Media Studies
Revision
Media Key Concept
 GRANITE
 Every media text belongs to a Genre (e.g. a horror film,
dance track, teen magazine)
 Within that text, a person, place or object is
being Represented in some way, shape or form.
 The Audience for that media text will make sense of it using
their personal and shared experiences.
 The text also contains a Narrative, be it a photograph of war
or some bad gangsta lyrics about pimping your uncle
 The text is constructed by the Ideology embedded within
the text.
 It was produced using some Technology, be it a Desk Top
Publishing software or hardware
 The Evidence is the product itself which you can then
reference against other Experiences you've had with similar
Media
Genre
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Genres are defined by filmmakers and understood by audiences through
shared conventions and codes. Genre which is easily identified by
audiences who have expectations about what a particular film are called
generic codes and conventions. But films are also a good at illustrating
how genres can evolve into hybrids.
Generic Feature
Explanation
A character who is presented in a media text we sometimes
Characterisation call them stereotypes, it can refer to stars/actors who play a
particular type of role, personal qualities of main characters
Link to other Key
Concepts
Representation and
Narrative
Setting (Diegesis)
The geographical (place) and historical (context) of the text
might help identify genre.
Representation
(cultural ref)
Expectations
Audiences will have an understanding of similar/comparable
texts to help identify the genre. Previous knowledge of the
genre also allows audiences to predict narrative patterns.
Audience
Story
Themes
Mise-en-scene
(iconography)
Production
techniques
Often predictable plot lines and narrative structures allow us to
Narrative
identify genre.
The way in which ideas are explored, ideology is presented and
subject matter dealt with. Different genres will deal with these Narrative
in different ways.
A range of props/stock images and symbols which have fixed
connotations with a certain type of genre (Western - desert,
Media Language
hats, guns.)
Creative use of camera techniques, lighting and sound. Can
Media Language
also be linked to editing and use of colour.
Representation
This is when an idea is re-presented by the media
texts
 Despite the media being false or true, we still
accept it
 Common factors that represent media: Age,
Ethnicity, Gender,& Disability
We need to think about:
 Who produced it?
 What/who is represented in the text?
 How is that thing represented?
 Why was this particular representation selected?
 What might the alternatives have been?
 What frame of reference does the audience use
when understanding the representation?
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Audience
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People who consume any media text
Without audience there will be no media, no profit
Mass audience (broadcast audience): Mainstream,
large group
Niche audience: smaller but influential with unique
interest
Categories:
 Group A: Well paid professionals, doctors, lawyers
 Group B: Fairly well paid professionals, teacher
 Group C1: ‘white collar’ nurses, junior jobs
 Group C2: ‘blue collar’ electricians ,plumbers
 Group D: manual workers, drivers, post sorters
 Group E: students, unemployed, pensioners
Narrative
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Essentially, narrative is examining the story and
organisation of a media text.
A story that is created in a constructed format, that
describes a series of fictional or non-fictional events
Gender
Character
Form
Time
Joseph Campbell had a theory called The Hero’s
Journey. Which has three acts
Departure
Initiation
Return
Ideology
 Dominant
Ideology refers to the set of values,
beliefs and ideas held by an Institution,
organisation or audience
 Hegemony fits in with the beliefs to ‘fit in’ & keep
their objections quiet
Examples:
 Power
 Education
 Gender
 Sexuality
 Racism
 Feminism
 Nationality
 Ownership
 Stereotypes
 Identity
 Youth & politics
 Crime
Institution
 Creates
& distributes media products
 Logos: to establish what they are
 Brand: Symbolises what it is
 Conglomerates: a company that owns other
large company's
 ASA: Advertising Standard Agency which make
sure all ads are legal, decent honest & truthful
 Regulation: monitors ads, protects people from
inappropriateness & unsuitable ads.
 Censorship: where media text cause harmful/
sensitive to the audience
 Its more about the Institutions care about
branding and recognition rather than audience
pleasures and satisfactions.
Technology
 Technology
has changed the way that
we consume traditional media products
and it is worth examining for ideas and
inspiration.
 TV is now being produced in HD and films
are experimenting with new technologies
all the time, driving industries forward.
 Audiences also drive demand for new
technologies, and this illustrates the
reliance upon audience and producer
co-working together to satisfy demands.
 The olden Titanic is now being released in
3D!
Audio Codes
 Sound
 Diegetic
 Non-Diegetic
Sound
 Diegetic
Sound – sound that can be heard by
the characters within a scene
 Non-diegetic Sound – sound that the characters
cannot hear and is not part of the imaginary
world of the story
 Score – The musical component of a
programme’s soundtrack
 Sound Effects – sounds that are added to a film
during the post-production stage.
Technical Codes
 Camera
 Lighting
 Editing
Angles
Editing
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Editing: sound and images are organised into an overall narrative
Continuity Editing: create a sense of reality and time moving forward
Jump Cut: cut between two similar shots
Credits: the information at the beginning and end of a film, which gives details of
cast and crew
Cross Cutting: the editing technique of altering one narrative with another usually in
different locations or places
Cutaways: a shot that interrupts a scene & goes back
Freeze Frame: stopping a film in order to focus in on one event
Eye-line Match: shot of what the character has been looking at
Flashback: an event that happened earlier in the film’s narrative.
Graphic Match: two different objects of the same shape are dissolved from one into
the other
Juxtaposition: the placement of images on either side of an edit
Linear Narrative: a style of storytelling in which events happen chronologically.
Montage Editing: the juxtaposition of seemingly unconnected images in order to
create meaning.
