Key Terminology

Media Text       

In media we call any product we are discussing a media text

·      This does not mean it has to be a point product with writing on it, any pieces of media (film, magazine advert etc.) will be referred to as a media text.

·      Language

·      Institution

·      Audience

·      Representation

Language= codes and conventions

·      Media texts follow the same rules depending on the platform they use

·      So TV/Film follow the rules of visual media

·      Shot types

·      Mise-en-scene

·      Editing

·      Sound

These rules are called the codes and conventions. They make it easy you understand what kind of media text you are looking at.

Media institutions

·      Institutions are the ones who make Media texts. They can range from being big companies and conglomerates to small independent companies.

Conglomerate means a company that does more then one thing.

Media Audiences

·      People who listen, watch, read or use media texts are called the audience.

·      Audience are grouped together by things such as their gender, age, how much money they earn and their interests.

·      Institutions work hard to make their media texts appeal to the right audience.

Media Representation

·      The way real life is represented in the media is known as representation

·      Groups of people, based on things such as age, gender, race and social class, are often represented in a certain light so that people begin to believe all people in that group are like that. That is called stereotyping

Genre

·      We separated media into genre types.

·      The word ‘genre’ comes from the French word meaning ‘type’.

·      Media genres can apply to all different types of media product such as the “horror” film or the television “soap opera.”

·      A genre can be recognised by its common set of distinguishing features

·      These features associated with a genres style and content may be, for example

-Style

-Settings

-Characters

-Props

-Colours and lighting

Sub and Hybrid Genres

·      Genre can be more complex then one type at once

·      Sub genre – A sub category in a particular genre. Like vampire moveis in the genre of horror

·      Hybrid genre – Two or more genres in the same text. Such as a rom-com (Romantic & Comedy)

Media- Narrative

·      In media studies, its more important to tell me the difference between story and narrative

·      Story= a sequence of event, known correctly as the plot

·      Narrative= the way those events are put together to be presented to an audience

Linear Native

·      As the name suggests, linear narrative follow a straight line. Starting at the beginning, moving to the middle and proceeding to the end of the story.

Non-Linear Narrative

·      A non-linear narrative is how a film uses different techniques to tell stories out of order to have greater effect. These might include

·      Flashbacks

·      Out of sequence

·      Dream sequences

What a narrative needs

·      Narrative is delivered to audience by expectation, suspense, tension and closure

·      The audience is led to expect certain things to happen which leads to tension and excitement

Typography

• In media we call the types of font used typography 

Verisimilitude-the appearance of being true or real.