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Codes: On The Interpretation of Visual/Cultural Codes

The document discusses visual and cultural codes used in media. It defines codes as visual, audio or technical elements that imply meaning to audiences, and conventions as recurring elements that identify genres. Codes have both denotative literal meanings and connotative symbolic meanings. The document provides examples of visual codes like facial expressions, clothing, and locations, and technical codes like camera angles, music, and editing techniques. It encourages analyzing codes and conventions in movie trailers to better understand media.

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Edz Libre Gayamo
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51 views

Codes: On The Interpretation of Visual/Cultural Codes

The document discusses visual and cultural codes used in media. It defines codes as visual, audio or technical elements that imply meaning to audiences, and conventions as recurring elements that identify genres. Codes have both denotative literal meanings and connotative symbolic meanings. The document provides examples of visual codes like facial expressions, clothing, and locations, and technical codes like camera angles, music, and editing techniques. It encourages analyzing codes and conventions in movie trailers to better understand media.

Uploaded by

Edz Libre Gayamo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Codes

On the Interpretation of Visual/Cultural


codes
Aims & Objectives
• Lesson Aim:
o To define the system of Codes & Conventions
o To apply this system to a number of images and movie trailers to reinforce
understanding.

• Lesson Objective:
o To ask a number of questions about visual symbols
o To create a table of visual, audio & technical codes
Codes & Conventions
• The system we use for ‘reading’ the media is a
combination of CODES and CONVENTIONS.

• A CODE is a visual, audio or technical element that


an audience has learnt to imply meaning.

• Conventions are recurring elements that group


together to make a GENRE.
A useful metaphor?

• Codes are like words in a language

• Conventions tell the audience what language is


being spoken
Codes
• All codes have a denotation and a
connotation.

• The denotation is the literal meaning of a code

• The connotation is a symbolic meaning of a


code
Interpreting Visual Codes
• Facial Expressions
• Body Language
• Physical Appearance & All of these visual codes are
Clothing unconsciously ‘read’ by
• Props audiences who then use them
to understand things like genre
• Location
and narrative
• Colours
• Graphics
• Famous Stars / characters
An Example
Another Example
Technical / Audio Codes

• Camera Angles • Music


• Camera Movement • Accents
• Mode Of Address • Sound Effects
• Lighting • Voiceover
• Editing techniques • Diegetic / Non-
• Special Effects / CGI diegetic sounds
Examples

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UMMGNxg1L
g

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu6IWnN-XKo

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