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Media Codes and Conventions

The document outlines media codes and conventions, detailing written, technical, and symbolic codes that contribute to film meaning. It describes various camera shots, angles, and movements, as well as the significance of mise en scene, acting, and color in storytelling. Additionally, it covers conventions related to narrative structure and genre expectations in film and other media forms.

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58 views2 pages

Media Codes and Conventions

The document outlines media codes and conventions, detailing written, technical, and symbolic codes that contribute to film meaning. It describes various camera shots, angles, and movements, as well as the significance of mise en scene, acting, and color in storytelling. Additionally, it covers conventions related to narrative structure and genre expectations in film and other media forms.

Uploaded by

ash
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MEDIA CODES AND CONVENTIONS

Codes

1. Written codes concern everything connected with any written text or print in film such as titles, credits,
captions, extracts etc. These constructs meaning in several ways. It may also speak of the font choice, size,
colour, style, background, static or moving, up, down, across, flash on/off etc. Written codes may also refer to
spoken language.

2. Technical Codes involve filming techniques and methods such as shot types, angle, movement, and editing,
most of which are specified in the film language section above. The choice of what technical codes to use when
filming are critical in the production of meaning. The decision what shot, angle, movement, lighting etc may be
very important in the construction of the film / documentary’s meaning.

Camerawork: angles, kinds of shots, and camera movements


Lighting: description of lights to be used in each scene
Editing: transitions and directions in putting together various elements
Audio: dialogue, music, and sound effects (to be discussed next week)

Different Camera Shots


• Extreme Long Shot-Sets the scene, establishes the shot, usually exterior, little detail
• Long Shot- Shows the subject from top to bottom; for a person, this would be head to toes, though
not necessarily filling the frame. The character becomes more of a focus than an Extreme Long Shot,
but the shot tends to still be dominated by the scenery. This shot often sets the scene and our
character’s place in it.
• Medium Long Shot - Shows subject from the knees up.
• Medium Shot-Shows subject from waist up, little background
• Medium Close-Up -Falls between a Medium Shot and a Close-Up, generally framing the subject
from chest or shoulder up.
• Close-Up-Fills the screen with part of the subject, such as a person’s head/face. Framed this tightly,
the emotions and reaction of a character dominate the scene.
• Extreme Close Up -Emphasizes a small area or detail of the subject, such as the eye(s) or mouth. An
Extreme Close Up of just the eyes is sometimes called an Italian Shot, getting its name from Sergio
Leone’s Italian-Western films that popularized it.

Different Camera Angles

• Low -Shoots up, shows power/size


• High-Shoots down, shows powerlessness/vulnerability
• Worm’s-Pet Character
• Bird’s-Landscape, establishes a scene
• Dutch tilt-comic effect, psychological unrest

Different Camera Movement

• Pan-side to side
Prepared by: Mr. Jun Carlo O. Duldulao pg. 1
MEDIA CODES AND CONVENTIONS
• Tilt-up and down
• Tracking-follow the subject
• Dolly-towards or away

3. Symbolic Codes- Reflect what is beneath the surface

• Setting :the time and place where a narrative or story takes place.
• Mise en scene :used to describe all elements in a frame, including their arrangement. Includes set design,
costume, props, staging and rules of composition.
• Acting: portrayal of a character through gestures, facial expressions, body language, movement, and
vocal qualities, among others.
• Color: cultural in nature, with connotations and underlying messages. In studying media texts, take note
of dominant colors, themes, contrasts, and symbolisms of colors used

Conventions

Form conventions: ways in which audiences expect codes to be arranged. Examples:


• Film: Title at the beginning, credits at the end.
• News: Headline and lead at the beginning, most important news at the front page.
• Video Games: Tutorials at the beginning.
• Story conventions are common structures and understandings in storytelling, such as:

Narrative Conventions
• Structure: Exposition, inciting incident, conflict, rising action, climax, denouement, resolution and ending
• Point of View: First person, second person, omniscient
• Types of Conflict: Man vs. Man, Man vs. Machine,
Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Society, Man vs. Supernatural, Man vs. Self

Genre Conventions are common use of tropes, characters, settings, or themes.


• Horror Genre: commo settings are abandoned or isolated locations, color is predominantly dark, or use
of silence and creepy sound effects
• Romance Genre: boy meets girl story, popular urban city locations, pop music soundtrack, voice overs,
or light-colored themes and scenes

Prepared by: Mr. Jun Carlo O. Duldulao pg. 2

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