Media Terms

Media Dictionary

Binary oppositions – In critical theory, a binary opposition (also binary system) is a pair of related terms or concepts that are opposite in meaning. 

 

Diegetic/non diegetic – Sound whose source is visible on the screen or whose source is implied to be present by the action of the film: voices of characters. ND sounds made by objects in the story. music represented as coming from instruments in the story space ( = source music) 

 

Hegemony/hegemonic – leadership or dominance, especially by one state or social group over others. 

 

Ideology – An ideology is a world view, a system of values, attitudes and beliefs which an individual, group or society holds to be true or important; these are shared by a culture or society about how that society should function. 

 

Intertexuality – the relationship between texts, especially literary ones. 

 

Representation – the description or portrayal of someone or something in a particular way. 

 

Iconography – the visual images and symbols used in a work of art or the study or interpretation of these. 

 

Preferred reading – This is when audiences respond to the product the way media producers want/expect them to. 

 

Oppositional reading – the audience rejects the message 

 

Archetype – a very typical example of a certain person or thing. 

 

Stereotype – a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. 

 

Verisimilitude – the appearance of being true or real. 

 

High key lighting – a style of lighting for film, television, or photography that aims to reduce the lighting ratio present in the scene. This was originally done partly for technological reasons, since early film and television did not deal well with high contrast ratios, but now is used to suggest an upbeat mood. 

 

Low key lighting – a style of lighting for photography, film or television. It is a necessary element in creating a chiaroscuro effect. Traditional photographic lighting, three-point lighting uses a key light, a fill light, and a back light for illumination. 

 

Contrapuntal sound – composed of two or more relatively independent melodies sounded together. 

 

Ambient sound – means the background sounds which are present in a scene or location. Common ambient sounds include wind, water, birds, crowds, office noises, traffic, etc. 

 

Foley – relating to or concerned with the addition of recorded sound effects after the shooting of a film. 

 

Dramatic irony – the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect. 

 

Ellipsis – is the narrative device of omitting a portion of the sequence of events, allowing the reader to fill in the narrative gaps. 

 

Propp’s character theory – Vladimir Propp developed a character theory[3] for studying media texts and productions, which indicates that there were 7 broad character types in the 100 tales he analysed, which could be applied to other media: 

• The villain (struggles against the hero) 
• The donor (prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object) 
• The (magical) helper (helps the hero in the quest) 
• The princess (person the hero marries, often sought for during the narrative) 
• The false hero (perceived as good character in beginning but emerges as evil) 
• The dispatcher (character who makes the lack known and sends the hero off) 
• The hero [AKA victim/seeker/paladin/winner, reacts to the donor, weds the princess 

 

Todorov’s narrative theory – Tzvetan Todorov, suggests that all narratives follow a three part structure. They begin with equilibrium, where everything is balanced, progress as something comes along to disrupt that equilibrium, and finally reach a resolution, when equilibrium is restored. 

 

Restricted narrative - The characters and the audience learn story information at the same time. This may be useful in creating suspense in a horror or mystery. However, Alfred Hitchcock, known for the suspense genre, prefers unrestricted narration, so that the audience will fear for the protagonist, who doesn’t know what we know. Restricted and unrestricted are opposite ends of a continuum. Most films are a mixture. 

 

Omniscient narrative - In third person omniscient, the narrator knows all the thoughts and feelings of all the characters in the story. 

 

Linear narrative - linear narratives follow a straight line — starting at the beginning, moving to the middle and proceeding to the end of the story. 

 

Episodic narrative - a story that is told through a series of episodes, or segments. A soap opera on television, for instance, is an episodic program. 

 

Above the line costs – High costs incurred during the production of an advertising commercial that are associated with the creative side of it. These costs include those incurred for actors, music and photography. 

 

Below the line costs – Low costs incurred during the production of an advertising commercial that are associated with the creative side of it. These costs include those incurred for actors, music and photography. 

 

Diegesis - a narrative or plot, typically in a film. 

 

Enigma code - A system of signs which can be decoded to create meaning 

 

High concept film – films that are pitched and developed almost entirely upon such a simply stated premise rather than standing upon complex character study, cinematography, or other strengths that relate more to the artistic execution of a production, rather than simply an engaging high-concept premise with broad appeal.

