Skip to content
1981
  1. Home
  2. A-Z Publications
  3. International Journal of Media & Cultural Politics
  4. Volume 16, Issue 3
  5. Article
Volume 16, Issue 3
  • ISSN: 1740-8296
  • E-ISSN: 2040-0918

Abstract

Given the state sponsorship of film production in Germany, this article examines general mechanisms in the formation of meaning in German filmmaking. With reference to Schimank’s framework of agent–structure dynamics and based on a constructivist understanding of the world, the results of 97 expert interviews with screenwriters, directors, producers, distributors, cinema theatre operators, funding representatives and public television editors, as well as document analyses, show that the medium’s construction of reality is anything but unconditioned. On the contrary, due to the fundamental role of film funding and public television in the agent constellations intertwined with social structures that shape the film production process in Germany, the medium’s key communicators are confronted with expectations that go far beyond economic parameters. More precisely, the article reveals that German filmmaking reflects a political dimension, and expresses hierarchies and constraints that prompt struggles for legitimate meaning and challenge any autonomous practice in the field.

© 2020 Intellect Ltd
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/macp_00030_1
2020-09-01
2025-01-16
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Abel, M.. ( 2013), The Counter-Cinema of the Berlin School, Rochester, NY:: Camden House;.
     [Google Scholar]
  2. Aylett, H.. ( 2016;), ‘ Where are all the women directors?. ’, European Women’s Audiovisual Network , https://www.ewawomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Complete-report_compressed.pdf. Accessed 29 July 2020.
  3. Baer, H., and Fenner, A.. (eds) ( 2018), Camera Obscura, Special Issue , ‘ Women’s Film Authorship in Neoliberal Times: Revisiting Feminism and German Cinema. ’, 33:3, https://read.dukeupress.edu/camera-obscura/issue/33/3%20(99). Accessed 3 November 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  4. Barnhurst, K. G.,, Vari, M., and Rodríguez, I.. ( 2004;), ‘ Mapping visual studies in communication. ’, Journal of Communication, 54:4, pp. 616–44.
     [Google Scholar]
  5. Berry, G. L., and Mitchell-Kernan, C.. (eds) ( 1982), Television and the Socialization of The Minority Child, New York:: Academic Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  6. Bogner, A.,, Littig, B., and Menz, W.. ( 2009), Interviewing Experts, New York:: Palgrave Macmillan;.
     [Google Scholar]
  7. Caldwell, J. T.. ( 2008), Production Culture: Industrial Reflexivity and Critical Practice in Film And Television, Durham, NC:: Duke University Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  8. Carter, S., and Dodds, K.. ( 2014), International Politics and Film: Space, Vision, Power, London:: Wallflower;.
     [Google Scholar]
  9. Christensen, T., and Haas, P. J.. ( 2005), Projecting Politics: Political Messages in American Films, London:: M. E. Sharpe;.
     [Google Scholar]
  10. Coleman, J. S.. ( 1973), The Mathematics of Collective Action, Chicago:: Aldine;.
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Cook, R. F.. ( 2015;), ‘ Embodied simulation, empathy and social cognition: Berlin School lessons for film theory. ’, Screen, 56:2, pp. 153–71.
     [Google Scholar]
  12. Cook, R. F.,, Koepnick, L.,, Kopp, K., and Prager, B.. (eds) ( 2013), Berlin School Glossary: An ABC of The New Wave In German Cinema, Chicago:: University of Chicago Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  13. Cooke, P.. ( 2012), Contemporary German Cinema, Manchester:: Manchester University Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  14. Cooke, P., and Homewood, C.. (eds) ( 2011), New Directions in German Cinema, London:: I.B. Tauris;.
     [Google Scholar]
  15. Creswell, J. W.. ( 2013), Qualitative Inquiry & Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches, Thousand Oaks, CA:: Sage;.
