Media language section a

1. Theoretical
Evaluation of
Production
1(b) Media
Language

2. Importance of media language
• Every medium has its own ‘language’ –
or combination of languages – that it
uses to communicate meaning.
• We call these ‘languages’ because
they use familiar codes and
conventions that are generally
understood.

3. Denotation and Connotation
• In Semiotics, denotation and
connotation are terms describing the
relationship between the signifier (the
‘object’ or what is shown) and its
signified (what the object means).

4. • Barthes (1977) argued that in film
connotation can be (analytically)
distinguished from denotation.
• As John Fiske (1982) puts it
“denotation is what is filmed,
connotation is how it is filmed”.

5. Roland Barthes – Semiology- the study of
signs and their relationship to meaning
RoseRose Is just a word
The reader shapes or decodes the
meaningRose denotes a red sweet-
smelling flower
Rose CONNOTES (has
connotations of) love,
passion & romance
DENOTATION &
CONNOTATION

6. Creating meaning
• The process of creating meaning
involves a complex interplay of
encoding and decoding between
producer and audience
• The surface meaning and the
‘deep’ meaning is often hard to
comprehend.
• Media images play with these
ideas of meaning as being a two-
way process. Media images are
often manipulated to project a
specific meaning (dominant
reading) …. Unless you are being
pomo
• Anchorage is when a piece
of media uses another piece
of media to reduce the
amount of connotations in
the first, therefore allowing
the audience to interpret it
much more easily.)
• For instance, in a newspaper,
pictures are accompanied by
a caption that allows us to
understand what the picture
is showing us. In films,
background music often
helps us interpret the
scenario, lyrics and images
in music videos (Goodwin)

7. Making connections?
• Evaluating media language is an
evaluation of all micro elements and
how they have created meaning to
inform us about genre, narrative,
representations/ ideology, targeting
of audiences.
• This requires us to use semiotic
terminology to explain our encoding of
elements and codes and conventions
within our texts.
• You can also make reference to Stuart Hall
(dominate/ negotiated/ oppositional
reading)

8. Micro Elements: Mise-en-Scene
• Mise-en-scène constitutes the key
aspect of the pre-production phase of
the film and can be taken to include all
aspects of production design.

9. Aspects of Mise-en-Scene
1. Location - settings, set-design
and iconography
2. Performance – Costume, Props
and Make Up, Actors and body
language/ facial expressions
3. Lighting and Colour
4. Composition

10. Micro Elements: Camerawork
• There are three aspects to
camerawork that you need to
understand:
1.Shot Types
2.Camera Movement
3.Camera Angles

11. Editing
• Transitions (including cuts and other forms
of transitions)
• The 180° Line Rule.
• Action Match.
• Crosscutting.
• Cutaway.
• Insert Shots.
• Shot-Reverse Shot.
• Eyeline Match.
• Pace

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

13. Key Questions:
• What was the intended meaning?
• How was that reading constructed through
Media Language?
• How clear was that meaning? How could it
be clearer?
• What alternative readings could be taken?

14. Task:
• Choose any of your AS/A2 Projects
• Be specific – give specific examples
• What was the key meaning intended?
• How effectively did camerawork create that meaning? 2 - 3
examples
• How effectively did the editing create this meaning? – give 2- 3
specific examples
• How effectively did sound create the meaning ?– give 2 - 3
specific examples
• How effectively did MES create this meaning? – give 2 -3
specific examples
• Following feedback what other readings were there? – link to
audience reception theories

15. “Media is communication”. Discuss the
ways that you have used media language
to create meanings in one of your media
products.
Think of this question as the first part of your
revision...