1. Iconography in Film and Television
Iconography is used within film studies to
describe the visual language of cinema,
particularly within the field of genre
criticism. Iconography is an important
aspect of genre. We expect to see certain
objects on screen when we see a particular
genre, for example, in a Western, dusty
lonely roads, saloon bars, cowboy hats and
horses, jails, sheriffs badges, guns, etc.; in
a modern horror film, we expect young
girls, ‘normal’ objects, use of dark and
light, etc. These ‘genre indicators’ are
called the iconography of the mise-en-
scene or genre.
Watch the following title sequence and answer this:
How is the setting and theme of the television drama represented? What do you
reckon this show is all about? Discuss: iconography, mise-en-scene (shot choices,
pacing, setting, costume, lighting, staging, editing and sound), target audience, and
genre. Please give examples.