Hoe media texts communicate through the use of editing, mise en scene, sound and cinematography.
Semiotics = the science of signs. (De Saussure)
Referent - The real thing presented to the audience (the actual object) which creates meaning.
Sign - How the object is presented (photo, film, animation etc.
Signifier - How the sign is 'composed.
Signified - Meaning created by the person looking at the sign.
Barthes...
Denotation - What is actually there.
Connotation - Meanings/concepts.
Anchorage - 'Polysenic'. Anchorage is reducing connotations.
Friday, 27 January 2012
Key concepts - Representation
Understanding representation is all about understanding the choices that are made when it comes to portraying something or someone in a mass media text.
Raymond Williams - Emergent, dominant and residual ideology - These ideas are imposed on us by the ruling classes.
Raymond Williams - Emergent, dominant and residual ideology - These ideas are imposed on us by the ruling classes.
- Age
- Gender
- Race/Ethnicity
- Financial Status
- Job
- Culture/nationality
Key concepts - Audiences
'Audience' is a very important concept throughout media studies. All media texts are made with an audience in mind.
When a media text is being planned, perhaps the most important question the producers consider is "Does it have an audience?" If the answer to this is 'no', then there is no point in going any further.
When a media text is being planned, perhaps the most important question the producers consider is "Does it have an audience?" If the answer to this is 'no', then there is no point in going any further.
- income bracket/status
- age
- gender
- race
- location
Dennis McQuail. Uses the gratification theory, audiences consume media text for surveillance, personal identity and relationships.
Key concepts - Narrative
Narrative = the way events are put together to be presented to the audience.
Todorov argues that narratives always have a structure of equilibrium /disequilibrium
Strauss argues that human cultural understanding is based upon a system of binary opposites (eg black/white, god/bad). Due to this some argue that binary opposition forms a fundamental way of understanding narrative.
In Media Studies, it is important to tell the difference between narrative and story
Todorov argues that narratives always have a structure of equilibrium /disequilibrium
Strauss argues that human cultural understanding is based upon a system of binary opposites (eg black/white, god/bad). Due to this some argue that binary opposition forms a fundamental way of understanding narrative.
In Media Studies, it is important to tell the difference between narrative and story
Key concepts - Genre
Some key quotes are ...
David Buckingham "Genre is not simply given by the culture, rather, it is in a constant process of negotiation and change"
Steve Neale "One way of defining genres is as a set of expectations"
Genre's definition - A way of categorising a media text according to it's context and style
This is a working definition of genre in terms of media.
Genre is important because it gives media text identity and substance which makes the whole process much easier and systematic.
David Buckingham "Genre is not simply given by the culture, rather, it is in a constant process of negotiation and change"
Steve Neale "One way of defining genres is as a set of expectations"
Genre's definition - A way of categorising a media text according to it's context and style
This is a working definition of genre in terms of media.
Genre is important because it gives media text identity and substance which makes the whole process much easier and systematic.
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