Film and Media Studies Portal



HUMANS / THE RETURNED – INDUSTRY INFOINDUSTRY HUMANS (2015)THE RETURNED (2012)Companies involvedKudos and AMC co produced it Haut Et Court with Canal +Channels involvedChannel 4 (UK) AMC (US)Canal+ (France) Channel 4 / More 4 (UK)Sundance TV (US)Specialised institutionalised nature of media production (eg how is it specific to the company + impact of ownership eg vertical integration, diversification etcChannel 4 is: Commercially Funded Channel, Not For Profit, Has a PSB Remit = eg informative, educational, diversity, alternative, uses new talent eg Gemma Chan. They do NOT have their own production teams / studios so they outsource production to companies like Kudos. Co production between Ch 4 / Kudos and AMC means bigger budget (?12m), easier to distribute globally via AMC channel. American co-production might allow them to attract American stars eg William Hurt, Carrie Ann MossKudos is part of Endemol Shine which is massive global conglomerate. Helps them to have large budget for special effects, stars etc, plus ability to market and distribute globally. Channel 4 have their own film company too, Film 4, Kudos is part of Endemol Shine which is a massive global conglomerate, adds to easier global marketing and distribution to a range of countries. Channel 4 is: Commercially Funded and Not For ProfitHas a PSB Remit = eg informative, educational, diversity, alternative, uses new talent. Explains why they bought rights to a foreign language drama Canal + is part of Vivendi, a major conglomerate but as it was such a niche programme, still had to get more funding. Funding for The Returned had to come from two small French charities that funded films and dramas that showed ‘regional France’. Meant the show had to be filmed in rural area, and highlight French culture.Canal + is part of Vivendi, a major conglomerate, that is horizontally and vertically integrated and is diversified makes films, TV shows, video games etcSundance TV in US is focused on alternative and independent films and programmesDistributing globallyCo production between Kudos and AMC means easier to distribute globally via AMC channel.Channel 4 website and All 4 allow online streaming of series globallyMany of the marketing materials were based online eg website, social media pages, trailers on You Tube, eBay listings etc, allowing for marketing to be shared globally, drumming up interestEventually adapted for US audiences. Then adapted for Chinese and Thai audiences as well. Channel 4 website and All 4 allow online streaming of series globally but this was only available for short time reflecting more niche nature of showCanal + being part of Vivendi (global conglomerate) helped them to distribute around the world including to the UK. Adapted for a US audience.Subtitled format made it harder to distribute globally as many audiences are put off by foreign language programming. Marketing to a variety of audiences, plus national, plus globalVariety of trailers and posters featuring different characters but prominent use of Gemma Chan (Anita) perhaps to show youth / diversity. Lots of sci-fi conventions eg blue colours, odd colour eyes etc to appeal to fans of the genre. Regent Street – holograms interactive display to appeal to digital native audiences, plus global audiences eg tourists from other countries.Persona Synthetics website + fake eBay listings + lorries for picking up faulty synths to create enigmaBeen adapted into US version, as well as Thai and Chinese version. Based on Real Humans an existing Swedish show to market to a pre-sold audienceActors / Directors appeared at events such as ComicCon discussing the seriesFeatured interviews and articles in mainstream print media eg tv guides, newspapers etcMany trailers and posters advertised the fact that it had won Emmys and Baftas. Appealing to mainstream audiences of tv drama, as well as those looking for quality programmingMogwai soundtrack – appeals to those into cultural folk music, who may have similar interests into niche televisionOfficial website allowing 360 degree tour of town appeals to young audiences onlineMultiple posters featuring different characters (Victor for younger audiences, Adele in a wedding dress for female audiences looking for romantic drama, Camille and Lena for teenage audiences etc. Trailer shown in UK did not feature any dialogue so as not to put off any audiences who did not like subtitled / foreign language programming. Online, Channel 4 drummed up publicity by focusing on its ‘Frenchness’ announcing that the show would have a French introduction, and French adverts in the ad breaks. Used it as a unique selling point ad made it seem ‘exotic’. Promoted its ‘Peabody award’ on posters and trailers to show cultural status and quality / success / good review Merchandise produced eg t-shirts, aimed at younger audiencesTV Show was turned into a book, perhaps to engage those more educated audiencesHow processes of production, distribution and circulation (eg stars, directors, editors, technology etc) shape media products New technologies eg interactive displays helped to shape marketing eg Regent Street display. Television has become more portable, accessible, global – producers had to adapt their programmes and marketing campaigns as a result with more use of social media and apps / on demand features. Eg All 4 / streaming app. Lots of marketing done online eg eBay, You Tube. Facebook, Twitter, Persona Synthetics website etcWriter & Directors wanted to create an allegorical story about the immigration / refugee system in France.Television has become more portable, accessible, global – producers had to adapt their programmes and marketing campaigns as a result with more use of social media and apps / on demand features. Eg All 4 / streaming app. Some marketing done online eg virtual tour on websiteEffect of economic factors eg commercial, not for profitChannel 4 is: Commercially Funded Channel, Not For Profit, Has a PSB Remit = eg informative, educational, diversity, alternative, uses new talent eg Gemma Chan. They do NOT have their own production teams / studios so they outsource production to companies like Kudos. Co production between Ch 4 / Kudos and AMC means bigger budget (?12m), easier to distribute globally via AMC channel. American co-production might allow them to attract American stars eg William Hurt, Carrie Ann MossKudos is part of Endemol Shine which is massive global conglomerate. Helps them to have large budget for special effects, stars etc, plus ability to market and distribute globally. Channel 4 is: Commercially Funded and Not For ProfitHas a PSB Remit = eg informative, educational, diversity, alternative, uses new talent. Explains why they bought rights to a foreign language drama Canal + is part of Vivendi, a major conglomerate but as it was such a niche programme, still had to get more funding. Funding for The Returned had to come from two small French charities that funded films and dramas that showed ‘regional France’. Meant the show had to be focused in rural area, and highlight French cultureRegulatory Board & infoOfcom Publishes rules and standards, ‘Code of Broadcasting’, deals with complaintsMakes sure Channel 4 follows its ‘public service broadcasting remit’ eg informative, educational, diversity, alternative, uses new talentOfcom Publishes rules and standards, ‘Code of Broadcasting’, deals with complaintsMakes sure Channel 4 follows its ‘public service broadcasting remit’ eg informative, educational, diversity, alternative, uses new talentImpact of regulation on global production / distributionPerhaps companies involved practised ‘self regulation eg Humans was kept with low levels of violence and swearing etc, despite adult audience, to ensure it could be distributed to a wider global audience without causing offense. Channel 4 probably had to consider some of the darker themes in the programme to see if it was suitable for their audiences. Countries like France have slightly different laws so sex scene between Lena and Frederick might seem taboo in the UK but acceptable in France. Might make it hard to distribute to wider audience in other countries with stricter regulations about sex etc. Effect of individual producers(or companies) on industriesKudos - Kudos is part of Endemol Shine which is massive global conglomerate. Helps them to have large budget for special effects, stars etc, plus ability to market and distribute globallyAnd here is some Context to help you:ContextHumansThe ReturnedEffect of social and cultural context Reflects rising popularity of sci-fi as a genre with Star Trek film franchise being rebooted, etcReflects social fears / moral panics about rise in technology eg Artificial Intelligence, and what might happen as a result.Reflects current social context of society that is often divided and prejudiced against others who are different, and society’s fears that these ‘different people’ are working together to over throw others eg terrorism etcVery reflective of social contexts as tries to be as ‘real’ as possible eg society in show is hard to tell from our own even though its an alternate present day setting. Families are still chaotic, mums finding it hard to juggle work and children reflecting their worries about trying to ‘have it all’Reflects rising popularity of foreign language dramas being exported globally eg The KillingReflects cultural context eg the rising issues with immigration and asylum in France at the time, with many refugees being contained in camps and represented by the media as dangerous etcReflects current social context of society that is often divided and prejudiced against others who are different and society’s fears that these ‘different people’ are working together to over throw others eg terrorism etcReflects typical social contexts in its themes of families going through divorce, bereavement, love and loss, growing up and feeling isolated.Representations of gender are quite stereotypical but this might reflect the culture often present in rural and isolated areas of a country which tend to be a bit more old fashioned than urban areas.Effect of industry context See boxes in table aboveSee boxes in table aboveEffect of historical context Sci-Fi genre historically has been popular for many years, always reflecting whatever the general fears were in that time period. In the 1950’s for example, many people were worried about space travel so many sci-fi products features space and aliens. Now in 2010’s people are worried about current tech developments such as Artificial IntelligenceHumans is reflective of many other historical sci-fi products in terms of conventions eg tech, robotics, AI, tech gone wrong, etcZombie / supernatural genre has become increasingly popular over the last decade with series such as The Walking Dead, I Zombie, etc, and in films Dawn Of The Dead, 28 Days Later etcThe Returned goes against some of this context as whilst it technically is about people returning from the dead, it challenges many of the typical genre conventions of ‘zombie’ eg no eating brains, dead are fully conscious, etcEffect of economic factors eg commercial, not for profitSee boxes in table aboveReflects rising popularity of foreign language dramas eg The KillingSee boxes in table