Media Studies - The Technical Elements of Media Language

 Media Language

Media language can be defined as the way in which media text is conveyed to audiences.

- Media Language conveys meaning through signs and symbols

- Media codes: sign's & symbol's

- Media conventions: commonly accepted meanings of symbol's and sign's

e.g. 

Code (symbol): Red traffic light

Convention (meaning): Stop

The media tries to give you a message. Thus they encode their text with certain signs and symbols to try to convey this message (using lighting or fonts to convey emotion, clothes and scenery for themes, etc.). Thus the audience tries to decode the meaning of these symbols/codes. (audience culture, age, & sex may change the way symbols are interpreted.)

Different forms of media (posters, commercials, etc.) use media language differently. Be aware of the language used on different forms of media (newspapers, news broadcast, music radio, etc). (commercials used sound and visuals, posters use images and text, radio uses only sound, etc)

4 TECHNICAL ELEMENTS OF MEDIA LANGUAGE

(All technical elements may be used by producers to form a message in one way or another)

-Mise-en-scene (everything within the scene - symbolic code used to convey meaning through what is shown and how their shown in a scene)

- Camera (Close ups, wide angles, high angles, etc)

- Sound

- Editing

4 ELEMENTS OF MISE-EN-SCENE (+ examples)

- Set Design: Set design in a film can be used to convey the narrative/direction of the movie. Dull/boring sets will have different effects compared to exciting and extr

- Costume: Wardrobe and make-up choices that are used to convey a characters status/personality.

- Props: Items/objects that have a function in the ongoing action of the story are called props. Some props are called "Macguffins" when their sole purpose is to drive the plot forward for no good reason/appear out of nowhere to save the day.

- Staging & Composition: Visual composition refers to the way props/characters are positioned and shown on screen. If a certain object is put focus on while characters are seen talking in the background, it conveys that it is of importance to the story. Or if one character is vertically above another it may show a higher status

Costume: This scene from "Suits" shows the cast in formal attire. These costumes create an atmosphere of seriousness as the characters are currently conducting a 'mock trial'. Costumes are important to this scene as it would convey a very different atmosphere compared to if the cast were wearing t-shirts and jeans.

Staging and Composition: This scene from "Tale of the Nine Tailed" uses staging and composition to show the close relationship between Lee Yeon and Ji-A by the small distance between them on screen and by being the only 2 characters seen in the scene.

Props: This is Jack Sparrow's compass from "Pirates of the Caribbean", this prop is often shown in the movie and is used as somewhat of a "Macguffin" due to its ability to seemingly lead Jack Sparrow to whatever he desires and is used to advance the plot.

Set Design: From "The Wolf of Wall Street", This set 
builds a chaotic environment as dozens of office workers
are seen in a cramped space with cluttered desks.