Lesson ObjectiveWhat is media language?How can I evaluate media language in my production?

Importance of Media LanguageEvery medium has its own language or combination of languages that it uses to communicate meaning. Television, for example, uses verbal and written language as well as the languages of movingimages and sound.

We call these languages because they use familiar codes and conventions that are generally understood.

Importance of Media LanguageMedia messages are constructed using a creative language with its own rules.Each form of communication whether newspapers, TV game shows or horror movies has its own creative language: scary music heightens fear, camera close-ups convey intimacy, big headlines signal significance.

Importance of Media LanguageUnderstanding the grammar, syntax and metaphor system of media language, especially the language of sounds and visuals which can reach beyond the rational to our deepest emotional core, increases our appreciation and enjoyment of media experiences as well as helps us to be less susceptible tomanipulation.

Importance of Media LanguageE.g the example from Mens Health is so transparent once you know how to read a media text (and you cant growmuscle....)

Denotation and connotationIn semiotics, denotation and connotation are terms describing the relationship between the signifier and its signified

Denotation and connotation

Barthes (1977) argued that in film connotation can be(analytically)distinguished from denotation.As John Fiske (1982) puts it denotation is what is filmed, connotation is how it is filmed.

Making connectionsEvaluating media language is an evaluation ofall micro elements and how they have created meaning to inform us about genre, narrative, representations/ ideology, targeting of audiences.

Micro ElementsWhat are the micro elements in media studies?

Micro ElementsMise-en-sceneSoundEditingCinematography

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scne constitutes the key aspect ofthe pre-production phase of the film and can be taken to include all aspectsofproduction design and CinematographyMise-en-Scene creates the diegetic world the fictional space and time implied by the narrative, i.e. the world in which thestory takes place.

Mise-en-scene 1.Location- settings, set-design andiconography2.Character - Costume, Properties andMake Up, Actors and Gesture3. Cinematography - Lighting and Colour4.LayoutandPageDesign- colour, juxtaposition of elements.

Cinematography 4 important elements in cinematography Shot typesCamera CompositionCamera MovementsCamera Angles

Editing Editing is a post-production technique in which the footage shot during production is cut up and reassembled in such a wayas to tell the story.TV shows are notfilmed in chronological order.They are filmed out of order in short sequences, called takes, which then have to be assembled in the correct order

EditingLong Takes: takes of an unusually long length.Short Takes: takes that only last for a few seconds.There are two basic types of editing:1.Continuityand2.Non-Continuity

Continuity Establishing/Re-establishing ShotTransitionsThe 180 Line RuleAction MatchCrosscuttingCutawayInsert ShotsShot Reverse Shot StructuresEyeline Match

Non-Continuity 1.Montage Sequence2.FlashBack/Forward3.Ellipsis4.Graphic Match

Sound Sound is layered on tracks in order to create meaning. On Premiere you used multiple audio tracks (one for dialogue and music). You can have sound bridges and sound motifs to enhance meaning.There are 2 types of soundDiegeticNon-diegetic sound

Sound Diegetic Sound, which refers to sound whose origin is to be located in the story world such as the voices of the actors,sound effects etc.Non-diegetic Sound, which refers to sounds not explained in termsof anyperceived source within the story world, such as mood music, or voice of-God typecommentaries. Music added to enhance the shows action is the most common form of non diegetic sound.

Diegetic SoundDiegetic sound includes:1.Dialogue 2.Sound Effects and in some case3.Music

Non-Diegetic Sound1.Incidental Music2.Voice Over/Narration3.Non-diegetic sound effects(which can be asynchronous)

Past Exam questionMedia is communication. Discuss the ways that you have used media language to create meanings in one of your media products.

Ellipsis: the removal or shortening of elements of a narrative to speed up the action.

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