Becoming a visual detective
In this lecture we learnt about semiotics which is the study of signs and is focuses on how sign systems structure reality. Ferdinand de Saussure turned language on its head by looking at how language explores meanings. There are many differernt languages and are all constructed and taught. Different things in different cultures mean different things because of the language and different signs. Signs and meanings can shift through content and culture. We can see the difference in signs in language by the enuits having 20 different words for snow when we only have one.
Signs create meanings because of semiotics, a good example of this is road signs. Some signs create meaning by highlighting differences such as it isn’t dark outside so it is daytime or a man is a man because they are not a woman. A key word linked to semiotics is indexical. This means there is a relationship to the sign such as smoke to fire and themometre to temperature.
At the moment I am trying to get my head around all the key words.
- Iconic – A sign that resembles what it signifies such as a sign on a toilet.
- Symbolic – Pretty much it symbolises something and is linked to the something such as flags.
- Metonym – A sign that denotes one thing but stands for another such as 10 Downing Street makes you think of government.
- Syneedoche – Part of something that is used to stand for the whole. E.g. wheels of a car.
- Diegesis – Meaning of the sum total of a number of signs.
- Intertextuality – Shaping of texts through other texts.
- Polyseny – Capeable of having several meanings e.g. sick.
- Anchorage – Used to control polysemic or ambiguous meanings which are common in advertising.
- Denotation – Direct meaning or set meaning of a word or expression.
- Connotation – Association of a word or expression in addition to its explicit of primary message. It depends on context.
We had to analyse three adverts in terms of semiotics by finding the denotation, connotation and myth. One contemporary, one historical and one international advert needs to be analysed.
Early Learning Centre – Let The Fun Begin
Denotation
Connotation
Cotton Wool Bud
Cleaning, Dirt, Health, Self care
Hand
Adult, Human, Power,
3 Eyed Blue Alien
Future, Toy, Fantasy, Space, Unexplainable
Digital Clapper Board
Modern, Film, Story, Beggining
Microphone
Sound, Noise,
Studio Setup
Proffesional, Structured, Planned,
Young Girl
Youth, Innocence, Purity
Playing
Fun, Excitement, Adventure
Play House
Girlyiness, Roleplay,
Toy Animals
Recreation, Imagination,
Pastel Colours
Harmoniouus, Calming,
Camera
Fame, Intersest
Birds
Freedom, Flightt,
ELC logo
Advert,
Let the fun begin
New adventure, Discovery,
Myths:
Toys: Have their own personality.
Children: Are youthful, playful and innocent. They have a lot of fun and are imaginative.
red dress
femme fatal, red riding hood, childrens books, dangerous
safe
private, important, personal, code, bank, money, jewels
walk way
xmen, leading to somewhere private, evil mastermind
number 5
purfume, house, numbers, sequence
basket
food, picnic, red riding hood, sun, summber, blanket
gold
rich, important, safe, secret
bright glowing background
important, suspense, sun
snow
winter, cold, white, scenic
eiffel tower
france, landmark, paris, french, violin
woman with her finger on her lips ‘shh’
seductive, power, authority
red lips and blusher
femme fatal, snow white, fairy tale
myths – if you look like you are from a fairy tale, you can get your way.
woodland
autumn colours, tranquil, quiet, peaceful, secluded, animals
sounds
crunching tree bark, birds singing in the background
pink bow
girly colours, stereotypical colour to associate girls from boys
beaver staring up at bunny
hands clasped together, hearts indicate love, fluttering eyelashes, under the spell of the female bunny, on a lower level – under the bunnys foot so to speak, she is overpowering him and indicates authority
chocolate piece
the voice of the female bunny makes the chocolate sound ‘beautiful’ and more ‘nice’, it makes the chocolate look appealing
female bunny
she is curvy – makes her look more like a real woman
tree fallen – beaver sat down next to it with squirells next to him
they seem annoyed that the beaver has ruined his hard work of cutting the tree down just because a woman has appeared and distracted him. the patriarchal idea of men above women has been ruined
myth: the idea of women overpowering men in the animal world is taken the same way as if it was in the human world.
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