Media Key Terms Flashcards
Iconography
repetition of certain visual images or symbols, usually associated with specific genres
Anchorage
Lexical (written) codes that fix meaning - firmly establishes the connection between an image and the reason it has been used.
Without it, there will probably be polysemic connotations
Symbolic symbol (or arbitary)
a sign that does not have an obvious connection with what it represents, but the meaning is agreed by users and is learnt through culture
indexical sign
has a relationship between the signifier and signified that could be described as casual
lexical codes
words selected to generate specific effect
iconic signs
the sign looks like what is being represented
Myth
Barthes
certain signs contribute to ideologies in our society
trope
a sign or code that is common in a particular genre or type of media
cultural imperialism
transmission through the media of ideologies or cultural practices from a dominant media market to a smaller nation
Implosion
Simulacrum (Simulacra=plural)
Simulation
Intertextuality
one media text consciously references another, creating deeper meaning
Hyperreality
Verisimilitude
appearing to be real/truthful
Irony
Parody
Homage
Bricolage
Primary Casual agent
the driving forces of a narrative
Conceptual Map
our inner reference points dictated by the sum of our cultural and social experiences
Convergence
The coming together of technologies and institutions to create a new product or media experience
Bi-media
Analepsis
Flashback
canted angle
A shot that leans over to the side
counter- representation
a representation that offers an alternative to stereotypes
Cultural regime of verisimilitude
our connecting of a genre text with our wider contextual knowledge
democratisation of the mass media
increased ability of the audience to have their voices heard and to interact with producers and content
diegesis
the world of the media text: the ‘story world’
diegetic sound
refers to a sound supposedly generated in the diegesis that the characters can hear
enclosed narrative
a narrative that is complete
enculturation
the adjustment of people’s values to mesh with the culture and society they live in
ergodic narrative
In video game studies, a narrative that has different outcomes according to the users actions
establishing shot
sets the scene - often wide shots of an exterior location
focalisation
tendency to follow one particular character at individual points in the narrative
generic regime of versimilitude
the norms and laws of genre; what is probable in a genre text
heteronormative
using the perspective of heterosexuals and so making it seem like the norm or superior
high key lighting
removes shadows and creates low contrast creating an upbeat atmosphere
low key lighting
emphasises shadows and creates high contrast, creating a more serious or eerie atmosphere
Mean world syndrome
Associated with cultivation theory: belief the world is a more dangerous place than it actually is due to crime being repeatedly seen on TV
moral panic
Stanley Cohen’s idea that describes the press’ reaction to a negative event which causes consumers to panic
hypodermic needle theory
assumes the audience are passive consumers of the media and are injected with the ideas that they are told
narrative strands
different story lines or subplots that contribute to the main narrative subject
polysemic signs
possible multiple meanings of a sign
prolepsis
flash forward
proxemics
power relationships signified by relative positioning within a frame
resonance
cultivation theory :
the reinforcement of ideologies or experiences by mass media content
Sabido method
synergy
mutually beneficial cross promotional strategies used by media companies
two step flow of communication
highlights the significance of opinion leaders who decode media and then pass their opinions on to others
web 2.0
a phase of internet development summed up by increased human connectivity
civilisationism
constructs a binary view of the world where you’re either part of the western world and seen as superior, or you’re not and therefore deemed uncivilised
double consciousness
black people’s internal conflict they face where they are unable to identify with the country they live in but are also unable to identify with their cultural heritage. A a result, they are forced to see themselves through the eyes of a society that sees them as inferior before being viewed as a citizen
diaspora
when a mass group are involuntarily displaced and dispersed from their homeland
cosmopolitan conviviality
a real world of multi-culturalism and high levels of racial harmony
albionic nostalgia
a representation of Englishness that is a nostalgic, whitewashed version of an idealised britain
Postcolonial melancholia
The British feel a deep rooted shame since the loss of the British empire, causing widespread anxiety about British culture
textual poaching
how fandoms repurpose original material to create their own fan art
naturalisation
media products present ideas as matter of fact, when in reality, they are just constructs from a producer
chiaroscuro lighting
creates a very high contrast in lighting and connotes hopelessness or mystery
saturation
colour levels are increased to create a cheery, upbeat feel
desaturation
taking colour out of an image to generate a serious or sombre tone
mass amateurisation
gender subjugation
homosexuality is supressed in favour of heteronormativity
hypermasculinity
the exaggerated performance of masculine traits
