Media and Information Languages Quiz: Codes and Conventions

Study Notes

Media Languages

Media languages consist of codes, conventions, formats, symbols, and narrative structures that convey meaning to an audience.

Codes

Codes are systems of signs that create meaning when combined.
There are three types of codes: symbolic, written, and technical codes.

Symbolic Codes

Represent what lies beneath the surface of what we see, such as objects, setting, body language, clothing, color, etc.
Use iconic symbols that are easily understood.

Written Codes

Involve the use of language style and textual layout, including headlines, captions, speech bubbles, and language style.

Technical Codes

Refer to the ways in which equipment is used to tell a story, including sound, camera angles, types of shots, lighting, camera techniques, framing, depth of field, lighting exposure, and juxtaposition.

Camera Shots

Extreme Long Shot: shows a large crowd scene or a view of scenery as far as the horizon.
Long Shot: a distant view of a situation or setting.
Medium Long Shot: shows a group of people interacting with each other.
Full Shot: shows a figure's entire body in action or a constellation of characters.
Medium Close Shot: shows a subject down to their chest or waist.
Close Up Shot: a full-screen shot of a subject's face, highlighting their expression.
Extreme Close Up Shot: a detailed shot of a hand, eye, mouth, or object.

Point of View

Establishing Shot: a long shot taken at the beginning of a scene to indicate the location or setting.
Point of View Shot: a scene from a character's perspective.
Over-the-Shoulder Shot: a frontal view of a dialogue partner from the perspective of someone standing behind and slightly to the side.
Reaction Shot: a short shot of a character's response to an action.
Insert Shot: a detail shot providing visual information to understand the scene.
Reverse-Angle Shot: a shot from the opposite perspective.
Hand-Held Camera Shot: a shot taken with a handheld camera, resulting in less stable footage.

Camera Angles

Aerial Shot (Bird's Eye Shot): an overhead shot of the ground from the air.
High-Angle Shot: shows people or objects from above eye level.
Low-Angle Shot: shows people or objects from below eye level.
Eye-Level Shot: views a subject from the level of a person's eye.

Camera Movements

Pan Shot: the camera pans horizontally across the picture.
Tilt Shot: the camera tilts up or down around a vertical line.
Tracking Shot: the camera follows a moving object or person.
Zoom: the camera approaches a subject by zooming in or moves away by zooming out.

Conventions

Standard or norm that acts as a rule governing behavior.
Generally established and accepted ways of doing something.

Message and Audience

Message: information sent from a source to a receiver.
Audience: the group of consumers for whom the media message was constructed, as well as anyone else exposed to the message.
Producers: people engaged in creating and putting together media content.
Stakeholders: libraries, archives, museums, internet, and other relevant information providers.

Description

Test your knowledge of media languages, codes, conventions, symbols, and narrative structures that convey messages to an audience. Explore different types of codes like symbolic codes and written codes, along with the study of signs known as semiotics.