1. Learning Objectives:
• Understand how to answer question 1b on
media language.
• Decide which of your productions you
would write about for a question on media
language.

2. What is meant by media language?
What the Chief Examiner says:
The way that meaning is made using the conventions
of the particular medium and type of media product.
A broader category allowing candidates to write
about elements of semiotics, genre, narrative,
design, structure, codes and conventions, time and
space, aesthetics, spoken, written and visual
language to name just a few examples. One specific
example would be the use of continuity editing in a
film sequence.

3. Denotation and Connotation
• In semiotics, denotation and connotation are
terms describing the relationship between the
signifier and its signified.

4. • Evaluating media language means analysing of
all the micro elements.
• How do the micro elements you have used
inform us about genre, narrative,
representations/ ideology, targeting of
audiences?
• Explain how you have encoded elements and
codes and conventions within texts.

5. Micro elements
The different micro elements that make up your
text are:
• Mise en scene
• Camerawork
• Editing

6. Micro Elements: Mise-en-Scene
Mise en scene is pre-production
• Setting, location and props
• Colour and lighting
• Costume, hair and make-up
• Position within the frame
• Facial expressions and body language

7. Micro Elements: Camerawork
Camerawork is production
• Shot Types
• Composition
• Movement

8. Micro Elements: Editing
• Editing is post-production
• Long Takes: takes of an unusually long length.
• Short Takes: takes that only last for a few seconds.
• There are two basic types of editing:
7. Continuity and…
8. Non-Continuity.

9. Continuity editing
• Establishing/Re-establishing Shot
• Transitions.
• The 180° Line Rule.
• Crosscutting.
• Cutaway.
• Shot-Reverse Shot Structures.
• Eyeline Match.

10. The Structure Of The Classic Narrative
System
According to Pam Cook (1985), the standard
Hollywood narrative structure should have:
• Linearity of cause and effect within an
overall trajectory of enigma resolution.
• A high degree of narrative closure.
• A fictional world that contains
verisimilitude especially governed by
spatial and temporal coherence.

11. Non-Continuity
1. Montage Sequence.
2. Flash Back/Forward.
3. Ellipsis.
4. Graphic Match.

12. What theory can you use?
• Stuart Hall – start by stating the preferred
meaning you wanted our audience to DECODE.
• Barthes (1977) argued that in film
connotation can be (analytically) distinguished
from denotation.
• Propp – character types
• Pam Cook – narrative structure
• Todorov – 5 part narrative

13. Media Language: Deciding what to
write about
• Choose which piece of work (you might find you will
have more to say about your video, as your magazine
had no editing, etc).
• Mise en scene
– make notes for all 5 aspects.
• Camerawork
– make notes under all 3 headings.
• Editing
– Decide whether your video is continuity or non-continuity.
Note down which techniques you used.
– Decide which narrative theorist you will mention.

14. Sample Question
“Media is communication.”
Discuss the ways that you
have used media language to
create meanings in one of
your media products.