MEDIA AND

INFORMATION
LANGUAGES
MEDIA LANGUAGE
It is the way in which the meaning of a
media text is conveyed to the audience.
One of the ways Media Language works is
to convey meaning through signs and
symbols suggested by the way a scene is
set up and filmed.
TYPES OF MEDIA
LANGUAGES
There are different types of
media languages which include
visual, aural, written, verbal,
and non-verbal.
TYPES OF MEDIA
LANGUAGES
1. VISUAL LANGUAGE – Television and
film. What is on the screen has been chosen
specifically to generate a series of effects and
meanings (semiotic). Specific camera angles
and movements are chosen to tell the story and
meaning of that scene.
TYPES OF MEDIA
LANGUAGES
2. AURAL LANGUAGE – Diegetic/ non-
diegetic sound. Sound can help create a
scene and construct the environment,
atmosphere and mood. The aural language
of a media text can also help us to define
the genre of a piece.
TYPES OF MEDIA
LANGUAGES
3. WRITTEN LANGUAGE – This is the
print-based media, also in text such as
captions for photographs. The language
chosen generates meaning. Captions allow
the publication to present a story in a
particular way.
TYPES OF MEDIA
LANGUAGES
4. VERBAL LANGUAGE - this is used
in media areas such as television, radio
and film. How the language is delivered
and its context used are important factors
in the way meaning is generated for the
audience.
TYPES OF MEDIA
LANGUAGES
5. NON-VERBAL – This is in terms of
body language: gestures and actions.
The meaning received by the audience
is seen through how the actor uses their
body.
WHAT IS A MEDIA TEXT?
In Media Studies, “text” is utilized to depict
any media item, for example, TV programs,
photos, adverts, newspaper adverts, film, radio
programs, web pages and so forth. “Texts” are
therefore the main point of our study in
understanding how media languages create
meaning.
CODES AND CONVENTIONS
CODES are systems of signs, which
create meaning to communicate ideas and
impression for an audience, producers, and
other stakeholders. Codes can be divided
into two categories – technical and
symbolic.
CODES AND CONVENTIONS
Technical codes are all the ways
in which equipment is used to tell
the story in a media text, for
example the camera work in a film
(camera angles, sound and
lighting).
CODES AND CONVENTIONS
Symbolic codes include the language,
dress and actions of characters (mise-
en-scene). Some codes fit both
categories music for example, is both
technical and symbolic.
CODES AND CONVENTIONS
Conventions are the generally accepted ways if
doing something. There are general conventions in
any medium, such as the use of interviewee quotes
in a print article, but conventions are also genre
specific. The use of conventions allows the audience
to understand more than just the surface of the
speeches.
CODES AND CONVENTIONS
Codes and conventions are used
together in any study of genre – it is
not enough to discuss a technical code
used such as camera work, without
saying how it is conventionally used in
genre.
WHAT MAKE UP CODES AND
CONVENTIONS?
 A setting can be used for a number of purposes such as:
 1. realism ( time and place of setting is made known).
 2. atmosphere (reinforce desired mood) E.g. Horror
movies, a post-apocalyptic scene.
 3. symbolism ( can be conveyed through setting) E.g.
candles can symbolize a romantic atmosphere.
THEME
The subject, or a specific theme in a
scene or the entire film. For example: a
film taking place in the 1950s; the
actors wear vintage clothing and
environment and is set to be like in the
1950s.
CHARACTERS
A narrative might use:
Sympathetic characters – with whom
the audience strongly identifies with.
They may share qualities and values.
SYMPATHETIC CHARACTERS
CHARACTERS
Unsympathetic characters – Audience dislikes
them. They increase sympathy to main
character.
Stereotypes – Can reinforce existing ways of
thinking about certain groups appeal to the
prejudices of the audience.
UNSYMPATHETIC
CHARACTER
STEREOTYPES
PROPS
Props, sets and locations can
influence our interpretation of
character as contribution to the
atmosphere of the film.
NARRATIVE & PLOT
 A linear plot (Events would occur in the same order they
would occur in real life) manipulation of time (E.g.
Flashbacks), suspense (It is hinted something dramatic is
going to happen), a climax and resolution (main problem
occurs, comes to a head and is sorted out), a sting in the
tail (ending is a complete surprise and unexpected), and an
open ending (loose ends left- audience may be left
wondering – as story seems not over).
SOUND
Sound builds up the atmosphere. Scary scene-
creepy music in background, creaking door,
footsteps coming, etc. sad scene- slow and
emotive music. Happy scene- laughing, joy,
and upbeat music. Serious scene- may use
silence to enhance the atmosphere.
IMAGE ANALYSIS
What is image analysis?
Image analysis is the extraction of meaningful
information from images; mainly from digital images
by means of digital image processing techniques.
