Grade 12 – Media and Information Literacy
First Quarter
Week 7
Topic: Media Codes and Convention
Learning Competencies:
1. Identify codes, convention, and message and how they affect the
audience, producers, and other stake holders
Objectives:
1. Identify codes, convention, and message and how they affect the
audience, producers, and other stake holders
References:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YVB0qnuqIQp8NOcXW1Vzd7gy60vx8
vaq/view?usp=sharing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD63b6Z-Tr0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9APrV5cYnE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W70YkNjFKY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhijmmePlU8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=HuxNcpC9a0A&list=PLvqJQQNqUbBSD9TLTO7EcEGP1KvRWbG
Dh&index=3
Concept Notes
In our previous lesson, we have learned the various types of media: the Print Media,
Broadcast Media, and the New Media. Additionally, we have learned thatpopular sources are the
libraries, the internet and indigenous source
Activity 1.Identifythe following signs and symbols used to convey information (ex. brand,
company, and others).The first one is done for you as your guide.
Symbol Meaning/What It Represent
Example Facebook
The preceding exercise is designed to prime you to the idea that media codes and conventions serve as the
building blocks of all the media around us.
Media Codes and Convention
Media codes generally have an agreed meaning, or connotation, to their audience. There are three types
of media codes, symbolic codes, technical codes and written codes. Conventions are expected ways in which
codes are organized in a product.
SYMBOLIC CODES
-are social in nature. These codes live outside the
media product themselves, but would be understood in similar
ways in the ‘real life’ of the audience. For instance, if you see
somebody receiving a red rose in a film, you would assume
there is a romantic relationship between the two characters. If
you give somebody a red rose in real life, you might be
hoping the same. Symbolic codes in media include setting, miseen scene, acting and color.
Setting
-is the time and place of the narrative.
A setting can be as big as the outback or space,
or as small as a specific room. Setting can even
be a created atmosphere or frame of mind.
Miseen scene
Is a French term meaning ‘everything within
the frame’. In media terms, it has become to mean the
description of all the objects within a frame of the
media product and how they have been arranged.
An analysis of miseen scene includes:
Set Design
Costume
Props
Staging and Composition
Acting
Actors portray characters in media
products and contribute to character
development, creating tension or
advancing the narrative.
The actor portrays a character
through:
Facial expression
Body Language
Vocal qualities
Movement
Body contact
Color
-has highly cultural and strong
connotations.
The different aspects to consider are:
Dominant color
Contrasting foils
Color symbolism
TECHNICAL CODES
-are codes specific to a media form
and do not live outside of them. For
instance, our understanding of different
camera shots and their connotations make
sense when we look and films and
photographs, but mean nothing to us outside
of those forms. Technical codes in media
include Camerawork, Editing, Audio and
Lighting.
Camerawork
-refers to the process of operating, positioning, and moving the camera.for specific effects. Aspects of
camerawork include:
Positioning
Movement
Framing
Exposure
Lens choice
Editing
-is the process of choosing, manipulating and arranging images and sound. Editing is generally done for
four different reasons:
Graphic edits
Rhythmic edits
Spatial edits
Temporal edits
Audio
-is the expressive or
naturalistic use of sound. Audio can be
diegetic or non diegetic. The three aspects of
audio are:
Dialogue
Sound effects
Music
Lighting
-is the manipulation of natural or artificial
light to selectively highlight specific elements
of the scene.
Elements of lighting includes
Quality
Direction
Source
Colour
WRITTEN CODES
-are the formal written language
used in a media product. Written codes can
be used to advance a narrative,
communicate information about a
character or issues and themes in the media
product.
Printed language is a text you
can see within the frame and how it is
presented. Spoken language, which
includes dialogue and song lyrics.
CONVENTIONS
-are accepted ways of using media codes.
Conventions are closely connected to the audience
expectations of a media product. Different types of
conventions include form conventions, story
conventions and genre conventions.
Form Conventions
-are the certain ways/ types of media’s codes to be
arranged. For instance an audience expects to have a title of
the film at the beginning, and then credits at the end.
Newspapers will have a masthead, the most important
news on the front page and sports news on the back page.
Video games usually start with a tutorial to explain the
mechanics of how the game works.
Story Conventions
-are common narrative structures and understandings e common in story telling media products.
Examples of story conventions include:
Narrative structures
Cause and effect
Character construction
Point of View
Genre Conventions
-point to the common use of tropes,
characters, settings or themes in a
particular type of medium. Genre
conventions are closely linked with
audience expectations.
Genre conventions can
be formal or thematic.
Activity # 7.1:
. Draw a postcard for a place or organization of your choice using any material available to you. Identify the
key technical and symbolic codes would you use to convey important information and create the desired
impression.
