Genre

Codes and Conventions

Genre

• All genres will have a set of ways that we can recognise them, similar features

• These is how we classify different media texts into groups

• These are called CODES and CONVENTIONS.

CODE

• A code is like a really firm rule that is almost never broken

• There can be:– Character Codes– Plot Codes– Structural Codes– Cultural Codes– Production Codes

CONVENTION

• Conventions are habits or long accepted ways of doing things

• These can change a lot as a genre develops but if you change to many or too quickly the audience may not understand what you are doing.

Example

• Television News• Is meant to report true events - Code• Uses interviews to find out information - Code• Has a presenter that introduces the different items

- Codes• Uses reporters to present information -Code• Includes sports, weather - Code• News worthiness - Convention• Ways of reporting - Convention• Time - Convention

Codes and Conventions

• Watch how TVNZ reports on a story• How would you rewrite the story for:

– A Teenage audience only– Children under the age of 10– An audience that loves blood and guts– An audience of depressed people– An audience in a prison– An audience who hate news programmes