‘Long form television dramas lack originality; no matter which country they are made in, they all use intertextuality in the same way.’ How far do you agree with this statement?
Task 1: Watch These three videos
What is intertextuality? Media concept explained!
Intertextuality: Hollywood's New Currency
Stranger Things And Intertextuality (A Response To The Nerdwriter)
Task 2: Review previous notes
Take 15 minutes to re-read the notes on Economic Context - Make a note of the ways in which intertextuality could influence economic success or failure.
Chatham and Clarendon Media Studies Blog: ECONOMIC CONTEXT - LFTVD
Task 3: Read and Mark the following paragraph on Deutschland 83
NB: NOTICE HOW MUCH OF THE ESSAY ON GENRE IT RECYCLES
Applying Hesmondhalgh reveals a great deal about the
significance of intertextuality to the economic and critical success of D83. Hesmondhalgh
would likely argue that a significant method for mitigating financial risk in
cultural industries comes through the creation of content that combines the
familiar (through intertextual referencing) with the innovative (indirectly
reference through subversion); Neale
would identify this as the tension between ‘repetition’ and ‘difference’ which lies
at the heart of all evolving genres. D83 incorporates indirect intertextual
references to the Cold War Spy Genre, which had demonstrated its popularity
through the success of films like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) and
hit U.S. series The Americans (2013). The repetition of familiar genre tropes
provides a sense of narrative familiarity, ensuring that the series was accessible
to international audiences, especially in the U.S. It also manages to be
excitingly innovative by featuring a Communist protagonist in conflict with a
NATO antagonist. It is likely that this subversion of the genre attracted
backing from SundanceTV, given their reputation for quality, challenging
programming, and its intertextual nod to FX’s award winning LFTVD The
Americans (which also followed Communist protagonists impersonating westerners). Despite its critical acclaim (winning both an Emmy Award and a
Peabody Award) and financial success with U.S. audiences, the show struggled in
its domestic market, attracting only 3.19 million viewers during its premiere
and underperforming on RTL relative to its cost. Hall would likely suggest that the lived
experience of German audiences, especially those who lived through the
historical period, may have led them to adopt an oppositional reading of the
text, rejecting its inversion of the genre tropes that it intertextually
references. So, we can see that the use of intertextuality is very familiar,
which leads us to agree with the statement. However, perhaps more
interestingly, the relatively poor performance in Germany may lead us to conclude
that cultural industries are forced to use intertextuality in an unoriginal way,
‘no matter which country they are made in;’ not because of artistic choices but
because the of U.S. domination of the consumer market.
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Task 4: Write a similar paragraph based on Stranger Things. Try to include:
Jenkins - A significant contributor to the runaway financial success of Stranger Things can be attributed to the way that it uses intertextuality to evoke 1980s nostalgia. You could argue that the sheer quantity of intertextual referencing makes the show resemble a fan homage to 1980s pop culture, and specifically to Spielberg. Jenkins' idea of 'textual poaching' is essentially a type of intertextuality, and fans of the show may create 'spreadable media' of their own, inspired by the way that the Duffer Brothers have effectively poached from 1980s film, TV and pop culture.
Hesmondhalgh - In 2016, Video essayist, Nerdwriter coined the term 'weaponised intertextuality' to describe a growing trend in franchise movies, which cynically use intertextual references in place of well written dramatic context. Hesmondhalgh would certainly recognise this as a plot to mitigate risk by recylcing genre tropes and franchise formulas through intertextual referencing. It seems possible that Netflix were influenced by this trend when commissioning Stranger Things, hoping to cash in on the way that the show used intertextuality to evoke nostalgia within its audience. However, Stranger Things uses intertextuality in a far more creative way. For example, visual references to E.T. when introducing the character of 11 help to clarify her heroic role, while intertextual references to Carrie and Firestarter, bring a more interesting ambiguity to the characterisation. So, we might argue that Netflix intentions, constrained by the need for economic success, may have been unoriginal, using 'intertextuality in the same way' that was popular at the time, but that the Duffer Brothers took the opportunity to use intertextuality in a dramatic and skilful way to construct a more compelling protagonist.
