Unit 6 - Media and Information Languages

• Media Language - Involves the study of codes, conventions, and genre.
• Codes - Are structure and arrangement of signs that are decoded to produce meaning.
• Three general types of codes:

  • Technical
  • Symbolic
  • Written
• Technical Codes - Utilize tools or equipment to convey a certain message to media.
• Common examples of Technical Codes:

  • Camera Work
  • Editing
  • Lighting
  • Audio Mixing
• Camera Angles - Refers to how the camera is placed and how objects, people, and places are shot.
• Determine the Camera Angles:

  A) Extreme close up

  B) Close up

  C) Medium Close up

  D) Medium shot

  E) Long shot

  F) Extreme long shot

  G) Point of view shot

  H) Birds eye view

  I) Worms eye view

  
• Low Angle - The subject looks large, which creates an impression of power.
• Normal Angle - The camera looks at the subject from eye-level, which makes the subject look and feel equal to the viewer.
• High Angle - The subject appears small, which creates an impression of weakness.
• Lighting - Is the selective use of natural or artificial light to create a certain effect.
• Symbolic Code - This type of code is all about association and connotations reflected in the physical aspect of objects, colors, or even animals. May also take in a form of setting, clothing, verbal and non-verbal gestures like facial expression and tone.
• Written Codes - Buzzwords like new, fresh, cool that may seem pleasant to hear yet empty value.
• Catchphrase - An easily remembered expression that has been associated to certain products.
• You And Only You - Another sub-category of written codes. These codes when heard or read trigger a certain response.
• Conventions - Are the rulers or norms on how codes are organized and presented to the audience.
• Genre - An etymology from French, which means kind.
• Genre - Is any kind or type of media that has a common set of characteristics, styles, and techniques recognized both by producers and audience.
• Contests - Involve competition among players including game shows, quizzes, and sports.
• Actualities - Include all news, documentary, and reality programming. They are objective and unemotional in principle.
• Persuasions - Are low on both dimensions and reflect an intention by the sender to persuade, especially by advertising or promoting some form of advocacy or propaganda.
• Dramas - Cover almost all fictional storytelling and a wide range of genres.
• Media - Are produced to communicate ideas thus understanding the messages conveyed in these various media texts require thorough analysis and careful considerations on the language used.
• Media Language - A binder that glues all the elements involved because in any form of communication, language is present.
• TAP Questioning Model - One common framework to assess and evaluate media.
• TAP means Text, Audience, and Production.
• Media Texts - Are any form of media that is being examined and scrutinized.
• Audience - Anyone who receives media. People discover implicit and explicit ideas created for certain groups of consumers for a particular reason.
• Production - Created using different types of media. People will examine the context of the media, who owns the media, and why they created it.