GRADE 12 – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

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LESSON 7: Media and Information Languages
‘The medium is the message‘, now a famous quote, was written by Marshall McLuhan in 1964.By which the medium may be affected how
messages are received, the users’/audiences’ own background/experience may have also affect the interpretation of messages. An important first step
in becoming media and information literate is to understand how information, ideas and meaning are communicated through and by various media
and other information providers, such as libraries, archives, museums and the Internet. Each medium has its own ‘language’ or ‘grammar’ that works
to convey meaning in a unique way.‘Language’ in this sense means the technical and symbolic ingredients or codes and conventions that media and
information professionals may select and use in an effort to communicate ideas, information and knowledge.
WHAT I NEED TO KNOW
Learning objectives
In this lesson, you will:
1. Present an issue in varied ways to disseminate information using codes, convention and languages of media.
WHAT I KNOW
Pretest
Answer the following as directed. Strictly No erasure. Write only the letter of your choice.
1. __________ can be recognized by its common set of distinguishing features.
a. Genre b. Conventions c. Codes d. class
2. __________ are systems of signs, which create meaning
a. Genre b. Conventions c. Codes d. class
3. __________ are the generally accepted ways of doing something.
a. Genre b. Conventions c. Codes d. class
4. __________ ways in which equipment is used to tell the story (camera techniques, framing, depth of fields, lighting and etc.).
5. __________ show what is beneath the surface of what we see (objects, setting, body language, clothing, color, etc. )
WHAT IS IT?
Discussion
GENRE, CODE, AND CONVENTIONS

All media messages are constructed using a particular set of codes and conventions. When we say media message are constructed using
codes and conventions, we mean that

every media product we encounter is a coherent body with its own rules. Take a look at the previous exercise you had done, you are tasked to
illustrate description of the movie and how this description is illustrated in the set of codes you may observe in the film.

In this lesson, we engaged with the thought that media messages are constructed.

We have established that the meaning is something that comes out as an interaction between the message sent and its receiver, both of
which are surrounded by a context that bears on how the process of reading and receiving encoded message is decoded.

Every medium has its own codes and conventions.

Genre. It is a French word which means “Kind” or “Class”. The original Latin word is “genus” and mean class of things that can be broken down into
subcategories. It tends to be understood to constitute particular conventions of contents and following a distinctive style in terms of form and
presentation.

The primary genres that media creators and producers invoke are the following: entertainment, news, information, education, and
advertising. These sample of sub-category of some of the given primary genre

1. News. These are stories that have critical importance to community and national life. News stories are also told following the basic structure of
beginning, middle and end. Journalists, people trained to report news to an audience, are expected to be objective, comprehensive and bias-free. They
work for newspaper, radio stations, televisions, and lately, online or web-based news services.

Major Division for News stories: Hard or straight news; Feature, Soft News, Investigative News, Opinion

2. Entertainment. It is derived from the French word “entretenir” which means “to hold the attention, keep busy, or amused.
This a comprehensive movie genres list:
(a) Action movies require stunts, set pieces, explosions, guns, and karate. They are usually about a clear hero and a clear villain. Action movie stakes
are huge, like saving the world or the universe. They're often bombastic and move quickly. Their pacing and structure are built around scenes like car
chases and their climaxes often have the biggest set pieces.
(b) Adventure movies are usually built around a quest. They take place in faraway lands or jungles. Many adventures may be period pieces, although
more contemporary adventure stories are coming back to the forefront. They can be swashbucklers or treasure hunts.
(c) Comedy films usually are written with a few laughs a scene. The stakes are usually much smaller or interpersonal. Comedy films can vary in their
darkness and the way they deal with life and death. They tend to be shorter films, spoofs and can have broader casts.
(d) Drama is regularly mashed up with other genres because most movies and tv rely on character-driven stories to keep the audience involved. These
are serious stories that hinge on events that regularly happen in everyday life. They usually focus on character and how these people arc over time.
(e) Horror film focuses on adrenaline rides for the audience that dial in the gore, scares and creative monsters. Horror is always re-inventing old
classics, like adding fast zombies, and CGI creatures. It also is seen as the most bankable genre with a huge built-in audience. Ghouls, ghosts,
slashers, creatures, and body disfiguring are some of its settings
(f) Romance movies are about people coming together, falling apart, and all the hurdles in between. Love is a universal language. They can be paired
with comedy and ram, but a straightforward romance focuses on two characters or an ensemble falling in love.
(g) Thriller movies. What would you do when you were over your head? This is usually linked with horror, action, and drama, but thrillers are about
exciting situations that have constant danger. They're about stressed characters, corrupt investigators, and criminals living on the edge.
(h) War/Conflict movies are about POWs, men in foxholes, tanks, and planes. They're about people finding commonalities, differences, and
sacrificing their lives.
Codes . These are system of signs that when put together create meaning.
Type of Codes
1. Technical Codes. The way in which equipment is used to tell the story (camera techniques, framing, depth of fields, lighting and etc.)
Camera Techniques
Extreme Wide Shot Shot of, e.g a large crow or a view of scenery as far horizon.

Wide Shot A view of situation or setting from a

distance

Medium Shot Shows a subject down to his or her waist with a space above to his or her head.

Medium Close- up Shows a subject down to his or her chest with a space above to his or her head.

Close- up A full screen shot of a subject face,

Two Shot A two shot is a type of shot in which the frame encompasses two people. The
subjects do not have to be next to each

other, and there are many common two shots which have one subject in the
foreground and the other subject in the background.

Cut Away is the interruption of a continuous shot by inserting a shot of something else.
Usually, you then cut back to the first shot. These can be done within the same
scene, cuts to other scenes, or even as one continuous shot as the camera pans
across to something else.