Stranger things uses intertextuality very efficiently, and is arguably the backbone of the show and possibly one of the reasons why Netflix wanted to make the show in the first place, as they were cashing in on the trend of using intertextuality. But unlike so many other pieces of media nowadays, Stranger Things stays original and does not rely on weaponized intertextuality, as a replacement for good writing. Using Hesmondhalgh we can see that the show focused a lot on 80’s nostalgia, within its cast for example Winona Ryder playing Joyce, as well as using Jenkins to see that the show is a massive homage to 1980’s pop culture and most obviously Spielberg. The Duffer Brothers use textual poaching as a way to build their characters, for example ‘Eleven’, is very reminiscent of ET (ET, 1982), but also of a contrasting character such as Carrie (Carrie, 1976), using these completely juxtaposing characters emphasizes the originality of Stranger Things by giving the audience something new but also familiar so they can connect to the characters through originality. Stranger things also faced less demand to try and reach new audiences compared to D83 due to the fact that it was a Netflix original, so there was already a large American and international audience, this guarantee of viewership also allowed Stranger Things to have a fairly sized budget considering it was Netflix’ first original show, with $6 million per episode. The higher budget also paid off as it is estimated that Season 1 of Stranger things made Netflix £350 million in revenue, showing that a good mix of original content and intelligent use of intertextuality definitely works to capture audiences.
ReplyDeleteStranger Things uses intertextuality heavily to evoke the emotions of 1980s cinema this is demonstrated through references to films like ET and Stand by me were we see the children walking along the train tracks with the camera in an almost identical position to the shot in stand by me applying Jenkins here we could see that the duffer brothers use textual poaching to pay homage to popular culture and create recognizable images the audiences who grew up with these films would appreciate. This openness to textual poaching has likely encouraged the large amount of fan made media around stranger things all of which contribute to the show's fandom leading to a more loyal and captive audience. In a video essay by the nerd writer the term weaponized intertextuality is used to describe the trend of studios replacing good writing with intertextual references which applying Hesmondhalgh would suggest that these are much more low risk and thus more appealing to studios Hesmondhalgh would also take interest in the use of star power with the hiring of popular 80s actress Winona Ryder itself being a nod to films like Beetlejuice despite having just $6 million per episode the duffers clearly saw this as a sensible investment into the show. However there is an argument to be made that stranger things doesn't weaponize its intertextuality as the writing is often praised suggesting that the show instead used intertextuality as a way to get their foot in the door at Netflix and then letting the show speak for itself which has led to it gaining large viewership figures (12 million viewers on the first weekend) ensuring it would get eyes on the show. The use of intertextuality is in many ways leads to a lack in originality at face value unlike D83 that appears to tell a unique story, stranger things essentially remake ET with a human instead of an alien however when you dig deeper the approach to intertextuality is different to how most shows attempt it by incorporating the intertextuality deeply into the fabric of the show opposed to casual fan service.
ReplyDeleteApplying Jenkins shows the relevance of ‘textual poachers,’ as many elements in Stranger Things have been inspired by 80s classics and the works of Stephen Spielberg and Stephen King. The recognisable sci-fi and horror genre would appeal to a wide audience as it is a popular genre, this would lead to the idea of ‘participatory culture’ as audiences are able to be active and creative participants. As Stranger Things is a Netflix Original, they have the freedom to create whatever they want, and with the genre hybridity evident as early as the first episode they have a wide range of freedom. Due to it being so unique and enjoyable for many viewers with so many references to other texts, it became very popular, and fans have begun to create their own ‘spreadable media.’
ReplyDeleteDue to the volume of different genres within Stranger Things, Hesmondhalgh could be applied here. As the use of genre hybridity may have been a way to make more profit, knowing they would gain a lot of viewers. Following this normal capitalistic pattern, Duffer Brothers have successfully used intertextuality to have a large audience.
Applying Jenkins suggests the significance of intertextuality in regard to the economic success of Stranger Things, as the number of intertextual references in the Duffer Brothers’ LFTVD paves the way for fans to follow suit, using “textual poaching”. The unique genre (80s nostalgia, comedy, sci-fi, horror) would appeal to a wide variety of audiences in the 130 countries that the film was released in, allowing audiences to create fandoms by using the “creative scaffolding” of Stranger Things' intertextual references, generating a grand total of $27.4 million. It is therefore worth considering that, even though intertextuality might be used in a similar way “no matter which country they are made in”, there is definite originality, which is harnessed by producers who use their fans’ digital labour to promote and market their LFTVDs. Moreover, Stranger Things used intertextuality very efficiently by using actresses like Winona Ryder, linking itself to films like Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice (1988) and Edward Scissorhands (1990). Hesmondhalgh would argue that the careful formatting of this LFTVD is a clear attempt at maximising profits and minimising risks, which allowed the Duffer Brothers to maintain a $6 million budget per episode, unlike Deutschland 83, where the budget per episode totalled at around $1 million due to indirect intertextual references to successful Cold War Spy Genres like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011). So, although it is arguable that there is a lack of originality, compensation is made by the wide variety of different genres and intertextual references.
