CODES, CONVENTION,

AND LANGUAGE OF
MEDIA
LESSON 06
PRESENT AN ISSUE IN VARIED WAYS TO DISSEMINATE INFORMATION USING THE CODES,
CONVENTION, AND LANGUAGE OF MEDIA
 MEDIA LANGUAGE

 denotes how media producers make meaning about

a certain medium (advertisement, TV show, film, etc.)
they are producing and how they transfer that
meaning to their target audience.
 MEDIA LANGUAGE

 Denotative meaning is the literal meaning of the

media text while connotative meaning refers to the
various interpretations that the text suggests to the
audience which are often associated with their
culture, values, beliefs, etc.
 EXAMPLE

 The denotation of this example is a red rose with a green

1

stem. The connotation is that is a symbol of passion and

love—this is what the rose represents.

 The denotation is a brown cross. The connotation is

a symbol of religion, according to the media connotation.
To be more specific, this is a symbol of Christianity
What are codes and conventions?

MEDIA CODES
 are systems of signs, which create meaning
 MEDIA CODES: 2 CATEGORIES

❑ technical and
❑ symbolic.
 SYMBOLIC CODES

 audience-based.
 meaning of the product is not based on the product
itself but on the interpretation of the audience.
Symbolic codes

 Setting refers to the time and

place of the narrative or a
specific scene.
Symbolic codes

➢ The time (time period)

and place in which the
film's story occurs
➢ (climate, season,
landscape, people,
social structures and
economic factors,
customs, moral attitudes,
and codes of behavior)
Symbolic codes

 Mise en scene is a
French term that means
“everything within the
frame”. It describes all the
features (set design,
costume, props, staging)
within a frame of media
products.
Symbolic codes

 Acting refers to the

portrayal of the actors
in creating media
products.
Symbolic codes

Acting can be broken

up into :
• Body language
• Tone of voice /
Accent / Pace of
speech
• Facial expression
• Any distinctive
common movement
by the character
• Stance / Walk /
Movement
Symbolic codes

 Color considerations are

highly connotative when it
comes to interpretations. It
is also usually associated
with cultural aspects.
Symbolic codes
In film, color is used to set the tone of the scene
before any of the actors have even muttered a
word of dialogue.
Symbolic codes

Red denotes passion, power, love and

danger. Pink signifies femininity,
innocence, and beauty. Yellow is
associated with joy, naivety, and
insanity. Blue symbolizes isolation and
calmness.
SYMBOLIC CODES

 Setting
 Mise en scene
 Acting
 Color considerations
 TECHNICAL CODES

 Technical codes are all the ways in which equipment

is used to tell the story in a media text - for example,
the camera work in a film.
 TECHNICAL CODES

 The technical codes include:

1)camerawork (camera operation, positioning, and
movement for desired specific effects)
 1)camerawork

 ANGLE
The angle of the camera is the angle from which the image
is viewed. The straight on angle is the most common. The
camera angle can have a major impact of how the
audience will perceive a character, object or place.
Eye Level Shot
Our first camera angle is the eye level shot, and this is when your subject is at
eye-level. An eye level shot can result in a neutral perspective (not superior
or inferior). This mimics how we see people in real life — our eye line
connecting with theirs, and it can break down boundaries.
Low Angle Shot
A low angle shot frames the subject from below a their eyeline.
These camera shots most often emphasize power dynamics
between characters — a low angle shot on one character is often
paired with a high angle shot on the other character.
High Angle Shot
In a high angle shot, the camera points down at your subject. It
usually creates a feeling of inferiority, or “looking down” on your
subject.
TECHNICAL CODES
2) audio (expression and
utilization of sounds)
THREE CATEGORY OF SOUND

• MUSIC
Music in films is usually non-realistic, and the audience
rarely sees its source in the frame. It is used to amplify
the mood or atmosphere and conveys the emotional
significance of a scene.
FROM THE MOVIE “ I
FOUND YOU”
THREE CATEGORY OF SOUND

• DIALOGUE
Through dialogue important information can be
revealed about the storylines and/or characters. Often
a significant line of dialogue in the text can convey
important information about the narrative. It can
provide a prediction of what may occur, help identify
themes and assist in establishing or explaining a
characters’ motivations or actions.
THREE CATEGORY OF SOUND

➢ NARRATION

Conventionally the narrator of a film is usually the

protagonist also audiences have the tendency to
believe that if a character narrates a film then the
narrative is from that character’s point of view.
THE SHAWSHANK
REDEMPTION
THREE CATEGORY OF SOUND

• SOUND EFFECTS
Sounds are
added to
improve the
realism or impact
of a scene or
event.
THREE CATEGORY OF SOUND

➢ FOLEY
Any kind of natural
sound caused by
movement or
nature, which can
be recorded in a
studio.
TECHNICAL CODES
3) lighting (the manipulation of
light based on the target mood).
TECHNICAL CODES
4) lighting
Low key lighting exploits shadows creating a
sense of threat or suggests romance, mystery
or danger.
TECHNICAL CODES
4) lighting

High key is lighting that

is bright and can
suggest happiness or be
reassuring to audiences
that all is well.
 WRITTEN CODES

 Written codes are the formal written language used in

creating a media product.
 It includes the printed language (the text visible with the
media frame which is the text you can see within the frame)
and the spoken language which includes the dialogues and
even the lyrics of the song.
 QUICK RECAP

 Technical codes are all the ways in which equipment is used to tell the
story in a media text
❖ 1)camerawork
❖ 2) audio
✓ MUSIC
✓ DIALOGUE
✓ SOUND EFFECTS
❖ 3) lighting
➢ Written codes
 What are codes and conventions?