     [Google Scholar]
  16. Denson, S., and Leyda, J.. (eds) ( 2016), Post-Cinema: Theorizing 21st-Century Film, Falmer:: REFRAME Books;.
     [Google Scholar]
  17. Denzin, N. K.. ( 1995), The Cinematic Society: The Voyeur’s Gaze, London:: Sage;.
     [Google Scholar]
  18. Die Filmschaffenden ( 2016;), ‘ Die Situation der Film- und Fernsehschaffenden 2015. ’, http://www.langermediaconsulting.de/resources/Studie-Filmschaff_FINAL_JL.pdf. Accessed 11 February 2020.
  19. Eilders, C., and Nitsch, C.. ( 2015;), ‘ Politics in fictional entertainment: An empirical classification of movies and TV series. ’, International Journal of Communication, 9, pp. 1563–87.
     [Google Scholar]
  20. Elsaesser, T.. ( 2005), European Cinema: Face to Face with Hollywood, Amsterdam:: Amsterdam University Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  21. Fahmy, S.,, Bock, M. A., and Wanta, W.. ( 2014), Visual Communication Theory and Research: A Mass Communication Perspective, New York:: Palgrave Macmillan;.
     [Google Scholar]
  22. Fiedler, M.. ( 2006;), ‘ German crossroads: Visions of the past in German cinema after reunification. ’, in A. Fuchs,, M. Cosgrove, and G. Grote. (eds), German Memory Contests: The Quest for Identity in Literature, Film, and Discourse Since 1990, Rochester, NY:: Camden House;, pp. 127–45.
     [Google Scholar]
  23. Fisher, J., and Prager, B.. (eds) ( 2010), The Collapse of The Conventional: German Film and Its Politics at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century, Detroit, MI:: Wayne State University Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  24. Frankfurter Positionen ( 2018;), ‘ Zur Zukunft des deutschen Films. ’, Lichter Filmfest , 6 April, http://www.lichter-filmfest.de/media/180426_zdf_ergebnisspapier_06.pdf. Accessed 11 February 2020.
  25. Frickel, T.. ( 2011;), ‘ Deutsches Kino: Sie pressen den Film in ihr Format. ’, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 14 February, https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/fernsehen/deutsches-kino-sie-pressen-den-film-in-ihr-format-1593034.html. Accessed 11 February 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  26. Gerbner, G., and Gross, L. ( 1976;), ‘ Living with television: The violence profile. ’, Journal of Communication, 26:2, pp. 172–99.
     [Google Scholar]
  27. German Federal Film Board ( 2019;), ‘ Zahlen aus der Filmwirtschaft. ’, FFA Info , 6 February, https://www.ffa.de/download.php?f=f8a36649a9947497dbf360a4278c7fd0&target=0. Accessed 11 February 2020.
  28. Giddens, A.. ( 1984), The Constitution of Society: Outline of The Theory of Structuration, Cambridge:: Polity Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  29. Giddens, A.. ( 1991), Modernity and Self-Identity: Self and Society in The Late Modern Age, Stanford, CA:: Stanford University Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  30. Giglio, E.. ( 2005), Here’s Looking at You: Hollywood, Film & Politics, New York:: Peter Lang;.
     [Google Scholar]
  31. Graf, D.. ( 2012;), ‘ Deutscher Filmpreis: Das Grauen … das Grauen!. ’, Die Zeit, 26 April, https://www.zeit.de/2012/18/Deutscher-Filmpreis. Accessed 11 February 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  32. Grothe-Hammer, M.. ( 2015;), ‘ Du passt auf, dass der Irre pünktlich fertig wird. Zum Machtgleichgewicht zwischen Regie und Produktionsleitung in Filmprojekten. ’, Studies in Communication and Media, 4:3, pp. 189–247.
