Media Terminology

Semiotics- the science of signs (Roland Barthes, 1964)

Denotation- example- Rose = flower/garden plant. What the thing actually is. (Roland Barthes, 1964)

Connotation- example- Rose = love, romance, desire, passion. Meaning that you associate with that sign. (Roland Barthes, 1964)

MICRO	MACRO (all impact on one another)
Mise-en-scene: clothing, props, hair + make-up, lighting and location	Narrative
Sound: accounts/dialect, music, sound effects…	Representation
Editing	Audience
Camera angles, movements & positions	Genre

Verisimilitude- creates realism (can relate with editing)

Proximity- where the characters are postitioned on screen. where they are in relation to the camera and other characters.

diagetic sounds- sounds that are natural (make it seem more real, e.g-gun shot) sound effects.
non-diagetic sounds- sounds that have been put on during the editing process (soundtrack)

mode of address- the way in which we talk to each other : tone of voice, whats being said...
direct mode of address- audience being spoken to directly

Example sequence-desperate housewives

Micro-analysis:

Sounds- mode of address is much accentuated & flirtatious (blondie). Unsure of what to say-continuity of editing when seeing facial reactions to what blondie is saying-ginger.

Music reflects the atmosphere (instrumental) seductive, fun and flirty with a slight awkwardness

Editing- shot reverse shot, reaction shot & continuous editing, length of shot taken, establishing shot, 180 degree rule, eye- line shot

Mise-en-scene- silk dressing gown un done with silk matching lingerie (blondie), social class-kitchen, dress, necklace (ginger),  one is in the kitchen-house wife, cooking fancy food(stereotypical), whilst blonde is beautiful and being catered to (another stereotype but takes on more of the man role, get up late and have breakfast cooked for you)

Camera angles- (work with editing) close up to show reactions, mid-shots-naked lady, over the shoulder.

Sexual innuendos? (seductive)

Extract: The Hustle

CAMERA

·         £5000 reward, close up of shop keeper’s face- reaction

·         Over the shoulder shots

·         Two shot of two men in the shop- shows their relationship

·         Second scene=men drinking and talking, two shot

·         Third shot- close up of a man talking on phone sorting something out (all related in some way in setting up the hustle?) man=powerful

·         Close up of ring (eye-line shot) of the ring, brings importance to the later part of the scene

·         Shop keeper, camera angle looking down onto old poorer women from his height-show shes below him.

·         Blonde man goes into shop, camera moves down more onto his level.

EDITING

·         Screen wipes from one scene to the next-editing (Inter-cutting/wipe transition) parallel scene. Made to believe it’s all related, happening at the same time

·         Shallow depth of field- man found the ring ‘…3, 2, 1’ and shop owner blurred in the background

SOUNDS

·         Upbeat, fast, frantic music whilst looking for ring

·         Music stops when men are talking in the bar, seriousness, he’s the boss. Proposing that he’s the more important one.

MISE-EN-SCENE

·         Big, diamond ring

·         Sexy, black dress

·         Posh boutique/shop

·         Blonde wig

·         old lady in normal, poorer clothes

·         blonde lady smartly dresses-money

OTHER

·         Old women, doesn’t look like she has a lot of money so shop keepers not interested. Shop owner- shallow person

·         Pretty, blonde women with big ring dressed nicely looks like she has money so shop keeper attends to her. Close up of her ring, camera follows her up from toe to head. BINARY OPPOSITIONS.

·         Representation- shop owner challenges stereotypes of male (camp, in a woman’s shop, bitchy)

·         Direct mode of address a couple times- talking directly to the audience

·         ‘Blonde’ wig- ditzy-lost her ring

·         Buys a black dress- dark, sinister, up to something

·         Ring lost, another man walks into a shop and “finds it”, but won’t hand it over to shop keeper. Over the shoulder whilst two men are talking, then two/mid shot to reveal their relationship

·         Another scene, women in café with other man in shop again maybe all related? (Talking to someone on the phone about the man she’s with that just walked into the café. Still being used within the group- woman

·         Shop keeper- feminine, camp

·         Blonde woman had very pronounced English, could say that she’s been brought up well, has a lot of money

·         Blonde woman draws stereotypes upon herself (ditzy, bimbo, flirty)

·         When she’s talking about the dress she tries on, her voice is very sexual and connotes the flirty side of her

·         “My husband is going to kill me”, males are the dominant figure

·         Late for her hair appointment- well kept, money, keeps her self-looking nice

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