2.CREATIVE CRITICAL REFLECTION

 

3. CREATIVE CRITICAL REFLECTION

SEMIOTICS

What is semiotics? What did I learn in the Roland Barthes Media Theory Semiotics Analysis video?
It is the study of the meaning of signs and the way in which we understand our surroundings. It is all about understanding signs and deciphering their meaning and why a certain producer decided to use them within their work.

Definitions:
Signs: something from which we can infer meaning.
Signifier: symbols, colours, camera angles.
Denotation: literal meaning of signs
Connotation: signified/associated meaning of signs 
(these are the two types of meaning which come from signs)
All signs create and construct certain representations for audiences and determine the influence it has upon them. Roland Barthes believes that a sign can become a myth when it is used consistently. He uses the example of bulldogs; they are a trusted sign which symbolises Britain and importantly Winston Churchill. Naturalism is the process of the establishment of myths which changes the general thoughts of a society through the use of repetitive signs.
There are 4 categories of signs we look for in film. These we have already looked at. All 4 categories together create meaning in a film:
1.   Mise en Scene: everything within the scene (set, costume, hair, makeup)
2.      Sound: music, sound effects, voice, tone and even a lack of sound all convey meaning.
3.     Camerawork: framing, composition, angles, movement
4.     editing: use of sequencing, cutting (moving from one shot to another)
Our ideology, culture and background have a massive impact upon how we receive text and understanding meaning. Signs can have many different meanings therefore to different people (polysemic) so viewers will understand information in contrasting ways.  

What are some examples?
Signs in still images:
The apple logo. The technology company’s logo may be denoted by its literal meaning in the sense of the word of just a bite taken out of a big apple. Although many people would actually associate this as imagery of the multinational company which satisfies our needs every day through the use of electronics. This is therefore connotation - what the logo means to its viewers.

 
Signs in moving image:
Although the most common way to receive and understand meaning from texts is language, audiences can use other signs in order to understand the narrative. I watched a video which presented this point through the film ‘Terror for Tokyo’ which is spoken in Japanese language and therefore forces audiences to pick up meaning through different signs. As mentioned previously, editing, mise-en-scene, sound and camerawork all work together to signal signs in order to explain the plot. Editing is key as it creates meaning through motivated edits which carry the plot along by cutting from one shot to another. Extended shots are used to create suspense and anticipation for the audience. This is accompanied by narrow corridors and dirty walls (mise-en-scene) and different angles such as fish-eye shots and wide-shots are used to highlight how petite and vulnerable the young girl is in this claustrophobic environment which therefore strengthens the tension and panic within the scene. Although an English speaker may not understand the meaning of the words spoken, an audience can understand meaning through tone held in voices; in this case it is danger and complete fear.