Image analysis tasks can be as simple as reading bar
coded tags or as sophisticated as identifying a person
from their face.
FRAMING
Defines the position from which the image was
created. It is the border between the space we
are allowed to see and that which is out of our
sight. All frames have a shape. In terms of
framing a still image, you can vary:
FRAMING
1. Angle - Refers to the camera’s angle in relation to
the vertical. The most common is the “straight on”
position. Other commonly used angles are low
angle, which is often used to indicate a position of
power as the audience is forced to look up at the
character and high angle, which means the audience
has to look down on the character so often suggests
subservience.
FRAMING
2. Height – this is the height at which the
shot is taken, usually eye-level, just under
two meters.
FRAMING
3. Level – this refers to the camera’s
horizontal angle. As with the vertical
angle, usually it is “straight on” but the
camera can also be titled on its side to the
left or right to change the level.
FRAMING
 4. Distance – this refers to the distance of the object from the camera. There are six categories:
 a. Extreme long shot (e.g. a landscape)
 b. Long shot (e.g. a group of people)
 c. Medium shot (e.g. one or two people)
 d. Medium close-up (e.g. part of a body)
 e. Close-up (e.g. part of a body)
 f. Extreme close-up (e.g. part of face)
FRAMING
5. Depth of field – this refers to the distance
between the nearest and farthest area from the
camera which is in focus. Deep focus photography
will have the whole scene in focus, whereas a
conventional photograph will focus on the main
object with the background out of focus. Soft focus
can be created by using special lenses and layers.
FRAMING
6. Lens type – Wide-angle lenses make the scene
appear deeper than it is; an extreme wide-angle will
give a “fish-eye” effect while a telephoto lens pulls
object closer together (e.g. two athletes may seem to
be running close together but when the shot is cut
you see the true distance between them).
FRAMING
7. Film stock – this refer to the speed at which
the film responds to light. A fast stock will
produce grainy images while a slow stock will
require lots of light. Slow stock is the norm in
cinema while most television companies use
video (digibeta) tapes.
SIX TYPES OF MOVING
IMAGES
 1. Pan (short for panorama). The camera moves horizontally from a static position;
 2. Tracking (or dolly). The camera moves on tracks (or wheels) to give a smooth movement;
 3. Tilt. The camera moves up or down vertically from a static position;
 4. Crane. The camera is moved on a device that can move up and down and laterally (the
ultimate crane shot is the helicopter shot)
 5. Handheld. Gives the frame a shaky look, often used as a point-of-view shot.
 6. Zoom. Technically not movement, but the change of the focal length bringing us closer or
further away from the object in the frame.
CONTENT (WHAT IS IN THE
IMAGE)
Mise-en-scene means “put into the scene”, mise-en-
scene refers to anything that goes into a shot,
including sets, props, actors, costumes, camera
movements and performances. It is often seen as the
principal vehicle by which a film’s meaning is
conveyed.
3 MAIN PARTS OF MISE-EN-
SCENE ANALYSIS
1. The subject
2. The lighting
3. The setting
3 MAIN PARTS OF MISE-EN-
SCENE ANALYSIS
The subject – there may be more than
one subject in an image and we bring
our cultural knowledge to bear when
looking at subject.
3 MAIN PARTS OF MISE-EN-
SCENE ANALYSIS
The Lighting – this refers to how the image is lit.
think about:
a. where is the lighting coming from: front, side,
back, above or below?
b. is the lighting of equal intensity? (unlikely)
c. where is this light coming (or supposed to be
coming) from?
THE LIGHTING
 Three-point lighting is the commonest set up, made up of key, fill
and backlight
 The key light is the main source of illumination and is directed on
the subject, usually from 45 degrees above and to one side of the
camera. It is hard, direct light which produces sharply defined
shadows.
 The fill light is the soft or indirect light that “fills” in the shadows
formed by the key light.
 The back light shines from behind the subject, usually to
differentiate it from the background.
3 MAIN PARTS OF MISE-EN-
SCENE ANALYSIS
The Setting – this is self-explanatory; we
have different expectations, for example,
of a tropical setting when compared to an
arctic one.
SEMIOTICS
It is the study of signs and symbols, discusses the
literal and potential meanings. It explores how
words and other signs make meaning. In semiotics, a
sign is anything that stands in for something other
than itself. This lesson focuses primarily on
linguistics signs. There are two identified orders of
signification, denotation, connotation.
SEMIOTICS: DECODING THE
HIDDEN MESSAGE
DENOTATION
The literal or obvious meaning
– description of what is
physically seen or heard.
CONNOTATION
The potential or suggested meaning – for
example a cross (which is the symbol/stands
for Christianity, mathematics, or crucifix)