Metamorphoses of the East European Television Film

METAMORPHOSES OF THE EAST EUROPEANCase Study TELEVISION – Media ImageFILM METAMORPHOSES OF THE EAST EUROPEAN TELEVISION FILM 1 Alexandru BOHANŢOV 1. Assist. Prof, PhD, Faculty of Letters, Free International University of Moldova, Republic of Moldova Corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract 90s was introduced in the former Soviet This study highlights the formation and evolution of audiovisualThe space)young and and the evenrestless thousands of television film in the former Soviet media space. Some episodes ( ). Many series boundaries are set from a historical point of view between the film that appeared during the commercial regime of circulate counterfeit compositional schemes with competition and when there was only one “manager” of banal subject lines. Under the circumstances of the televisual system. This study tries to give an answer to fierce competition in the media market, the question: “Why have film series become, in time, a true commercial broadcasters are certainly forced to media phenomenon?”. Given the presented thematic axes and the arguments, the author believes that the television exploit safe prerequisites for obtaining maximum film always moved between two limits: art as a symbolic audience. One executive of the Russian channel good and commercial interest, where marketing strategies NTV, as if trying to connote that he is mastering are necessary. television film feature film TV series TV perfectly “the American lessons”, says that no programKeywords: grid serialization art ,audiovisual marketing, , , , , . matter how many corrections of structure or vision we try the sitcom as a genre will always Television film genesis as an audiovisual be action or police: “This type of audiovisual species and its gradual imposition as a media production is not shot for aesthetics. We are in phenomenon can vary greatly from country to the mass culture zone and the topics of media country. Thus, American television has known culture, however you twist it, are violence and from the very beginning a commercial regime of sex. The TV series represent an industry which competition, depending overwhelmingly on requires hundreds of thousands of dollars. advertising resources. In the 1950s, the Nobody invests this money in something that “godfathers” of television programs (the so-called will not have a wide [2]audience. Therefore, we “sponsors” – a notion that has taken root in the follow a beaten track “ . former Soviet Union after the fall of Communism) Compared to the American television model, seek success by funding programs or ambitious the western audiovisual proposes both a popular films. As the audience widened, advertising and elitist versions, at the same time, promoting grew and some models of programs gained productions with shades of education. Thus, the weight becoming outliers, which are still French television of the 50s and 60s relies on representative today for American broadcasting: adaptations of classic writers for the small screen TV series, contests with cash, comedy with and the “teaching” model of RAI becomes prerecorded laughter. One of the “golden rules” predominant in Italy... Still, analysts of mass of this televisual system can be summarized as: communication believe that the analysis of the “A good program is not one that attracts [1]the Western televisual phenomenon becomes more most audience, but one which alienates less” . consistent if we consider, first, the United In other words, the audience (rating) counts. Kingdom. The French writer and journalist It has already become a truism that the USA Charles Dantzig says half jokingly half seriously: is the home of television series, the production “What is a good series? One that is not French. of which has gradually spread throughout the On TV,[3] art is either in British or American world. From miniseries (4-10 episodes) it reached series“ . Many researchers of the televisual the point of seriesDallas with hundreds of episodes (the phenomenon ask themselves: what are the factors production , which in the beginning of the that ensure the prestige of the English International Journal of Communication Research 295 Alexandru Bohanţov audiovisual? They are many, of course, but one “new muse”,Television published is an artin the Soviet Union, was is essential: UK has a good balance between entitled (1962). Hence, many public and private sectors of television. educational programs, good financing of In the former Soviet Union, media production television film and the appearance of “Soviet has always been the focus of ideological school of TV theatre” have emerged, the latter “almighty and infallible” structures which being an area which indeed has remarkable directed and controlled the editorial policy of results. each subdivision of the so-called system of mass To understand this phenomenon, it is sufficient information and propaganda. The audiovisual to reproduce the bitter words of the great Russian was considered by officials as “the most important theater director Piotr Fomenko: “TV theater propaganda tool”, with the purpose of advocating almost doesn’t exist