Media language

1. Media Language-Section B
MediaLanguage refersto the waysin whichmediaproducersmake meaninginwaysthatare
specifictothe mediuminwhichtheyare workingandhow audiencescome tobe literate in‘reading’
such meaningwithinthe medium.
Technical elements:
Mise en scene
Camera
Sound
Editing
In media,the wordtextisusedtodescribe anymediaproductsuchas televisionprogrammes,
photographs,adverts,film,newspaperadverts,radioprogrammes,webpagesetc.
One ofthe keys to understandingthe meaningsin text is the use of codes.
CODES- Rulesor conventionsbywhich signs are put togetherto create meaning
In mostcases, the textwill use a variety of codes- visual,audio and written- that ‘fit’togetherin a
certain way to create a particular meaning
Mise enscene: Everythingthatappearsbefore the cameraanditsarrangement
Setting
Performance/Expression
Costume/Make up
Colour
Props
Lighting
Composition/Framing/Blocking
Camera:
Framing: Definesthe positionfromwhichthe image wascreated
Angle:The angle of visionreferstothe cameraangle inrelationtothe vertical
Type: Thisreferstothe shottype=Long/Medium/Close
Movement:Thisreferstothe movementof the camera=Pan/Track
Sound: Usedto tell the audience howtoreact at differentpointsinafilmortelevisionprogramme
Distinctive sounddevicesare usedforparticulargenre.Itisan importantdevice inestablishingthe
genre foran audience andgettingtheminthe moodfor watchingsomething.

2. Sound:
Diagetic
Nondiagetic
Synchronous
Asynchronous
Edit:Referstothe joinbetweenshots
The purpose of conventional editingistomake thisjoinas smoothas possible-invisible
The needfora narrative flow,totell astory,ledto the developmentof the continuitysystemof
editing
Semiotics:The studyof signs
Thisis an attemptto create a science of the studyof signsystemsandtheirrole inthe construction
and reconstructionof meaninginmediatexts
SwisslinguistFerdinandde Saussure (1857-1913)
Signifier + Signified=Sign
The form whichthe signtakes the conceptitrepresents
Opensignsuggeststhe shopisopen
But inorder to workthere mustbe a sharedreference orexperience
CharlesPeirce (1839-1914)
Symbol (Triangle) - A signthat representsanobjectorconceptsolelybythe agreementof the
people whouse it.Therefore,symbolicsignshave noobviousconnectionbetweenthe signandthe
object(The worddog hasno obviouslinktothe animal)
Iconic (Rocks) - Alwaysresemblewhattheysignify.There isaphysical similaritybetweena
photograph,ora gooddrawing,of a dog and mostpeople’sexperience of these animals.
Index(All) - Lie betweensymbolicandiconicsigns.Indexical signshave some sortof direct
connectionwithwhatisbeing‘signified’.Forexample,smokeisoftenusedasanindexical signfor
fire anda tearrunningdowna cheekcan be indexical signforsorrow.
Semiotics:the ‘studyof signs’
RolandBarthes (1913-1980) appliedabstractideastodailylife andculture
Bartheslookedathowsignstake on the dominantvalue systemof aparticularsocietyandmake
these valuesseemnatural.The dominantvalue systemof asocietyisknownasideology,awayof
lookingatthingssharedbythe majorityof thatsociety.
BarthesshowedthatSaussure’ssigncanbecome a signifiertocreate,notonlya connotation,buta
myth.

3. Anotherexampleisared rose
It ishard to understand‘ared rose on Valentine’sDay’(Denotation) asanythingotherthanmeaning
‘romance’(Connotation),itseemsthatwhatappearsto be a denotation(‘aredrose on Valentine’s
Day) is actuallya connotation(‘romance’)
Signscan disguise themselves,atrickthat allowsmythstostructure the meaningof the
communicationwithoutappearingtodoso.Myths positionthe audienceinaspecificrelationship
witha signand simultaneouslydisguisethemselves.
Rememberformusicvideos:
Performance
Narrative
Conceptual