intro to Semiotic analysis

1. CW MEDIA Language 22/09/2015
9/22/2015 Term 1, Lesson 2 1
Learning Objective:
To know what is meant by the terms
Media Language
Learning Outcome Level
All: Will understand the key term – Media Language 1
Most: Will be able to use the terms correctly to describe media texts 2
Some: Will be able to identify links between Denotation & Connotation 3

2. Key Concepts in Media
9/22/2015 Term 1, Lesson 2 2
M ediaLanguage
I nstitution
G enre
R epresentation
A udience
I deologies
N arrative
E conomical, social,politicscontext

3. Signs and Codes
• When we talk about DENOTATION and CONNOTATION in
Media, we are talking about SIGNS!
• Frederick Saussure offered a two-part model of the sign. He
defined a sign as being composed of:
– a 'signifier' - the form which the sign takes; and
– the 'signified' - the concept it represents.
• We call this visual language of signs SEMIOTICS!
22/09/2015 Term 1, Lesson 3 3
Discover

4. SIGN
(DENOTATION?)
SIGNIFIED
(CONNOTATION?)
Develop

5. Codes
Codes are a series of visual signs that
carry a meaning.
• A colour might be a code.
• A facial expression might be a code.
• A logo might be a code.
• An outfit might be a code.
Much like the media term connotation, we look at the
underlying meaning of a code.
Discover

6. Copy bullet points in your ppt!
• Semiotic analysis means interpreting and decoding the ‘signs’ and ‘codes’
used in the media.
• This includes:
– Symbolic Codes
• Images/Colours/Gestures/Body language
– Technical Codes
• Camera Angles/Lighting/Focus
– Narrative Codes
• Is there a story being told through the picture?
– Text Codes
• Text content/Text style/Anchorage
Semiotic Analysis - Codes

7. What codes can you spot in this poster and what
connotations do they have?