Media Terminology

Media Texts: any topic we discuss is called a media text e.g a film, magazine, advert, social media page etc.

L-anguage
I-nstitution
A-udience
R-epresentation

Language - Codes &Conventions:

All TV or any media follows a set of codes and conventions
TV/Film follow specific rules of Visual Media

• Mise-en-scene is a theatre term which refers to what is on stage/screen e.g props, locations, costumes, facial expression.
• 
• Editing and Sound
• Shot Types

Institutions:

They make the media texts and they can be big companies or small independent companies e.g Sky, BBC, Warner Bros etc. 

Audiences:

The audience are the people who watch, listen use or read media texts. The audience is split into groups like age, gender, interests etc. Institutions try to make sure that their media texts appeal to the right audience that they are targeting.

Representation:

How real life is presented in the media. The media stereotypes by basing groups of people on age, race, social class and how we view them in the media influences our view on those types of groups in actual; real life.

Genre: Each piece of media is separate by genre. Genre comes from the French word 'types'. It can apply to all types of media like a 'horror' film or a television 'drama/soap opera'.  Genre can be distinguished by style, setting, characters, props, colours and lighting etc. 

Sub Genre: a sub category in a specific genre for example vampire movies and the genre horror.
Hybrid Genre: 2 or more genres in the same text. Like a rom-com (romantic comedy)

Exploring Representation

We will be evaluating how genders are represented in the media using media theory.

·      Stereotype – widely held idea of a particular person

·      Countertype – someone who defies the mould of a stereotype

·      Archetype – an original model or type after which other similar things are patterned

Task: 

1.     Megan Fox is presented as a stereotype as she talks about men with big muscles and she naturally flirts not meaning to. And she is a countertype because she knows a lot about cars in the scene, which the audience wouldn’t expect, due to her stereotype.  The camera focuses on her body and is showing the obvious stereotype but this is contradicted as she is talking about cars in detail. Her clothing is short and shows off her body, which is also matching the stereotype, and even her body language is suggesting the flirting without meaning to. 

2.     The rapper dressed in the stereotypical chains, snapback and varsity jacket is the archetype of rappers whereas the picture of Tinie Tempah in a posh suit looking smart is him countertypeing what people think of rappers as he has gained a lot of money from rapping so he’s showing off his wealth. 

Story: a sequence of events, known as a plot or synopsis
Narrative: the way events are put together to be presented to an audience
It is important to tell the difference between narrative and story.

Linear Narrative: they follow a straight line; starting at the beginning, moving to the middle and proceeding to the end of the story.


A narrative is presented to the audience by expectation, suspense, tension and closure. They are lead to expect things to happen in the story which leads to tension and excitement.

Typography: the term font in media is called typography

                      

Ident: audio visual logo

Example: