Analysing media texts and meaning: Codes, conventions and ‘storytelling’.

Natasha Chavda

Alice Cole

Progress Charumbira

Francesca Crewe

Analysing the DVD cover

picture of ‘Blood Diamond’.

Codes and Conventions

We have identified this text

within the action genre from the

action shot of the two men, one holding a gun and the helicopter in the background. – These

images represent iconography. (This presents photographic rhetoric as it addresses composition

of the image)*1

The setting being a diamond mine introduces the key issue within the text and allows us to

identify the narrative. (Presentational Rhetoric) It tells part of the story with the image of the

people working in the mine, this image ties in with the title of the text, offering the audience a

general idea of the content. Including the man with the gun presents generic conventions of the
action genre, indicating that the story includes danger. *2 This gun could be seen as a phallic

symbol presenting the dominance of men and power, the angle of the shot also contributes to this

idea as being shot from below connotes an ideology of dominance.

This image presents Propp’s theory of Character roles for example one of the men is placed in

the foreground of the shot presenting his importance in the narrative, he could clearly be

understood as the hero and the man in the background could be seen as his helper or perhaps the

victim as his facial expression presents that of determination and concern. (This is an example of

photographic rhetoric.) *1

The key idea within the text is the issue of ‘Blood Diamonds’, these are diamonds that people

have given their lives to find, therefore the narrative context of this film gives you an in depth

view of how controversial the issue is and how it should be brought to public attention.

Rhetorical Analysis

Verbal

The font of the title represents ideas of the narrative content as the font used looks damaged

which could be a representation of the characters within the film (in the background- the miners)

and also could represent the blood diamonds as they are tainted.

The cast names are included and placed in the centre above the gripping title, this draws the

audience’s attention to the fact that big names such as Leonardo Diccaprio star in it. This will

encourage the audience to watch the film.

The font used to show the success of the film (Award winners), is different to the rest of the font

used on the cover in terms of both colour and style, this is done to stand out from the rest of the
cover. This device is used to again entice the audience to want to view the film as it could be

placed above others due to its huge success.

Photographic - *1

Editorial - *2

Presentational

The mode of dress of the men is combat clothes representing the action genre, the character in

the foreground is shot with his shirt open connoting the heat of both the combat and presents

(along with the colours being warm colours) that the setting is somewhere with intense heat. The

fact that the characters shirt is open also represents the idea of male dominance and creates sex

appeal.

The fact that the main character in not clean shaven shows he is quite rough and rugged, again a

presentational device of the action genre.