Glossary of Terms

Conglomerate - 

a thing consisting of a number of different and distinct parts or items that are grouped together. A corporation Made up of several independent businesses. smaller companies involved support the widespread goals and objectives of the parent company involved.

Example - Fox, (Sky TV)

Independent Company - 

a company that is not publicly traded on the stock market and is generally owned by a very small group of individuals. Free to design and do whatever they want.

Joint venture - When one media company works with another on a project that is mutually beneficial.

Distribution - How a branch reaches an audience and market/promotion.

Examples - Rogue Pictures, Working Title Pictures

Public Service Model - 

Company that delivers services aimed at supporting public interests.

Example - BBC studios

Mise en Scene - Placing in the scene.

Setting - where the film/tv show is set (location).

Diegesis - The fictional world (time and place) of the narrative.

Verisimilitude - How this real world appears.

Diegetic Effect - Diegesis + Verisimilitude.

Props - any object used or held by and actor to add to the story.

Hero prop - Prop that has to look like it is functioning on set.

Staging - The process of selecting, designing, adapting to, or modifying the performance space for a film

Blocking - position of actors on the screen/stage.

Proxemics - How close things are to other things on set. Spacial relationships.

Costume - The clothing that a character wears. This can be stereotypical.

Makeup - used to prevent their skin from looking shiny, produce a matte colour.

Prosthetic makeup - used to change a character/actors appearance.

Figure expression - Use of facial expression to convey emotions.

Figure movement - how things move on screen, important in creating spectacle in action movies and musicals.

Cinematography - 

Shot types - 

Close shots - extreme close up, close up, medium close up, big close up. These are for showing detail or intimacy.

Medium shots - Medium close up, Medium long shot/cowboy, from knees up, Medium mid shot from waist up. These are for showing locations, and still close enough to show expressions.

This is a scene from the Jason Bourne films. This is a medium long shot, as it is almost taken from the knees up

This is a scene from Pirates of the Caribbean. This is a medium close up shot, where it shows jack's emotion

Wide shots - long shot, entire subject in frame, Extreme long shot, further away from long shot, master shot, getting everyone in the shot, establishing shot, long or extreme which creates a location. These are for showing action and creating spectacle and establishing a location.

This is a good example of a wide shot, as the entire background of the scene is in view. It is also a medium long shot, as it comes up from the knees.

Camera angles - 

Composition and aspect ratio - 

Lighting - 

Colour - 

Lens type - 

Focus - 

Camera Movement - 

Connotation - Something that relates to something else, maybe a feeling or a place.

Camera Mounts - 

Handheld camera - This camera is held by someone and the movement that is recorded is natural. This is usually used to create a closer feeling with the protagonist as we live the film through their view. 

Tracking/ dolly shots - A track with a buggy on it, and it moves along the track to track a certain object.

Arc shot - moving in a circle around the target.

Normal lens - Human eye, 35 - 50mm

Wide angle lens - increased depth of perception, intoxication and confusion.

Telephoto - 60-120mm lens, used to make distant objects look close than they actually are. good looking backgrounds.

Zoom Lens - Wide range of shot, focus on things far away.

Denotative level - what we actually see. Surface meaning.

Connotation level - what we associate with this image. The deeper or hidden meanings and associations.

Studies - 

Vickery and Hawkins - suggest independent companies will often license their films to distribution companies to release them on their behalf.

Vertical integration - a strategy where a company owns or controls its suppliers, distributors, or retail locations to control its value or supply chain. The company owns everything they use. This means they make more money as they are paying less for product, but it is expensive to buy said companies.

Pros and Cons

Pros - 

No reliance on suppliers, access to monopolizing suppliers, economies of scale, Lower costs.

Cons - 

Expensive, reduces flexibility, Loss of focus, not likely to have a culture that supports both retail stores and facilities.

Horizontal Integration - Purchasing a company through a position, buy out or merge together, and they are the same supply chain as you. If Costa tried to take over Starbucks, this would be horizontal integration.

Vertical Integration is buying different companies to make distribution better. Horizontal integration is buying a company of the same type to better from the competition.

Synergy - increased efficiency and profit as a result of vertical and horizontal integration. Conglomerates are formed to create synergy in order to cross promote.

Todorov - 5 stage narrative theory.

Equilibrium -> Disruption -> Realisation -> Repair -> Restoration.

Todorov's narrative theory was created in 1969.

Continuity Rules - 

1. Shot -> Reverse -> Shot.

2. Graphical Match.

3. Eyeline Match.

4. 180* Shot Rule.

5. Directional Continuity.

Roland Bart - Cultures and Society have signs in them. Denotation and connotation - semiotics

Encoding/Decoding Model - audiences have different meanings based on their own culture, upbringing and political standpoints. There are three positions and audience may take. (Hall, 1980)

Preferred, Negotiated and Oppositional.

Gauntlett's Identity theory -
While everyone is individual, people tend to exist in larger groups who are similar to them. Media does not create identities but rather reflects them.

Laura Mulvey's male gaze theory - 
The belief that the media industry is strongly aimed to male interests. This is specifically the objectifying and sexualising of women. This appeals more to males as they are much likely to look at it. used as a 'point' for males to watch TV and film.

Cohen's theory of moral panics - 
Moral panic is defined as a public mass movement, based on false and exaggerated interpretations that exceed the actual threat that society faces. This is usually caused by news and media companies, and results in more social control.