media language

• sub genre


  a genre within a genre
• Mise-en-scene


  means 'what is in the scene'

  settings and props

  lighting,

  costumes

  makeup,

  facial expression and body language

  position of characters
• Iconography


  the images and symbolic representations that are traditionally associated with a person or a subject

  distinguishes genre
• archetypes


  an original idea that has been repeated and imitated by others which creates shared cultures, beliefs

  easily recognised type of character seen in many movies
• codes and conventions


  the familiar and predictable forms and techniques used by the media to communicate certain ideas or to convey a desired impression.

  Technical codes include camera angles, sound, and lighting.

  
  

  Symbolic codes include the language, dress, and actions of characters.
• diegetic sound


  sound that has its source in the narrative world of the film, whose characters are presumed to be able to hear it

  e.g dialogue, alarm, phone ringing
• non-diegetic sound


  sounds characters cannot hear

  e.g narration, background music, sound effects
• trans diegetic sound


  has both sounds
• close up shots


  camera shot that is very close to punctuate an emotional moment or story point
• extreme close up shot


  Shows a particular part of a subject with extreme detail
• medium shot


  A framing in which the scale of the object shown is of moderate size; a human figure seen from the waist up would fill most of the screen.

  
• long shot


  A framing in which the scale of the object shown is small; a standing human figure would appear nearly the height of the screen.

  
• extreme long shot


  A framing in which the scale of the object shown is very small; a building, landscape, or crowd of people will fill the screen.

  
• semiology


  the study of cultural meanings embedded in media forms, often used to explore and interpret 'hidden meanings' embedded within texts
• denotation


  The dictionary definition of a word
• connotation


  underlying meaning
• icon


  anything with physical resemblance to the idea
• index


  sign that shows evidence of the concept
• symbol


  anything that stands for or represents something else
• key light


  the main source of light in a photograph or film.
• black light


  light helps to counteract the effects of the key light making the subject appear more rounded
• filler light


  light helps to soften any shadows created by other lights
• under lighting


  light angle

  below the subject to create distorted effect
• top lighting


  light angle

  above subject

  used to accentuate features of a character
• back lighting


  light angle

  when source is from behind object to create a silhouette

  
• high key lighting


  The scene is flooded with light, creating a bright and open-looking scene.

  more realistic
• lowkey lighting


  created using key & back lights

  produces dramatic shadows and contracts of light and dark
• parallel sound


  sound that complements the image, for instance romantic music during a love scene
• contrapuntal sound


  sound or music that seems strange in comparison to the scene we are seeing.
• sound bridge


  the term for sound carried over a picture transition, or a sound belonging to the coming scene playing before the image changes
• panning


  a camera movement that scans a scene horizontally
• tilt


  A stationary camera moves up or down along a vertical axis.
• crane shot


  camera moves around at a distance above ground level
• tracking shot


  camera follows action along tracks
• dolly shot


  a shot in which the camera is moved on a wheeled dolly that follows a determined course
• steadicam


  filmed with a camera attached to a shoulder frame that's strapped to a camera operator

  
• Continuity editing


  A system of cutting to maintain continuous and clear narrative action.
• cut


  Going from one scene to another
• Cutting on action


  Cutting from one scene to another while subject is still in motion
• Cut away


  Cutting from one scene to an insert shot then back to the first shot