CONVENTIONS
 the generally accepted ways of doing something
 CONVENTIONS

 Conventionsrefer to the recognized ways of using

media codes.
 The types of conventions include form conventions,
story conventions, and genre conventions.
 FORM CONVENTIONS

 Form conventions are ways in which the types of media codes

are expected to be arranged.
For instance, the title and main casts are expected to appear at
the beginning of a movie while the credits are expected to
appear at the end.
A number of television series usually begin with a short recap of
the previous episode and end with a preview of the next
episode.
 STORY CONVENTIONS

 Story conventions refer to the basic structures

of narratives.
Examples of story conventions involve narrative
structures, character constructions, and point of
view.
4
9
QUICK RECAP

form conventions,
story conventions,
and genre conventions.
 ACTIVITY 06: FILM POSTER

 Create a movie poster of the movie genre assigned

to your group.
CODES & CONVENTIONS OF A
FILM POSTER
 MAIN IMAGE

The main image on a film poster

needs to grab the audience’s
attention immediately. It needs to
be eye catching and must use
iconography from the film itself,
so they link together.
 MAIN IMAGE

The film poster for THOR shows the main

character at the front center of the
poster whilst the other characters in the
film are presented at the top of the
poster, this shows the priority of the
main character as the film is named
after him.
HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS is
a prime example of the stereo
typical film poster for a rom-com. It
shows the two leading actors
leaning against each other whilst
staring at each other to engage with
the audience to show that it is
clearly a romantic film.
when a poster shows
animation, this suggests that
the target demographic is
children.
 CAST
The film poster for THE EXPENDABLES
3 displays a list of the cast members.
Due to the film having a large amount of
very successful actors, the list of cast
members is a main focal point for the
poster. As the list is so long, this makes
the public want to stop and read it and
the cast members could be a deal
breaker for them actually seeing the
film. Some people will follow their
favorite actor perhaps and see every
film that they are in so with a cast list
this long it will be a popular film.
 ICONOGRAPHY
This is used often when production
companies intend to make the film
into a franchise instead of a single
film. Often this happens when books
are adapted onto the big screen and
it’s also common amongst superhero
movies. On THE HUNGER GAMES
poster, the eye-catching image is in the
top center, this is well known
iconography for this film franchise.
 TAGLINE

Taglines are often phrases from

the film, they are used on the
poster to draw in an audience. For
example on the film poster for
SALT, the question ‘who is salt?’ is
stated clear, this suggests that this
is question that the audience will
find the answer to when viewing
the film
 REVIEWS
Reviews are important as it tells
the audience why they should
see this film. Sometimes it can be
just the fact that this film has
actors that are previous Oscar
nominees or winners or that the
film itself is nominated for
awards. Often reviews from
newspapers or magazines are
the most popular to be seen.
INSTITUTIONAL DETAILS

These must be included on film

posters as this gives details for the
target demographic. If a
particular production company’s
logo is featured, this may attract
an audience immediately, such
as Disney
 RELEASE DATE

This is essential on a poster,

sometimes on teaser posters the
exact date is not given but a time
frame is, occasionally the phrase
‘coming soon’ is used or ‘this
summer'. Whereas the exact release
date is usually known by the time of
release of the main poster.
 FONT

The font can depict the genre of

the film straight away.
Particularly for a children’s film,
the font is more suited to the film
itself rather than the overall
genre. Also, common amongst the
romance genre is swirly
handwriting for a font title, this
suggests that the film is
predominantly aimed for females.
 COLOUR

On film posters the colors featured

on them may depict who the
target audience the film is for. For
example for a film suited more
towards a younger audience then
the colors are more likely to be
bright and bold, colors to suit both
genders, such as WRECK-IT
RALPH. Romance films are
known to include light and girly
colors on their film posters to
attract a female audience.
 SETTING

The setting is key for a movie poster; it

sets the scene for the film itself. It
gives the audience an inkling as to
what’s in store. The CLOVERFIELD
poster shows the city of New York
going up in smoke and the Statue of
Liberty destroyed. This is suggesting
to the audience that this film includes
destruction and immediately implies
that it isn’t suited for a younger
audience.
USP (UNIQUE SELLING POINT)

A common USP is 3D, this has

become increasingly popular over
recent years. At first, it was more
common amongst children’s film
but as technology has improved
3D has progressed onto all genres.