Learning Competency:

At the end of the session, students are able to:

1. Present an issue in varied ways to disseminate
information using the codes, convention, and language
of media
 LESSON VI:
CODES,
CONVENTIONS,
AND LANGUAGE
 Definition of Terms:
1. Language- pertains to 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.

2. Media Languages - codes, conventions, formats,

symbols and narrative structures that indicate the
meaning of media messages to an audience.
 Definition of Terms:
Messages- are the information sent from a source to a
receiver.
Audience- the group of consumers for whom a media
message was constructed as well as anyone else who is
exposed to the message.

Producers- People engaged in the process of creating

and putting together media content to make a finished
media product.
 Definition of Terms:
Other stakeholders- Libraries, archives, museums,
internet and other relevant information providers.

Conventions- are expected ways in which codes are

organized in a product.

Codes- are system of signs which can be detected to

create meaning.
CODES
 Codes
- Are system of signs that
when put together create
meaning.
Semiotics- study of signs.
 Symbolic Codes
- Symbolic codes are social in nature. This means that
these codes live outside the media product themselves,
but would be understood in similar ways in the ‘real
life’ of the audience. It may include the language,
dress or actions of characters, or iconic symbols that
are easily understood.
 Symbolic Codes
- Symbolic codes in media include setting, mise en
scene, acting and color.
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.
 Symbolic Codes

MISE EN SCENE - 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.
 Symbolic Codes

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 and Body
contact.
 Symbolic Codes

COLOUR - has highly cultural and strong

connotations. When studying the use of color in a
media product the different aspects to be looking at
are: Dominant color Contrasting foils Color
symbolism
What does a red rose
symbolize?
It may be used
symbolically to
convey romance
or love.
 What does a clenched fist
symbolize?
It may be used to
communicate anger.
What does the colors in the
traffic light symbolize?
Red- means stop.
Yellow- means ready.
Green- means go.
 Written Codes
- Refer to the formal written language used in a media product.
Just like technical and symbolic codes, written codes can be used
to advance a narrative, communicate information about a
character or issues and themes in the media product. Written
codes include 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.
- Refers to the use of language style and textual layout (headlines,
captions, speech bubbles, language style, etc.
Headline
Captions
Speech Bubbles
 Technical Codes
- It include sound, camera angles, types of shots
and lighting. They may include, for example,
ominous music to communicate danger in a
feature film, or high-angle camera shots to create a
feeling of power in a photograph.
- Technical codes in media include Camera,
Editing, Lighting, and Audio/Sound.
 Technical Codes
A. CAMERA - Camera techniques and qualities refer to how the camera is
used to record the narrative. Below is a list of camera techniques used in
film.
B. FILM FORMAT: Camera also includes the format used for filming -
35mm, 50mm, 70mm, IMAX, Black & White, Color, Video, Animation
and Photography.
C. CAMERA ANGLE:
• Low Angle: camera is low looking up at the subject
• High Angle: camera is up high and looking down upon the subject
• Tilted Camera: camera is not square and is on an angle
• Neutral: camera is neutral to the subject - not looking up or down
 Technical Codes
D.CAMERA MOVEMENT:
• Panning: camera moving from left to right OR right to
left
• Hand Held: camera is held by hand and seems rough
• Zooming: camera zooms in or out for dramatic effect
• Tilting: camera moving from up to down OR down to
up
Camera
Shots
 Extreme Long Shot
- Also called
extreme wide shots
such as large
crowd scene or a
view of scenery as
far as the horizon.
Long Shot
- A view of a
situation or
setting from a
distance.
 Medium Long Shot
- Shows a group of
people in interaction
with each other,
example: fight scene
with part of their
surroundings in the
picture.
Full Shot
- A view of a
figure’s entire body
in order to show
action and/ or a
constellation group
of characters.
 Close Up Shot
- A full- screen
shot of a
subject’s face
showing the
finest nuances of
expression.
Extreme Close Up Shot
- A shot of a
hand, eye,
mouth, or any
object in detail.
Point of View
 Establishing Shot
- Often used at the
beginning of a scene to
indicate the location or
setting, it is usually a
long shot taken from a
neutral position.
 Point- of- View Shot
- Shows a scene from the
perspective of a character
or one person. Most
newsreel footages are
shown from the
perspective of the
newscaster.
Over- the – Shoulder Shot
- Often used in dialogue
scenes, a frontal view of a
dialogue partner from the
perspective of someone
standing behind and slightly
to the side of the other
partner, so that parts of both
can be seen.
Insert Shot
- A detailed shot which
quickly gives visual
information necessary
to understand the
meaning of a scene.
 Reaction Shot
- Short shot of
a character’s
response to an
action.
 Reverse- Angle Shot

