Media Language

Media language refer to the languages used by audio-visual, print and ICT-based media  to produce meaning. This languages can be written, verbal, non-verbal, aural and aesthetic communication and usually a combination of these. 

For example: In television drama, a phone conversation between two characters in different locations can only be understood by the audience  because of the relationship between the two camera angles (close up, head and shoulder shots or longer shots showing location context), non-verbal performance (facial expression during the phone conversation), dialogue (what the two characters say), lighting ( to provide a meaningful atmosphere), editing (so that we can follow the conversation and so that continuity is correct) and sound (atmospheric music or diegetic sound such as a door opening or slamming shut).

What is the text called and what associations do we have with this title/name ?

Bravo is a well known German magazine that include gossip, film, fashion and music. This magazine the largest teen magazine whitin the German-language sphere but Bravo also known in other neighboring countries. 

What is the text about ? What does the text say ?

Bravo covers topics which primarily interest youths, among which are current information on pop and movie stars, as well as relationship and sex counseling.

How does it say it ?

Originally there was only a single Bravo magazine, today different variants are published. This is a result of higher individualisation and changing interest. The Bravo magazine on the front cover use a lot of colorful subtitles and images. The interesting and strikingly colorful cover lines attracts the readers attention because, these are shows how many amazing and interesting story and celebrity gossips in the magazine.

What are its language (print, moving, images, sounds) and style ? How do they create meaning ?

Print and images are the main languages used by this media piece, with a continual style running through this individual magazine, with a consistent font used for the title and subheadings. The style also remains unique to this magazine with the too colorful cover lines on the whole page. 

How are these languages put together, or constructed, to make this text ?

Bravo combines a background pictures with a completely different coloured title and cover lines to maintain the theme. The main image always at the center of the front cover and the cover lines somewhere around the main image. But apart from, the masthead is always the most striking. 

What languages do we need to consider and use while making our own media text ?

When creating a magazine front cover, obviously we can not to use some feature of the media languages, like audio-visual, aural and verbal, but we can use the other methods. If we are making the front cover aesthetically pleasing and creating a consistent recurring theme it will attract a large audience. Also by using ICT-based skills to their full content. The masthead running over  the top of the front page but the cover lines or subheadings surrounding it.