an advert that the Hawkins family is likely to have seen. This advert is an excellent example of the company apparently self-sabotaging. The advert completely lacks any information, such as the name of the TV show, any of the names of the characters, and even what time the show will be broadcast. However, this highly atypical mode of address will actively encourage audiences to engage with this advert, for example looking up the website, searching for the included hashtag. This will ultimately encourage audiences to engage with the product both online and in person, and is an excellent example of viral media.
- It's mysterious nature functions as a hermeneutic code, creating a powerful sense of mystery for the target audience
- The advert constructs a highly shocking and manipulative mode of address, heavily inferring to the mass audience that synthetic lifeforms actually do exist. It is an example of augmented reality, and actively positions audiences within the world of the narrative. It uses many conventions of the advert, including the casting of a stereotypical family, the use of a stereotypical futuristic household , and the use of an upbeat song in a major key, as well as the link to a website and the on screen graphic 'Regent Street Store Open Soon'. All of these elements combine to construct and augmented reality where robots exist.
- While this trailer does not include footage or characters from the show, it does expertly introduce a range of important themes:
- Artificial intelligence "closer to humans than ever before"
- The obsolescence of humans - synths are represented as being more capable, more safe, more reliable
- Foreshadowing many controversial and unpleasant themes of the TV show: the montage of the kid coming downstairs/reaction of mother /synth walking kid upstairs is absolutely wonderful
- Sale of merchandise, for example DVDs etc...
- Middle class science fiction fans are a desirable target audience, and advertisers will potential pay a premium for this
- MES of the nuclear family is anchored through the depiction of a mother, a father, and two children. They are white, and extremely middle class, a fact which which is anchored through the highly middle class setting
- The MES of the clean and extremely modern family household constructs a clear ideology of a middle class family. However, the household does not resemble a 'real' house, but instead functions as a hyperreal simulation. It resembles a house that we may see in an advert or in a high end showroom. This advert is clearly trying to resemble an advert.
- The Persona Synthetics commercial is an advert for a synth, a synthetic human, or cyborg. However, they clearly do not exist. This is a highly convincing advert for a fictitious product. Other elements which make this a highly conventional product advert include the generically appropriate soundtrack, which features a positive, major key piano motif. It's convincing nature is further anchored through montage of the synth carrying out a range of stereotypically 'feminine' tasks, such as cooking, cleaning, and childcare. It's conventions are similar to that of a kitchen appliance advert, functioning as a highly complex system of intertextual relay, creating a satisfying mode of address for the target, niche sci fi audience
- This highly convincing advert actually convinced a small minority of audience members that cyborgs do in fact exist. This is partly due to it's highly convincing genre conventions. The trailer ends with a title card/on screen graphic with the Persona Synthetics logo. This diegetically situated element of mise en scene essentially communicates to the target audience that Persona Synthetics is a real corporation, and wonderfully positions the audience not as a potential audience for the TV show Humans, but actually in the world of the narrative.
- AR - augmented reality. Through it's highly convincing set of generic conventions, the trailer forces the target audience to answer the question: is this real? This proairetically brings up one of the main themes of humans, 'what is reality? What is humanity? And other extremely complicated, and highly postmodern. The advert is deliberately creating a sense of anxiety, confusion, and a nightmarish atmosphere. This is a highly atypical way of selling a new TV show! This indicates that Humans is clearly targeting a niche audience.
- The use of the hashtag hashtag humans functions as an example digitally convergent media, encouraging the niche target audience to engage with the show online before ever actually having seen it
- However, the advert also incorporates a highly problematic proairetic code, foreshadowing the themes of the collapse of the nuclear family.
- While the trailer for Humans radically does not include any traditional trailer conventions, it does include it's own self contained an highly effective narrative. The final montage of shots constructs a highly effective deconstruction of the nuclear family. A low angle mid-shot sees a young boy walking down dark stairs in a position of distress. He directly addresses his parents, However, the mother's expression is one of annoyance. This highly effective montage explores the deconstruction and the problems facing the nuclear in the early 21st century. This raises a range of problematic and highly polysemic issues for the niche target audience, and reinforces the complexity of the show before audiences are even aware that it exists
Revising audience theory
Cultivation theory - the idea that being repeatedly exposed to an ideological perspective or representation will cultivate or grow an ideological perspective in the audience.
