TV language, formats and genres

An overview of camera shots, sound, editing and TV formats and genres.

• The language of moving image media
• TV formats and genres

The language of moving image media

The analysis of moving image texts is based on the idea that they are all constructed using a basic code or 'language' that combines sound and image in different ways to create meaning. The basic elements of this language are Camera, Sound and Editing, based on the way films are constructed. Television programmes uses this language in a similar, though often more limited, way. For example, many programmes such as soaps rely heavily on close up and mid-shots, and use very little music. It is useful to have a basic grasp of this language when you want to talk about how film and television texts convey information in different ways, or affect audiences. For example, a news item might start with a mid-close up on a presenter, where you hardly see any background, or an establishing shot, showing the presenter on a battle scene. The close up shot emphasises the presenter him or herself, while the establishing shot focuses on the scene as a whole. It may be worth discussing with your students why a particular news item is introduced in one way or the other.

The Basic Teaching Techniques chapter in the downloadable Moving Images in the Classroom resource provides ideas for exploring how the language of the moving image works.

More information on film language in the World in the Movies resource.

Camera

Camera angles:

High angle

The camera is placed high up looking down on the subject

Eye level

The camera is placed at the same level as the characters

Low angle

The camera is low down looking up at the subject

Camera movements:

Pan

The camera stays in one place and swivels horizontally from left to right, or right to left

Tilt

The camera stays in one place and moves vertically from high to low angle or low to high

Zoom

The camera zooms in or out to make things seem larger or smaller

Track

The camera moves along following the action, like it is on a track

Sound

The sound track is separate to the images and is put together during editing. Sound, or even lack of it, can change how we interpret moving images.

Sound tracks can consist of:

• Dialogue
• Voice over
• Sound effects (eg accompanying action scenes)
• Ambient sounds (eg street noise, bird song, wind)
• Silence
• Music

Sound can be diegetic, originating from within the scene on screen, or non-diegetic, super-imposed on the scene, to enhance atmosphere, for example. Diegetic sounds are likely to include dialogue between the characters, sound effects and ambient sound, but could also include music from a sound system that is part of the scene. Non-diegetic sounds are likely to include atmospheric music that is not part of the life on the screen, or voice over. Sometimes it is hard to separate diegetic and non-diegetic sound.

Editing

Editing organises the presentation of time in a film. An editor builds the narrative of a moving image through cutting together sections of footage. The main purpose of editing is usually to create a sense of continuity. It presents events in an acceptable order, creates relationships in action, identifies and maintains spatial relationships, identifies lapses in time and introduces special effects. Editing can influence our responses to characters and events, through juxtapositioning of images, for example, and establish pace and changes of pace, through the length of shots and speed of cuts.

Television, especially sports programmes, also uses live editing, employing several cameras and cutting between them to follow the action of a game or event.

Fade

The shot fades to a blank screen and then fades up to the next shot.

Dissolve

The shot dissolves (disappears) into the next shot.

Jump cut

Any cut that the audience notices. Editors usually avoid using jump cuts.

Page curl up

The shot peels like a page to the next one, from the left or right.

Diagonal down

As above but downwards.

Pixellate

One shot breaks down digitally into next shot.

TV formats and genres

While there are some genres that are exclusive to television, many genres on TV are similar to film genres. A genre can be used to describe categories of films or TV programmes that have particular features in common. Police dramas, soaps and thrillers are examples of popular genres.

A TV format is a programme style and form. New formats can be big business in international trade. Big Brother, The Weakest Link and I'm a Survivor are examples of recently successful TV formats.

Both genres and formats tend to be modified because audiences tend to get bored with watching too much of the same thing. The trick of a successful format is finding the right balance between the familiar and the new, for example, an innovative way of doing a quiz show or a reality show.

TV formats and genres are numerous and can change over a period of time.

The main programme categories include:

• News programmes
• Current affair programmes
• Reality TV shows
• Quiz shows
• Comedy shows
• DIY shows
• Competitions
• Sports programmes

The main TV genres are:

• Soaps
• Sitcoms
• Dramas - police dramas, hospital dramas, crime dramas
• Documentaries

You can find illustrations of these genres and formats at TV Ark.

See also Genres, Themes and Formats on bfi Screenonline.