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 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. production management) to the the efficient use The program grid can be compared to a “TV of tools to promote symbolic goods (audiovisual hyper-reportage” which dominates the reality of marketing). a day or a week. Due to the fact that the TV’s Thus, as television evolved, it became relationship with the public has a recurring increasingly clear that its peculiarities – in character, the small screen has become the relation to the art of cinema were not dictated extension for the exciting compositional solely by the live broadcast or screen size, but technique called “next” (also known in the primarily by the audience size. At the same time, e.g.written Fantômaspress as the feuilleton novel or cinema: from an aesthetic perspective, another element the series). The production series, of visual communication was realized the broadcast on fixed time intervals may have a constant and cyclical nature of contacts closedThe organic Idiot structure such as the Romanian established between the two poles of type ( , 10 episodes, after Dostoyevsky’s communication: the viewers and the small famous novel), in other cases it might benefit screen. Considering television a kind of periodic from an open structure with endless prolongations “audiovisual media” (spoken, for the most part), (series in which actors “pass” from one episode it can be concluded that the social or public effect to another, which remind us of the compositional generated by the perception of a TV show can principles applied in folk genres). sometimes be more powerful than the actual In the early 90s, the Soviet audiovisual was content of the respective media product, invadedEscrava by Mexican Isaura andLos Brazilian Ricos También soap operas, Lloran especially during “rush hour” (when the problem such as or . addressed by the TV message covers perfectly After the Soviet Union collapse, the audiovisual the public’s expectations). Therefore, the old market in was recaptured by local TV dilemma that generated endless discussions on series productions.killers True, the players have become the relationship between film and TV show was bandits, , prostitutes and the so-called solved as follows: even though not every TV “new Russians” (some dubious characters who show is a TV film, certainly every television film became rich overnight by fraudulentThe methods). Brigade looks like a TV show. In a very successful TV series ( ), The TV program grid or outline is a remarkable produced ​​perfectly from a professional aspect, a phenomenon, namely, “the business card” of a bizarre character says, without batting an eye: TV channel involving, simultaneously, the “Society is crap, the bandits are good people.” concept of system (programs and TV items more Vladimir Pozner, a well-known television or less stable, which generated the profile of a moderator, when asked what kind of values ​​the TV station) and the notion of process (the Russian television propagates, said categorically: televisual communication is characterized by a “None whatsoever. The objectives of our

