Media 5 Flashcards
equilibrium
order is in place
narrative codes
binary oppositions
which are elements embedded in narrative and mise-en-scene, such as: good vs evil, light vs dark, female vs male, young vs old.
hermeneutic codes
Construct moments of mystery to intrigue the reader or viewer.
Some products rely on hermeneutic codes more than other - crime dramas for instance.
proairetic codes
Narratives offer moments in which meaning is conveyed through action.
Action provides explanation or excitement, sometimes working to resolve the enigma that earlier narrative sequences might pose.
Some products deploy proairetic codes more than others: science fiction, thrillers and crime dramas for instance, typically rely on moments of concentrated action to generate viewer excitement
semantic codes
Refers to any element within a text that produces a single connotative effect. Semantic codes include lighting, mise-en-scene and colour usage. They also refer to compositional effects, pose, or even to typographic decisions and the significations that size or font convey.
symbolic codes
Semantic and symbolic codes are highly similar and often quite hard to tease apart. One of the easiest ways to seek out symbolic codes within a product is to search for repeated symbols that convey a deeper meaning.
referential codes
This code concerns all the culturally specific knowledge used to make meanings in a text. The historical, social, cultural knowledge that might be required to fully decode the text.
verisimilitude
the appearance of being true or real - this isn’t the absolute truth but the truth that has been constructed for that film/genre
iconography
the visual images and symbols used
subvert
Genre
stereotype
conform
repetition & difference
repetition - Iconography, Characters, conventions and Verisimilitude
difference - Narrative
