Basic Media Terms Flashcards
Key Term - Genre
A way of categorising a particular media text according to its content and style.
Blue Sky Thinking
Brainstorming ideas with no limits - open to all types of ideas - good or bad
Key Term - Iconography
Iconography is a word used in both the media and film industry to refer to a specific item that has a meaning. For example a gun on its own is not iconography but if it is a laser gun it is iconography of sci-fi.
Iconography is Code
Key Term - Mise-en-scene
Mise-en-scene is a term used in the theatre, film, TV and games to explain what will be in a frame.
Mise-en-scene is a Convention
Genre Theory - Repertoire of Elements
When an audience consume a media text defined by a generic label they have certain expectations of the text, certain features which are often described as the ‘repertoire of elements’.
Genre Theory - Repetition & Difference
Genre theory revolves around the ideas surrounding how we define and distinguish genres, and how we categorise films into genres based on usually conventional factors.
Key Term - Mind map
This is a document that has a clear format & allows ideas to be more organised.
S.W.O.T
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
P.E.S.T
Political Factors, Economic Factors, Social Factors, Technological Factors
Key Term - Narrative
Narrative can be split in to two things:
The story, what the story is about
The plot, how this story unfolds
Narrative Theory - Binary Opposition
Identifying that some form of conflict was required. These conflicts would be based upon the ideology of the community who wrote/told the story.
Narrative Theory - Barthes Codes
Action and Enigma Codes
Action Codes
Things that the audience recognise mean one thing will lead to the other - these are easier to understand if the genre is clear and if the action code works alongside the different stages in the narrative. Once they understand the way a character is behaving these are easier to understand.
Enigma codes
Mysteries that are set up early on in the narrative that the audience try to solve or work out whilst they are watching the text.
Key Term - Representation
Representation is how media texts deal with and present gender, age, ethnicity , national and regional identity, social issues and events to an audience.
Key Term - Stereotypes
A stereotype is a widely held, simplified, and essentialist belief about a specific group.
Key Term - Ideology
Ideas and general beliefs that people share