International Journal of Communication Research 297 Alexandru Bohanţov producers are: a) to earn a lot of money; b) not accumulated in this huge institution “Teleradio- to provoke the wrath of government”. Thus, the Moldova” cannot be puzzled out even today, biggest problem of Russian audivisual is the fact though many years have passed since the that it’s almostRossia entirely commercial (including disappearance of the USSR and all attempts to the channel , which, although considered revive the company have failed. a state channel, depends overwhelmingly on the The National Television is not yet aware of an amount of advertising). indisputable truth: an audiovisual product has a Yet in recent years there have been significant chance of being successful only if it belongs to a trends in the dynamics of artistic programs. A major TV project which, moreover, is no stranger true “transfiguration”The Idiot came with the broadcast to the serialization phenomenon of the televisual of TV show (2003). For the first time, communication. Thus, for as long as the some stage actors of great talent as Inna audiovisual in the Soviet media space was not Ciurikova, Yevgeny Mironov, really concerned with the viewer, the audience etc. have acted in Russian TV series. The hit of size, the artistic show was adjusted to an aesthetic this TV production at all the segments of rigor, maintaining the great illusion that a “new audience triggered a wave of screenings, the muse” was born after the “image and likeness” great Russian classic literature returning to the of cinema. small screen. The year 2005 was particularly In fact, from time to time, this illusion was fruitful Doctor in this Zhivago regard, when the premiereMaster of TV supported by outstanding examples of modern andseries Margarita by Boris Pasternak,The “Dead audiovisual practice. As already mentioned,Boris souls” dossier by Mikhail Bulgakov, Godunovsome theaterPechorin’s productions Journal Aor banalTV filmshistory ( basedThe Governmenton previous Inspector written workDiary by of , , etc.) aNikolai Madman Gogol, , were aesthetic phenomena, par excellence, etc were released. We can also mention televised, even unique works. But in their case, the transposition in Demonsaudivisual images of the there was never the question to look for providential novel (2007) by TheFyodor Idiot consumers for themselves or, especially, buyers. Mikhailovich Dostoevsky. But the show With the onset of democratization of the Soviet caused another phenomenon that deserves to be society and the transition to a market economy, studied by the analysts of mass communicationThe television had to readjust its strategies and Idiotusing sociological instruments: the novel editorial policies, being forced to become a truly reached unprecedented sales in Russian mass phenomenon, taking into account the bookstores and an increased demand in public public’s preferences. Under these conditions, the libraries. When can we expect such a revival in theater TV, as a genre, succumbed. Of course, the televisual space of the Republic of Moldova?! some actions were undertaken to revive this In the last decade of the twentieth century a audiovisual product, including at the state paradigm shift happened in the cultural life of television of Moldova (years 1991-1998), but they our country. Censorship was abolished and the did not have the desired effect. Those who cultural and artistic offer became significantly survived were film series and TV productions more diversified. New cultural institutions that are best suited to the phenomenon of appeared, media outlets have multiplied. The serialization: talk shows (political, family etc.), long split between the so-called elite culture and information synthesis broadcasts, reality shows, mass culture was diminished, this fact being documentary style series programs,Star all Factory kinds of perceived initially by very few analysts of the Howgame to and become entertainment a millionaire shows ( or cultural phenomenon. Our economic decline ) etc. certainly conditioned by technological shortages On the other hand, in the archives of the and poor management model doesn’t provide a National Television there is a huge amount of rich framework for future evaluations. But the audiovisual production, very little of which is obvious lack of clear strategies for developing used. Archival sources can find a very useful local audiovisual production and the large usage for assembly documentaries. This is amount of huge problems that have gradually especially true in our media space where the

298 volume 2 • issue 4 October / December 2012 • pp. 295-299 METAMORPHOSES OF THE EAST EUROPEAN TELEVISION FILM audiovisual has not fulfilled one of its primary attributed to American futurist Alvin Toffler, functions – to be an authentic “history in expressed some years ago: “Art and money, the images” of the time. People in the framework of quality of the first and[5] the quantity of the second Namedniour televisionJust now could develop such projects as are closely related” . Perhaps we should not ( ) 1961-2000 (NTV, 2000) from consider this assertion absolute, given the socio- the famous Russian journalist Leonid Parfionov. cultural context of the Republic of Moldova, but In this televised series, an hour long segment is rather analyze local television production in dedicated to each year of that period, the daily terms of audiovisual marketing, and we have to living of the former USSR being presented on a admit that it goes through an acute crysis of double register, in a significant contrast, between “profitability”. the “official speech” and the actual life. Archived audiovisual products shoulddéjà vu not be References underestimated or considered as . The 1. TeleviziuneaCoste-Cerdan, Nathalie, Diberder, Alain Le (1991), writing time of a TV message (film, show etc.) is , Humanitas,На анкету Bucureşti, «ИК» p. отвечают 25. in always updated when an eventual user “is put 2. ИскусствоФикс, Сергей, кино [ in contact” with the product. There’s a kind of , № 4/2001 available] at http:// “revival of the word”, to use an expression dear kinoart.ru/2001/n4-article2.htmlSerialele . 3. Dantzig, Charles (2009), in: Jerome Garcin to literary theorist Victor Shklovski. And the (ed.) “Noile mitologii”,Беседу ART, ведетBucureşti, Тамара p. Сергеева:40. television production in which space-time 4. «СбилисьФоменко, мы.Петр Что (1999), делать нам…» determination has similarities with the reportage [ in “Искусство formula never loses its genetic connection to the кино”, № 6 available] at http://kinoart.ru/1999/ most specific televisual approach, namely, live n6-article17.html#1 . Consumatorii de cultură streaming. 5. Toffler, Alvin (1997), , Antet, Nowadays, the creators of traditional and Bucureşti, p. 126. technological arts come to realize a saying

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