CODES AND CONVENTIONS.BY Amna Afzal

WHAT ARE CODES AND CONVENTIONS?• What are codes? Codes are a system of signs which create a meaning,

these codes can be divided into two categories, which are symbolic and technical.

• The technical codes are the ways in which the equipment is used in media to tell a story, for example the camera work in a film.

• Symbolic codes can show what is beneath the surface of what the audience see, for example a characters actions show the audience how the character is feeling which engages the audience to them.

• Some codes are able to fit into both categories, for example music is bith technical and symbolic.

CONVENTIONS• Conventions are the general accepted ways of doing something, it’s a

way in which something is usually done, conventions are genre specific.• How do codes and conventions apply in media studies? Codes and

conventions are used together in any study of genre it is not enough to discuss a technical code used such as camera work, without saying how it is conventionally used in a genre.

• An example would be the technical code for lighting is used in some way or another in films genre. It is a convention of the horror genre that side and back lighting is used to create mystery and tension.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF HORROR• Saw i-s a good example of gory and torture horror genre film, it involves

loads of explicit images and people torturing themselves with sharp objects in order to escape which makes the audience scared and jumpy.

• The exorcist - this involves religious and satanic possessions.• Friday 13th – which is a slasher and psychological type of horror.• There are plenty of codes and conventions for horror involving characters

props, sub genres, sound and music, the villain and killer, the location and setting is a main key in horror as that is what sets the mood.

• Examples on next slide.

• The characters – they tend to be ether in a group of teenagers , the villain or killer, children and parents

• The props in horror movies is what makes the movie a horror as that is a main key theme as to what they use to scare the audience they mainly use weapons such as: knife, gun, machete, chainsaw, and axe these are mainly used for murders or to inflict pain upon a person. This allows the character have a slow and gruesome death this creates certain moods on the audience and adrenaline.

• The villain or killer - which can be a psychopath, this can involve an evil ghost or spirit a mental patient, and masked murderers, killers in the genre of horror are usually male.

• Sub genre – could be religious related, monster, sci-fi, teen slasher or involving vampires.

• Sound and music – this involves use of non diegetic and diegetic music in order to create an atmosphere to the audience as well as tension and suspense setting certain moods on the audience.

• Victims in a a group a certain character can be targeted for example a female character as they are seen as sexual objects, a psychopath or killer would b interested if a male as they get thrill out of inflicting pain upon them, or this female can be known as a “slut” so she is the first one to be punished and murdered.

CODES AND CONVENTIONS FOR COMEDY

• The settings can be based on the comedy type, we can get a parody of horror and comedy so this can be either in the woods or an isolated or dark place. However comedy is most commonly used in light and bright places in cities and well populated areas.

• Teen comedy – this is mainly based in a school or a setting in a small town.

• -Technical codes such as there are many high shot angles as the cameras are placed very naturally to create a calm atmosphere whilst it goes along side the characters, editing sounds and adding non diegetic sounds to create humour and effect for the audience and a lot of medium shot angles in order to catch the characters facial expressions again increasing the humour

• -Iconography, which involves the light which is often shot during the day time and is bright, the colours are cheerful and happy colours such as yellow and blue are used, props such as golf courses, super markets, beaches and football places add effect on humour.

-Characters such as stupid people, socially awkward and a smart person, sarcastic people who are normal regular people in which accidents may happen to them.

-Theme types such as Parody, Romantic comedy, Anarchic Comedy, Gross-outs and screwball comedy.

HOW THIS HAS HELPED• This has helped the group to understand the codes and conventions we

need to consider when creating our final product, I have chosen to look at the codes and conventions of comedy and horror as these are the two main genres that are being focused on in our final product.

• I am now able to identify what needs too be used in our final product when creating our film as this has helped us, I feel more comfortable in the setting and scene of where the film needs to be filmed and how. Also using certain characters to make the atmosphere and set certain moods.