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Collaboration, information literacy, writing process, semiotics: sign, signifier, signified.
Semiotics is a theory of communication.Review scholarship on how humans use and interpret signs to communicate, learn, and to develop new knowledge,
What is Semiotics?
Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols, as well as their use and interpretation . Semiotics explores how humans use and interpret signs and symbols to communicate , to learn, and to develop knowledge .
This interdisciplinary field, which encompasses linguistics, philosophy, and anthropology, seeks to understand how meaning is created, transmitted, and interpreted through various types of symbolic systems.
Key Concepts: Communication ; Symbolic Thinking; Textual Research ; Textual Analysis ; Symbol Analyst .
Semiotics has a robust intellectual history. Since antiquity, philosophers and linguists have theorized about the nature of signs, interpretation, and meaning, including Cicero, Augustine, Locke, Peirce (Raposa 2003).
Augustine is sometimes credited as the founder of semiotics, the study of signs. In De Doctrina Christiana , Augustine wrote
- “a sign is a thing which causes us to think of something beyond the impression the thing itself makes upon the senses
- “all instruction is either about things or about signs; but things are learnt by means of signs” ( Meier-Oeser, Stephan )
Ferdinand de Saussure
Others point to Ferdinand de Saussure as the father of semiotics. In his lectures to his students at University of Geneva between 1906 to 1911, Ferdinand de Saussure theorized that signs are (1) a signifier (i.e., a word or symbol) and (2) a signified (i.e., an underlying meaning associated with the signifier.
Saussure’s theory emphasizes the arbitrary nature of the relationship between the signifier and the signified, which means that the meanings attached to signs are not inherently linked to their physical form but are instead determined by cultural conventions and social agreements.
Charles Sanders Peirce
Charles Sanders Peirce explored the role of signs in interpretation. He theorized signs can be categorized in three ways: (1) an icon; (2) an index; (3) a symbol.
Symbolic Systems
Symbolic systems are sets of symbols or signs that convey meaning and facilitate communication. They are essential in various domains, including language, mathematics, and computer science.
- Written language: Written language is a system of symbols representing spoken language, allowing people to communicate through written or printed text. Examples include the Latin alphabet (used in English, French, Spanish, and other languages), the Cyrillic alphabet (used in Russian and other Slavic languages), and the Chinese logographic system.
- Visual language: Visual language refers to the use of images, colors, shapes, and other visual elements to convey meaning and communicate ideas. Examples include art, photography, graphic design, and data visualization.
- Mathematical symbols: Mathematics uses a set of symbols to represent numbers, operations, relationships, and functions. Examples include numerals (e.g., 1, 2, 3), operators (e.g., +, -, ×, ÷), and variables (e.g., x, y, z).
- Computer code: Computer code is a symbolic system used to write programs and algorithms that instruct computers to perform specific tasks. Examples include programming languages such as Python, Java, C++, and JavaScript.
- Musical notation: Musical notation is a system of symbols that represent pitch, rhythm, and other musical elements, allowing musicians to read and perform compositions. Examples include the staff, clefs, notes, rests, and time signatures.
- Body language: Body language is a non-verbal communication system that uses facial expressions, gestures, posture, and other body movements to convey meaning and emotions. Examples include smiles, frowns, crossed arms, and eye contact.
- Sign language: Sign language is a visual communication system that uses handshapes, movements, and facial expressions to represent words and concepts, enabling communication for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. Examples include American Sign Language (ASL), British Sign Language (BSL), and International Sign (IS).
- Semaphore: Semaphore is a signaling system that uses flags or other visual devices to represent letters, numbers, or symbols, facilitating communication over long distances. Examples include maritime semaphore and railway signaling.
- Morse code: Morse code is a symbolic system that represents letters, numbers, and punctuation using sequences of dots and dashes (or short and long signals). It can be transmitted through various means, such as sound, light, or touch, and is often used in telecommunication and navigation.
- Chemical symbols: Chemical symbols are a system of abbreviations used to represent elements and compounds in chemistry. Examples include the periodic table of elements (e.g., H for hydrogen, O for oxygen, C for carbon) and chemical formulas (e.g., H2O for water, CO2 for carbon dioxide).
Recommended Reading
- Semiotics for Beginners by Daniel Chandler
Huening, D. Theories of media. University of Chicago, Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://csmt.uchicago.edu/glossary2004/symbolindexicon.htm.
