Media's Elemental Game!

 IS MEDIA THAT POWERFUL?

Media has sky rocketed its game when it comes to reaching audience and playing with minds. Before getting into the film-making there are plenty of things to understand about media. Such as these key elements!

1. Media Language:

These are the systems and conventions through which media conveys its message or communicates its meaning. Visual codes, audio codes, and symbolic codes are all included in them!

key concepts:

Visual codes: Its the use of images, colors, framing, and mise-en-scène.

Audio codes:  Includes sounds, music, dialogue, and silence.

Written codes: All text, fonts, and typographies are a part of written codes.

Technical codes: Camera angles, editing techniques, lighting, and sound effects.

2. Representation:

Its how the media portrays different individuals, groups, cultures, events, and ideas as well.

The key concepts include:

Stereotyping:  Which are basically simplified or exaggerated portrayals.

Ideology: Its a set of values, beliefs, and worldviews reinforced and depicted by the media.

Power and Identity: Is how representations of gender, race, class and other social groups are           constructed.

3. Audience:

The group of people that consume media or content.

key theories based on audiences:

Active Audience: Interprets and perceives media based on personal experiences and cultural backgrounds.

Passive Audience: Receive messages from media without critical( part of early media theories).

Demographics and Psychographics: Media content's tailoring to specified age, gender, social class, lifestyle groups etc.

4.Genre:

Categorization of media content into different types based on common conventions and themes.

Key concepts:

Hybrid Genres: Blending and mixing of multiple genres.

Genre Conventions: Recurring themes and styles within a specific genre e.g. horror, action, drama.

5. Narrative:

The structure and story in the media.

Key Components:

Structure: Way a story is organized, rising action, climax, and resolution are all included.

Todorov's Narrative Theory: A traditional model where narratives move from equilibrium, through disruption, to a new equilibrium.

Character Types:  There are protagonists, antagonists, heroes, villains, etc.

In conclusion media indeed is a very powerful weapon that if used right will have immense amount of benefits , one being a means of communication ; however it can directly or indirectly influence people for performing certain actions or building a specific mindset!