Media Language: Codes, Conventions, and Semiotics

• Each medium uses its own unique "language" or "grammar" to express information.
• Media and information professionals employ technical and symbolic ingredients, along with rules and conventions, to convey ideas, information, and knowledge.

Media Language Elements

• Technical Codes: Encompass sound, camera angles, shot styles, and lighting.
• Symbolic Codes: Include characters' language, clothing, behavior, and iconic symbols.
• Verbal and Visual Language: Encompasses written and spoken components.

Codes and Conventions

• Codes: Technical, textual, and symbolic tools create or imply meaning in media.
• Codes combine to makes sign systems that produce meaning.
• Conventions: Established methods or standards are linked to audience expectations.
• Example of Convention: Movies typically follow a chronological sequence, using flashbacks, while directors like Quentin Tarantino may defy chronological order for effect.

Semiotics

• Semiotics: Explores signs and their significance in society, where a sign represents something else and communicates meaning.
• Examples of Signs: Words, drawings, images, and street signs are all signs.

Types of Codes

• Technical Codes: Refer to how media is visually represented.
• Technical Code Examples: Camera angles, lens choice, framing, shutter speed, lighting, and juxtaposition.
• Symbolic Codes: Encompass recognized language, clothing, character movements, and iconic symbols.
• Symbolic Code Examples: A red rose symbolizes romance, and a clenched fist represents anger.
• Written Codes: Involve formal written language in media.
• Written Code Examples: Headlines, captions, slogans, word choice, and style.

Technical Codes: Camera Angles

• Camera Angle: The camera's position relative to the subject, influencing viewer perception.
• Eye Level Shot: Provides a neutral, real-life perspective.
• Low Angle Shot: Makes the subject appear powerful by looking up at them.
• High Angle Shot: Diminishes the subject by looking down on them.
• Hip Level Shot: Highlights gun duels, as seen in Western films.
• Knee Level Shot: Used in walking or action scenes.
• Ground Level Shot: Captures ground-level details.
• Shoulder-Level Shot: Shows characters naturally.
• Dutch Angle Shot: Creates tension through a slanted view.
• Bird’s-Eye View Shot: Overlooks to show scale.
• Aerial Shot: Establishes scenes from above, using drones or helicopters.

Technical Codes: Camera Shots

• Camera Shot: A continuous recording of frames from start to stop.
• Extreme Wide Shot (ELS): Displays the subject as very small within a large setting.
• Long Shot / Wide Shot (LS/WS): Shows a whole body in the frame.
• Full Shot (FS): Frames a character from head to toe.
• Medium Long Shot (MLS) / Medium Wide Shot (MWS): Frames the subject from the knees up.
• Cowboy Shot: Frames from mid-thighs up, common in Westerns.
• Medium Shot (MS): Frames the subject from the waist up.
• Medium Close-Up (MCU): Frames the subject from the chest up.
• Close-Up (CU): Focuses on a subject's face or an object.
• Extreme Close-Up (ECU): Highlights tiny details, such as eyes or a trigger.
• Establishing Shot: Sets the scene by showing the location before the action begins.

Technical Codes: Camera Movements

• Static / Fixed Shot: The camera remains still.
• Dolly Shot: The camera moves towards or away from the subject.
• Zoom Shot: Adjusts the lens to zoom in/out without moving the camera.
• Dolly Zoom Shot: Moves the camera forward while zooming out to warp the scene.
• Pan Shot: Moves horizontally, side to side.
• Tilt Shot: Moves vertically, up and down.
• Whip Pan Shot: Creates motion blur with a fast horizontal pan.
• Whip Tilt Shot: Generates motion blur through a rapid vertical tilt.
• Tracking Shot: Follows a subject in motion.
• Crab Shot: Moves sideways.
• Arc Shot: Moves around the subject in an arc.

Technical Codes: Other Elements

• Lens Choice: Affects the focal length and shot's tone.
• Framing: Positions the subject within the scene.
• Shutter Speed: Controls motion capture, freezing it when fast and blurring it when slow.
• Depth of Field: Dictates which parts of the image are in focus.
• Juxtaposition: Highlights differences by placing contrasting elements together.

Symbolic Codes

• Setting: Establishes the time and place of a scene.
• Mise en Scene: Includes everything within the frame, like set design, costumes, props, and character arrangement.
• Acting: Conveys emotion through body language, expressions, and movement.
• Color: Symbolizes ideas and emotions. Red symbolizes love or danger.

Written Codes

• Written codes utilize text in media.
• Newspaper headlines: Use big, bold fonts to attract attention.
• Movie posters: Use stylized fonts to match the film’s theme.
• Social media captions: Add meaning with hashtags and emojis.