Lighting It is important to consider the use of lighting in media products. There are four main parts to lighting: • High key: use of a key light and many filler lights to create bright lighting with few shadows. A magazine cover will often use high-key lighting to highlight the cover model. • Low key: use of a key light but fewer filler lights to create shadows and contrast between light and dark. A thriller might use low key-lighting to create a sense of mystery. • Artificial lighting: use of electric lighting, often in an indoor setting or studio. • Natural light: use of daylight, in an outdoor setting or from a window. Lighting is also used symbolically: bright light is usually associated with goodness and innocence, whereas darkness connotes sinfulness and evil. Language codes Nearly all media products use language – words – to create meanings: • Written language is used in print products, including headlines in a newspaper, magazine articles and slogans in advertisements. This is explored fully in Chapter 3. • Spoken language is used in audio-visual products, for example dialogue or narration in a television programme. This is explored in Chapter 5. The use of language is a key way in which media products address, or speak to, their audiences. Some products use a very friendly, informal mode of address, while others are more distant and formal. Genre Genre is a way of categorising media products. The concept often relates to film and television, but can be applied to many media forms and products. A genre is defined by a set of codes and conventions used in its products. Generic products are defined by a set of elements that are repeated across them. This repertoire of elements includes: • Visual iconography: The particular visual codes associated with a genre. A poster for a horror film, for example, is likely to make use of an isolated setting, possibly including a ‘haunted’ house, a dark colour palette and low-key lighting. • Technical codes: Different genres use technical codes in specific ways. Television dramas, for example, tend to feature many medium-close-up shots to establish the characters and their relationships. A dance music video will usually have fast-paced editing that matches the beat of the music. • Narrative: This is the way in which the story is told. Specific narrative techniques are used in different genres. A newspaper article, for example, will usually begin with a lead paragraph that summarises the issues. Narrative is discussed in detail below. • Characters: Most genres have an expected set of character ‘types’. Crime dramas, for example, will often feature a troubled police officer who solves the crime, whereas sitcoms often include a character who is trying to improve their social status. List three conventions used on the front covers of fashion magazines or music magazines. Quickfire 1.2 Look at a range of film posters and identify their genres. Stretch and Challenge 1.2 Key light The main light that shines directly on the person or object in the frame. Filler lights Additional lights placed around a person or object to reduce shadows. Slogan A short, punchy phrase that communicates key ideas about a product or issue. Dialogue The words spoken by characters in a scene, usually a conversation between two or more characters. Mode of address The way in which a text ‘speaks’ to an audience and positions them through language and other codes. Repertoire of elements A set of codes and conventions that are used in products from the same genre. Key Terms 19 1 The Media Studies Theoretical Framework
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