This document discusses several theories related to media languages, codes, conventions, and semiotics. It explains that media languages include symbols and structures that cue audience understanding. Codes and conventions are familiar techniques used to communicate ideas or impressions, like camera angles, music, and character dress. Semiotics is the study of signs and their cultural meanings. Theories discussed include Roland Barthes' work on semiotics in media, Claude Levi-Strauss' concept of binary oppositions in narratives, and Andrew Goodwin's characteristics of music videos.

1. Media languages/codes and conventions theories

2. What are media languages and codes and conventions.Media languages Media conventions, formats, symbols and narrative structures that cue the audience to meaning. The symbolic language of electronic media works much the same way as grammar works in print media.Codes and conventionsCodes and Conventions are the familiar and predictable forms and techniques used by the media to communicate certain ideas or to convey a desired impression. Technical codes include camera angles, sound, and lighting. Symbolic codes include the language, dress, and actions of characters, written and audio (music etc) the way music connotes meaning in a sequence.

3. Semiotics (Roland Barthes) Semiotics is the study of signs within literature, films and in the media and what we associate with them for instance the image of a tree we see as just a tree however we associate it with mother nature, earth and the environment.Roland Barthes is a structalist theorist who did a lot of work around semiotics and focused primarily on literature.This theory can be applied to our projects, for instance in my groups music video the images you see are the bright colorful lights of London's many iconic however the connotations of these images is a club and club life because of the way the colorful lights are flashing and the music is in sequence.

4. CLAUDE LEVI-STRAUSS Binary oppositions CLAUDE LEVI-STRAUSS Levi-Strauss looked at narrative structure in termsof binary oppositions. Binary oppositions are sets of opposite values which reveal the structure of media texts. An example would be GOOD and EVIL – we understand the concept of GOOD as being the opposite of EVIL. Levi –Strauss was not so interested in looking at the order in which events were arranged in the plot. He looked instead for deeper arrangements of themes. For example, if we look at Science Fiction films we can identify a series of binary oppositions which are created by the narrative:Earth Space

5. Good Evil

6. Humans Aliens

7. Past Present

8. Normal Strange

9. Know UnknownTo apply this theory to our projects I looked at my project in year 12, the horror movie title sequence binary opposites for me were supernatural because of the ghost and natural because of the human, good and evil.

10. Andrew Goodwin theory Andrew Goodwin believes that music videos will have key characteristics in them that you will find upon analyzing it they are:Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g stage performance in rock video dance routine)There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. Amplifies,illustrates.contradictsThere is a relatinship between music visuals. Amplifies.illustrates,contradictsDemands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work a visual styleThere is freaquently reference to notion of looking(screens within screens telescopes ect) and particularly voyeristic treatment of the female body.There is often intertextual reference( to films, tvprogrammes, other music videos etc).All these characteristics can arguably be applied to my groups music as they apply to most music video’s even if they are not trying to conform to these characteristics.