Media Languages are codes, conventions, formats, symbols, and narrative structures

that indicate the meaning of media messages to an audience. Media and information
use “texts: to tell stories. Media and information texts must use a language or
combination of languages to communicate. The language is not about what we use for
writing and speaking. Rather, it refers to the techniques that media and the internet use
to draw attention, inform, and entertain people, dramatize issues, persuade audiences,
and call for action.
When teenagers play video games, they get so easily enticed by the movement, speed,
and interactivity that are embedded in these games that they sometimes get addicted to
them. When we watch a telenovela, we stay glued to our seats as we watch every
action of our favorite actors and actresses on the screen. When we surf for information,
we get attracted to the internet’s layout of web pages, the accompanying multimedia,
and the richness of information. These are some examples of how media get our
attention through their techniques that constitute the languages of media.
Analyzing and evaluating media texts are important activities of media and information
literacy. This process enables us to understand how media and information work, how
they convey meaning, and why they do what they do. This is also knows as the process
of decoding texts or deconstruction that allows individuals to think about parts of
media and information and how they constitute the whole.
Semiotics is the study of signs or systems of signs that when put together create
meaning (codes).
Media Codes
Technical, written and symbolic tools used to construct or suggest meaning in media
forms and products. Media codes include the use of camera, acting, setting, mise en
scene, editing, lighting, sound, special effects, typography, colour, visual composition,
text and graphics.
Media Conventions
Rules or generally accepted ways of constructing form and informing meaning in media
products including story principles, form and structure, generic structures, character and
story arcs, cause and effect, point of view, the structuring of time, elements of page
layout, paper stock for print, titles and credits sequences, hyperlinking and mounting
and framing of images.
Codes and Conventions comprise the “grammar” used for the language of media.
Engaging or interacting with the media starts with analyzing and evaluating media and
information that may be recreated or produced (e.g. media remix), sued for problem
solving, shared, and communicated to an audience. When we interact with the media,
we look at media and information texts.
Media and information texts as a whole make up a generic term that may refer to any
form of message found in newspapers, advertisements, music, television, film, internet,
and social media, or type of medium that is sued, such as computer games for
multimedia and the internet. There is a need to critically analyze and evaluate each text
and its meaning, and how it is conveyed. It is also important to know about its producers
and the intended audiences or consumers or users of media and information. This is the
reason why we need to cast a critical eye on the media and information.
 
KINDS OF MEDIA CODES:
How do media and information texts convey their meanings> What are their
techniques? What are the signs and symbols? These make up the “grammar” used to
understand the language of media and information.

Symbolic codes: these codes show what is beneath the surface of what we see
(objects, setting, body language, clothing, color, etc.) or iconic symbols that are easily
understood.

Written Codes: the use of language style, and textual layout (headlines, captions,
speech bubbles, language style, etc.)
The study of written codes includes:

 Headlines/titles
 Typeface/font
 Slogans/taglines
 Captions (print) or inter-titles (moving image)
 Style
 Choice of words
 Emphasis of words

Examples of written codes:


o
 Headlines – in newswriting, this is the text indicating the nature of
the article below it.
 Photo Captions – also known as cutlines, are a few lines of text
used to explain or elaborate in published photographs.
 Comic Strips – a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated
panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in
balloons.

 
Technical codes: These are ways in which equipment is used to tell the story. This
includes sound, camera angles, types of shots, and lighting as well as camera
techniques, framing, depth of field, lighting, exposure, and juxtaposition.
 
Examples of Technical codes:
Camera Shot – a camera shot is composed of the series of frames that are shot
uninterrupted from the moment the camera starts rolling until it stops. Camera shots are
an essential aspect of filmmaking and video productions, because by combining
different types of shots, angles and camera movements, the filmmakers are able to
emphasize specific emotions, ideas, and movement for each scene.
Types of Camera Shots: (StudioBinder, 2020)