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isabella :)
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Applying Neale’s genre theory to the significance of intertextuality to the originality of Stranger Things demonstrates the intertextual homogenisation of genres to preserve a sense of freshness whilst still evoking a sense of nostalgia and homage to previous works. Neale states that genres must change over time in order to prevent stagnation, Stranger things does this by combining many genres’ tropes into one. An example of this is the psychokinetic heroine Eleven, whose character intertextually borrows conventions from both supernatural horror writer Steven King’s ‘Carrie’, and Steven Spielberg's androgynous extraterrestrial ‘E.T’.This remixes the formula for characters whilst still belonging to each genre, leading one to conclude that LFTVDs do not lack originality. This approach is different to D83, which prefers to subvert a single genre and intertextually belong to many common spy tropes. Taking a step further, by applying Jenkins to the Duffer Brothers’ homogenisation of genres and tropes, we can argue that they establish a trend to be followed by fandoms. Jenkins argues that online participatory culture in ‘fandoms’ enables fans to actively create ‘textually poach’ their own media from Stranger Things, made all the easier with the references and intertextually already rife within the show. Specifically, we can relate the statement’s ‘no matter which country they are made in’ to the universal nature of the internet and thusly fandoms, with fandoms on sites like Reddit with 2.3 million members and Discord with 22,000 members all while being active and intertextually relating the show itself to other pieces of media as well as their own poached media, with different areas for multiple different languages. Hesmondhalgh would argue that the use of stars like Winona Ryder from Tim Burton’s 1988 film Beetlejuice and the 1997 film Alien: Resurrection both mitigates the risk of financial failure, but also intertextually links the series to the time period of films it is trying to evoke, especially Sci Fi franchises like Alien but Beetlejuice and ST’s supernatural similarities are worth note too. Unlike Deutschland 83, which doesn’t use stars but favours historical accuracy, ST was afforded more funding to $6 million per episode as there was more assurance of success and intertextual audience relation, guaranteeing an audience of fans. In response to the statement, there is a transformative element to the re-use of previous intertextual references in Stranger Things in a way entirely different to D83, taking many genre’s conventions and combining them into something original but familiar, all while intertextually linking the show to many other pieces of media, increasing enjoyment from film critics and avid movie-goers alike.
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Stranger things uses intertextuality to portray 11 who is a unique character existing outside of social norms. The duffer brothers wanted to bring back the 80s and create nostalgia for those watching. By creating 11, a character who is arguably similar to ET, watched tuned in to see a sci-fi movie similar to those that have been created before. Through the use of hesmondhalgh and his idea that appealing to a broad audience to minimise risk and maximise profit, the theme of identity and how eleven is portrayed to go against social norms, and be this character that is not popular in many movies, which niche audiences will be drawn to but it is also broad enough to attract mainstream viewers, with the stereotypical themes they also have.
ReplyDeleteApplying Jenkins, who theorises that audiences consist of devoted, active fandoms who subvert/appropriate original content, can help present the significance of intertextuality among the economic contexts of Stranger Things, through the concept of ‘textual poaching’. This is due to the strong fandom creating ‘spreadable media’ of their own, inspired by 80s film, TV and pop culture, similarly to the Duffers themselves. The Stranger Things fandom have built their own community of fan sites, for example ‘Stranger Things Wiki’, here fans worldwide volunteer to provide and promote information on all 5 series. This demonstrates an ‘originality’ among the fandoms where intertextuality takes place. Hesmondhalgh looks at how companies will minimise risk in order to maximise audience among their economic success, and this can be applied to the treatment of intertextuality in modern hollywood and the links this may have to Stranger Things. Video essayist, Nerdwriter, coined the term ‘weaponised intertextuality’ where franchises repeat content to create an emotional reaction among audiences, rather than for the narrative. This use of intertextuality may link to the economic success of Stranger Things with the use of recognisable actors, such as Winona Ryder, famously known for her roles in Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands, with notable 80s culture. This use of a known actress puts Stranger Things’ production into a safety net of a preconceived fandom to watch the show. However, Stranger Things’ intertextual uses can be seen more creatively than just risk mitigation, through their creation of a unique spectrum for their protagonist, thats also recognisable, inspired by ET (which grossed over $1 billion), Charlie from Firestarter and Carrie.
