DON’T PANIC! You have been studying media language from the beginning of Year 12. As soon as we started talking about what colors ‘meant’, what particular font you choose and what it says about you, how copy (words) can have layers of meaning and how camera angles can create power or vulnerability, we were studying media language.

The important thing for you to remember it: THIS IS NOT NEW! We are simply putting these ideas into a more academic framework. So, you should remember that when you analyse a professional music video for this next essay, you are doing an analysis of, camera, editing & mise-en-scene; you are just using a slightly more complex vocabulary to describe the codes in the text and how they communicate meaning.

Here is an excellent video which explains what media language is about:

To develop our understanding of Media Language we are going to be looking at Barthes’ theories on the way in which texts make meaning through semiotics and structuralism.

We have already looked at some of Barthes ideas and he is a key theorist to all of your analysis and will be extremely useful to your final exam for any of the Concepts that comes up on the paper.

Here is the handout should use to remind yourselves about Barthes key ideas.

This is a presentation on  Semiotics:

And here is a presentation on Media Language:

Now with your group, consider the key media language codes used in the music video to convey, communicate meaning. Go to classroom and use the template to record your ideas. Always have examples of how you have used camera, editing, MES to convey meaning:

Google classroom has everything for your essay with resources, exemplars, template, theory booklet and submission date.

Good luck.