Codes,
Conventions
& Messages
Presented by Group 2
OVERVIEW
Codes, Conventions, and Messages
are essential concepts in
communication, particularly in media
studies, where they are used to
convey meaning effectively.
Media Language
denotes how media producers make
meaning about a certain medium
(advertisement, TV show, film, etc.)
they are producing and how they
transfer that meaning to their target
audience. It allows the audience to
convey the meaning of the text
through its signs and symbols.
Denotative
meaning is the literal meaning
of the media.
For example, the denotative
meaning of the word "apple"
is simply a type of fruit.
Connotative
meaning refers to the various
interpretations that the text
suggests to the audience which
are often associated with their
culture, values, beliefs, etc.
Connotative
For example, the use of the
nonverbal signal "thumbs up"
may mean "Job well done!" in
western cultures, but it is a
rude gesture in some
countries in the Middle East.
Media Codes and
Conventions
are the very foundations of all the existing
media. Media codes commonly have an
established meaning, denotation or
connotation, to the target audience.
Meanwhile, conventions refer to the possible
methods in which codes are organized in a
product.
Types of
Media Codes
Symbolic codes
are audience-based.
The meaning of the product is
not based on the product
itself, but on the interpretation
of the audience.
Symbolic codes
For example, a red rose may be
used symbolically to convey
romance, or a clenched fist may
be used to communicate anger.
Technical Codes
refer to codes specific to a media
form alone. The knowledge and
connotations of different camera
angles and shots make sense
when looking at films and
photographs but mean nothing
outside those forms.
Written Codes
are formal written language
used in media production,
including printed and spoken
content such as dialogues and
song lyrics.
Types of
Conventions
Form Conventions
are ways in which the types of
media codes are expected to be
arranged. For instance, the title
and main casts are expected to
appear at the beginning of a
movie while the credits are
expected to appear at the end.
Story Conventions
refer to the basic structures of
narratives.
Examples of story conventions
involve narrative structures,
character constructions, and
point of view.
Genre Conventions
are the common use of
narrative elements like
characters, settings, or themes
in a specific media type, often
linked to audience expectations.
Thank
You!