ReplyDeleteStranger Things is often compared to 80s film and TV, specifically being inspired by Spielberg. The use of 80s pop culture in Stranger Things proves the relevance of intertextuality when it comes to ‘fan culture’. Jenkins theory of ‘Fandoms’ can link to how the Duffer Brothers have used ‘textual poaching’, which is where fans are engaged with media content. Stranger Things can be thought of as an attribute to 80s nostalgia, by inviting audiences during the 80s to relate to the show. Hesmondhalgh, who focuses on cultural industries, may suggest that Stanger Things mitigates risk by using a familiar genre that audiences are familiar with and are proved to create economic success, such as horror and science-fiction. By using intertextuality referencing within the specific genre tropes, they can rely on ‘repetition’ and are therefore able to reduce the risk of failure. Specifically, Stranger Things can be seen to pay homage to E.T, with the comparison being between Eleven and E.T. This can be seen through the similarities of the characteristics and the camera shots. D83, similarly uses indirect intertextual referencing to attract an audience by incorporating the Cold War spy genre. This again, is repetition of familiar genres which have been proved popular amongst audiences. However, in terms of economic success, Stranger Things has more in comparison to D83 because they used more popular intertextual references that gained more views than the movies and TV references used in D83. Although using intertextuality can be seen to remove originality of Long Form Television dramas, it does mean that they can rely on economic success to attract a large audience.
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Intertextuality is used in stranger things to create a sense of nostalgia and pay homage to 1980s pop culture. We see this when the boys are visually introduced to the multi- dimensional character of eleven in the rain mirroring E.T. Her character could also represent Carrie and Firestarter, this clarifies her as the hero but also multiple other characters with different personalities making her character 'original' and exciting for the audience. Furthermore the use of familiar characters evokes a sense of nostalgia to the audience which is a safety mitigates any risk of disengaged audiences. 'No matter what country it is made in' this intertextuality is similar to D83 where the spy- thriller genre allowed familiarity and engagement from western audiences. Gauntlet would argue elevens multiple personas allow fans to express shape their identity however they wish. Jenkins would argue this is especially relevant and useful in the participatory culture online where fans can express and discuss there identities while also spreading the show effectively marketing the show for the producers online. Therefore S.T does not lack originality and uses intertextuality in a unique way.
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DeleteJenkins’ theory suggested the significance of intertextuality regarding economic context, and success and that the development of online media has allowed audiences to participate in media culture, which is shown to be true, and The Duffer brothers use a wide range of intertextual references in their LFTVD allowing their fans adapt the media content to write their own – textual poaching. Since “stranger things” came out it has been very successful and only getting more popular with each season, making it when season 4 came out the most watched show on netflix in 83 different countries, the use of genres like 80s nostalgia, spy-thriller and comedy helped massively with its success allowing it to have a variety of genres to help appeal to a wide range of audiences, allowing audience to create their own fandom built around its intertextual reference, helping “stranger things” make $5.2 billion in revenue. So, even though intertextuality may be used similarly “no matter which country they are made in” it still has a sense of originality that led to its success and the fandom’s work in helping to make it successful by promoting it and writing for example fanfictions about it. Stranger things has used many intertextual references which in 2016 video essayist Nerdwriter coined as ‘weaponised intertextuality’ which Hesmondhalgh would recognise as a ploy to mitigate risk by recycling popular genres, which is proven to be true with stranger things being immensely successful with having visual intertextual references to for example E.T. when introduced 11 to help clarify her heroic role. Hesmondhalgh would suggest that doing all of this helps maximising profits and minimising risks which helped The Duffer Brothers maintain $6 million per episode, unlike D89 who had a budget of $1 million per episode due to indirect intertextual references to successful Cold War Spy Genres like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011). So, even though you can argue that there is not much originality to it you can tell that it helped have wide variety of different genres and intertextual references which “stranger things” become very successful.
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