Media Language Codes and Conventions Understanding Media Texts
Media Language Codes and Conventions Understanding Media Texts
Media Language Codes and Conventions Understanding Media Texts
MEDIA LANGUAGE
CODES AND CONVENTIONS
UNDERSTANDING MEDIA TEXTS
Learning Competencies
•Evaluates everyday media and information presentations regarding codes, convention,
and message; and how they affect the audience, producers, and other stake holders.
MIL11/12MILA-IIIf-15
• Produces and assesses the codes, conventions, and messages of a group presentation.
MIL11/12MILA-IIIf-16
As media and information literate individuals, we must clearly understand media and
information codes and conventions. We need to see past just the image and truly
understand the message that a media text and media professionals are communicating.
“Media affect us not only through the information that they deliver but also through their
language, codes, and conventions.” (Marshall McLuhan
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SYMBOLIC CODES
These are codes that are used to convey a symbolic meaning. Symbolic codes in
media include setting, mise en scene, acting and color/color palette.
SETTING MISE EN SCENE ACTING COLOR
time and place French term that Facial expression highly cultural
of the narrative means Body Language Aspect like:
setting of the ‘everything Vocal qualities Dominant color,
whole story or just within the frame’ Movement Contrasting foils,
a specific scene Includes: Set Body contact Color symbolism
can even be a Design,
created Costume, Props,
atmosphere or Staging and
frame of mind Composition
MEDIA LANGUAGE, CODES AND CONVENTIONS
TECHNICAL CODES
Technical codes in media include:
Camerawork (angles and shot types), Editing, Audio and Lighting.
A. Camerawork
Camera angles and movements combine to create a sequence of images, just as
words, word order and punctuation combine to make the meaning of a sentence. You
need a straightforward set of key terms to describe them.
Describing Shots
When describing camera angles, or creating them yourself, you have to think about
three important factors:
a.) The FRAMING or the LENGTH of shot;
b.) The ANGLE of the shot;
c.)If there is any MOVEMENT involved
Camera Angle is based on how the camera is positioned in reference to the subject.
Example, when we say high angle shot, the shot is take from an area higher than the subject.
Camera shot framing is the art and science of placing subjects in your shots. Camera
shots are all about composition. Framing your shot is an important aspect in how you, as a
filmmaker, tell your story to the audience.
FILM TERMS
a) Frame: a single still picture or image
b) Shot: the images that are filmed from the time the camera starts to the time it stops,
with no cuts
c) Sequence: a series of shots on the same subject
d) Cut: stop one shot / abruptly start second; creates the impression of different places,
same time
e) Fade out/in: go to black / go from black to picture; suggests passage of time,
change of place
f) Pan: camera moves from left-to-right or right-to-left across scene from one subject
to another – can be used to create suspense
g) Zoom: camera moves in (tight) or out (wide)
h) Tilt: camera moves vertically, up or down
- Adapted from Mass Media and Popular Culture Resource Binder. Toronto: Harcourt Brace & Company Canada
B. Editing – the process of choosing, manipulating and arranging images and sound.
C. Audio – the expressive or naturalistic use of sound. The three aspects of audio are: dialogue,
sound effects, music and silence.
D. Lighting – the manipulation of natural or artificial light to selectively highlight specific elements
of the scene. Elements of lighting include: Quality, Direction, Source, Color
WRITTEN CODES
Written codes are the formal written language used in a media product. This
includes printed language which is text you can see within the frame and how it is presented,
and also spoken language, which includes dialogue and song lyrics.
MEDIA LANGUAGE, CODES AND CONVENTIONS
CONVENTIONS
Conventions are accepted ways of using media codes. Conventions are closely
connected to the audience expectations of a media product. Different types of conventions
include form conventions, story conventions and genre conventions.
Form conventions
the certain ways we expect types of media’s codes to be arranged
Examples:
- the audience expects to have a title of the film at the beginning, and then credits at
the end.
-Video games usually start with a tutorial to explain the mechanics of how the game
works.
Story Conventions
Story conventions are common narrative structures and understandings that are
common in story telling media products. Examples of story conventions include: Narrative
structures, Cause and effect, Character construction, Point of View
Genre Conventions
Genre conventions point to the common use of tropes, characters, settings or themes in
a particular type of medium. Genre conventions are closely linked with audience
expectations. Genre conventions can be formal or thematic.
Media text provide a baseline to make dissemination more accurate and more efficient
and much faster to keep up with the trend. It is also important in data gathering and
preserving / documenting written oral works, and language translation.
,MUDDIEST PART: How’s it going? I hope you were able to pick something up on
this module. On this part, share what topic seems the most unclear or
‘muddiest.” Explain what makes it unclear or what do you want to be explained
more.
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References:
Aboga, F. and Agapay, R., (Second printing, 1st edition. Media and Information Literacy:
Transforming Society Through Student Empowerment, TechFactors Inc., 2018
Alagaran, J.R, II. (2017). Media and information literacy: Empower the discerning audiences.
Quezon
City: Abiva Publishing House.
Cantor, O.L. Media and Information Literacy. Quezon City: Vibal Group, Inc.,2016
Media and Information Literacy for Teachers. Module 4: Languages in Media and
Information.Retrieved from:
http://unesco.mil-for-teachers.unaoc.org/modules/module-4/unit-4/
Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/6118922/MEDIA
MEDIA LANGUAGE, CODES AND CONVENTIONS
MODULE 3 – Media
Subject Teacher:
Language
ACTIVITY 1: Multiple Choice. Read each test item carefully. Write the letter corresponding to
your answer before each number. (10 items, 1 point each)
7. Sound is one of the most commonly used codes in media. When a movie scene
has a sound of a wind, what does it signify?
A. Something awful will happen
B. Something memorable will happen
C. Something terrifying will happen
D. Something unpredictable will happen
8. In a newspaper, the most important news is written with different fonts. Where
is this news usually placed?
A. Back page C. Entertainment page
B. Center page D. Front page
9. In a fantasy film, one would expect to see magic wands, demons, colorful
settings, basically things that are fictional and unreal in our world. What is this
widely recognized way of doing things which has to do with content, style and
form?
A. Codes C. Genre
B. Convention D. Symbols
10. Camera shots are used differently to capture the message that the
photographer wants to tell the audience. When he wants to give the audience a
MEDIA LANGUAGE, CODES AND CONVENTIONS
bit of context or location of the subject, what kind of shot will he apply?
A. Close-up shot C. Over the Shoulder shot
B. Medium or Long shot D. Unusual/ Alternative shot
ACTIVITY 2: Application
Direction: Identify and choose 2 commercials on television. Compare the technical codes,
written codes, audio codes and symbolic codes using the table below. (1item, 10pts)
Technical
Written
Audio
Symbolic