VCE media terms

Acting

The performance of a character in a dramatic production

Audience

The groups of individuals who consume a media text. People creating media products often thing about the experience and knowledge of their intended audience.

Cause and effect

A story element that describes how narratives are organised in a causal chain.

Character

The representation of someone in a dramatic work.

Back light

A light source positioned behind the subject, often obscuring and creating a sense of menace.

Close up

A shot that shows detail, usually of a characters face.

Closure of the narrative

Resolution of a narrative

Codes

Signs within media that help to create meaning. This includes technical codes, written codes and symbolic codes.

Technical codes

Camera, editing, lighting, sound and special effects.

Written codes

Text, typography and graphics.

Symbolic codes

Acting, setting, mise en scene, colour and visual composition.

Conventions

Expected and repeated ways of constructing media works, using codes that, over time, have become accepted by audiences. This includes story and genre conventions.

Story conventions

Cause and effect, point of view and the structuring of time.

Genre conventions

Generic structures, character and story arcs, story principles.

Crane shot

Camera is mounted on a crane, helping filmmakers to achieve dynamic overhead shots.

Depth of field

The distance between the nearest and farthest objects that are in focus.

Diabetic sound

Sound that is part of the “world” of a film.

Dolly

A specific kind of tracking shot where we follow a subject on an apparatus called a dolly.

Establishing shot

Used at the beginning of scenes to establish the setting.

Extreme close up

Attempt to draw the viewer’s attention to one particular, small detail.

Eye level shot

Most commonly used camera angel in film, the characters appear at eye level.

Focus

The sharpness of an image

Foley sound

Sound effects recorded in a studio during the post production of a film.

Full shot

A character filmed from head to toe.

Genre

Films are classified into different genres. E.g. action, adventure, comedy, crime, horror, musicals, romance.

Handheld camera movement

The camera is handheld, often slightly shaky, creating a sense of realism.

High angle shot

Camera positioned above the subject, looking down at an angle. Makes the subject appear smaller, powerless and more vulnerable.

Jump cut

When two shots that only vary slightly are edited together creating a sense of discontinuity. Often used to condense time.

Lighting

Refers to the illumination of a subject or scene. E.g. natural, cool, warm, soft, low-key, harsh.

Long shot

Shows the subject from a distance and characters in the distance with a large amount of scenery.

Low angle

Camera positioned below eye level, looking up, to imply a sense of power and dominance.

Low key lighting

Creates a “chiaroscuro” effect, a strong contrast between light and dark areas.

Lower third

In documentary film and news, the name of a person that appears in the lower third of the frame.

Match cut

A cut or dissolve between two visually similar images. One of the most famous examples of this is in 2001: A Space Odyssey, when Stanley Kubrick cuts between a shot of a bone flung into the air by an ape and a shot of a satellite orbiting earth.

Montage

In Hollywood films, a montage is a short sequence that shows the condensed progression of time.

Motif

In film, a motif is a recurring image that symbolises an idea or issue.

Master shot

In filmmaking, a shot that features all the action in a scene.

Media text

An individual media product—such as a newspaper article, television program or computer game

Mise-en-scene

Mise en scene is a French term that refers to ‘putting into the scene’. Whereas visual composition usually refers to how specific elements are arranged, li en scene is a broader term that refers to the artistic look and feel of a shot. It encompasses a range of elements, including lighting, costume, make up, camera techniques and the positioning and movement of actors.

Moral panic

Widespread anxiety or moral outrage about an issue said to threaten the fabric of society. Moral panics often occur around forms of media technology.

Multiple storylines

In VCE Media, multiple storylines is a story element that refers to how narratives might use different storylines or subplots.

Narrative

A constructed story, usually in a novel, film, radio drama or television program.

Narrative possibilities

As audiences engage with narratives, they consider the direction the narrative might take. Narrative possibilities, therefore, refers to the audience’s understanding of what might happen in a film based on what they have viewed so far as well as their understanding of the genre or any other knowledge of the film.

Narrative progression

In VCE Media, ‘narrative progression’ is a story element that refers to the development of the narrative, including the opening sequence and closure of the narrative.

Noddies

A shot of a character or interviewer listening to someone out of frame.

Non diegetic sound

Sounds that exist outside the ‘world’ of the film, such as an orchestral score.

Opening sequence

In VCE Media, ‘opening sequence’ is a story element that refers to the opening scenes of a film. The opening sequence in a narrative performs a number of functions—such as establishing characters, the setting and starting the causal chain which is ultimately resolved at the end of the narrative.

Oppositional values

Values and beliefs which are in direct opposition to those held by the majority of people in a society.

Overshot

The camera is positioned directly above the subject. This is often used in establishing shots, where the camera flies over city streets.

Over the shoulder shot

Often used when shooting dialogue, the shoulder of the character someone is talking to is visible in the side of the frame.

Pan

The camera turns horizontally when mounted on a tripod.

Parallel editing

Cutting between two scenes that are occurring simultaneously.

Passive audience

A way of conceptualising audience that sees people as passively absorbing media texts.