The document provides definitions and analysis of key media concepts including media text, semiotics, genre, content, construction, codes and conventions, modes of address, and target demographic. It analyzes movie posters and game covers for Batman Begins, The Last of Us, and Just Dance to illustrate how these concepts can be applied, noting differences in tone, themes, and intended audiences between the survival-horror game and dance party game.

1. Glossary and Analysis
By Ben White
http://assets.ign.com/thumbs/userUploaded/2014/8/27/20823568_
lastofusreviewmimig2-1409174630479.jpg
http://dncgames.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/just-dance-greatest-
hits.jpg?w=593

2. http://www.filmoria.co.uk/wp-content/
uploads/2012/07/Batman-
Begins.jpg
Media text
Basically, media text is any kind of media produced that
can be analysed/read by anyone and deconstructed. This
could be posters, trailers, films, newspapers, magazines,
adverts etc. We can identify its meaning and discuss or
think about what the media text is trying to tell us, how its
trying to tell us, its narrative structure and connections with
other texts.
We could analyse this media text to the left of the screen
which portrays the Batman Begins movie poster. Firstly, we
can establish that there is a dark main character who has a
strong connection with bats, due to the large amount of bats
to the left of the image. We can establish the man at the
centre is batman and he is the main protagonist who also
seems to be a super hero due to the costume and cape.
When we look at the lighting and colour, we can see that the
poster looks quite dull, so we can establish that this film may
contain super hero violence, or something bad may occur,
such as an antagonist may appear. The bright sun in the
background symbolises the dawn of a new day, which could
also portray to us that Batman is beginning a new journey,
or something bad might happen to him. This also links with
the title.
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=batman+begins&FORM=HDRSC2#view=detail&id=33FF8
CABCA5BDC591C8640A4CDD0274FF2CCBED9&selectedIndex=0

3. Media text
If we look at the Just Dance 2014
cover, we straight away notice its
bright colours. This tells us the game
is bright, vibrant and family friendly.
The thick colours combine with the
strong text to create a happy,
entertaining and bold atmosphere.
On the Last of us cover, we can first
notice the bright orange light behind
the two characters. This engenders a
sense of hope and survival when
combine with the broken atmosphere
two. It is evident that the two
characters are on a mission to survive
and get to a place of safety. A dull,
broken setting is created.
There is a clear difference between
the two games. Just dance presents a
pleasant, friendly and colourful game,
whereas the last of us is quite the
opposite.
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80/gaming-the-last-of-us-cover-art.
jpg
http://ecx.images-amazon.
com/images/I/91jMI
4T1RDL._SL1500_.jpg

4. Semiotics
http://www.slideshare.net/marcuslea
ning/key-concepts-in-media-studies-lecture-
3-semiotics
Semiotics is the study of signs and
symbols as well as their
interpretation. For example, the
diagram to the left is a good
example of this. When people see a
vectorised heart shape on a piece
of media text, they assume that the
article, film etc. is something to do
with love or romance. However, it
could just refer to the real thing
which in this case would be a real
human heart.

5. Genre
A list of game genres:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_g
ame_genres
Genres refer to what category
media falls into. For example,
in the games industry, a game
can be a survival, horror,
action, adventure, RPG etc.
genre or even a mix of
multiple genres. Genres allow
us to easily identify the form
of media and can help us
decide whether we want to
watch, play or listen to it.
These genres can apply to
many things including music
and film.
The Last of us would have a
combination of action, survival and
horror genres, whereas Just dance
would be related to fitness, sport,
family and party game genres.
http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130503055111/thelastofus/i
mages/2/27/The_Last_of_Us_Girl_with_Sniper_Rifle_HD_Game_Wa
llpaper-Vvallpaper.Net.jpg
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uploads/2013/06/1400x960-H-Brands-JustDance-
030744.jpg

6. Content
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_(media)
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http://www.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/The-
Last-of-Us.jpg
This refers to what is actually
inside the media text and is what
expresses some form of medium
as speech, text or art etc. The
content is what information the
audience identify and quantify
when they read any form of media
From Just dance, we can see that the
game has a strong focus on music as
well as happy, energetic and vibrant
colours. The game creates a positive feel
for its audience and we can tell that
there is also a strong focus on the party
and fitness genres. The if we look at the
last of us, there is a strong focus on
violence and aggression as well as its
survival genre. Its dark, gloomy and
dirty atmosphere supports this. There is
quite a difference between the vibrance
of just dance, and the apocalyptic doom
feel of The Last of us.

7. Construction The construction aspect revolves around
the narrative of the media as well as its
layout and structure. This could be how
the story of a game is setup and creates
a basic structure of the games events
which would deliver the information to
you one step at a time. The last of us
focuses strongly on its effective and
emotional story, whereas Just dance has
a small, basic narrative as it intends to
focus more on entertainment through
dance. The last of us has a linear,
simplistic interface which serves its
purpose quite well. It also puts the
player in control as they are the puppet
master. Just dance interface is quite
well constructed too and focuses on the
use of motion controls to create
uniqueness. These controls put the
game in control, and we are the puppet
as we have to follow the instructions
given on screen.
http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--6yCTVLoK--
/twi6msgzzzwqtzg2pkzc.png
http://img1.lesnumeriques.com/test/63/6377/Just-Dance-
3_Kinect_05.jpg

8. Codes and conventions
These are a set of guidelines and signs that create
meaning. Codes can be split into two sections,
technical and symbolic. Technical is how the
media portray the story on something such as the
news and an example of this would be the camera
work. Symbolic represents how the characters
actions show what he is feeling. Conventions are
generally accepted ways of doing things such as
how a newspaper article is set out of what should
and should not be included. Conventions could
also be seen as sets of rules. Just dance has a
diagrammatic and informative interface to let the
user know if they have done something
incorrectly/correctly. The game was also very well
advertised as many people have heard of the
game and have bought it. The Last of us was also
very well advertised and its many in depth cut
scenes and events help with the technical code.
You would expect guns, blood and violence when
you look at the last of us, but people would
expect dancing, partying and group work if they
saw just dance.
http://media-studies.tki.org.nz/Teaching-media-studies/
Media-concepts/Codes-and-conventions
http://www.gamechup.com/wp-content/
uploads/2012/12/the-last-of-us4.
jpg

9. Modes of address
Modes of address is how the relevant media texts talk to
the audience that surrounds it. This includes what it
displays to them through the combination of its content,
construction and genre etc. It can also be how they refer
to their audience such as in the first person, second, third
or even by a narrator. As well as this, modes of address
also refers to whether it speaks to us formally or
informally. A professional newspaper article would not
want to speak informally to its audience. I believe The
Last of Us would speak formally to its audience to convey
its strong story and professional standard. Just Dance I
believe would be more informal as the game is targeted
mainly for teens in my opinion as it has a large focus on
modern pop music in which teenagers mainly listen to as
well as dance to. Both strongly use their content and
genre to portray the game in its own unique way, such as
just dance being a creative dancing game and the last of
us insinuating a powerful, deep story that could be quite
emotional the 3rd person perspective it is displayed,
https://www.youtube.com/wat through the use of images and trailers mainly.
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10. Target demographic
(Clip art)
This refers to what age group and audience the media text or
game is designed to be for. For the Last of us, I would say
the age group most likely to play the game would be 13 – 40
year olds and mainly hard-core gamers. I would say that Just
dance is targeted for 3 – 25 year olds and mainly people who
haven’t played games before as well as casual gamers.