Media Codes and Conventions Flashcards
system of signs and symbols which create meaning
codes
3 types of codes
symbolic, technical, written
show what is beneath the surface of what we see
symbolic codes
under the symbolic codes
setting, mise-en-scene, acting, color
is the time and place of the narrative. must always fit your message
setting
refers to everything in front of the camera, including the set design, lighting, and actors
mise-en-scene
actors portray characters in media products and contribute to character development, creating tension or advancing the narrative
acting
they portray characters in media products
actors
elicits a different and unique emotional response in the viewer, thus when you produce media, you have to be clever with your color choice
color
ways in which equipment is used to tell the story
technical codes
under technical codes
camerawork, audio/sound, lighting, editing
types of camera shot
- extreme wide shot (xws)
- wide shot (ws)
- medium wide shot (mws)
- medium shot (ms)
- medium close-up (mcu)
- close-up (cu)
- extreme close-up (xcu)
types of shot angles
- eye level
- low angle
- high angle
- hip level
- knee level
- ground level
- shoulder level
- dutch angle
- overhead
- aerial
3-point basic lighting set-up
main light, fill light, hair light
formal written language used in a media product. include font style and font size used, captions, choice of words, and emphasis of words
written codes
generally accepted ways of presenting a media product and are closely connected to the audience’s expectations
conventions
types of conventions
form conventions, story conventions, genre conventions,
certain ways we expect types of media’s codes to be arranged
form conventions
narrative structures and understandings that are common in story telling media products
story conventions
types of story conventions
regular plot, en media res, flashback, cliff hanger, flashforward, foreshadowing
morning to night, beginning to end, from being a child to being adult
regular plot
in the middle of things, the movie started in the middle of the story
en media res
back to the past, rewind a scene or tell a story from before
flashback
hanging ending
cliff hanger
shows future scene which the characters have planned
flashforward
shows a future scene which might happen
foreshadowing
points to the common use of tropes, characters, settings, or themes in a particular type of medium
genre conventions
