Media Language
Media language is the system of signs, codes, and conventions through which meaning is created and communicated within media texts.
It encompasses a wide range of elements, including visual, auditory, written, and verbal components.
By understanding media language, we can deconstruct how media messages are constructed and interpreted by audiences.
Media language is essential for analyzing the underlying techniques and strategies used to shape perceptions and influence opinions.
It involves exploring how different codes and conventions interact to create meaning, such as the relationship between images, sound, and text.
Through the study of media language, we can develop critical media literacy skills to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of media messages.
Ultimately, media language empowers us to become informed and discerning consumers of media content.
Narrative is how a media text tells its story to the audience.
To analyze a narrative, examine its audio codes, visual codes, structure, and characters.
Example: A television news program like BBC News at Ten has a consistent narrative structure.
Top stories and breaking news are presented first.
Followed by other news, sports, and weather.
Technical codes like editing, graphics, and camera angles contribute to the narrative.
Audio codes include all spoken content, such as news presenter and correspondent dialogue.
Visual codes encompass set design and the formal attire of news presenters and journalists.
Audience Interaction: Advances in technology and social media have transformed how narratives are constructed, allowing for increased audience involvement.
Interactive Narratives: Video games exemplify this by granting players the power to influence the storyline through their decisions.
Personalized Viewing: Interactive television features, like the Red Button or online platforms, enable viewers to customize their viewing experience by selecting specific events, camera angles, and shots.
Individual Narratives: This level of audience control means each viewer can create a unique interpretation or narrative of a media event.
Formulaic Structure: Traditional narratives often follow a predictable pattern identified by theorist Tzvetan Todorov.
Chronological Progression: Stories typically unfold in a linear order with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
Character Development: Characters undergo transformation throughout the narrative, culminating in a resolution.
Todorov's Narrative Stages:
Equilibrium: Initial state of normalcy.
Disruption: An event upsets the balance.
Recognition: Characters acknowledge the disruption.
Repair: Attempts to restore order.
New Equilibrium: A new sense of balance is established.
Example: Sherlock: Many episodes of Sherlock adhere to this structure, with a case disrupting the characters' routine and leading to a climactic resolution.
Non-linear narratives deviate from a chronological structure.
Often employ flashbacks and flashforwards to present events out of order.
Example: 500 Days of Summer explores a relationship through a non-linear timeline.
Circular narratives begin at the story's end and gradually reveal its origins.
Audience comprehension often occurs at the narrative's conclusion.
Example: Slumdog Millionaire starts with the protagonist on a game show and then retraces his life to explain his success.
Flashback: Provides additional character information to advance the story. Manipulates time and space by revisiting events from different perspectives.
Point of View Shot: Offers the audience a character's perspective. Effective in creating tension and suspense, especially in horror and thriller genres.
Apparently Impossible Positions: Uses unusual camera angles for dramatic effect. Examples include aerial shots captured by drones.
Privileged Spectator Positions: Gives the audience information withheld from characters, creating a sense of superiority and anticipation. Common in mysteries and detective dramas.
Voiceover: Narrates the story, provides context, and builds anticipation. Used in various formats, including reality TV, documentaries, and film trailers.
Enigma Codes: Creates suspense by withholding information, encouraging audience engagement and speculation. Often employed in mysteries and thrillers.
Action Codes: Hints at future events through character actions, establishing cause-and-effect relationships. Common in dramas and soap operas.
Character-Driven Narratives: Vladimir Propp believed that stories are primarily driven by the actions and decisions of characters.
Character Roles: He identified specific character roles that commonly appear in narratives:
The Villain: Obstructs the hero's quest.
The Donor: Prepares the hero for their journey by providing essential items or knowledge.
The Helper: Assists the hero in their endeavors, often acting as a sidekick.
The Princess: The desired object of the hero's quest, often requiring rescue.
The False Hero: Initially appears heroic but ultimately reveals a villainous nature.
The Dispatcher: Sends the hero on their quest.
The Hero: The central character whose journey is followed by the audience.
Propp's Character Roles in Non-Fiction: The character archetypes identified by Propp can also be applied to non-fiction, particularly in news media.
Newspapers as Narrative: Newspapers often construct narratives around real-life events and individuals, fitting them into Proppian roles.
Politicians as Villains: Politicians facing public criticism or unpopular decisions are frequently portrayed as villains, aligning with Propp's villain archetype.
Heroes in the News: Individuals performing heroic acts, such as rescues or charitable deeds, are often cast in the role of the hero.
Manipulation of Time and Space: Media often plays with time and space to enhance storytelling.
Sports Broadcasting: Live broadcasts across time zones and use of replays/slow-motion offer multiple perspectives.
Drama and Film: Techniques like flashbacks, time travel, and different camera angles create depth and intrigue.
Multi-Stranded Narratives: Many shows feature multiple storylines interweaving.
Soap Operas and Dramas: Character histories and ongoing plots create audience engagement.
Cliffhangers: Maintain audience interest by leaving storylines unresolved.
Three-Strand Narrative: Common in episodic dramas, like Casualty.
Combining Storylines: Balances ongoing character development, episodic plots, and character subplots.
Audience Engagement: Maintains interest through varied content and character focus.
Multiple Simultaneous Stories: The screen is divided into sections, each showing a different narrative.
Example: (500) Days of Summer uses split-screen to contrast reality with the protagonist's fantasy.
Complex Interwoven Stories: Multiple storylines are intricately connected, challenging audience understanding.
Character Ambiguity: Complex characters contribute to the story's mystery and tension.
Example: River combines the main murder investigation with subplots and character hallucinations for a complex narrative.
