Media Key Concepts

MEDIA KEY CONCEPTS

MEDIA LANGUAGE Media texts and media language

The languages of media can be thought of as the language of the moving image and the language of print. The construction elements used on web based and e-media platforms are a hybrid of these languages although, of course, the way the text is navigated is very different. The technical terms used about moving image also apply to still images and aural, sound codes apply to broadcast, film and internet.

It’s easy to turn on the TV, Radio or Internet and take in the images and sounds we are presented with. But a lot of work has gone into the production of these programmes, behind the scenes the production team have worked hard to present us with what they want to see.

When you start to analyse these ‘products’, you can tell what choices have been made for the audience. In media when we refer to these products we call them media texts. We usually associate the word ‘text’ with something that is printed or written. In Media Studies, however, the word ‘text’ is used to describe any media product such as television programmes, photographs, films either on DVD/Blu-Ray or in the cinema, newspaper articles, radio programmes, advertisements, video games or web pages. This is where we use media language as a tool to analyse media products.

Like lots of things, Media has jargon, which has special meanings. You need to be able to read a media text using media language. Try to remember that media texts have been purposely constructed to create certain responses in the audience and transmit certain messages – when looking at media texts remember “Nothing is accidental; everything is there for a reason”.

Semiotics - signs and codes

The word 'semiotics' comes from the Greek word semeion meaning 'sign'. Semiotics, or 'semiology', is the study of signs and meanings. For the purposes of such study a sign is any physical object with a meaning. It has a particular interest to media studies when it comes to analysis of print and film.

The study of signs and codes, semiology, is the starting point for studying individual texts and making comparisons between them. What semiotics allows us to do is to look at some of the underlying structures that determine how media texts are constructed. It allows us to explore sign systems that are used within texts and to discover how these make meanings for the audience. For students of the media, semiotic analysis is a useful tool in the analysis of texts as it helps to reveal the underlying meanings that are ‘suspended’ within a text. You can then take this analysis further and consider the ideologies, or belief systems, that underpin texts and their construction. It is important to be aware that most sign systems do not necessarily have one particular ‘fixed’ meaning. Part of the meaning of the sign is dependent upon the social and cultural background of the ‘reader’ of the particular sign system.

As part of the process of semiotic analysis, we the audience are called ‘readers’ because it suggest a greater degree of creativity and involvement in the construction of the text’s meaning. ‘Reading’ is something we learn to do and is influenced to a large extent by our social and cultural background. As the reader of a text, we will bring something of our own cultural and personal experiences to a text. For example, a person who has had bad experiences at the hands of the police will read an episode of The Bill in a very different way to a person who has had positive experiences in dealing with them.

It can be argued media texts therefore can be polysemic = more than one meaning, open to interpretation. Signs

Saussure was a structuralist and his work developed many of the ideas associated with semiotics. According to this view, the place of a sign within the overall system gives meaning. Others such as Pierce believe that the creation of meaning from signs is a continual process and is subject to change. From this perspective humans interpret signs and act accordingly.

For Saussure signs have two parts:

1. signifier - the actual image, physical appearance or sound 2. signified - the idea or ideas to which the sign refers. signifier + signified = sign

The classic example of a sign would be that of a red rose:

Signifier = a red rose

Signified = ______Roland Barthes developed this theory to include the interaction of humans with signs. He proposed two levels of 'reading' signs: Denotation and connotation

To interpret meanings you need to learn the skills of denotation and connotation.

Denotation

This is the common sense meaning of the text; describing accurately what is there and the detail that makes up the language of the text.

Connotation

What meanings the text may carry about the ways we perceive the contemporary world.

Connotation is important; it is essentially the human response to the text. This may vary based peoples experiences, religion, age, gender and culture etc. For example a colour may have many possible connotations (green may be associated with envy, nature, fertility or eco-friendliness).

The significance of the texts connotations is important, why have they used particular colours, settings, costumes, poses etc. What meanings are trying to be produced for the audience?

What connotations do you think these elements would signify in a film?

1. A dark room

2. High pitched screeching music

3. Shadows

4. Rain

5. Sunshine

6. Classical music

7. An FBI badge

8. A red dress

9. Dying flowers in a vase

10. A man carrying a red rose Codes

Signs often work through a series of codes that are, like signs, usually socially constructed and, therefore, agreed upon by society as a whole. There are many different types of codes at work in media texts; some of the most common are:

 Symbolic codes: dress codes, colour codes, non-verbal codes, objects and settings – these are all combined to create Mise-en-scene – the visual way they are put together and displayed to tell the story to the viewer.