De Saussure, F. (1959). Course in general linguistics. The Philosophical Library.
Meier-Oeser, S. (2011). Medieval semiotics. In E. N. Zalta (ed.), The Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy . Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2011/entries/semiotics-medieval.
Peirce, C., & Buchler, J. (eds.) (1955). The philosophical writings of Peirce. Dover.
Raposa, M. L. (2003). Semiotics. In J. W. V. van Huyssteen (ed.), Encyclopedia of science and religion (V ol. 2, pp. 801-803), Macmillan Reference USA.
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There are many different ways meaning can be created and shared. It's important to observe all the different aspects of communication, such as language, images, and design, and consider how they can work together in context to create meaning. We call this process semiotics. This article will define semiotics, look at semiotic theory, and explain how we conduct a semiotic analysis with plenty of examples along the way.
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There are many different ways meaning can be created and shared. It's important to observe all the different aspects of communication, such as language, images, and design, and consider how they can work together in context to create meaning. We call this process semiotics. This article will define semiotics, look at semiotic theory, and explain how we conduct a semiotic analysis with plenty of examples along the way.
Semiotics: definition
Semiotics is the study of visual language and signs . It looks at how meaning is created, not just with words but also with images, symbols, gestures, sounds, and design.
We use semiotics to look at how different modes of communication (e.g. language, visuals, or gestures) work together to create meaning in context. This means that where and when we observe signs will impact their meaning. For example, a thumbs-up gesture usually means 'okay', but if seen at the side of the road, it means the person is looking for a free ride in a stranger's car!
Semiotics can help us develop a deeper understanding of the world around us, including the media we see (e.g. films, news, adverts, novels). It helps us to recognise the whole intended meaning of something.
Signs in semiotics
In semiotics we analyse signs , but what exactly are they?
In semiotics, the term signs can refer to anything that is used to communicate meaning . There is a wide variety of ways we as humans communicate meaning with each other, such as:
Words (e.g. the word breakfast is used to describe the meal we eat in the morning)
Images (e.g. the images used alongside a news article will impact the readers' understanding of that article)
Colours (e.g. the red light on a traffic light means stop )
Symbols (e.g. the exclamation mark '!' can convey a sense of surprise or excitement)
Gestures (e.g. a 'thumbs up' shows positivity)
Sounds (e.g. music played on the piano in the minor key can create a sense of sadness)
Fashion (e.g. clothing can reveal a lot about a person's socioeconomic status)
The meaning of signs can differ depending on the social situation and the cultural context .
For example, whilst the 'thumbs up' gesture has positive connotations in many countries, it is considered offensive in Greece, Iran, Italy, and Iraq. Another example is the colour yellow.
In the Western world (e.g. the UK and the USA), yellow is often associated with springtime and warmth; however, in Latin America (e.g. Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia) yellow can symbolise death and mourning. As you can see, it's important to study signs in context!
Semiotic theory
The Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913) and the American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914) are widely considered the founders of modern semiotics. In the early 1900s, Saussure introduced the concept of signs in semiotics. He suggested that each sign is made of two parts; the signifier and the signified .
Signifier = The word, image, sound, or gesture representing a concept or meaning.
Signified = The interpretation of the meaning of the signifier.
These two parts of a sign are always connected and cannot be separated.
An example of a sign is the word ' dog' .
The signifier is the word ' dog' itself.
The signified meaning is the small furry mammal, often kept as a pet.
A further example is this hand gesture:
The signifier is the symbol made by joining the thumb and the index finger together.
The signified meaning (in the Western world) is ' everything's okay '.
Types of signifiers
According to Charles Sanders Peirce, there are three different signifiers; Icons, Indexes, and S ymbols.
Icon signifier
An icon is a signifier with an obvious connection and physical resemblance to the signified thing. Photographs, illustrations, and maps are good examples of icon signifiers.
This image is used to represent the United Kingdom. It is an icon signifier as it has an obvious and accurate resemblance to the physical shape of the United Kingdom.
Index signifier
Index signifiers are a little less obvious than icon signifiers. They are usually representations of the relationship between the signified and the signifier. The index signifier cannot exist without the presence of the signified. For example, smoke is an index signifier for fire.
