AS Media Studies TV Drama – Technical Codes Memory Jogger
Mise-en-scene PROPS ICONOGRAPHY
Camera SHOT (ECU, CU, MCU, CS, MLC, LS, ELS, WIDE SHOT, TWO SHOT,
ESTABLISHING SHOT/RE-ESTABLISHING SHOT) Remember, CUs of protagonist, POVs and REACTION SHOTS are the central mechanisms for generating audience identification with the protagonist
COSTUMES COLOURS LIGHTING (HIGH KEY, LOW KEY, MOTIVATED, AMBIENT) ACTORS/CHARACTERS MAKEUP/HAIR/LOOK SETTINGS
Editing THE UNIT OF EDITING IS THE SHOT (NOT ‘THE SCENE’ – AARGH!) BASIC EDIT TYPES (CUT, FADE, DISSOLVE, WIPE) SHOT DURATIONS (LONG TAKE - NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH “LONG SHOT” – AARGH!) CONTINUITY EDITING (EYELINE MATCH CUT [often to POV], MATCH ON
ACTION, SHOT/REVERSE SHOT, ESTABLISHING SHOT, 108 DEGREE RULE/AXIS OF ACTION) EDITING TO GENERATE SUSPENSE or other effects (CROSS CUTTING IMPLYING SIMULTANEITY AND CONVERGENCE, MANIPULATION OF TIME IN CROSS CUTTING, JUMP CUTS, PACE OF EDITING, BREAKING THE 180 DEGREE RULE, GRAPHIC MATCHING)
TITLES AND OTHER GRAPHICS ADDED IN ‘POST’ (post- production)
MOVEMENT (PAN, TILT, TRACK (DOLLY), ZOOM,
CRANE, CRAB, ARC, CANTING, ZIDO OR TROMBONE SHOT)
ANGLE (HIGH, LOW, BIRD’S EYE, WORM’S EYE, EYE LEVEL, CANTED) COMPOSITION (RULE OF THIRDS, POSITION IN FRAME, DEPTH OF FIELD [DEEP OR NARROW], FOCUS PULL, SOFT FOCUS)
Sound DIEGETIC SOUND (IN WORLD OF CHARACTERS; SYNCHRONOUS, ASYNCHRONOUS, AMBIENT/WILDTRACK, SOUND EFFECTS/FOLEY EFFECTS, DIALOGUE (see next), VOICEOVER [may sometimes be non-diegetic) DIALOGUE (THE WORDS SPOKEN BY CHARACTERS - be sure to note down any lines which are particularly important for meaning or refer to the representation topic you have to write about)
NON-DIEGETIC SOUND (THEME TUNE, INCIDENTAL MUSIC, UNDERSCORE,
STING, SOUND-BRIDGE [may sometimes be diegetic]
TERMS FOR DESCRIBING MUSIC (MAJOR KEY/MINOR KEY,
STRINGS,WOODWIND, BRASS, SYNTHESISERS, STRONG BEAT, DRUMS, SOLO INSTRUMENT, CRESCENDO, CONTRAPUNTAL [counterpoint], JUXTAPOSITION, SLOW PACE, FAST PACE, URGENT, SOMBRE, EERIE etc etc) Note: It is possible (particularly in comedy) that THE DIEGESIS might be broken on the soundtrack and on the mise-en-scene by a character using a DIRECT ADDRESS and therefore breaking the FOURTH WALL