Sign – Something which can stand for something else.
Code – Technical, written and symbolic tools used to construct or suggest meaning in media forms or products eg use of a camera, special effects, typography.
Convention – The generally accepted way of doing something.
Dominant Signifier – The main representative.
Anchorage – words that go along with an image to give it meaning in a specific context eg taglines in adverts.
Ferdinand de Saussure:
Signifier – What you call the object, word, image or action.
Signified – the concept behind the object, word, image or action being represented.
C S Pierce:
Icon – A sign which has characteristics in common with the thing that it signifies.
Index – A sign that has a link with the thing that it signifies.
Symbol – A sign which has a random link to the thing that it signifies.
Roland Barthes:
Signification – Structural levels of signification, meaning or representative.
Denotation – Often refers to something literal – the first level of analysis.
Connotation – Something suggested by a word or a thing – the second level of analysis.
Myth – How words and images are systematically used to communicate cultural and political meanings
Ideology – A set of ideas or beliefs that people have regarding different kinds of technologies.
radical – Something that goes against and challenges dominant, typical ideas.
reactionary – Something that goes with and agrees with dominant, typical ideas.
Paradigm – A collection of signs that all have some sort of connection.
Syntagm – How signs and things are put together and fitted together.
Pose – subject positioning, stance or body language
Fourth Wall Breaks: where the subject meets gaze with audience – can be confrontational, aggressive, invitational etc… Off-Screen Gaze: upward can suggest spirituality; right-frame gaze can suggest adventure, optimism; left-frame gaze can suggest regret, nostalgia Body Language: open, closed, passive, active, strong, weak Subject positioning: positioning and angle of group shots illustrates the characters with more powerful/dominant role Proxemics: if subjects are positioned closer together, often shows close relationship
Mise en Scene – props, costume, setting
Prop Symbolism: props are rarely accidental, use and placement often have symbolic connotations Setting Symbolism (Pathetic Fallacy): settings and scenery are often symbolic of a characters emotions Costume Symbolism: stereotypes can be constructed through costume, helping us discover characters narrative function
Lighting
High-Key: lack of shadow, producing a lighter more upbeat tone Low-Key: emphasises shadow, producing a darker and serious tone Chiaroscuro: high contrast lighting eg light beams penetrating pitch black conveying hopelessness or misery Ambient: infers realism
Compositional Effects – distance, angle, positioning of subjects
Long Shot: implies subject is dominant of environment Closeup: intensifies character emotions or suggests impending drama Left Compositions: left of screen is generally reserved for characters whom the audience is to sympathise with Right Compositions: right screen usually reserved for unfavourable characters Open frame: suggests freedom Closed frame: suggests entrapment Tilt-up and High Eyeline: conveys power Tilt-down and Low Eyeline: conveys vulnerability
Post-Production Effects
Colour Control: often exaggerated for a specific connotative effect – red conveys anger; white conveys innocence; blue conveys sadness etc… High saturation: increased colour levels creates a cheery tone Desaturation: decreasing colour of an image creates a serious, sombre tone