Most of us know the relationship between smoke and fire and know that there cannot be any smoke without a fire.
Many of you will have seen this image placed on the back of potentially dangerous household products, such as bleach.
The image is not a literal representation of what can be found in the bottle (i.e. the bottle of bleach isn't full of bones!); instead, it represents the relationship between the product and the user (i.e. if someone were to drink the bleach, they could die).
The understanding of index signifiers can either be natural or learned . For example, most of us know from a very young age that a frown suggests a person is unhappy. On the other hand, we have to learn that the skull and crossbones (shown above) represent death.
Symbol signifier
Symbol signifiers are the most abstract of the three, as there is no apparent connection between the signifier and the signified. Symbol signifiers can differ from country to country, and we have to take time to teach and learn their meaning.
Examples of symbol signifiers include the alphabet, numbers, and punctuation.
For example, there is no physical or literal connection between the pound symbol (£) and money itself; however, it is a symbol that everyone in the UK will understand.
Icon and index signifiers can also become symbol signifiers over time. Sometimes the thing that the icon or index signifier represents changes or becomes outdated, but the signifier is so well-known that it remains.
This is an image of the staff (stick) carried by the Greek god Hermes. The original image can be traced back to 4000 BC and is believed to have associated meanings with trade, liars, and thieves.
However, today we associate this symbol with medicine, and even though there is no obvious link between the image and medicine, this sign can be seen in pharmacies and hospitals all over the world.
Types of signified meaning
Just like how there are three different types of signifiers, there are also three different types of signified meaning. They are: denotative meaning, connotative meaning, and myths.
Denotative meaning
A sign's denotative meaning is its literal meaning. These are the obvious meanings everyone knows, i.e., the meaning found in the dictionary. For example, the denotative meaning of the word 'blue' is a primary colour between green and violet in the colour spectrum'.
Connotative meaning
A sign's connotative meaning includes all of its implied and associated meanings. For example, the connotative meanings for the word 'blue' include feelings of sadness, representations of the sky and the ocean, and symbolism of trust, loyalty, and wisdom.
The interpretation of a sign's connotative meaning usually depends on the individual, and the understanding can differ from person to person.
A sign's mythological meaning is usually very old and has been passed down through many generations. Mythological meanings are often religious or cultural and include many things seen in our daily lives, such as norms, values, and manners.
An example is the yin and yang image, which has many mythological meanings in Chinese cultures, such as balance, femininity, darkness, and passivity.
Semiotic analysis
Although the process of semiotic analysis has undoubtedly been around for many years, modern-day semiotic analysis in linguistics was introduced by Ferdinand de Saussure and Charles Sanders Peirce in the early 1900s.
Semiotic analysis is when we take a medium of communication (e.g. a novel, a blog, a poster, a textbook, an advertisement etc.) and interpret the denotative, connotative, and mythological meaning of all of the signs together in context.
We can use semiotic analysis when conducting discourse analysis. For example, when analysing a news article, it's important to not only consider the words used, but also how the words work alongside the images, colours, and advertisements also used. The combination of these different signs could potentially have a different meaning than viewing them on their own.
Semiotics examples
One example of semiotics is the use of a red stop sign on a street. The sign itself is a symbol that represents the concept of "stop" and is universally recognized as such. The colour red is also a signifier of danger or caution, which adds to the overall meaning of the sign. This is an example of how semiotics is used to convey meaning through the use of symbols and signifiers.
Let's take a look at two more examples of semiotic analysis. We'll start with an easy one and then look at something a little more in-depth.
Semiotic example 1:
What do you think this sign means?
Although there are no words here, most people around the world will recognise this as an emergency exit sign . The combination of the colour green (which has connotations with 'go'), the arrow pointing left (a universally recognised icon signifier), and the image (an index signifier which shows the relationship between going left and exiting through a door), creates the semiotic meaning of the sign.
You may have also seen this similar image before:
Using the same colours helps activate individuals' prior knowledge, adding to the sign's meaning.
Semiotic example 2:
When conducting a semiotic analysis of things such as posters, newspaper articles, book covers etc., try asking yourself the following questions:
- What are the key signifiers and what do they signify? Consider the language, images, colour, and general design.
- What are the potential denotative, connotative, and mythological meanings of the signs?
- What is the context?
Let's apply these questions to the above poster from World War 1.