What stereotypical representations does Les Revs perpetuate?
Stereotypical representations of French women. For example the representation of Adele being hegemonically attractive and stylish from a French perspective.
Stereotypical representations of teenagers. Obsessed with sex, socialising and rebelliously defying their parents.
Issues with Les Revenants
To what extent do the Tv shows that you’ve studied encourage multiple audience responses?
The show is targeting and almost universally represents a middle class audience. The show asks the audience to not only identify with the middle class characters, but also assumes a certain level of intelligence and education. It assumes a certain knowledge of French culture, French geography, horror film conventions and the conventions of art films.
Almost every character in the show is white, which presents a narrow and straightforward representation of ethnicity. This is an example of something that George Gerbner refers to as ‘symbolic annihilation’
There are a number of stereotypical representations of gender. For example, Claire is a stereotypical gendered representation of a caring mother. Additionally, two men die in this first episode in both cases at the hands of a male character which reinforces stereotypical patriarchal hierarchies of power
- The television industry is a specialised industry. Explore how The Returned is a product of a specialised industry
- Niche audience
- Flexi-narrative multi strand narrative, typical of TV show
- Complex
- Stereotypically French
- Slow paced
- Weird
- Atypical
- High Budget
- Polysemic
- Dark
- Depressing
- Washed out colour palette
- Mysterious
- Hermeneutic
- Unsettling
- Confusing
- Complex
What other shows does Canal + put out?
-Spiral
-
Budget
Budget : €11 million / $14,29 million (€1,38 million
Funding
'Les Revenants' in particular was awarded a grant for 450,000 euros for season 1 and 1 million euros for season 2
International distribution
Production: how was it made? Who made it? Etc
The first season was directed by Fabrice Gobert and Frédéric Mermoud.
The second season of the series was directed by Fabrice Gobert and Frédéric Goupil
The production of Les Revenants was shot in the city of Annecy
Findings
What kind of organisation is Canal +?
Canal + is a multinational conglomerate. It owns a number of different channels, including Canal +, Cine Grande, Canal + Series, Canal + Foot, Canal + Kids, which indicates that it is horizontally integragrated. However it also produces films, and has it’s own international digital streaming services, which means that it is also vertically integrated. In short, it is absolutely massive. A show like Les Revs is only possible to be produced by an enormous company like Canal +
International distribution: in order to minimise risk and to maximise profit, Canal + chose to distribute and licence this show internationally. It was first broadcast in the UK on Channel 4, a channel with a reputation for edgy and experimental television. Channel 4 is funded through a mixture of traditional advertising and the UK TV licence. It was distributed in America on the Sundance channel, an independent, small US channel that specialises in international films and TV shows. By distributing this show internationally in a variety of different contexts, it allows the producer to minimise risk and to maximise profit, something that is only possible for the TV industry.
The first series of Les Revenants cost $11million, which categorises this show as surprisingly high budget. It was funded through a variety of sources, including a funding grant from Creative Europe, which amounted to 45000euro for the first series, and a million for the second. This varied form of funding is typical for less commercially successful TV shows. In doing so, this promotes French national culture, and presents France in a positive light. This can ultimately increase foreign tourist investment. The show features many montages of attractive scenes of the beautiful French countryside
Les Revenants is a niche show that targets a niche audience, and this is reflected in the funding of the show, which is highly typical of the television industry…
Les Revenants is produced by Canal +, French based, internationally minded conglomerate that charges a monthly subscription fee for its premium service. This means that Les Revenants reflects the high production values of it’s producer…
While the primary audience for Les Revenants is a domestic, French audience, the show also targets an international audience. This is typical of a specialised, multinational media conglomerate…
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