Narrative and Genre Unit: screen language

Today we had an interesting lecture on screen language. Screen language is a complex set of image tools, codes and symbols.
Its purpose is to translate a script to the screen in an interesting way by adding  layers that are not on a script page.
Its aim is to engage the audience and keep them interested by adding layers and references the audience will appreciate and understand.

To help us understand this we watched the classic Alfred Hitchcock film 'Psycho' and after we went through the screen language that had been put into it like framing and lighting, sound, editing, forshadowing, iconography: symbolism and metaphor and homage/referencing. I found this all very interesting, forshadowing is very clever way of using screen language and I like the idea of using iconography and homage.