An experiment was conducted in which the relationships of basic television and film codes to particular literacy mental skills were examined. Different versions of the same film, each focusing on a different code, were produced and shown to fifth graders. It was found that children with initially better mastery of the relevant skills extract more knowledge and meaning from the presentation. Where filmic codes supplant a critical skill, rather than call upon it, those with initially poor mastery benefit as much as those with better mastery. (CH)