BASIC TEXTUAL ANALYSIS/TV DRAMA THEORY TERMS

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SEMIC CODE

BARTHES - a technical use of media language to make meaning i.e. a low angle, body language, facial expression.

SYMBOLIC CODE

BARTHES - an object/inclusion in the text that has a connotation i.e. red rose for love, white dove for peace.

ENIGMA CODE

BARTHES - an inclusion in the text that provides mystery - an unanswered question for the audience that raises questions

CULTURAL CODE

BARTHES - an inclusion in the text that is recognisable only by audiences with a cultural understanding of its meaning i.e. Big Ben infers London, Guernsey Donky infers stubborness

ACTION CODE

BARTHES - an action, event in the text that moves the narrative forward i.e. someone leaving, a letter being opened etc

ENCODE

HALL - the term whereby producers will lace their texts with signs and symbols to be decoded by the audience

DECODE

HALL - the term whereby audiences will read, deconstruct and understand the signs and symbols that a producer has encoded in the text to represent narratives etc.

PREFERRED READING

HALL - if the producer has encoded a text proficiently, the audience will decode it and depending on their cultural situation, will get a preferred reading of it. They will get it.

BINARY OPPOSITION

LEVI STRAUSS - all drama has conflicts. All dramas have opposing forces at play i.e. love v hate, freedom v entrapment, criminality v justice etc

DENOTATION

THE OBJECT/SUBJECT - the thing, the costume, the low angle, the

CONNOTATION

THE MEANING represented by the sign/symbol encoded in the text.