What are codes?
Codes are signs that create a meaning through out the film. These codes can be divided into two categories technical and symbolic.
Symbolic codes show what is happening under the surface of what the eye see's. This code is usually seen through aspects of Mise-En-Scene. For example, a characters actions show how the character is feeling, and a characters clothing can be decoded to help the audience understand what type of person the character is. Certain props have suggestions or connotations that can be de-coded by the audience.
Technical codes is all ways that equipment is used to tell the story in a media text. For example camera angles, camera movements and camera shots within a film, this is also how the shots are edited together, or the use of non-diegetic sound and diegetic sound. Some codes can fit into both categories, for example non-diegetic sound is both technical and symbolic codes.
What are conventions?
Conventions are the general way of doing something. There are general conventions in any medium, such as the use of quotes in a article, or the use of no signal in a horror movie. Conventions are also genre specific.
How codes and conventions apply in media studies:
Codes and Conventions are used together in any study of genre. There is not enough to discuss about technical codes used such as camera work because without saying how this code or convention is conventionally used in a genre. For example, the technical code of lighting is used in some way in film genres. Lighting is a convention of the horror genre and is used of side and back lighting this is used in this way to create mystery and suspense.
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