Codes and conventions
What are codes? Codes are systems of signs, which create meaning. Codes can be divided into two categories – technical and symbolic. Technical codes are all the ways in which equipment is used to tell the story in a media text, for example the camera work in a film. Symbolic codes show what is beneath the surface of what we see. For example, a character's actions show you how the character is feeling. Some codes fit both categories – music for example, is both technical and symbolic. What are conventions? Conventions are the generally accepted ways of doing something. There are general conventions in any medium, such as the use of interviewee quotes in a print article, but conventions are also genre specific. Importance of Codes and Conventions in Media Media codes and conventions are like the building blocks of all the media around us. Codes and conventions are used tog...