House Of Cards

 Directed by David Finche and was broadcasted online by Netflix in January 2013, produced by the studio Media Studio Rights Capital in which it purchased the right to HOC with intent to create an original Netflix series of episodes. Netflix agreed to contribute $100 million to the cost of producing the show for 2 seasons.

Production- Netflix produced and streamed the series for 26 episodes which was two seasons, it had no traditional programme structure. The show wasn’t reliant on artificial cliffhangers unlike UK soap operas where it shows on a regular basis through the year with cliffhangers to hook audiences to watch the next episode. HOC represented the first show made for Netflix, signposted Netflix’s clear desire to be a producer of content and not a distributor. It is an unique example of how long form tv drama has developed along with releasing all the episodes at the same time for one season. This illustrates the changing nature of media ownership and distribution.

Audience- An example of how audience has changed in the online age, The attitudes to watching this type of long form TV drama illustrates the way in which the consumer subscribes to it in order to discuss and share the content, The engagement highlights the need for producers to understand the reception of online dramas in more depth, adaptations in the way that it is watched. As Netflix has viewers who subscribe this results in more freedom to watch and download according to individual choice meaning that the House of Cards had more freedom to develop and invest in the long form drama as there wasn’t constant constraints of building a brand or maintaining a Conservative programme content. They also offer something that cable networkers cannot called asynchronous viewing giving the audience to total control over when and where they watch it which challenges media theory and carries implications for how audiences consume media texts.

Gerbner’s cultivation theory – examines long term effects of television, The primary proposition is of this theory is that the more time people spend living in a television world the more likely they are to believe the social reality alliance of the reality portrayed on TV, but if the traditional TV audience is changing because of subscription channels then the effect of these channels on new viewing patterns cannot be measured. The audience for House of Cards is more male and female given the nature and tone of the program the typical interest in political thrillers and the payments that the subscription potentially has the demographic of ABC1 

Netflix is biggest challenge was to create an episode of House of Cards that could be used to establish seriality when all episodes are available at once, narratives the functions to maintain a revenue stream, helps ensure that the audiences tune in daily to advertisers messages.

It is Netflix is willingness to give the audience control over serial viewing at challenges assumptions that the best way to control program consists of stretchout episodes overtime measuring demand then to raise and lower other advertising prices.

Audience control the pace of narrative consumption which will affect social media communities, also challenges synchronous viewing as a business model based on the limitations of legacy technologies rather than inherent quality of seriality, they expand offerings on commercial programming to attract new subscribers.

Representation- it reflects the reality between politicians and the media, One of the episodes represents the media and the government as to opposing forces with the media city and oppose of the wrongdoing this suggests the theme of corruption in public life as a preferred reading of the text, House of Cards indicates the audience in creating its meaning and power in deciding who are key influences with the episode, we see power represented not only in its typical political settings but also in its domestic settings and themes, two of the characters Frank and his wife Claire are represented a stronger than any single individual and as a power couple typically a reference to people the circumcision of power and authority. It is through such stereotypes of the audience is in courage to negotiate meanings in this text.

As it interweave the themes of the male politician and the female reporter were there being a professional journalist she contrasts with Claire who is defined by being franks wife as part of a couple , this assumes that the relationships with males ultimately have the most important in this women’s life is a feature of Van Zoonen which is described as a patriarchal society. The journalists actions can be interpreted as unprofessional and unethical The representation of women in the episode needs to be understood in relation to Franks actions as women are represented as serving his needs.

As the Van Zoonens concept of the representation of women and in the media suggest gender is performative or ideas of femininity and masculinity are constructed in the performance of these roles.