- A shot from
the opposite
perspective.
Hand- held Camera Shot
- The camera is not
mounted on a tripod
and instead is held by
the cameraperson,
resulting in less stable
shots.
Camera
Angles
 Aerial Shot
- Overhead shot
- Also called Bird’s
Eye Shot
- Long or extreme
long shot of the
ground from the
air.
High- Angle Shot

- Shows people
or objects from
above higher
than eye level.
 Low- Angle Shot
- Below shot
- Shows people
or objects from
below, lower
than eye level.
Eye- Level Shot
- Straight – on
Angle
- Views a
subject from
the level of a
person’s eye.
 Camera
Movements
 Pan Shot
- The camera pans
(moves
horizontally) from
left to right or vice
versa across the
picture.
Tilt Shot
- The camera tilts
up (moves
upwards) or tilts
down ( moves
downwards) around
a vertical line.
 Tracking Shot
- The camera
follows along
next to or
behind a
moving object
or person.
 Zoom

- The stationary camera approaches a subject by “zooming in” or moves

farther away by “zooming out”.

Zoom out Zoom in

 Technical Codes
E. EDITING- The main purpose of Editing is to either increase or decrease time.
• DECREASED TIME - (COLLAPSED / SPED UP) This includes scenes in
films such as montages - we see a lot of quick shots of something that might
have occurred in the story world over months and we the audience see it in a
matter of minutes: think Rocky becoming super fit and watching his crazy
training.
• INCREASED TIME - (EXPANDED / SLOWED DOWN) This is when time is
slowed down. This give the audience a moment to stop and take in what has
just happened. This is a common edit technique when something dramatic had
just happened. Think of major fight scenes in films. As the punch is blown the
film slows down so we the audience can take it all in. In some cases, the punch
is then shown from multiple angles, to further engage the audience. This is the
editing technique of overlapping editing.
 Technical Codes
E. EDITING is completed in post-production and it is when the film is put together. Again,
with this element there are several small elements for us to focus on:
• Cut: this is one of the most common edits, cuts from one shot to another. If a sequence has
lots and lots of cuts this can be referred to as quick cuts.
• Jump Cut: this technique is used when the subject is in motion and the camera stays in the
same position. A subject is in motion and we the audience see the subject 'jump' forward.
• Fade: there are a few fades. Fade in: Screen is black/white and slowly the image begins to
appear. Fade out: Screen has the image and slowly begins to disappear into black or white.
• Dissolve: Similar to a fade but instead of fading to black or white - the screen dissolves
from one scene to another.
• Wipe: The screen wipes from one side to another.
• Split Screen: The screen has multiple frames in view.
• Cross Cutting: multiple events are occurring at the same time and the edits keep cutting
between these multiple scenes.
 Technical Codes
F. LIGHTING within a film is the responsibility of the cinematographer also
known as the Director of Photography (DOP). Lighting is used to create mood
and atmosphere. Here are the common terms of lighting that you will need to
refer to:
• Warm: Lighting that has warm yellow/orange tones.
• Cool: Lighting that has cool green/blue tones.
• High Key: When a scene is well lit and casts minimal shadows (if it was bright
lighting we wouldn't see anything - sunglasses needed).
• Low: When lighting is low and casts lots of shadows (if it was dark lighting we
wouldn't see anything).
• Naturalistic: This is the term to use when the lighting looks natural.
• Hard: Lighting that creates harsh shadows
• Soft: Lighting that is diffused, this can be achieved with soft boxes.
 Technical Codes
G. SOUND- Most sound is added during post-production.
REMEMBER: All sound has been put there for a reason - it isn't an
accident that you can hear crickets in the background or cars going
past. There are two different types of sounds that you need to know:
• Diegetic Sound: These are sounds that occur within the film world.
This includes; characters talking to each other the sound of car
breaks before the accident.
• Non-Diegetic Sound: These are sounds that are added, that the
characters wouldn't hear. This includes; music, score, narrator
commentary and sound effects added for dramatic effect.
 CONVENTIONS

- Refers to a standard or norm that

acts as a rule governing behaviour.
- Are generally established and
accepted ways of doing something.
 CONVENTIONS
• FORM CONVENTIONS- 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. Another example would be continuity editing. Most video
forms follow a set of editing rules and techniques called continuity
editing which allows for the audience to easily understand what is
going on in a scene and who is talking to who.
 CONVENTIONS
• STORY CONVENTIONS- 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
• GENRE CONVENTIONS Genre conventions point 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
Examples of Conventions:
In Horror Genre:
Blood
Villain
Damsel in distress
Heroic male or female
weapons
Dark colors
Scary settings
Undead people/ monsters
Bad weather
Sound motif (specific characters)
Examples Of Conventions
In Science Fiction Film:
Spaceships
Aliens
Vibrant Colors
High advanced technology
Abstract outfits
Silver and metal objects
Futuristic sounds
Wide range of different races and species
Lasers
Space setting