Codes and Conventions

The codes and conventions in media are the techniques applied into a media text to make it seem more relateable and believeable. In short, these codes and conventions try to establish an imrpession and create a sense of character and reality. This affects the reaction of the targeted audience as well.

Codes and conventions can be seperated into two categories - Symbolic and Technical.

The symbolic codes and conventions are also known as "Symiotics". These codes try to create the real feeling and persona of the media text, using things like the actions, clothes or way of speaking of the characters to help us determine the kind of personality they have. The symiotics create the desired impression.

In this photograph, for example, the codes used - the expression of the sad girl, her glasses, the group of people in the background - make us ponder on what the girl is thinking. At first thought, we can tell that she is sad, because, perhaps she is not accepted in the circle of people she wants to be around. And maybe this is because her glasses give her a 'nerdy' and 'uncool' look. This is how the codes have given us such an impression and emotion. 

The Technical side of codes and conventions includes camera angles, lighting, sound, editing and framing.
Camera angles affect the media text immensely. To create the sense of emotion, close-up shots are used to show the character's expressions. If a long shot had been used, it would not have made the target audience relate to or empathize with the character. In the same way, every camera angle is used to make the media text more realistic.
Editing is also a crucial part in any media text. Other conventions such as sound and lighting, vary from every genre. But editing is the only thing that needs to be done precisely in every type of text. If the editing is jumpy or abrupt, it will make the audience irritated and will instantly make the text look unrealistic.
Sound creates the mood according to the visuals. It also adds more impact to the visuals. For exanple, fast-paced music is used in action sequences, whereas, slow music is used(when the character is feeling sad) to show the emotions being felt at that moment.
Lighting plays a key role in creating the desired impression in a media text. Bad lighting might cause the text to look unclear, which might lead the viewer into losing interest. But it is also used to create feeling.

For example, in this photograph, the lighting used is very dark, and it gives a very sinister effect. Such lighting is used in horror films, to give the feel of dread and fear.

And finally, framing also holds alot of importance. The framing of a media text helps us realize things like, which character is the main and which character is the villain, etc. For example, the lead hero is most likely going to have more shots in the frame, which makes us interested in him and would make us know that the story revolves around him. And also, improper framing might make the text look impractical.