Media Basics Codes Conventions Year 12 Media Orientation

Media Basics: Codes & Conventions Year 12 Media Orientation, Lesson 3

Crack the code… A G M S Y B H N T Z C I O U D J P V E K Q W F L R X !

What do these mean?

Media Codes CODE: Technical, symbolic and written tools used to structure and suggest meaning in a media text. Codes are also described as a system of signs, put together to create meaning. They construct or suggest meaning and are manipulated by media makers to communicate with an audience. Codes generally have an agreed meaning or connotation to their audience, based on what the audience sees and hears, the literal meaning, or the denotation. For example, if the audience sees an image of a rose, the denotation is ROSE = ROSE (i. e. what we see in a picture of a rose is a red flower shaped in a particular way that suggests a rose), but the connotation could be ROSE = ROMANCE & LOVE (it’s deeper cultural meaning)

Film, TV & Photographic Codes TECHNICAL CODES Technical codes are all the ways in which technical processes, equipment or software is used to communicate ideas: • CAMERA TECHNIQUES • EDITING • AUDIO (Not Photography) • LIGHTING • SPECIAL EFFECTS SYMBOLIC CODES Symbolic codes express deeper meaning through symbolism: • SETTING • MISE ÉN SCENE • MOTIF • ACTING • COLOUR • Tone & Contrast • COSTUME WRITTEN CODES Printed and spoken language such as a headline on a newspaper or dialogue in a film. • PRINTED LANGUAGE • SPOKEN LANGUAGE • TEXT

Application Task – Technical Codes This task is about exploring how you can use multiple CODES to communicate an idea. Using your mobile phone, work with a partner to create 2 still shot: The first shot will make one person look dominant and powerful, i. e. a school bully The second shot will make the other person look vulnerable and weak i. e. someone being bullied At the very basic level, camera angles will be used to help construct this meaning. See if you can add in the use of other codes to strengthen your representation and create narrative. 2 minutes of planning, 3 minutes of shooting. When you’re done, email or Airdrop to me: gorman. rachel. m@edumail. vic. gov. au / Rachel’s Mac. Book Pro

More about codes… Codes are manipulated by media makers to communicate ideas, engage/effect the audience and construct narrative They also convey social values and ideologies in society They are interpreted by an audience whose individual prior knowledge, expectations, values and beliefs alter how they read media products Codes are different depending on the media form i. e. the type of media.

Analysis Task – Symbolic Codes Watch the following short film from VCE Top Screens: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Yp. WWt 4 nya 6 A&list=PLRD_y_7 o. YYFslj_Uqgx. Uq q 5 Of. INl_d. F 4 N&index=1 How has EDITING and SOUND been used to construct meaning within the audience? Take notes – what editing techniques do you notice? Why have they been used the way they have? What sound was heard in the film? Music? SFX? Voices? What was it trying to tell you as the audience? From your notes, formulate your ideas. Write an analytic response to the above question. Your answer should address both codes (editing and sound), and provide specific examples from the text to analyse.

Media Conventions A rule or commonly accepted way of constructing a text to suggest meaning. Media conventions include: story forms and structure generic structures character and story arcs cause and effect the manipulation and structure of time the form and structure of print for different purposes elements of page layout the use of hyperlinks in web pages the allocation of rewards to encourage players to move through a game.

Genre Conventions Think about what you would expect to see in: A teen movie A You. Tube vlog A reality TV show A horror film These are GENRE conventions: The common use of tropes, characters, settings or themes in a particular form.

Form Conventions Form conventions are elements that we see in a particular media form. What would you expect to see on: A social media page? The front page of a newspaper? A movie poster? The opening sequence to a film? The cover of a magazine? Media Form: The type of media i. e. film, TV, music, video, animation, blog etc.

Narrative Conventions Narrative conventions are the most commonly talked about conventions in media studies. When referring to film, narrative conventions can include: Character development Cause & Effect Opening, Development & Closure Motifs Point of View Structuring of Time Setting Multiple Storylines

Conventions: Review Conventions are generally accepted ways of constructed media forms. GENRE CONVENTION: FORM CONVENTION: The common use of tropes, characters, settings or themes in a particular form. Certain ways we expect types of media codes to be arranged i. e. titles at the start of a film NARRATIVE CONVENTION: Common narrative structures and understandings in storytelling media products.

HOLIDAY HOMEWORK (yay!) Using your understanding of representation, construction, codes and conventions, choose four film/TV texts over the holidays, and annotate them using the following guide: A still or picture of the production, or film poster Name of production Who created it (director/writer) Year of release An overview (what is it and what is its message? ) What draws you to it? What codes & conventions do you notice in this text? Provide specific examples. How could you use this text as inspiration for your SAT? What elements could you use in your own ideas?