WJEC AS Media studies, media language, technical codes, camera work

1. Write a list or draw a mind map
How many can you think of in 3
mins?
Types of
media

2. The Media is a channel of communication from producer to
audience.
Producers create MEDIA TEXTS which we consume everyday e.g:
• advertisements
• DVD covers
• CD covers
• newspaper front pages
• magazines /comics
• radio sequences
• Films
• television programmes
• music videos
• websites
• computer games
What is Media?

3. AS Media Studies – WJEC

4. To understand the outline of the course
To begin to understand key terminology

5. AS Media Studies
What will I study?
• Textual Analysis
• Audience
• Representation

6. How will I be assessed?
• MS1 - Examination - 2 ½ hours (50%)
• MS2 - Coursework – 1 Pre Production task
and a linked Production and a written
reflective report (50%)

7. AS Media Examination topics
• 1 Question – Textual analysis of an unseen text
(print or moving image) 40 marks
• 2 Questions on media representations and
audience responses (30 marks each)

8. AS Media Coursework
• Pre-production task (20 marks);
• Production which develops from the pre-production (40
marks)
• 1200 – 1600 word Reflective report on the production
process (40 marks)
• Group work for the production is only allowed for
audio-visual productions (group size no more than 3)

9. Pre-Productions:
Productions
= linked
music videos

10. For the mock exam we will concentrate on
two elements that will come up in the exam:
• Textual analysis
• Audience
• Once the exam is over, we will begin the
coursework element of the course.
Mock exam – November 2015

11. • 1. Textual Analysis
• 2. Audience Response
• 3. Representations
What is the Media Studies Exam about?

12. • All media texts are constructed and
made up of codes
• It is your job as media students to
recognise, analyse and then discuss
the range of codes used in a text
• Use the following as a guide and you
cant go wrong!
Media codes

13. CPE
• Codes – signs in the text that give us
clues to the meaning
• Purpose – Why have these codes
been used, to develop the narrative,
involve the audience create tension?
• Effect – what is the effect on the
audience? Does a POV shot in a horror
make them feel uncomfortable?

14. The 3 Codes
1. Technical Codes
• Camera shots, movement and angles
• Editing – pace and type
• Use of lighting
2. Audio Codes
• Diegetic and non diegetic sound
• Dialogue
• Sound effects
• Music
• Voice over

15. 3. Visual Codes
• Mise en scene e.g:
– Clothing
– Props/Setting
– Expression/Gesture
• Use of colour
• Iconography – objects, setting and backgrounds which
have become symbolic of a genre
• Graphics

16. • Camera shots, movement and angles
1. Technical Codes

17. Establishing Shot (EST)
• This ESTABLISHES
where the action
takes place - sets
the scene
• Often an exterior
shot
• Usually a Wide Shot
(WS)

18. Wide Shot (WS) or Extreme Long shot
• Often (but not always) used as an
establishing shot
• The point of this shot is to show the
subject's surroundings

19. Long Shot (LS)
• A shot which shows all or most of a fairly large subject (for
example, a person) and usually much of the surroundings

20. Medium Long Shot (MLS)
• Knees to head with some background

21. Medium Shot (MS)
• Waist to
head

22. Medium Two Shot (M2S)
• Similar to a MS, but with two people

23. Medium Close Up (MCU)
• Head and shoulders

24. Close Up (CU)
• Shows a character's face
• Used to show emotion

25. Big Close Up (BCU)
• Forehead to chin
• Used to show extreme emotion

26. Extreme Close Up (ECU)
• A very tight shot, for example someone’s eye or a door
handle

27. Over The Shoulder (OTS)
• Used during a conversation
• MCU + the other person’s shoulder/head/back etc

28. Deep Shot (DS)
• When something is in the foreground and something else is in the
background

29. Camera Angles
• Camera Angle: position of the camera
• High Angle: looking down
• Low Angle: looking up
• Canted Framing: frame is not levelled, appearing tipped

30. Overhead Shot (OH) or Bird’s eye View
• Camera will be directly over the objects/actors

31. High Angle (H/A)
• Could be used to make the object/person look powerless

32. Low Angle (L/A)
• Could be used to make the object/person powerful

33. Canted angle
• Used for dramatic effect and helps portray unease,
disorientation, frantic or desperate action, intoxication,
madness, etc.

34. • Use your checklist to recreate all of the shot types and
angles.
• If you don’t have a camera or a smart phone then you may
borrow one.
H/W – due Tues 15th Sept

35. Camera Movement
• Pan: movement of the camera
from left to right vice versa on a
tripod, produces space
horizontally
• Track: camera follows the
object
• Crane Shot: moving through the
air in any direction on a crane
• Steadicam: smooth shot, when
camera is moved very fast
• Tilt: camera movement by
swivelling upward or downward,
Producing space vertically
• Zoom lens: lens that change
during a shot

36. Camera movement
• Tracking – the camera follows the action by moving along with the
characters along a small track

37. The Tilt Shot
• The camera moves up and down from a fixed point (on a
tripod).
See the opening sequence of
Pretty Woman when
Julia Roberts is dressing

38. The Panning Shot
• The camera moves left and right from a fixed tripod. Good
for showing the vast landscape

39. Zooming
• The camera stays fixed but the focus moves in or out
• Simultaneous track and zoom – the camera moves forward
but zooms out at the same time – the object stays in the
same position but the background which looks quite
disorientating

40. Hand held/ steadicam
• Steadicam - a camera is fixed to cameraman so
that it can move around and mimic the actors
movement