G235: Critical

Perspectives in
Media
Theoretical
Evaluation of
Production

Aims/Objectives

To reinforce the basic media language

that create meaning in texts.
To have a basic understanding of how
to evaluate your coursework against
the media language that you used.

Importance of media
language
Every medium has its own language or
combination of languages that it uses to
communicate meaning. Television, for
example, uses verbal and written language
as well as the languages of moving images
and sound.
We call these languages because they
use familiar codes and conventions
that are generally understood.

 Media messages are constructed using

a creative language with its own rules.
Each form of communication-whether newspapers, TV game shows
or horror movies-- has its own
creative language: scary music
heightens fear, camera close-ups
convey intimacy, big headlines
signal significance.

 Understanding the grammar, syntax and

metaphor system of media language, especially
the language of sounds and visuals which can reach
beyond the rational to our deepest emotional core,
increases our appreciation and enjoyment of
media experiences as well as helps us to be
less susceptible to manipulation.
E.g the example from Mens
Health is so transparent once
you know how to read a media
text (and you cant grow
muscle....)

Denotation,
Connotation and Myth
In semiotics, denotation and
connotation are terms describing
the relationship between the
signifier and its signified.

 Barthes (1977) argued that in

film connotation can be
(analytically) distinguished from
denotation.
As John Fiske (1982) puts it
denotation is what is filmed,
connotation is how it is filmed.

Making connections?
Evaluating media language is an evaluation
of all micro elements and how they have
created meaning to inform us about
genre, narrative, representations/
ideology, targeting of audiences.
This requires us to use semiotic terminology
to explain our encoding of elements and codes
and conventions within our texts.
We must also remember to discuss the
preferred meaning (Hall, 1980) that we
wanted our audience to DECODE.

Micro Elements: Miseen-Scene

Mise-en-scne constitutes the key
aspect of the pre-production phase
of the film and can be taken to
include all aspects of production
design and Cinematography.
Mise-en-Scene creates the diegetic
world - the fictional space and time
implied by the narrative, i.e. the
world in which the story takes place.

Aspects of Mise-en-Scene
video and print style
1. Location - settings, set-design
and iconography
2. Character Costume, Properties
and Make Up, Actors and Gesture
3. Cinematography - Lighting and
Colour
4. Layout and Page Design colour,
juxtaposition of elements.

Micro Elements:
Camerawork
There are Four aspects to camerawork
that you need to understand:
1.Shot Types particularly relevant for
print.
2.Camera Composition
3.Camera Movement
4.Camera Angles

Link to Propp (1928)

The villain struggles against the hero.
The donor prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical
object.
The (magical) helper helps the hero in the quest.
The princess and her father gives the task to the hero,
identifies the false hero, marries the hero, often sought for during
the narrative. Propp noted that functionally, the princess and the
father can not be clearly distinguished.
The dispatcher character who makes the lack known and sends
the hero off.
The hero or victim/seeker hero reacts to the donor, weds the
princess.
[False hero] takes credit for the heros actions or tries to marry
the princess.

Micro Elements: Editing

Editing is a post-production technique
in which the footage shot during
production is cut up and reassembled
in such a way as to tell the story.
TV shows are not filmed in
chronological order.
They are filmed out of order in short
sequences, called takes, which then
have to be assembled in the correct
order.

 Long Takes: takes of an unusually long

length.
Short Takes: takes that only last for a
few seconds.
There are two basic types of
editing:
1.Continuity and
2.Non-Continuity.

Continuity

Establishing/Re-establishing Shot
Transitions.
The 180 Line Rule.
Action Match.
Crosscutting.
Cutaway.
Insert Shots.
Shot-Reverse Shot Structures.
Eyeline Match.

The Structure Of The Classic

Narrative System
According to Pam Cook (1985), the
standard Hollywood narrative
structure should have:
Linearity of cause and effect within an
overall trajectory of enigma resolution.
A high degree of narrative closure.
A fictional world that contains
verisimilitude especially governed by
spatial and temporal coherence.

Non-Continuity
1. Montage Sequence.
2. Flash Back/Forward.
3. Ellipsis.
4. Graphic Match.

Micro Elements: Sound

Sound is layered on tracks in order
to create meaning. On Premiere you
used multiple audio tracks (one for
dialogue and music). You can have
sound bridges and sound motifs to
enhance meaning.
There are 2 types of sound:
Diegetic
Non-diegetic sound

 Diegetic Sound, which refers to sound

whose origin is to be located in the story
world such as the voices of the actors, sound
effects etc.
Non-diegetic Sound, which refers to sounds
not explained in terms of any perceived
source within the story world, such as mood
music, or voice-of-God type commentaries.
Music added to enhance the shows action is
the most common form of non-diegetic
sound.

Diegetic sound includes:

1. Dialogue
2. Sound Effects and in some cases
3. Music

Non- Diegetic sound includes:

1. Incidental Music
2. Voice Over/Narration
3. Non-diegetic sound effects (which can
be asynchronous)

Think of this question as the first part

of your revision...

Media is communication. Discuss

the ways that you have used
media language to create
meanings in one of your media
products.