above for other ideasPolitical ContextReflects the rising issues with immigration and asylum in France at the time, with many refugees being contained in camps and represented by the media as dangerous etcAnd some Theory help!TheoryHumansThe ReturnedTodorovBegins with equilibrium of factory and synths being lined up and stored. Disruption initially occurs when Anita looks up marking her as different. Family scenes have equilibrium of mess, chaos, arguing etc. Its normal for them. Buying Anita ‘solves’ the family’s disruption but for the audience it creates another one as we know she is odd. No equilibrium at the end of episode as Anita carries off child, very common for TV as it encourages viewings of next episodes.Non linear structure using flashbacks (eg Anita in woods with synths, her dreaming of being underwater etc) and montage which challenges Todorov’s linear theoryFirst disruption occurs when we see butterfly come back to life in Monsieur Costa’s house. There is implied disruption when we know that children were killed in a bus crash that happened before the series stars. Repeated further disruptions occur as the dead start returning to their homes and loved ones. No equilibrium at the end of the episode as audience still has no idea about why the dead are returning, plus we find out Victor caused the crash and that creates more enigmas about what he was doing there. Non linear structure using flashbacks to crash, Victor on road, etc. The narrative is fragmented and the series continues this theme by telling the same story from different character’s perspectives. This challenges Todorov’s ideas about a linear narrative. NealeHumans ‘repeats’ a lot of conventional elements of sci-fi such as robots, technology, blue colours in marketing materials. It also has a lot of ‘different’ elements from other sci-fi products such as family drama, female lead charactersThe Returned contains some elements of the supernatural / zombie sub genre such as dark lighting, eerie locations, dead animals in credits, people coming back from the dead. It also contains lots of ‘different’ elements eg family drama, unconventional ‘zombies’, no extreme violence or gore in first few episodes. Levi StraussClear binary opposites between family vs work, emotional vs rational, humans and synths in some scenes eg the synths speak slower, act robotically, are ‘perfect’ where as the humans are imperfect, emotional and stressed. This creates drama and conflict for some characters like Laura who hates synths.Capitivity vs Freedom, Laura vs Anita, Male vs Female, Conscious vs unconsciousPerhaps the drama for some people comes when the binary opposition lessens and the synths become more like humans? Eg thinking, feeling etcEncourages audience to watch to the end of the series to see which side ‘wins’Clear binary opposites between living and dead characters, past vs present, acceptance vs rejection, creates conflict and drama. How will they reintegrate into society? Later in the series the divide is even more clear as the dead are exiled to the forests to sleep in camps.Perhaps represented this way to reflect the allegory the writers were intending about immigration and the way French immigrants were treated by mainstream society? BaudrillardIntertextual references to other sci-fi films / tv programmes eg Real Humans, AI, Blade RunnerIrony – Synths supposed to help humans, but make it worseHyperreality – Synths hard to tell apart from humans, humans prefer synths, marketing materials hyperreal eg Ebay listings, Personal Synthetica website etc. The world of the show is also ‘hyperreal’ as it is an alternative present day to ours and hard to tell apart from the real world.Non linear narrative structure eg flashbacks / forwards, cross cutting between scenesPostmodern themes eg humans vs technologyHall IdentityStereotypes in Humans eg stroppy teenager, men lusting after women, Anita as a woman doing cooking and cleaning. Reflects dominant ideologies in society. However many character challenge stereotypes eg working mum away from home, dad doing domestic work. Maybe this is because of Channel 4’s remit to do things differently. Asian characters included which is unconventional in many tv dramas, but might reflect Channel 4’s remit to include diversity. However all ethnic characters in the show are synths, perhaps reflecting ethnic stereotypes of slavery / servitude. Hall says stereotypes occur when there are inequalities of power. Some characters in Humans have all the power eg the humans that buy the synths are the ‘masters / primary users’ and perhaps that leads them to stereotype the work that the synths do. Stereotypes in The Returned eg rebellious drunken teenagers (Lena), Claire (domestic mother), Pierre (rational unemotional father),etc. Reflects dominant ideologies of gender and age. Perhaps the stereotypes make it easier for global audiences to understand the narrative? Some characters challenge the stereotypes eg Victor seeming weird, evil, manipulative despite being a child etc. Perhaps to create enigma.hooksEvidence of patriarchy in some scenes eg Anita expected to wait on family, do all cooking and cleaning, male salesman selling female synths as objects, Laura replaced by her family with another woman (Anita) Some characters challenge patriarchy eg Mattie being intelligent and good with technology, Laura being a working mum, Joe looking after kids. However white women have more power than Asian women in show, with Anita being the ‘servant’. With other ethnic minority characters shown as being synths too, it might reflect hooks’ idea that race as well as gender affects the extent to