Key Terminology Flashcards
Define Conventions
Estabilished rules or shared understandings used in the creation of media products.
‘The way/how we do things’
Define Digital Media
Is any media that can be created, viewed or distributed on digital devices.
Define Equilibrium
State of normality.
Define Convergance
Coming together technology and institutions to create a new media product, or new media experience.
Define Vertical Intergration
A strategy that involves bringing supply, distribution, production and sales together.
e.g Netflix
What is meant by the term ‘Fake News’
Information that appears to be genuine, but is false, untrustworthy and or damaging.
Define Cinematography
The art of creating moving pictures, using film/video cameras.
Define Disequilibrium
A state of abnormality.
Define the Genre ‘Social Realism’
A realistic description of films of contemporary life as means of social or political context.
Define Symbolic Codes
A system where things like, location, weather, mise-en-scene, costumes and so on can represent symbolic hidden meanings.
Define Stock Character
Type of character in a story who is easily recognisable as they appear in many stories.
e.g The Moody Teenager
Define Brand
A type of product which is manafactured and marketted off an specific name, logo and design.
Define Binary Opposition/Opposite
To things that are opposite to each other
e.g Light and Dark
Define UGC
User Generated Content
Any form of content created by the users of an online system.
Define Semiotics
The use and study of sign, and sign systems and their meanings.
Define Commerical Broadcasting
Privetly owned media broadcasting of television or radio progammes.
Define Franchise
A collection of connected media products derived from a single original source/
Define Distribution
The ways in which media products are available to audiences (either online or physically)
Define Demerger
Seperating a large corporation into two or more smaller organisations.
Define BARB
Broadcasters Audience Research Board
Measures and collects TV viewing data in the UK
Define By-line
A line of text on a newspaper/magazine that names the writer of an article.
Define Editorial
An article in a newspaper/magazine which expresses an opinion on a topical issue.
Define Subscription Broadcasting
Any platform/broadcaster that offers access to its content via a subscription.
Define Public Service Broadcasting
Television and radio programmes that are broadcast to entertain, educate and inform that audience without making any profit.
e.g BBC (no advertisements, get their money from TV licenses)
Define the character type ‘Donor’
A person who donates or gives something away.
e.g a sword to the protagonist.
Define Cross-head
Words used as a title or sub-heading to break up text in a newspaper/magazine.
Define Copy
The written material as opposed to images which features in a media text.
Define Denotation
The literal meaning.
Define DTP Software
Desktop Publishing allows users to create printed media text with various page layouts and designs.
Define Camera Shot Types
How far you are away from the subject, or the angle.
Define Storyboard
A visual representation and plan of how a moving image scene will be shot.
Define Slogan
A catchy, eye-catching memorable phrase often used in advertising.
Define Archetype
(An original on which many copies are based off - which can lead to a very typical example of a person)
Define Conglomerate
A large corporation which owns a large number of media companies such as television, radio, etc giving the conglomerate control in the market.
Define Focus
What the reader/audience has their attention drawn to at different points in the story.
Define Subjectivity
Information which is based on individual interpretation/opinion.
Define Chronological
Following the order of events as they occur.
Define Cut
A simple editting technique; one shot ends and another shot begins with no transitions or effects added in.
Define Logo
The visual image used to identify a product, brand or company.
Define Coded
Something that has to be unscrambled/decoded before the meaning becomes clear.
Define Horizontal Intergration
Media companies who aquire (buy/take over) other companies operating in the same sector.
e.g A production company buying / taking over another production company.
Define Headline
The text at the top of page/article in a newspaper/magazine that indicates what the content is to the audience.
Define Tension
Points in the story which create unease in the reader/audience making them want to find out what happens next.
Define Masthead
The publication’s name or title, in a distinctive font usually placed at the top of the front page/cover page.
Define Message
The expected reading an audience takes from a media text.
Define Mise-en-scene
Everything in a shot/scene in a single frame.
(Helps the audience to gain meaning from a scene)
e.g Props, costumes, characters etc.
Define Non-Diegetic Sound
Sound that is neither on screen, or features in the world of film.