 

Continuity editing – a style of editing that is commonly used to emphasize a smooth transition of time and a logical progression through a films narrative. 

 

Juxtaposition – the placement of two (often opposed) images o either side of an edit to create an effect. 

 

Key light -  the main source of light in a photograph or film. 

 

Master shot - is a film recording of an entire dramatized scene, from start to finish, from an angle that keeps all the players in view. It is often a long shot and can sometimes perform a double function as an establishing shot. 

 

Parallel editing – a type of editing in which events in two locations are cut together in order to imply a connection between the two sets of events. 

 

Reaction shot - a portrayal of a person's response to an event or to a statement made by another. 

 

Polysemic - is the capacity for a sign (such as a word, phrase, or symbol) to have multiple meanings (that is, multiple semes or sememes and thus multiple senses), usually related by contiguity of meaning within a semantic field. 

 

Synergy - the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects. 

 

Convergence - involving the interlocking of computing and information technology companies, telecommunications networks, and content providers from the publishing worlds of newspapers, magazines, music, radio, television, films, and entertainment software. Media convergence brings together the "three Cs"-computing, communications, and content. 

 

Horizontal integration - Horizontal Integration is where an organization develops by buying up competitors in the same section of the market e.g. one music publisher buys out other smaller music publishers. 

 

Vertical integration - Commercial institutions try to combat the power of the BBC by becoming larger and creating vertical integration. This is where an institution has shares or owns each part of the production and distribution process.

 

180 degree rule - a basic guideline regarding the on-screen spatial relationship between a character and another character or object within a scene 

 

Rule of thirds - is applied by aligning a subject with the guide lines and their intersection points, placing the horizon on the top or bottom line, or allowing linear features in the image to flow from section to section. 

 

Aesthetics - a set of principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty. The branch of philosophy which deals with questions of beauty and artistic taste. 

 

Arbitrary signifier - Together, the signifier and signified make up the. Sign: the smallest unit of meaning. Anything that can be used to communicate (or to tell a lie). Symbolic (arbitrary) signs: signs where the relation between signifier and signified is purely conventional and culturally specific, e.g., most words. 

 

Codes - Codes are systems of signs, which create meaning. Codes can be divided into two categories – technical and symbolic. Technical codes are all the ways in which equipment is used to tell the story in a media text, for example the camera work in a film. Symbolic codes show what is beneath the surface of what we see. For example, a character's actions show you how the character is feeling. Some codes fit both categories – music for example, is both technical and symbolic. 

 

Frame composition - Composition is the combining of distinct parts or elements to form a whole.  In photography that thought is very important in taking good pictures.  The following guidelines are just to be thought about though, it is not necessary to try to use them with every picture you take or there wouldn’t be any creativity in your work.  Once you learn these rules and strategies you will be more prepared to find great picture spots and opportunities. 

 

Conglomerate - A media conglomerate, media group or media institution is a company that owns large numbers of companies in various mass media such as television, radio, publishing, movies, and the Internet. 

 

Connotation - an idea or feeling which a word invokes for a person in addition to its literal or primary meaning. 

 

Cultural codes - Cultural codes are defined as symbols and systems of meaning that are relevant to members of a particular culture (or subculture). These codes can be utilized to facilitate communication within the 'inside group' and also to obscure the meaning to 'outside groups’. 

 

Cultural imperialism - Cultural imperialism is defined as the cultural aspects of imperialism. Imperialism, here, is referring to the creation and maintenance of unequal relationships between civilizations favoring the more powerful civilization. 

 

Effects model - A mixed model is a statistical model containing both fixed effects and random effects, that is mixed effects. These models are useful in a wide variety of disciplines in the physical, biological and social sciences. 

 

Hypodermic model - The hypodermic needle model (also known as the hypodermic-syringe model, transmission-belt model, or magic bullet theory) is a model of communications suggesting that an intended message is directly received and wholly accepted by the receiver. 

 

Iconic signifier - Iconic signs: signs where the signifier resembles the signified, e.g., a picture.  

 

Indexical signifier - Indexical Signs: signs where the signifier is caused by the signified, e.g., smoke signifies fire. 

 

Symbolic signifier - signs where the relation between signifier and signified is purely conventional and culturally specific, e.g., most words.