     [Google Scholar]
  33. Grütters, M.. ( 2019;), ‘ Das Geld wird sinnvoll genützt. ’, Süddeutsche Zeitung, 31 July, p. 9.
     [Google Scholar]
  34. Hake, S.. ( 2008), German National Cinema, New York:: Routledge;.
     [Google Scholar]
  35. Hall, S.. ( 1980;), ‘ Encoding/decoding. ’, in S. Hall,, D. Hobson,, A. Lowe, and P. Willis. (eds), Culture, Media, Language: Working Papers in Cultural Studies, 1972–1979, London:: Routledge;, pp. 117–27.
     [Google Scholar]
  36. Halle, R.. ( 2008), German Film After Germany: Toward a Transnational Aesthetic, Urbana, IL:: University of Illinois Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  37. Halle, R.. ( 2014), The Europeanization of Cinema: Interzones and Imaginative Communities, Urbana, IL:: University of Illinois Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  38. Hammett-Jamart, J.,, Mitric, P., and Novrup-Redvall, E.. (eds) ( 2018), European Film and Television Co-Production: Policy And Practice, Basingstoke:: Palgrave Macmillan;.
     [Google Scholar]
  39. Hesmondhalgh, D.. ( 2018), The Cultural Industries, Thousand Oaks, CA:: Sage;.
     [Google Scholar]
  40. Hick, J.. ( 2010;), ‘ The influence of TV and film funding on current European (low budget) art house film. ’, Studies in European Cinema, 7:1, pp. 31–36.
     [Google Scholar]
  41. Holt, J., and Perren, A.. (eds) ( 2009), Media Industries: History, Theory, and Method, Malden, MA:: Wiley-Blackwell;.
     [Google Scholar]
  42. Karidi, M.. ( 2018;), ‘ News media logic 2.0: Assessing commercial news media logic in cross-temporal and cross-channel analysis. ’, in C. Thimm,, M. Anastasiadis, and J. Einspänner-Pflock. (eds), Media Logic(s) Revisited: Modelling the Interplay Between Media Institutions, Media Technology and Societal Change, Basingstoke:: Palgrave Macmillan;, pp. 217–38.
     [Google Scholar]
  43. Kaufman, J. C., and Simonton, D. K.. (eds) ( 2014), The Social Science of Cinema, Oxford:: Oxford University Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  44. Kellner, D. M.. ( 2010), Cinema Wars: Hollywood Film and Politics in the Bush–Cheney Era, Chichester:: Wiley-Blackwell;.
     [Google Scholar]
  45. Lemke, K.. ( 2010;), ‘ Das Hamburger Manifest. ’, Malakoff Kowalski , 30 September, http://www.malakoffkowalski.de/30-09-10-das-hamburger-manifest. Accessed 11 February 2020.
  46. Loist, S., and Prommer, E.. ( 2019;), ‘ Gendered production culture in the German film industry. ’, Media Industries, 6:1, pp. 95–115.
     [Google Scholar]
  47. Luhmann, N.. ( 2012), Introduction to Systems Theory, Hoboken, NJ:: Wiley;.
     [Google Scholar]
  48. Mayer, V.,, Banks, M. J., and Caldwell, J. T.. (eds) ( 2009), Production Studies: Cultural Studies of Media Industries, New York:: Routledge;.
     [Google Scholar]
  49. McDonald, P., and Wasko, J.. (eds) ( 2007), The Contemporary Hollywood Film Industry, Boston:: Wiley-Blackwell;.
     [Google Scholar]
  50. Meyen, M.,, Thieroff, M., and Strenger, S.. ( 2014;), ‘ Mass media logic and the mediatization of politics: A theoretical framework. ’, Journalism Studies, 15:3, pp. 271–88.
     [Google Scholar]
  51. Meyrowitz, J.. ( 1985), No Sense of Place: The Impact of Electronic Media on Social Behavior, New York:: Oxford University Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  52. Mingant, N., and Tirtaine, C.. (eds) ( 2016), Reconceptualising Film Policies, New York:: Routledge;.
     [Google Scholar]
  53. Mitchell, W. J. T.. ( 1994), Picture Theory: Essays on Verbal and Visual Representation, Chicago:: University of Chicago Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  54. Morgan, M.,, Shanahan, J., and Signorielli, N.. (eds) ( 2012), Living with Television Now: Advances in Cultivation Theory and Research, New York:: Peter Lang;.