Sound that has been editted in, e.g the soundtrack; to create mood/atmosphere.
Define Colour palette
The suite of colours used in the creation of media texts, such as newspaper/magazines/websites to reflect its brand, and appeal to its audience.
Define Cover price
The price printed on the front cover of a media text.
Define the character type ‘Dispatcher’
A person who sends someone/something to a particular place.
Define Engima
A question/mystery/clue that is not immediately resolved which draws the audiences attention in.
Define Flashback
Scene in a moving image, which is set in an earlier time period then the main story.
Define Intertextuality
Often media texts make references to other media texts, to engage and interest the audience.
Define Teaser
A form of trailer which ‘teases’ the audience about a forthcoming film.
Define Editing
A post-production technique. Any arranging, revising or preparation of written audio or video content to get the piece ready for audience consumption.
Define New equilibrium
A new state of normality.
Define Genre
A style or category of a media form.
Define PEGI
Pan-European-Game-Information
Judges and decides what the age ratings should be for games
Define Merger
A combination of two or more media companies into one - usually to gain more power of influence in the market (eliminating competition)
Define IPSO
Independent Press Standards Orginisation
The independent regulator of the newspaper/magazine industry in the UK.
Define Ideology
A shared set of beliefs and ideas about what is right/wrong.
Define Propaganda
Using the media to promote a biased viewpoint.
Define BBFC
British Board of Film Classification
Decides the age rating/censorship of all films/video content released in the UK.
Define Code
A communication system which includes signs, rules and shared understandings.
e.g English language, non-verbal, print, editing etc.
Define Anchorage
A typical example of a person.
An original which many copies are based off.
Define Bias
A prejudice for or against a particular group/individual.
Define Date Line
A line that shows the data a media publication was first written/published.
Define Monesitation strategy
The proposed method of making income from a media product.
Define Structure
The order that different elements of a story are put in to
OR
How the different elements are arranged/organised
Define Platform
The software, technologies or apps that allow media producers and consumers to interact which one, another such as social media.
Define Process
A series of actions or steps taken to achieve an end result.
Define Atmosphere
The emotions/feelings created by a story.
Define Technique
A way of doing something.
Define Manipulate
To control, shape or influence.
Define Cross-cut
An editing technique, used to estabilish that action is ocurring at the same time.
Define Antagonist
In a plot, the character whose function is to disrupt the protagonist - often, but not always, the villian
Antagonist (Anti-Hero)
Define Font
The style and size of text characters on a printed page or screen.
Define Diegetic-Sound
Actual sound in the world of film (not edited in) that can be heard on or off screen.
e.g Footsteps, conversations
Define Connotation
The symbolic hidden meaning.
Define camera movement
The way the camera moves/angles
Define Moral Panic
The impact on society when the mass media play an active role in stereotyping a group, individual or issue as a threat to the accepted norms, values and interests in society.
Define Plot
The basic elements of a story.
Define OFCOM
Office of Communication
Ran by the government-approved regulatory body, responsible for broadcasting and communications systems in the UK, making sure they operate fairly and competively.
Define Content provider
Any orginsation that makes material for viewing on any platform.
Define Pace
The speed at which the story is being told.
Define Cultural Hegemony
The process of making people believe the beliefs and values of the most powerful group as being natural and common sense.
Define Regulation
A set of rules and standards that are expected to be adhered to.
Define Mediation
The selection and omission of information when creating a media product.
Define Strapline
A cross column subheading, usually found in newspapers, magazines and websites that emphasises part of an article/advertisement.
Define Narrative
How the elements of a story are told.
Define Objectivity
Something claimed to be ‘objective’ needs to be supported by hard evidence.
Define De-regulation
The reduction or removal of government regulations in a particular industry.
Define Oligoply
A state of limited competition - a market which is shared by a few conglomeretes.
Define Encode
To communicate ideas and messages throughthe system of signs
Define Decode
The process through which an audience deciphers the meaning and message in a text
Define Continuity
In film-making is the practice of ensuring that details in a shot are consistent from shot to shot within a film scene.