Media language is the system of signs, codes, and conventions through which meaning is created and communicated within media texts.
It encompasses a wide range of elements, including visual, auditory, written, and verbal components.
By understanding media language, we can deconstruct how media messages are constructed and interpreted by audiences.
Media language is essential for analyzing the underlying techniques and strategies used to shape perceptions and influence opinions.
It involves exploring how different codes and conventions interact to create meaning, such as the relationship between images, sound, and text.
Through the study of media language, we can develop critical media literacy skills to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of media messages.
Ultimately, media language empowers us to become informed and discerning consumers of media content.
Narrative is how a media text tells its story to the audience.
To analyze a narrative, examine its audio codes, visual codes, structure, and characters.
Example: A television news program like BBC News at Ten has a consistent narrative structure.
Top stories and breaking news are presented first.
Followed by other news, sports, and weather.
Technical codes like editing, graphics, and camera angles contribute to the narrative.
Audio codes include all spoken content, such as news presenter and correspondent dialogue.
Visual codes encompass set design and the formal attire of news presenters and journalists.
Audience Interaction: Advances in technology and social media have transformed how narratives are constructed, allowing for increased audience involvement.
Interactive Narratives: Video games exemplify this by granting players the power to influence the storyline through their decisions.
Personalized Viewing: Interactive television features, like the Red Button or online platforms, enable viewers to customize their viewing experience by selecting specific events, camera angles, and shots.
Individual Narratives: This level of audience control means each viewer can create a unique interpretation or narrative of a media event.
Formulaic Structure: Traditional narratives often follow a predictable pattern identified by theorist Tzvetan Todorov.
Chronological Progression: Stories typically unfold in a linear order with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
Character Development: Characters undergo transformation throughout the narrative, culminating in a resolution.
Todorov's Narrative Stages:
Equilibrium: Initial state of normalcy.
Disruption: An event upsets the balance.
Recognition: Characters acknowledge the disruption.
Repair: Attempts to restore order.
New Equilibrium: A new sense of balance is established.
Example: Sherlock: Many episodes of Sherlock adhere to this structure, with a case disrupting the characters' routine and leading to a climactic resolution.
Non-linear narratives deviate from a chronological structure.
Often employ flashbacks and flashforwards to present events out of order.
Example: 500 Days of Summer explores a relationship through a non-linear timeline.
Circular narratives begin at the story's end and gradually reveal its origins.
Audience comprehension often occurs at the narrative's conclusion.
Example: Slumdog Millionaire starts with the protagonist on a game show and then retraces his life to explain his success.
Flashback: Provides additional character information to advance the story. Manipulates time and space by revisiting events from different perspectives.
Point of View Shot: Offers the audience a character's perspective. Effective in creating tension and suspense, especially in horror and thriller genres.
Apparently Impossible Positions: Uses unusual camera angles for dramatic effect. Examples include aerial shots captured by drones.
Privileged Spectator Positions: Gives the audience information withheld from characters, creating a sense of superiority and anticipation. Common in mysteries and detective dramas.
Voiceover: Narrates the story, provides context, and builds anticipation. Used in various formats, including reality TV, documentaries, and film trailers.
Enigma Codes: Creates suspense by withholding information, encouraging audience engagement and speculation. Often employed in mysteries and thrillers.
Action Codes: Hints at future events through character actions, establishing cause-and-effect relationships. Common in dramas and soap operas.
Character-Driven Narratives: Vladimir Propp believed that stories are primarily driven by the actions and decisions of characters.
Character Roles: He identified specific character roles that commonly appear in narratives:
The Villain: Obstructs the hero's quest.
The Donor: Prepares the hero for their journey by providing essential items or knowledge.
The Helper: Assists the hero in their endeavors, often acting as a sidekick.
The Princess: The desired object of the hero's quest, often requiring rescue.
The False Hero: Initially appears heroic but ultimately reveals a villainous nature.
The Dispatcher: Sends the hero on their quest.
The Hero: The central character whose journey is followed by the audience.
Propp's Character Roles in Non-Fiction: The character archetypes identified by Propp can also be applied to non-fiction, particularly in news media.
Newspapers as Narrative: Newspapers often construct narratives around real-life events and individuals, fitting them into Proppian roles.
Politicians as Villains: Politicians facing public criticism or unpopular decisions are frequently portrayed as villains, aligning with Propp's villain archetype.
Heroes in the News: Individuals performing heroic acts, such as rescues or charitable deeds, are often cast in the role of the hero.
Manipulation of Time and Space: Media often plays with time and space to enhance storytelling.
Sports Broadcasting: Live broadcasts across time zones and use of replays/slow-motion offer multiple perspectives.
Drama and Film: Techniques like flashbacks, time travel, and different camera angles create depth and intrigue.
Multi-Stranded Narratives: Many shows feature multiple storylines interweaving.
Soap Operas and Dramas: Character histories and ongoing plots create audience engagement.
Cliffhangers: Maintain audience interest by leaving storylines unresolved.
Three-Strand Narrative: Common in episodic dramas, like Casualty.
Combining Storylines: Balances ongoing character development, episodic plots, and character subplots.
Audience Engagement: Maintains interest through varied content and character focus.
Multiple Simultaneous Stories: The screen is divided into sections, each showing a different narrative.
Example: (500) Days of Summer uses split-screen to contrast reality with the protagonist's fantasy.
Complex Interwoven Stories: Multiple storylines are intricately connected, challenging audience understanding.
Character Ambiguity: Complex characters contribute to the story's mystery and tension.
Example: River combines the main murder investigation with subplots and character hallucinations for a complex narrative.
