WJEC/Eduqas GCSE Media Studies: Student Book

Analysing Codes of Media Language The main codes that apply across a range of different media forms are outlined below. The specific conventions of media language that apply to print products are discussed in Chapter 3, and those that apply to audio-visual and online products are explored in Chapter 5. Visual codes Visual codes are the elements that we see in a media product. All the media forms you will study, except radio, have visual codes that you can analyse. Visual codes relate to the images in media products, but also to elements such as the background on a magazine cover, logos and graphics. It is important to consider all aspects of the mise-en-scène when analysing a media product: • Colour palettes are used by media producers to encode meanings and can communicate powerful messages. There are many connotations associated with different colours: for example red can suggest passion or danger, while blue usually connotes calm. Colour can also be used to establish the mood and atmosphere in a media product. Yellows and oranges, for example, suggest warmth, whereas blues and greys are considered to be colder colours. • Location is very important to help an audience to understand where the product is set. The setting can also communicate messages. • Gesture codes are how people express themselves through their posture and body language. Gestures can convey emotion, often in combination with facial expressions. Shaking a fist, for example, implies anger, aggression and the intent to hurt. • Facial expressions communicate meanings that are easily recognised. A sad, surprised or angry facial expression, for example, will help an audience to understand the emotion someone feels. • Props can communicate messages about people and certain types of prop can signify a genre, such as guns in the action genre. A city location could connote danger in a crime drama. The ‘high five’ gesture has become a popular form of greeting and celebration in recent years. Mise-en-scène The manner in which all the visual elements are placed within a frame or product, including the setting or background, props, costume and gestures. Key Term What props might you expect to see in a TV crime drama? Quickfire 1.1 16 WJEC/Eduqas GCSE Media Studies