Representation

Understanding representation is all about comprehending the decisions made when portraying something or someone in a mass media text. Because it is impossible to illustrate every aspect of an individual in a photograph, let alone a feature film, certain aspects of their personality and appearance are highlighted and often enhanced when constructing the representation that the audience will see. When representing a person, media texts frequently emphasise:

• Age
• Gender
• Race/Ethnicity
• Financial Status
• Job
• Culture/nationality

Signs and symbols are used to represent these characteristics visually. When we decode these signs, we make assumptions about the character's identity (usually by comparing them to similar characters we've seen before), which allows us to categorise them and "read" them in context. For example, when creating characters for a television or film scene, the producers might give an elderly man white hair and a walking stick, or a wealthy lawyer a three-piece suit to wear and a briefcase to carry. While not all old men require a walking stick and not all lawyers carry briefcases, these are simple and quick ways of conveying character information.