which discrimination happens. There is no ethnic diversity in The Returned in terms of characters. Perhaps reflects the tendency of modern media to under-represent ethnic minority actors / characters. However show acts as an allegory about the discrimination and segregation that immigrants were subject to in France at the time. Van ZoonenSome sexualisation of women eg brothel scenes were women are literally sexual objects for men. Joe and his son both ‘gaze’ lustfully at Anita in different scenes, and ultimately Joe uses Anita for sex. Perhaps the show is making a comment about the ethics of objectification. Some women shown as domestic and caring eg Anita cooks and cleans, Laura tries to have a caring relationship with her kids (but fails)Patriarchy evident with male salesman selling female synths as objects, Joe replacing Laura with Anita as though women are interchangeable. Men seen as strong and active eg Leo and in other key powerful roles eg detective. Human women seen working eg Laura, and being away from home and family which challenges Van Zoonen’s ideas. But this seems to cause a lot of problems for the family. Set in an alternative present, perhaps making a comment about gender and how we see it. Some sexualisation of women eg Lena and Frederick’s sex scene. But other than that women mostly shown as domestic and maternal eg Claire caring for her family, Julie literally is a nurse / carer and then takes care of Victor. Perhaps these stereotypes make the narrative easier to understand for a global audience?ButlerHumans raises questions of identity through the construction of ‘synths’, or ‘perfect’ synthetic humans. These synths behave, or arguably perform, like humans even though they are not human. This technique allows the producers (and audiences) to explore and reflect on what makes us human.Livingstone & LuntTechnology has made the regulation of Humans harder for Ofcom because TV is now often On Demand eg via All 4, so it makes the watershed redundant as audiences can watch whenever they want. Online sites such as All 4 are easy to access if underage and have very few checks on audience’s identity and age. Increase in technology means piracy is more common so shows are at risk of being pirated online. Technology has made the regulation of The Returned harder for Ofcom because TV is now often On Demand eg via All 4, so it makes the watershed redundant as audiences can watch whenever they want. Online sites such as All 4 are easy to access if underage and have very few checks on audience’s identity and age. Increase in technology means piracy is more common so shows are at risk of being pirated onlineHesmondhalghHumans producers tried to ‘minimise risk by:Basing it on existing series Real HumansCreating other versions for US and other countriesUsing some recognisable stars eg Katherine Parkinson, William Hurt, Carrie Ann Moss to draw in audiencesUsing established popular genre – sci-fiCompanies are vertically and horizontally integrated and part of larger conglomerates. Eg Kudos part of Endemol ShineControlled release schedule eg released in UK first, then episodes were released in other countries, to drum up anticipation online.However some risks still with show eg reasonably unknown female stars / and other cast, emotional drama a main componentThe Returned producers tried to minimise risk by:Basing it on existing French film Les Revenants (They Came Back)Turned it into franchise with second and third series, and US remake. Turning it into a book adaption‘Hiding’ the foreign language elements in the trailers so audiences weren’t put off.Marketing it as a supernatural drama which was popular at the timeCompanies like Canal + are integrated into major conglomerates eg VivendiHowever still some risks with show eg foreign language, no recognisable stars, unusual filming style.Hall’s ReceptionPreferred reading – Audience encouraged to see technology as an important issue, and examine the ethics of keeping synths as slaves, or trusting technology. Hopefully they will be entertained and enjoy the show. More likely to take this view if they are 25-45 and have grown up with developing technologies but also a lack of trust in tech. Oppositional reading – Some audiences might think the show has evidence of sexism and racism (particularly if they are women or ethnic minorities). Some may find the show boring if they were expecting a typical sci-fi and find out there is a lot of emotional family drama. Historical audiences might find the show shocking due to its technology, and sexual scenes in brothel etc. Preferred reading – audience encouraged to enjoy slow but creepy drama and cinematography, to perhaps question whether they would be accepting of the dead returning etc. Encouraged to take the side of the ‘accepting’ families, and be more welcoming. Oppositional reading – Some audiences might think the show is too slow paced and does not contain enough supernatural elements / zombie signifiers. Some audiences may be put off by the lack of minority characters. Some older adults may have seen the largely youthful teenage case and assume it was a teen drama and not for them. Some will have been put off by the fact that it is a foreign language drama with subtitles. Jenkins Fandom Fan fiction sites for the show (mostly about Mattie) allow audiences to create their own narratives. Fan made wiki pages allow for audience contributions. Use of You Tube and Social Media allow for audience interaction, especially with real cast on sites such as Twitter. Fans could interact with cast and crew at Comiccon ................
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