1. MediaLanguage
Media Language
Referstowhat the audience expecttosee ina mediaformand how audiencesare
knowledgeable tothis
Example:whydowe expecttofeara horrorfilm?
MediaLanguage: Technical elements
Mise-en-scene
Anythingthatappearsbefore the cameraandits arrangement.E.g.setting,performance,expression
of the performer,costume,makeup,colour,props,lighting,composition,lighting,framing,blocking.
Camera
Framing:definesthe positionfromwhichthe image wascreated.
Angle:the angle of visionreferstothe camera’sangle inrelationtothe vertical.
Type:thisreferstothe shottype=long/medium/close.
Movement:thisreferstothe movementof the camera=pan/track.
Sound
Usedto tell the audience howtoreact at differentpointsina filmortelevisionprogramme.
Distinctive soundsare usedforparticulargenres.
Editing
Referstothe joinsbetweenshotswhichshouldbe assmoothaspossible.Itisrequiredforthe
narrative toflowor to tell a story.
Codes
CODES: rulesandconventionsbywhichsignsare puttogethertocreate meaning.
In media,the word‘text’isusedtodescribe anymediaproduct.We can use codesto help
understandthe meaningof atext.
In manycases,the textwill use a varietyof codes(visual,audio,written) that‘fit’togetherina
certainwayto create a particularmeaning
2. MediaLanguage
Semiotics:The Study of Signs
-Signsystemsandtheirrole inthe constructionandreconstructionof meaninginmediatexts.
-Ferdinandde Saussure (1857-1913) developedthe signifier/signifiedconcept:
-CharlesPeirce (1839-1914) createda categorisationof signs:
Symbol (triangle)
A signthat representsanobjectorconceptby the agreementof people whouse it.Symbolicsigns
have no obviousconnectionbetweenthe signandthe object.
Iconic (rocks)
Alwaysresemble whattheysignifyasthere isphysical similarities.
Index(all)
Lie betweensymbolandiconicsigns.Theyhave some sortof directconnectionwithwhatisbeing
signified.
3. MediaLanguage
(Continued) The Study ofSigns
-RolandBarthes (1913-1980) appliedabstractideastodailylife andculture
-He lookedathow signstake onthe dominantvalue systemof aparticularsocietyandmake these
valuesseemnatural.
-The dominantvalue systemof societyisknownasideology,awayof lookingatthingssharedbythe
majorityof that society.
Key Terms
Editing
Editingpace-the speedandtempoof the cuts
Match onaction- editorcuts fromone shotto another view thatmatchesthe firstshot’saction
Jumpcut- an abruptswitchfromone scene/cuttoanother
Crosscut- a cut fromone narrative or piece of actionto another
Cutaway- a ‘bridging’shotbetween2shotsof the same subject
Reactionshot- anyshot inwhicha participantreactsto events/action
Matched/graphiccut- a cut between2differentshotsinwhichthe objectsinitgraphicallymatch
Formsof transition
Fade- a transitiontoor froma blankscreen
Dissolve- one cutmergesintoanother
Wipe- one shotwipesanotheroff the screen
Superimposition- twoormore imagesplaceddirectlyontopof one another
Slow-motion- the actionliterallyslowsdownwiththe text
Montage- a seriesof shotsthat are connectedtogethertoreinforce/create meaning
Long take- thisisa shot that doesnotcut away but‘lingers’onone piece of the action
4. MediaLanguage
Soundterminology
Selectivesound- usedtoemphasise keysoundelementswithinasequence
Ambientsound- usedtocreate aparticularatmosphere ora sense of place
Synchronoussound- itssource canbe seenonscreen
Asynchronoussound- itssource cannotbe seenonscreene.g.avoiceoverthatis,separate from
Contrapuntal sound- noise orsoundeffectthatdoesn’tmatchthe visuals
Soundbridges- the use of soundtohelp transitionsbetweensequencespassmore fluidly
Soundeffects- theseare usedtocreate a sense of realismorto create some psychological impact
Shottypes
Establishingshot- usedasascene-setting,establishingshotandoftenshowsanexterior
Wide shot- a broadershot,showingperhapspartsof the set or externals
Crane shot- dolly-shots-in-the-air,canbe movedaboutwitha crane
Ariel shot/birdseyeview- usuallytakenfromahelicopter
Close up- showsverylittle background,concentratesoneither aface,or a detail of mise-en-scene
Extreme close up- anextreme versionof the close up
Pointof view- we see whatthe actor seesthroughtheirowneyes
Overthe shoulder- we see whatthe actorseesbutnot throughtheirowneyes
Two shot- showsa conversation/linkorreactionbetween2characters
Shotreverse shot- characteris shownlookingatanothercharacterwhois thenshownlooking"back"
Pans- movementwhichscansthe scene horizontally
Tilts- movementwhichscansthe scene vertically
Highangle shot- shotlooksdownon the action
Low angle shot- shotlooksupon the action
Zoom/reverse zoom-cameragetsclosertoor movesawayfrom the action