1. Extreme long shot (ELS) or Extreme Wide Shot (EWS). This makes your
subject appear small against their location. You can use an extreme long shot to
make your subject feel distant or unfamiliar. It can also make your subject feel
overwhelmed by its location. Of all the various camera shots,, consider using the
extreme long shot when you need to emphasize the location or isolation.
2. Long Shot (LS) or Wide Shot (WS). If your subject is a person then his/her
whole body will be in view – but not filling the shot. There should be a good deal of
space above, and below your subject. Use a long shot or a wide shot to keep your
subject in plain view amidst grander surroundings. The wide shot also lets us see
the beautiful background imagery, as well as the onlookers which will make any big
moment more cinematic. A long shot gives us a better idea of the scene setting, and
gives us a better idea of how the character fits into the area.
3. Full Shot (FS). These can be used to feature multiple characters in a single shot.
It lets your subject fill the frame while keeping emphasis on scenery.
4. Medium Wide Shot (MWS). This frames the subject from roughly the knees up.
It splits the difference between a full shot and a medium shot. You can always frame
camera shots from any angle as well, so don’t be afraid to think about medium long
shots when behind a character. This is a variation of MWS, which frames the subject
from roughly mid-thighs up. It’s called a “cowboy shot” because it is used in
westerns to frame a gunslinger’s gun or holster on his hip.
5. Medium Shot (MS). This is one of the most common camera shots. It’s similar to
the cowboy shot, but frames from roughly the waist up and through the torso. So, it
emphasizes more of your subject while keeping their surroundings visible.Medium
shots may seem like the most standard camera shot around, but every shot size you
choose will have an effect on the viewer. A medium shot can often be used as a
buffer shot for dialogue scenes that have an important moment later that will be
shown in a close-up shot.
6. Medium Close-Up Shot (MCU). The medium close-up frames your subject from
roughly the chest up. So, it typically favors the face, but still keeps the subject
somewhat distant. The medium close-up camera shot size keeps the characters
eerily distant even during their face-to-face conversation.
7. Close-Up Shot (CU). A close-up shot reveals a subject’s emotions and
reactions. The close-up shot fills your frame with a part of your subject. If your
subject is a person, it is often their face. Of all the different types of camera shot
sizes in film, a close-up shot is perfect for moments that are important. The close-up
shot is near enough to register tiny emotions, but not so close that we lose visibility.
8. Extreme close-Up Shot. An extreme close-up shot is the most you can fill a
frame with your subject. It often shows eyes, mouth and gun triggers. In this shots,
smaller objects get great detail and are the focal point. Extreme close-ups can be
used in many different film genres, which includes comedy as well.
9. Establishing Shots. This is a shot at the head of a scene that clearly shows us
the location of the action. This shot often follows an aerial shot and is used to show
where everything will happen.

How you choose to frame your subject will have a specific impact. How close or far your
subject is to your camera – your shot size – will underscore how the audience should
feel about it (or them). Your subject will appear smallest in a long shot or wide shot.
They will be larger in a medium shot and largest in a close-up shot. Shot size is the
building block for choosing camera shots, but you’ll also need to consider how framing,
focus, and movement can add deeper meaning to your shots.
Camera Framing
Camera shot framing is the art and science of placing subjects in your shots. Camera
shots are all about composition. Rather than pointing the camera at the subject, you
need to compose an image. A major consideration for framing is the number of subjects
you feature in your shots and their physical relationship to each other and the camera.
Types of Camera Shot Framing

1. Single Shot. When your shot captures one subject, it’s known as a single shot.
Single shots can be set and framed in any shot size you like just as long as there is
only one character featured within the frame.
2. Two Shot or 2-Shot. A two-shot is a camera shot with two characters featured in
the frame. Two shots are often really useful for allowing performances to play out in
a single take, which can be especially useful for comedy.
3. Three Shot or 3-Shot. A three-shot features three characters in the frame.
Three shots are really important in adventure films, or really any film that has a
group of characters, because it is an enormous time drain to shoot 3 singles just to
show every character, not to mention jarring.
4.
5.
6. (OTS). Another element of camera shots to consider is the perspective of the
shot. An over-the-shoulder shot shows your subject from behind the shoulder of
another character. Because it emulates perspective, it’s common in conversation
scenes. Over-the-shoulder shots can help to provide orientation, and connect the
characters on an emotional level.
7. Over-The-Hip Shot (OTH). An over-the-hip shot is similar to over-the-shoulder in
that the camera is placed with a character's hip in the foreground, and the focus
subject in the plane of acceptable focus. You'll gain a similar effect from an over-the-
hip shot as you would an OTS, but if you have one character standing, and the other
sitting, kneeling, or any other configuration that places the subjects on "uneven
terrain" it will often suggest a power imbalance.
8. Point of View Shot (POV). A POV shot is a camera shot that shows the viewer
exactly what that character sees. This transports the audience into that character, as
is done in Being John Malkovich. POV shots can also invoke terror, as seen in
Halloween.

A point of view shot (POV) is generally sandwiched between two other shots:

o
 A camera shot of a character looking at something
 Cut to your (POV) point of view camera shot
 A camera shot showing the character's reaction

A point of view shot shows us exactly what the character sees, and we get to
understand what's generating the character's reaction.
 