Parallel Editing: two locations are cut together
Visual Effects: alter previously-filmed elements by adding, removing or enhancing
objects
Match on Action: A shot that emphasises continuity of space and time by matching
the action of the preceding shot with the continuation of the action
Other Terms
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Artificial Light: A source of light created by lighting
equipment, rather than from natural sources
Convention: a frequently used element which
becomes standard
Disequilibrium: the period of instability and insecurity
in a film’s narrative
Enigma: the question or mystery that is posed within a
film’s narrative.
Equilibrium: a state of peace and calm, which often
exists at the beginning of a film’s narrative
Framing: the selection of elements such as
characters, setting and iconography that appear
within a shot
Genre: a film identification
Iconography: the objects within a film that are used
to evoke particular meanings
Intertextuality: reference within a film to another film,
media product, work of literature or piece of artwork
Camera Shot
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Ariel Shot: shot taken from an overhead position
Close Up: object is shown on a large scale
Extreme Close Up: frame the scale very large, to
show part of body
Medium Shot: scale of object is in moderate size,
waist up
Two Shot: shot of 2 characters, usually to establish a
sort of relationship
POV Shot: camera placed in the characters eyes
Over the Shoulder Shot: looking behind a characters
shoulder
Overhead Shot: over the head shot
Reaction Shot: a shot that cuts away from main
scene to show the reaction
Camera Angles
 Camera
Angle: position of the camera
 High Angle: looking down
 Low Angle: looking up
 Canted Framing: frame is not levelled,
appearing tipped
Camera Movement
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Pan: movement of the
camera from left to right vice
versa on a tripod, produces
space horizontally
Track: camera follows the
object
Crane Shot: moving through
the air in any direction on a
crane
Steadicam: smooth shot, when
camera is moved very fast
Tilt: camera movement by
swivelling upward or
downward, Producing space
vertically
Zoom lens: lens that change
during a shot
Visual Codes
 Mise-En-Scene
 Colour
 Connotations
Denotation/Connotation
 Denotation
refers to the literal meaning of a
word, the "dictionary definition.“
For example, if you look up the word snake in a
dictionary, you will discover that it means "any
of numerous scaly, legless, sometimes
venomous."
 Connotation, on the other hand, refers to the
associations or the emotional suggestions
related to that word.
The connotations for the word snake could
include evil or danger.
Mise-En-Scene
 Mise
en scene: put into the frame
 Props:
object used
 Costume:
colour & style can have an impact on
the character
 Lighting:
mood
the harshness or softness represents the
 Makeup:
this can refer to masks, prosthetics and
special effects.
Colour Psychology
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Black
Authority, power & overpowering
Makes people appear thinner & stylish
Black also implies submission & Evil
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White
Innocence, purity, light, summer & neutral
Doctors and nurses wear white to imply sterility
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Red
Emotionally intense colour, love, noticeable,
Red cars are popular targets for thieves
Furniture gets attention
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Pink
Romantic & girly
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Blue
Popular & loyalty
Opposite reaction as red.
Peaceful, calm &productive
Cold &depressing.
Good in gyms
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Green
Improve vision
Nature, calming, refreshing
Dark green is masculine, conservative,
and implies wealth
Could bring bad luck for fashion
Yellow
Cheerful, attention, optimistic
Overpowering if overused
Concentration, metabolism
Purple
Royalty, luxury, wealth & sophistication
Feminine & romantic
Appear artificial
Brown
Solid, reliable ,earth
Light brown implies genuineness
dark brown wood or leather.
Sad, wistful
Audience Theory
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The Hypodermic Needle Model: From the 1920s this theory explained how the mass
audience react to mass media. Suggesting that the audience receive information
without attempting to challenge the data. Governments have found ways to
persuade audience and produced propaganda to try & change the way people
think
The Two Step Flow: In 1940 it was suggested that the reaction from the media comes
from an ‘Opinion Leader’ and then onto the individual following that leader.
The Use & Gratification has been developed where in 1948 Lasswell suggested
Surveillance, Correlation, Entertainment & Cultural transmission where the functions for
an individual reacting towards media. Where Blumler & Katz expanded this theory in
1974 stating that the audience may use these the purpose:
Diversion: escape from everyday routine/problem
Personal Relationships: emotional use/ subbing a character for yourself
Personal Identity: reflecting yourself/ learning behaviours & values
Surveillance: information that could be useful
Reception Theory: The audiences circumstance (gender, class, age, ethnicity), When
text is encoded by the producer & decoded by the reader , where Stuart Hall had a
theory of 3 where:
Dominant: audience agree with the values
Negotiated: Audience agree with the values but disagree with certain aspects
Oppositional: audience disagree with the values
Genres in films
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Action: high energy, big-budget physical stunts &
chase, rescues, battles, escapes, destruction, rhythm &
pace
Sub-Genre: Disaster film e.g. Space Alien Invaders Attack Los
Angeles: Battle Los Angeles 2011
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Adventure: exciting, historical searches, expeditions,
lost continents
Comedies: light hearted, amuse, exaggerated
Crime: criminals, bank robbers, underworld, law
Dramas: serious, plot, realistic, life stories
Epics: historical, imagined event, mythic, legendary
Horror: frighten, worst fears. Supernatural & fantasy
Musicals: song & dance routines
Sci-Fi: imaginative, heroes, aliens, planets, futuristic
War: heartbreak of war, fight on land or sea
Has many Subs
 Westerns:
American film industry, recognisable plot
Fonts
Film Industry
Institution & Audience
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Issues are raised by media ownerships
Importance in media goes across production,
distribution & marketing
Technologies have been introduced at the
level of production, distribution, marketing &
exchange
The audience are changing
Translations: old practises are kept intact
Localization: take advantage of the
technology, making things more efficient