1B - Media Language

The Basics:


  • Every media text has its own 'language' or sometime combination of languages.
  • They are used to communicate meaning.
  • TV for example uses verbal and written language as well as the languages of moving images and sound.
  • They are called 'languages' even if they aren't audio because they use familiar codes and conventions that are generally understood. 
  • Denotation and Connotation are terms describing the relationship between the signifier and the signified.
  • John Fiske (1982) stated that, "denotation is what is filmed, connotation is how it is filmed."
  • Evaluating media language involves evaluating all micro elements and how they have created some form of meaning to inform us about genre, narrative, representations/ideology and targeting of audiences.
  • Semiotic terminology helps us to explain our encoding of elements and codes and conventions within media texts.
  • The preferred meaning of what we wanted our audience to decode (Stuart Hall, 1980) should also be considered.
Micro Elements: Mise-en-Scene:

  • Includes all aspects of production design and cinematography
  • It creates the diegetic world - the fictional space and time implied by the narrative.
  • Includes:
    • location: settings, set-design, iconography
    • character: costume, properties, make-up, actors, gesture
    • cinematography - lighting, colour
    • layout/page design - colour, juxtaposition of elements. 
Micro Elements: Camerawork:

  • Includes:
    • Shot types
    • Camera composition
    • Camera movement
    • Camera angles
  • Also important to consider continuity:
    • establishing/re-establishing shots
    • transitions
    • 180 degree rule
    • action match
    • cross-cutting
    • cutaway
    • insert shots
    • shot-reverse-shot structures
    • eyeline match
  • And non-continuity elements:
    • montage sequence
    • flash back/forward
    • ellipsis
    • graphic match

No comments:

Post a Comment