Technical Codes

     The technical codes used in Friends allows its audience to easily "read" the genre of the program and create expectations for the show.

Theme Song

     The theme song in Friends "I'll Be There For You" is a prominent sign for the sitcom as it is recognized throughout the world. It's catchy beat is unconsciously sang by many, which can be viewed as an effective promotional device for the program. The lyrics of the song signify the theme of the sitcom, being about "friends." The theme song also situates the audience within an atmosphere filled of laughter and love which are connotations derived from what friendship means within our society. The theme song of Friends ultimately gives the audience an idea of what they can expect to be watching for the next half and hour, and ultimately makes the program easier to "read."

The Opening Credits

     The opening credits of Friends features the "friends" playing in a fountain in New York as well as humorous clips from previous episodes, along with the theme song blasting in the background. The opening credits of Friends gives off a highly-energetic feeling. It wakes up its audience and forces them to enter into the vibrant world of the Friends. The opening credits signifies Friends as a comedy featuring young adults living in the crazy city of New York. The connotations from the opening credits alone give away much of what Friends is about, and ultimately makes it even easier for audiences to "read" the sitcom.

Camera Angles

     The use of different camera angles can also be viewed as technical codes within Friends. For example in the episode "The One With the Rumour" Chandler is shown staring right at the camera, as a sign that he is watching television. This reinforces the notion that we have learned to "read" television for the reason that someone staring at a screen is arbitrarily related to watching television, yet when we see this we automatically know what the character is doing.

Vanessa Principe

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