Codes are systems of signs, which create meaning.
Codes can be divided into two categories – technical and
symbolic.
• Technical codes are all the ways in which equipment is
used to tell the story in a media text, for example the
camera work in a film.
• Symbolic codes show what is beneath the surface of
what we see. For example, a character's actions show
you how the character is feeling.
• Some codes fit both categories – music for example, is
both technical and symbolic.