Media Terminology

Genre:

This is the classification of any media text into a category or type, e.g. news, horror, documentary, soap opera, docu-soap, science-fiction, lifestyle etc. Genres tend to have identifiable codes and conventions which have developed over time and for which audiences may have developed particular expectations.

Generic Conventions:

Those recognisable and repeated elements in a film or other media text, which help to identify the genre.

Sub-genres:

A sub-category of a main genre, but it can be further categorised by the sub-genre.

Mise-en-scène:

Literally everything that is "put in the scene", or frame, This may include location, actors, costumes, make-up, gesture, extras, props, lighting, shot composition/framing, use of colour, contrast and filter, and sometimes also includes camera angle, movement, lighting and sound.

Narrative:

Narrative is slightly different to story/plot. A narrative is the way the story or plot is told, by whom and in what order. Flashbacks or flash forwards may be used as narrative devices. The simplest narrative structure is: equilibrium, disequilibrium and restoration of the status quo.

Representation:

The process of making meaning in still or moving images and words/sounds. In its simplest form, it means to present or show someone or something in a particular way.

Slogan:

In advertising, a Slogan should be simple, repetitive and have one-selling idea. Slogans also often mention the product name and identify its unique selling point.

Stereotype: A stereotype is an over-simplified representation of an individual or group of people based on pre-conceived ideas. It is assumed that individuals in a given group share certain characteristics. The term is often used in a negative sense. Stereotypes are common in the world of television and advertising drama, where they are often used as a form of dramatic shorthand.

Verisimilitude:

The appearance of truth; the quality of seeming to be true. In Media terms, it's the way in which the 'world' on the television screen or in the magazine advertisement is made to look like the 'real world.'