Camera Shot Angle
The camera shot angle is used to specify the location where the camera is placed to
take a shot. The position of the camera in relation to the subjects can affect the way the
viewer perceived the scene. A scene may be shot simultaneously from multiple camera
angles to amplify the cinematic effect and the emotions.
 
Types of Camera Shot Angles:

1. Eye level shot. When your subject is at eye-level, they’re in a natural

perspective (not superior or inferior). This mimics how we see people in real life –
our eye line connecting with theirs.
2. Low Angle Shot. This shot frames the subject from a low camera height. These
camera shots most often emphasize power dynamics between characters. A
superior character with the upper hand is often framed rom down low. This makes
an inferior feel like they are looking up to them.
3. High Angle Shot. In this shot, the camera points down at your subject. It usually
creates a feeling of inferiority, or “looking down” on your subject. High angle shots
have three primary functions: (1) they can convey narrative information; (2) they can
elicit emotional responses in the viewer; (3) they can convey something about the
character.
4. Hip-level shot. A hip level shot is when your character is roughly waist-high.
5. Knee-level shot. This is when your camera height is about as low as your
subject’s knees. They can emphasize a character’s superiority if paired with a low
angle.

*TYPES OF SHOT ANGLES IN MOVIES

Ground level shot: This happens when your camera’s height is on the ground level
with your subject. Needless to say, this shot captures what’s going on the ground your
subject stands on.
Shoulder level shot: This is when your camera is roughly as high as your subject’s
shoulders. Shoulder level shots are actually much more standard than an eye level
shot, which can make your actor seem shorter than reality. It can maximize the feeling
of superiority when paired with a low angle.
Dutch Angle or Dutch Tilt Shot: The camera is slanted to one side. With the horizon
lines tilted in this way, you can create a sense of disorientation.
Bird’s Eye View (Overhead) Shot: This is taken from way up high, looking down on
your subject and a good amount of scenery surrounding him or her. This can create a
great sense of scale and movement.
Aerial Shot: Whether take from a helicopter or drone, this is a shot from way up high. It
establishes a large expanse of scenery.
 
CAMERA MOVEMENT
            The way a camera moves can give meaning to what’s happening on screen.
You can burst into a room, drone over from on high, pan with a head turn, and dolly-
zoom for any revelation. Camera movement is a powerful filmmaking tool employed to
modify the relationship between the subject and the camera frame, with the goal of
altering the viewer’s perspective of space and time for a more impactful storytelling.
1. Static Shot or Fixed Shot. When there’s no movement (i.e. locked camera aim) it’s
called a static shot. These camera shots emphasize the appearance and movement of
your subject against its environment, and are predominantly captured by being placed
on a tripod or a dolly that remains static during the shot. Static shots work well in every
genre, but they're nice for comedy because the actor’s performance trumps the camera
moves.
2. Camera Dolly Shot. A dolly shot is where the camera is affixed to a mechanism
called a dolly, which is a specialized push-cart built to handle heavy cinema cameras. A
dolly will often have areas to attach seats for the camera operator and assistant camera
operators to pull focus and control the camera. A dolly most commonly will be placed on
tracks, and the vast majority of professional dollies have either a hydraulic or even a
pneumatic head that can jib up and down during operation.
3. Zoom Lens Shot. Zoom shots are camera shots that change the focal length of the
lens during the shot. This action can be a zoom out, or a zoom in, but they are different
from a push in (or dolly in) because the camera is rarely changing positions, but simply
altering the focal length of the lens. A good way to remember this is that the camera
does not zoom, but rather the lens zooms. Now, your iPhone might be able to do an
"digital zoom" which is actually just reducing the image quality by moving in on an
already captured image which is a huge faux pas in pro filmmaking.
4. Dolly/Zoom Shot or Vertigo Shot. A dolly/zoom shot is where the camera position
and focal length of the lens are simultaneously altered to create a warping effect.
5. Camera Pan Shot. Camera pans move the camera side to side on a horizontal axis.
This can reveal something to your viewer or allow them to follow an action.
6. Camera Tilt Shot. A camera tilt is when you move your camera up and down on a
vertical axis. So it’s exactly like a pan, only vertical.
7. Whip Pan Shot or Swish Pan Shot. A whip pan happens when you pan the camera
from one shot to another, creating a motion blur.
8. Whip Tilt Shot or Swish Tilt Shot. The swish tilt is the same idea as a swish pan,
only vertical.
9. Tracking Shot. A tracking shot moves with your subject. Sometimes it follows behind
or beside them on a dolly, Steadicam or a gimbal.
10. Crab Shots. The crab shot is basically a dolly shot that moves horizontally like a
crab.
11. Arc Shot. Arc shots are camera shots where the camera moves around the subject
in an arc pattern so as to show more of the surroundings.
 
