Key terms

Purpose- the reason something was made.

Styles- a particular way in which something was made.

Performance - How the form of entertainment is presented, e.g. Beyonce's 'single ladies' music video focuses on the dancing.

Narrative- when a story is being told through visuals, e.g. 'I write sins not tragedies' by Panic! At The Disco has a music video that focuses on the story being shown rather than the performance.

Thematic- having or relating to subjects or a particular subject. e.g 'This is America' by Childish Gambino relates to themes of police brutality and black history in America.

Representations- Portrayal of certain groups in the media.

Gender- The state of being male or female

Ethnicity- the fact or state of belonging to a social group that has a common national or cultural tradition.

National identity- a sense of a nation as a cohesive whole, as represented by distinctive traditions, culture, and language.

Shots- the amount of space that is seen in one frame.

Angles- The different positions a camera can shoot the same object. For example, a camera taking a picture from above an object is a higher angle.

Movement-an act of moving, and of changing positions mid shot.

Cut- an abrupt transition from one sequence to another.

Fade- a gradual transition from one sequence to another.

Pace- How quickly or slowly the story is progressing.

Cut to beat- When the cuts are timed up with the beats in the song.

Expression- a look on someone's face that conveys a particular emotion.

Costume and props- a set of clothes and objects in a style typical of a particular country or historical period.

Lighting and colour- how bright or dark the scene is, and which coloured lighting is used for particular scenes. For example, darker blue lighting may be used in sadder scenes.

Graphics- visual images produced by computer processing.

Iconography- the visual images and symbols used in a work of art or the study or interpretation of these.

Denotations- The literal or primary meaning.

Connotations- The inferred or secondary meanings.

Genre- a style or category of art, music, or literature.

Star persona- how the artist chooses to present themselves through their work. This is often an exaggeration of who they really are or of another concept. For example, Beyonce's star persona is of a very strong independent woman who is in control .

Anchorage- The combination of visuals and lyrics.

Binary opposites- Things that are typically portrayed as contrasting. For example, man and woman, dog and cat.

Intertextuality- When a piece of media makes reference to another piece of media. For example, "This is America" makes reference to police brutality and racism in America.