Over the Shoulder The Over the shoulder shot is a camera angle used in film and television, where
the camera is placed above the back of the shoulder and head of a subject. This
shot is most commonly used to present conversational back and forth between
two subjects.

Point of View also known as POV shot, is an angle that shows what a character is looking at.
Typically POV shots are placed in between a shot of a character looking at
something and a shot showing the character's reaction.

Selective Focus Using a shallow depth of field the subject can be rendered in sharp focus with the
rest of the image blurring into the image foreground and background. This
technique isolates the subject within the image, drawing the eye of the viewer to
the exact point which the photographer wishes to be observed.

Eye-Level It refers to when the level of your camera is placed at the same height as the eyes
of the characters in your frame. It also simulates standard human vision and thus
present visual information through a familiar viewpoint.

High Angle It is a cinematic technique where the camera looks down on the subject from a
high angle and the point of focus often gets "swallowed up". High-angle shots
can make the subject seem vulnerable or powerless when applied with the correct
mood, setting, and effects.
Low Angle It is a shot from a camera angle positioned anywhere below the eye line, pointing
upward.

Bird's Eye View A shot in which the camera shoots a scene from directly overhead.It usually has
an extreme long shot, to establish setting. We use this angle to look down at the
scene from a higher point.

Worm’s is a shot that is looking up from the ground, and is meant to give the viewer the
feeling that they are looking up at the character from way below and it is meant
Eye View to show the view that a child or a pet would have.

2. Symbolic Codes. It shows what is beneath the surface of what we see (objects, setting, body language, clothing, color, etc. )

Setting Setting is the time and place of the narrative. When discussing setting, you can
describe the setting of the whole story or just a specific scene. A setting can be
as big as the outback or space, or as small as a specific room. Setting can even
be a created atmosphere or frame of mind.

Mise en scene It is a French term that means ‘everything within the frame’. In media terms it
has become to mean the description of all the objects within a frame of the
media product and how they have been arranged. An analysis of mise en
scene includes:
 Set Design
 Costume
 Props
 Staging and Composition

Acting Actors portray characters in media products and contribute to character

development, creating tension or advancing the narrative. The actor portrays a
character through:
 Facial expression
 Body Language
 Vocal qualities
 Movement
 Body contact
Colour Colour has highly cultural and strong connotations. When
studying the use of colour in a media product the different aspects to be looking
at are:
 Dominant colour
 Contrasting foils
 Colour symbolism
3. Written Codes. These are the formal written language used in a media product. It can be used to advance a narrative, communicate information
about a character or issues and themes. It 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.

CONVENTIONS . These are the accepted ways of using media codes. These are closely connected to the audience expectations of a media product.

TYPES OF CONVENTIONS

1. Form conventions. These are the certain ways we expect types of media’s codes to be arranged. For instance, an audience expects to have a title of
the film at the beginning, and then credits at the end. Newspapers will have a masthead, the most important news on the front page and sports news on
the back page. Video games usually start with a tutorial to explain the mechanics of how the game works.
2. Story Conventions. These 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
2. Genre Conventions. It points 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.
ASSESSMENT
Posttest
MULTIPLE CHOICE. Encircle the letter of your choice. Be wary of options, choose only the best. ONLY THE BEST. You will get
wronged and hurt if you choose the wrong ones. It is only your conscious choice that will dictate your fate. May the God be with you!
1. What shot is used to represent a \character as having power?
A. High angle shot B. Low angle shot C. Establishing shot D. Canted shot
2. What shot is used to show the emotions on a characters face?
A. Extreme close up B. Close up C. Aerial shot D. Scooby doo shot
3. Why is a shot reverse shot used?
A. To show the location B. To show something forwards and backwards
C. To manipulate situations D. To show 2 sides of a conversation
4. An establishing shot/long shot is used to set the location of a scene
A. True B.False
5. What shot is this?

A. Medium shot B. Long shot C. Canted shot D. Extreme long shot

6. What is a wide shot?
A. When it makes a character looks really fat B. When a character takes up the whole frame
7. What shot would be used to establish the full costume of a character in TV drama?
A. Establishing shot B. Long shot C. Close up D. Extreme close up
8. Why is a mid shot used?
A. To show a characters facial expression while still showing a lot of their body
B. To show someone’s feet C. To show someone walking D. The view someone can see

9. 10.

11. A master shot is when you can see all the action taking place
in one shot
A. True B. False

12. What is the name of this type of shot?

A. High angle shot B. Close up shot C. Extreme close up shot D. Establishing shot
13. A close-up shot will show....
A. A shot of a hand, eye, mouth or object AND foot in detail.
B. A full screen shot of the subject's face showing the detail of their facial expressions
C. A view of a figure's entire body in order to show action and/or a group of characters

14. This is an establishing shot A. True B. False

15.What is the effect of this low angle shot?
A. It creates shadows under his eyebrows and makes him look sinister B. It allows you to see up his nose
C. The viewer can have a better view of his acne D. The viewer can see what's on the ceiling

16. The purpose of an "over the shoulder" or "point of view" shot, is to show the
audience how that character views the situation so that they have empathy with the character. In this shot, the audience feels helpless and compelled
to do something to help the woman.
A. True B. False

17. This long shot is also a low-angled shot.

A. True B. False
18. The establishing shot, is also known as a wide-angled shot because the film-makers use a wide angle lens to fit as
much scenery as possible into the shot. It also has the effect of showing the audience, the characters against the setting. A. True
B. False

19. What type of shot shows a subject down to his or her waist, e.g. showing head and
shoulders and is also known as a midshot?
A. Long shot B. Medium shot C. Low angled shot D. Over the shoulder shot