9 Tips for Shooting Cinematic Footage (Ward, 2015)
Storyboard. Storyboarding is one of the most overlooked yet vital aspects of
filmmaking. While you may not be able to storyboard for every project (like, say a
documentary), you should always be storyboarding for a narrative film. Storyboarding
allows you to get the ideas from your head onto paper so you can share them with the
rest of the crew.
B-roll Shots. In film and television production, B-roll, B roll, B-reel or B reel is
supplemental or alternative footage intercut with the main shot. The term A-roll referring
to the main footage has fallen out of usage.
Shallow Depth of Field. There are very few things as noticeably cinematic as a shallow
depth of field. If you’re not already familiar with the term, depth of field refers to the
portion of the frame that is in focus. A camera like an iPhone has a very wide depth of
field, meaning it’s very hard to get a background out of focus. A DSLR style camera can
get an out-of-focus background very easily. If you’re determined to get the most
cinematic footage possible on a budget, you should definitely look into using a DSLR or
mirrorless photographic-style camera instead of a camcorder.
Don’t Zoom. Zooming is great for shooting a high school football game, not so much for
shooting a film. There are very few cases of zooming in modern cinema. Filmmakers
typically use a technique called dollying in which they will physically move the entire
camera towards the subject. The result is a much more natural movement that is
pleasing to the eye.
High Dynamic Range. Dynamic range refers to your camera’s ability to simultaneously
record both bright and dark areas simultaneously.
Shoot in RAW. Codec is the way in which your camera packages up your video before
it gives it to the computer. Some codecs squish your video files to make them smaller,
while others allow for more information and are subsequently larger in size. However, if
you want to get the best image possible, you don’t want to use a codec at all. Instead
you should shoot in a format called RAW. RAW files are essentially the raw pixel
information straight from the camera to the card. Instead of the camera compressing the
video image, it will record all of the data to a card. This will result in some pretty large
file sizes, but you will have greater control over the color of your video when you jump
into your editing software.
Dramatic Lighting. Lighting is not as scary as it sounds. While you could certainly
spend your entire career trying to understand the subtle nuances asserted with
cinematic lighting, it doesn’t necessarily take an expert to create decent lighting. All you
really need is a 5-in-1 reflector and a cheap LED light. Less is more when it comes to
lighting a cinematic image.
Prime Lenses. If you want to make your footage (and photographs, for that matter) look
4x better, go out and buy a prime lens. Sure, a prime lens doesn’t quite give you the
flexibility of shooting on a zoom lens, but you probably won’t be using that zoom feature
anyways, Prime lenses tend to be sharper, better in low light, and capable of producing
a more shallow depth of field.
Color Grade. It can be easy to simply want to export your project once you get done
editing, but if you want your footage to look really cinematic, you should color correct
and grade all of your footage before hitting that export button. There are people who
spend their entire careers color grading footage, so don’t think this process is easy.
Luckily, there are a lot of really easy resources out there for creating cinematic color
grades very quickly.
GENRE

o comes from the French word meaning 'type' or 'class‘
o can be recognized by its common set of distinguishing features (codes
and conventions)
o it provides the audience with a clear set of expectations which are used to
interpret the text.
Denotation – what an image actually shows and is immediately apparent, rather than
the assumption the individual reader may make about it; the everyday or common
sense meaning of a sign.
Connotation – the meaning of a sign which is arrived at through the cultural
experiences a reader brings to it. The interpretation of what is seen, added with the
reader’s own pieces of information.
Why do media organizations and information providers use codes and conventions.
Media is a big business. These organizations invest in human and material resources to
inform, entertain, and educate audiences, consumers, or users of information. Their
creative people are trained to get the best stories, take the best camera shots and
sound bytes, and use available technologies and gadgets to deliver the news or
produce media products. The articles, programs, and special effects that we read, see,
and experience are produced using the creatives’ trained lenses and frames. They
basically create a new world view or media reality that is different from the real world to
grab attention through production techniques. They use these codes and conventions
as techniques to gain ratings and, in the process, make profit. All these are media
constructions.
It is, therefore, important to learn how to read between the lines and analyze stories
critically as to how they are shaped or produced. We need to realize that there are
certain values conveyed in every media product that indicate were the producers are
coming from.