UNDERSTANDING

MEDIA TEXTS
PREPARED BY: RFSA DESCARGAR
Today's Discussion
At the end of the lesson, you
should be able to:

● Identify codes, convention, and message and

how they affect the audience, producers,
and other stake holders.
● Reflect on how important information can be
conveyed to create the desired impression.
● Understand how media texts are presented and
interpreted based on various codes and
conventions
 UNDERSTANDING MEDIA TEXTS
When we look at any form of media, we
read it trying to determine what it says,
or what it means. All media texts
communicate symbolically through the
use of codes and conventions.
CODES
• systems of signs, which create
meaning
CONVENTIONS
• Generally accepted ways of doing
something
 CODES OF MEDIA

1.TECHNICAL CODE
• ways in which the
equipment is used to
tell the story (camera
techniques, lighting,
etc.)
TECHNICAL CODE
TECHNICAL CODE
TECHNICAL CODE
 TECHNICAL CODE

LIGHTING
• manipulation of natural or a) Warm
artificial light to b) Cool
selectively highlight c) High Key
specific elements of the d) Low
scene. e) Naturalistic
 CODES OF MEDIA

2. SYMBOLIC CODE
• codes that are used to
convey a symbolic
meaning
• social in nature
 SYMBOLIC CODE

SETTING: time and MISE EN SCENE: everything within

place of a narrative the frame (set design, costume,
props, staging, composition)
Stranger Things (2016)
 SYMBOLIC CODE

ACTING: how the character is portrayed COLOR: highly cultural and strong
through facial expression, body language, connotations (dominant color,
vocal qualities, movement, and body contrasting foils, color symbolism)
contact Metamorphosis (2019)
 CODES OF MEDIA

3. AUDIO CODE
• expressive or
naturalistic use of
sound
• involves music, sound
effects and dialogue

The Hows of Us (2018)

 CODES OF MEDIA

4. WRITTEN CODE
can be used to advance a
narrative, communicate
information about a
character or issues and
themes in the media
product.
Stranger Things (2016)
 CONVENTIONS OF MEDIA

1.FORM CONVENTIONS
• certain ways we
expect types of
media’s codes to be
arranged

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

 CONVENTIONS OF MEDIA

2.STORY CONVENTIONS
• common narrative
structures and
understandings that
are common in story
telling media
products
Kalel, 15 (2019)
 CONVENTIONS OF MEDIA

3.GENRE CONVENTIONS
• common use of
tropes, characters,
settings or themes in
a particular type of
medium
Try to identify how the
different conventions were
used in these posters.