Codes and Conventions in media:
The media construct reality. The media have their own forms, codes and conventions. The media present ideologies and value messages. •
The media are business that have commercial interests.•
It is important that the target audience regognises the codes and conventions that are trying to be conveyed in the type of media.
Code - A code is a rule-governed system of signs, whose rules and
conventions are shared amongst members of a culture, and which is
used to generate and circulate meanings in and for that culture.
Convention - a custom or tradition, a standard of presentation or conduct.Audiences negotiate meaning in media.
Horror codes and conventions:
- Dark/shadowy lighting.
-Isolated location.
-Female victim.
-Disruption of normality.
-Sub plot of male/female relationship.
-Defeat of monster.
-Weapons, e.g. knife.
-Psycopath.
-Grim reaper.
-Skulls.
-Screaming.
-"Make you jump" moments.
-Blood.
-Murder.
-Ghosts.
-Paranormal activity.
-Death.
-Violence.
Western codes and conventions:
-Cowboys.
-Indians.
-Guns.
-Tumble weed.
-Cowboy hat.
-Cowboy boots.
-Sheriff.
-Salon doors.
-Horses.
-Shootouts.
-Goodies.
-Badies.
-Tense music.
-Cactuses.
-Phoney american accent.
-Texas.
-Bar fights.
-Card games.
-Pianos.
-Train robbers.
Sci-fi codes and conventions:
-Set in future
- Aliens worlds
- Time travels- travelling backwards and forwards through time has always been a popular in science fiction film
- Spacecrafts and robots
- Imaginative settings
- Alien abductions
- Galactic Empires that oppress everything
- Rebel(s) going against the empire
- Conflicts between alien and human
- The concept of extraterrestrial life is a popular convention in science fiction films, where the aliens are seen as a threat to the human race.
-Aliens.
-UFOs.
-Spaceship.
-Monsters.
-Lightsaber.
-Laser guns.
-CGI.
-Jedi.
-Darth vader.
-Terminator.
-Storm troopers.
-Yoda.
-Obi wan kenobi.
-Darth sidious.
-Transformers.
-Robots.
-Androids.
-Rays.
-Teleport.
-Tractor beam.
-Technology.
-Superimposed credits.
-Matrix.
-Soundtracks.
-Alien subtitles.
-Establishing shot.
-Slow motion photography.
-Cross cutting.
-Dutch angle.
-Clones.
-Ewoks.
-PVC.
-Blue harvest.
-Death star.
-Stedicam.
Action/Adveture codes and conventions:
-Hero.
-Villian.
-Pirates of the carribean.
-Indiana jones.
-300.
-Shooting.
-Fist fights.
-Car chases.
-Sword fights.
-Forest.
-Cities.
-Sea.
-Desert.
-Lighting.
-Batman.
-Superman.
-Spiderman.
-James bond.
-X-men.
-Johnny english.
-Sting.
-8 lggeded freaks.
-Weather.
-Destruction.
-Alpha male.
-Pyrotechnics (controlled explosions).
-Exotic locations/settings.
-Sound motif.
-Snakes on a plane.
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