Creative media

Flashcards for creative media

What are media codes?

Systems of signs, signals, and design elements used by creators to communicate meaning to an audience. Example: A director using dim blue lighting to convey sadness and isolation in a film scene.

What are technical codes?

The production methods and equipment choices used to construct a media product, including camera work, editing, lighting, and sound. Example: Using a low-angle shot to make a character appear dominant and intimidating.

What are written codes?

The formal use of language, typography, and on-screen text to communicate meaning and establish tone. Example: Using a distressed, bold sans-serif font on an action movie poster to signify danger and chaos.

What are symbolic codes?

Visual cues within a scene that convey deeper cultural or emotional meanings beyond their literal appearance, such as costume, color, props, and body language. Example: Dressing a character in an all-white suit to signify purity or sterile authority.

What are media conventions?

The widely accepted, standard practices and rules for structuring and presenting media products that audiences readily recognise. Example: Placing a navigation bar and search icon across the top of a website homepage.

What are technical conventions?

The standard, generally expected technical methods and production rules applied within a specific media format. Example: Following the 180-degree rule in video editing to maintain consistent spatial continuity during dialogue scenes.

What are symbolic conventions?

Familiar and expected uses of visual symbols, colors, or objects that audiences automatically associate with specific meanings. Example: A character wearing a black leather jacket and sunglasses to signify rebellion and coolness.

What are written conventions?

Established standards for layout, tone, font sizing, and placement of text in a media product. Example: Placing a prominent, large masthead across the top cover of a print magazine.

Genre conventions

The recurring elements, themes, visual motifs, settings, and character archetypes typical of a specific category of media. Example: Dark abandoned houses, jump scares, and isolation in a horror film.

Raster bitmap

A digital image format constructed from a fixed grid of individual pixels, each with a specific color value, which loses quality and appears pixelated when enlarged. Example: A digital photograph captured on a smartphone saved as a JPEG.

What are vectors?

A digital graphic created using mathematical formulas that define paths, shapes, and colors, allowing it to scale infinitely without losing quality. Example: A corporate brand logo created in Adobe Illustrator and saved as an SVG file.

What are visualisation diagrams?

A static pre-production sketch showing the proposed visual layout, components, and design aesthetic of a planned still media product. Example: A preliminary hand-drawn annotated layout showing the placement of text and photos for a new print magazine advertisement.

What are wireframes?

A skeletal visual schematic that maps out the structure, functional elements, and layout hierarchy of an interactive product without final visual styling. Example: A simplified grey-box layout displaying where buttons, menus, and content areas sit on a mobile app screen.