CODES AND
CONVENTIONS
The Media and Information Language
• CODES CODES
- systems of
Director giving instructions to signs, which
a tear-jerking scene of the
create
1997 film Titanic
meaning.
- Codes can be
divided into
three
categories –
written,
technical, and
Front Medium Shot of symbolic.
a kilig scene in the
2017 film Kita Kita
Itstudies about: WRITTEN
- Headlines CODES
- Typeface/Titles
- Slogans/ concern
Taglines everything
- Captions connected with
- Style any written text
- Choice/ or print in film
Emphasis of such as titles,
Words credits, captions,
extracts etc.
TECHNICAL
CODES
all the ways in
which equipment
is used to tell the
story in a media
text, for example
the camera work
in a film.
Aerial shooting of the famous
Street dancing scene in the
broadway musical film La La Land
SYMBOLIC
CODES
show what is
beneath the
surface of what
we see. For
example, a
character's
actions show you
how the
character is
feeling.
THE
Conventions
GRAMMAR are expected
ways in
which codes are
OF THE
organised in a
product or video.
CAMERA
Extreme
Long Shot
Shot e.g. a large
crowd scene or a
view of scenery
as far as the
horizon
Long Shot
A view of a
situation or
setting from a
distance
Medium
Long Shot
Shows a group of
people in
interaction with
each other e.g. a
fight scene, with
part of their
surroundings in
the picture
Full Shot
A view of a
figure’s entire
body in order to
show action
and/or a
constellation
group of
characters
Medium
Shot
Shows a subject
down to his or
her chest or
waist
Close-up
A full-screen shot
of a subject’s
face showing the
finest nuances of
expression
Extreme
Close-up
A shot of a hand,
eye, mouth, or
object in detail
POINT
OF
VIEW
Establishing
Shot
Often used at the
beginning o a
scene to indicate
the location or
setting, it is
usually a long
shot taken from
a neutral
position.
POV Shot
Shows a scene
from the
perspective of a
character or one
person. Most
newsreel
footages are
shown from the
perspective of
the newscaster
Over-The-Shoulder
Shot
and
Reverse-Angle Shot
Often used in
dialogue scenes;
parts of both can
be seen
Camera
Angles
Aerial Shot
Overhead shot;
long extreme
shot of the
ground from the
air
High-Angle
Shot
Shows people or
objects from
above; higher
than eye level
Low-Angle
Shot
Shows people or
objects from
below; lower
than eye level
Eye-Level
Shot
Views a subject
from the level of
a person’s eye