anymore. I don’t find for the rendering of the Communist Party’s inappropriate at all this boring term of literary policy of real life, television journalists and theater. Stage art, cinema, television combine filmmakers being forced to propagate the together in the case of lecture theater of the Marxist-Leninist agenda as “having eternal life” audiovisual type and something very special and to combat any other ideology considered arises. Although I am not an apologist for the hostile. Therefore, substantial financial and televised art, television rarely enters my soul, human resources were mobilized for the because it expresses superficially both human development of televisual. Compared with joy and sorrow. Television[4] is interesting primarily movie theater, which always covered its expenses, as information” . Soviet television was exempted from the start of Finally, the USSR television was always any return. The damping of production costs contrasted to the Western audiovisual, especially mechanisms operating, more or less effectively, the commercial one in its origin, the production in the western TV, were simply unimaginable in of which was deemed, helter-skelter, “tacky”, the country of the “final victory” of Socialism. while some TV films made during Soviet times Advertising had a decorative character without are truly memorable. It is somewhat strange, but a well-defined utility. despite the fact that producing a soap opera type At the same time, the Soviet Union television of TV series is economically profitable and does was able to include in its program grid many not require special artistic qualities, Soviet motion pictures produced in the studios of the television has never allowed itself such an republics of the former empire, which, by the experience. Consequently, television film way, were purchased at symbolic prices. In a formation in the ex-Soviet is very closely related, sense, the fact that Soviet cinema failed to satisfy both in aesthetics and in terms of production, to the “hunger” for ever-increasing television cinema. Film studios were, from the very fiction, imported films being scheduled in very beginning, very sensitive to commands coming rare cases, served as an impetus in launching the from television, making concert shows for the production of TV film itself. small screen, and later – entertainment shows, Another cause that has spurred the develop- TV plays and television films themselves. ment of television film in post-Soviet cultural Another significant moment: the bigger the space is the ideological potential of this number of TV films became, the more discussions audiovisual product, its enormous impact on about a certain “specific” of this audiovisual the public (an instant propaganda of “socialist product were heard. Undoubtedly, the Soviet values” to millions of viewers on an unprece- Union was the country where huge amounts of dented scale). The flourishing of the “national papers were written about the specific of TV film in form and socialist in content” culture has and even dozens of doctoral theses were always been an object of undisguised pride for successfully defended, even though, in fact, the the Soviet Union. Thus, an unbreakable behaviour of many consumers of media is similar. connection between ideology, propaganda and In other words, for most of us watching a film art was cemented. Not surprisingly, one of at home, questions like: “Is it a motion picture?“, the first books devoted to the audiovisual’s Is it a TV film?“ do not spring up. The main 296 volume 2 • issue 4 October / December 2012 • pp. 295-299 METAMORPHOSES OF THE EAST EUROPEAN TELEVISION FILM continuum argument here is that the media product should of messages that precede and succeed be as interesting as possible. a specific audiovisual product). The program It seems a strange thing, but in the diversity grid determines the special way of interaction of views circulated on television film one will not between viewers and the audiovisual repre- detect any reference about the social effect of this sentation. The spectator needs not be prepared TV product or its potential resonance in public specifically for TV reception of the message as it space, to use a concept of modern sociology. is for the theatrical or cinematic art. The fact that Nobody discussed the place and role of the the audiovisual product is planned in the usual program grid in the life of the television film or TV program grids makes a TV film to form a part about the factors that favor the audience of a of everyday reality and vice versa; everyday life message through film. The importance of these becomes a part of cultural and artistic event. If issues, not at all of small matter, will be realized the existence form of cinematic art is the distinct much later, when the aesthetic thinking will work of art, the ontological status of the TV address the television movie in all its complexity creation is the TV program grid, which entity is – from the professional mode of assembly and perceived in always constantly modern management of the televised message (TV coordinates.

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