 Technical Codes (camera movement, sound, lighting, framing, editing)

 Written codes (headlines, speech bubbles, style of typeface, captions to photographs)

Symbolic codes

Dress codes relate to what people wear in particular situations. If we see people in evening dress we usually make the association of glamour, wealth or sophistication. What connotations are created through dress codes in this image below?

Colour codes in particular vary within different cultures. Black for instance, is usually the colour of mourning in most Western countries, but in some Asian countries mourners will often dress in white. Red is a particularly strong colour in terms of what it signifies: depending on the context it can mean danger, stop (as in traffic lights) or romance and passion. It can also mean excitement and glamour if it is included in a fashion picture of a woman, perhaps with red glossy lipstick, painted fingernails or a red dress.

Non-verbal codes (or NVC non verbal communication) are to do with gesture and body language, and again these vary from culture to culture. If someone has their arms crossed it could mean they are bores, impatient or annoyed. Facial expressions can create meaning; if someone is smiling it usually will mean they are happy.

Positional communication, the distance people stand from each other, tells us their relationship with one another, if they are intimate, or if they do not like each other they may have their backs to each other. Remember this will depend on the context. What connotations occur through non-verbal codes in the poster below?

How are technical codes used in the sequence from The Bourne Supremacy (2007)

Camera position and camera movement (cinematography)

Lighting

Editing

Sound Written codes

Written codes such as headlines, speech bubbles, style of typeface and captions to photographs are often used to fix a meaning, to anchor it.

Anchorage = a fixing device – the text directs the reader through the signifiers of the image towards a meaning chosen in advance by the producer of the text.

Cropping = how the producer has selected part of the photo, for example sometimes close ups are used from a bigger picture, this could be interpreted by the audience differently than if they saw the whole photo.

How are anchorage/cropping used in the Shockwaves advert? What meaning is created? Media language analysis – Casino Royale poster

Using the questions below and the poster page firstly annotate the poster, and then write an analysis of the poster under each of the headings below

Images of the key settings and the main characters. What is the title of the film? What can you say about the way in which the title graphics have been written? Who is starring in the film? Where are the stars’ names placed on the poster? Why? Describe the key images on your poster. Why have they been chosen? Talk about what images are used - stars, setting, colours, symbols, (mise-en-scene). What do they suggest/signify? What other pictures can you see? What is their purpose? What are the most important colours on your poster? Why do you think these were chosen? What do you think the film will be about? Who is the target audience?

Narrative: What clues are there to the narrative? What can you tell about the genre of the film and the types of characters from their facial expression, body language, stance, appearance and position on the poster? What makes you say this? What impression do you get of the character/personalities from their expression, clothes, props. Is there an enigma (mystery/puzzle) being presented? Is the poster composed of a series of images (montage, lack of perspective) Is the key image a still from the film?

Colours: What colours are used in the posters? Are they relevant to the genre eg horror posters generally use dark strong colours especially black and red to represent death and evil. Romance films tend to employ lighter pastel and warm colours such as pinks, purples and other warm shades. Are the colours on your poster important? Why? What clues do they give about the genre, and how do they attract the target audience?

Layout: Talk about how the images are laid out. Are they are blended in without any concern for real perspective or size relationships between people and setting. Why do you think they are laid out like that? Do you know what the plot, genre and/or theme of the film is? If so, how? Most posters are Portrait or Landscape in shape. What shape is yours? Describe and discuss the title, font, typeface and graphics on the poster. What style are they in, where are they positioned etc?

Written Text and anchorage: Is there a catch or tagline? What does it tell us about the action, genre and attitude within the film? Who do you think is the target audience for the film? How has the poster been made attractive to these people? Discuss the billing/credit block. What information does it include about credits and information? Do we get information about who is in the cast, who directed the film, which company distributes it and promotes it etc? Where is the certificate? What does it indicate about the target audience and the content of the film? Does the poster list a website? If not, why not?

Finally, what is the USP (the unique selling point) in each poster? What makes it different from other films? The plot, stars, themes, setting or characters? Setting: where and why? Dressed in … Colour – grey. Signifies:

Loose tie connotes: Facial expression:

Body language…

Lack of direct gaze suggests: Bond Girl:

NVC connotes:

Iconography:

Positioning:

Film title connotes:

Enigma:

Target audience is…