     [Google Scholar]
  55. Mueller, G., and Skidmore, J. M.. (eds) ( 2012), Cinema and Social Change in Germany and Austria, Waterloo, ON:: Wilfrid Laurier University Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  56. Paterson, C.,, Lee, D.,, Saha, A., and Zoellner, A.. (eds) ( 2016), Advancing Media Production Research: Shifting Sites, Methods, and Politics, Basingstoke:: Palgrave Macmillan;.
     [Google Scholar]
  57. Peterson, R. A., and Anand, N.. ( 2004;), ‘ The production of culture perspective. ’, Annual Review of Sociology, 30, pp. 311–34.
     [Google Scholar]
  58. Prot, S.,, Anderson, C. A.,, Gentile, D. A.,, Warburton, W.,, Saleem, M.,, Groves, C. L., and Brown, S. C.. ( 2015;), ‘ Media as agents of socialization. ’, in J. E. Grusec, and P. D. Hastings. (eds), Handbook of Socialization: Theory and Research, New York:: The Guilford Press;, pp. 276–300.
     [Google Scholar]
  59. Reitz, E.. ( 2018;), ‘ Vier Thesen zur Erneuerung der Filmkultur. ’, unpublished manuscript .
  60. Rentschler, E.. ( 2000;), ‘ From New German Cinema to the post-wall cinema of consensus. ’, in M. Hjort, and S. MacKenzie. (eds), Cinema and Nation, New York:: Routledge;, pp. 260–77.
     [Google Scholar]
  61. Roy, R., and Leweke, A.. (eds) ( 2013), The Berlin School: Films From the Berliner Schule, New York:: MoMA Publications;.
     [Google Scholar]
  62. Scheu, A. M.. ( 2019;), ‘ Between offensive and defensive mediatization: An exploration of mediatization strategies of German science-policy stakeholders. ’, Journal of Science Communication, 18:3, p. A08.
     [Google Scholar]
  63. Schimank, U.. ( 1988;), ‘ Gesellschaftliche Teilsysteme als Akteurfiktionen. ’, Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie, 40:3, pp. 619–39.
     [Google Scholar]
  64. Schimank, U.. ( 2010), Handeln und Strukturen. Einführung in die akteurstheoretische Soziologie, Weinheim:: Juventa;.
     [Google Scholar]
  65. Spitzenorganisation der Filmwirtschaft ( 2019), Filmstatistisches Jahrbuch, Baden-Baden:: Nomos;.
     [Google Scholar]
  66. Sutherland, J.-A., and Feltey, K.. (eds) ( 2013), Cinematic Sociology: Social Life in Film, Thousand Oaks, CA:: Sage;.
     [Google Scholar]
  67. Szczepanik, P., and Vonderau, P.. (eds) ( 2013), Behind the Screen: Inside European Production Cultures, New York:: Palgrave Macmillan;.
     [Google Scholar]
  68. Vidal, B.. ( 2012), Heritage Film: Nation, Genre and Representation, New York:: Columbia University Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  69. von Rimscha, B.. ( 2010), Risikomanagement in der Entwicklung und Produktion von Spielfilmen, Wiesbaden:: VS;.
     [Google Scholar]
  70. Waisbord, S.. (ed.) ( 2014), Media Sociology: A Reappraisal, Cambridge:: Polity Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  71. Wiedemann, Thomas. ( 2020;), ‘ Struggling for legitimate meaning: Agent–structure dynamics in German filmmaking. ’, International Journal of Media & Cultural Politics, 16:3, pp. 291–308, doi: https://doi.org/10.1386/macp_00030_1
     [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1386/macp_00030_1
Loading
  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): agent–structure dynamics; expert interviews; formation of meaning; German film; media policy; media production

Most Cited Most Cited RSS feed

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error
Please enter a valid_number test