Creative Imedia

Media Products

A media product is a platform used to communicate information to a specific audience. There are different formats that can be used for this purpose.

Digital imaging and graphics

A product that uses technology to create images in digital form. This may involve the use of graphic tablets, cameras or specific software such as Photoshop.

Digital Games

A product that uses games consoles as well as personal computers to entertain the audience. In particular, online gaming.

Video

A product that includes moving images and in most cases an auditory element. It’s also referred to as an audio-visual product.

Animation

A product that converts still images into moving elements to illustrate a sequence of events.

Visual Effects (VFX)

Technology is used to incorporate effects that may be too dangerous or impossible to add any other way. For example, a spaceship flying across the screen.

Audio

A product that is recorded or transmitted in the form of sound. For example, sound effects.

Music

A product that records audio as away to express emotion.

Special Effects (SFX)

Special effects that can be created on set. This includes physical character creation, puppetry, animatronics or humans wearing prosthetic make-up and costumes.

Social Media

Websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.

Apps

A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, tablet, or watch.

Comics and graphic novels

A product that is designed to tell stories in a more visual way through illustrations and speech bubbles for dialogue.

Multimedia

A product that combines a range of assets such as text, images, video, animation and sound.

Virtual Reality (VR)

Virtual reality is a computer-generated simulation in which a person can interact within an artificial three-dimensional environment.

Websites

A product that combines a range of multimedia elements to create a webpage that can be accessed with an internet connection.

eBooks

A product that is available in electronic form and accessible via apps or e-readers (e.g. Kindle)

Augmented reality (AR)

Augmented reality allows the user experience the real world, which has been digitally augmented or enhanced in some way.

Media Sectors

The main means of mass communication (broadcasting, publishing, and the internet) regarded collectively. The industry itself branches out in ‘traditional’ media and ‘new’ media.

Traditional media

Traditional media refers to a non-digital methods of communication. These methods have been long used to create awareness of a product and existed before the internet.

New media

On-demand content accessed via the internet through digital devices, such as personal computers and smartphones. New media can involve interactive elements such as audience engagement and feedback.

Traditional media sectors

TV, Radio, Film, Print publishing

New media sectors

Interactive media, video games, internet, digital publishing

Symbolic Codes

Symbolic codes are those elements that contain deeper, connotative meanings. The acronym SCAM, can be useful to help remember these: Setting, Colour, Acting, Mise-en-scene.

Setting

Time - this is used to established when this was taking place.

Location - the physical location of where the scene is taking place can help support the narrative.

Social structures/Economy - does the story reflect a certain social status. For example, does it suggest the characters are wealth or poor ?

Moral attitudes - the narrative can help to determine the actions taken by the characters.

Colour

The colour palette used in a film can help tell a story. This helps the viewer feel certain emotions, such as the use of red blood in a horror movie, or a shade of green for jealousy.

Colour in film also helps draw the attention of the user to a specific detail, like a red handle on a white door.

Colour can help the film identify character traits, such as having a greedy businessman wear green or a sad character wearing yellow.

Actors

Body language

Gestures

Facial expressions

Vocal intonation which means the way someone’s voice rises and falls as they’re speaking.

Personality actor (Their personality fits the role)

Star actor ( An actor who can adapt. For example, equally adept at playing a hero or villain.)

Mise-en-scene

Set/location

Props (items that would be used in the scene)

Costumes (what they wear)

Make-up (how they look - think back to the previous example of the Joker where makeup is quite prominent)

Motif - a repeated narrative element that supports the theme of a story. (e.g. James Bond theme)

Composition - the placement or arrangement of visual elements.