The two men are shaking hands. The handshake gesture signifies 'unity' and 'welcoming'.
The two men are shaking hands across this globe. This could signify a 'bridge' between the two countries.
The term ' come across now ' is an imperative sentence, creating a demand and a sense of urgency.
The image of the soldier makes it clear what type of person the Americans are hoping to attract.
The American man wearing a suit has connotative meanings of wealth and class.
The context of the time (during WordlWar 1) and the image of the man in uniform make it clear what ' You're needed ' is referring to.
Semiotics and language teaching
Semiotics and teaching a first or second language often go hand in hand; this is because teachers will use images, signs, hand gestures, and visual aids (e.g. flashcards) to help them convey meaning.
Semiotics is particularly useful in second language teaching as many signs are recognisable worldwide, meaning they make excellent teaching aids.
Take a look at the following images for example:
This image would be fairly meaningless to a Chinese speaker learning English as there is only a signifier and no signified meaning.
However, this image, which contains both the signifier and the signified, should be easily understood by the language learner.
Semiotics - Key Takeaways
- Semiotics is the study of visual language and signs . It looks at how meaning is created, not just with words, but also with images, symbols, gestures, sounds, and design. Semiotic analysis is when we analyse all of the meanings of all of the signs together in context.
In semiotics, we analyse signs in context . T he term signs can refer to anything that is used to communicate meaning.
The Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913) and the American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914) are widely considered the founders of modern semiotics.
According to Charles Sanders Peirce, there are three different types of signifiers; Icons, Indexes, and symbols.
There are also three different ways signs can be interpreted: t he denotative meaning, the connotative meaning , and the mythological meaning.
Frequently Asked Questions about Semiotics
--> what is semiotics.
Semiotics is the study of visual language and signs . It looks at how meaning is created, not just with words, but also with images, symbols, gestures, sounds, and design. In semiotics, we study the meaning of signs.
--> What is an example of semiotics?
An example of semiotics is how we associate the thumbs-up gesture with positivity. However, it's always important to consider the meaning of signs in context. For example, the thumbs-up is considered rude in some cultures!
--> How can we make use of semiotics in teaching the English language?
Semiotics and the use of signs can be extremely useful when teaching English, either as a first or second language. By using recognisable signs (e.g. images of animals and hand signs) we can easily convey meaning without the use of words.
--> What is semiotic analysis?
Semiotic analysis is when we take a medium of communication (e.g. a novel, a blog, a poster, a textbook, an advertisement etc.) and interpret the denotative, connotative, and mythological meaning of all of the signs together in context. Semiotic analysis was formally introduced by Ferdinand de Saussure and Charles Sanders Peirce in the early 1900s.
Test your knowledge with multiple choice flashcards
Which of the following is not a taste of food/drink?
Spice is not considered to be a taste.True or false?
Gustatory imagery can be ________.
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literal and figurative
Figurative language should be taken literally.
Imagery is _________ language.
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Media in Modern Society
Soc. 243 spring '18.
How to Write a Semiotic Essay
- Views 42170
- Author Sandra W.
How Do I Write A Semiotic Analysis Essay?
When writing a semiotic essay, you have all the freedom to interpret your topic in a personally meaningful way, as long as you provide cultural or theoretical evidence to back up your readings. Semiotics simply means to the study of symbols or signs that means that you are theorizing about possible understanding of a literary phenomenon or cultural. You may be required to analyse and identify a symbol or a sign from literary work or write an analysis of a specific cultural for instance cultural fascination with toy dogs. Your semiotic essay should focus tightly on three to five possible interpretation of the sign under study.
The following are tips for writing a successful semiotic essay Read the assigned poem, short story or novel, if applicable.
- If your assignment entails you to identify meaningful sign from a piece of literature, you are required to read the material once to ground yourself in the plot, setting, and characterization of the work.
- Preferably, you need to read the material a second time, making draft notes in the margins and identifying the recurring themes that interest you.
- As a student of the study of symbols and signs, you need to dig deeper, searching for motifs or themes beyond the obvious.
Summarize your sign to align the breadth of your study with the assigned essay length.
- Whether given a sign, for instance a growing trend toward vegetarian diets, or you choose your own sign from literature or culture, you need to focus on a specific aspect of your sign.
- Narrow the scope to your essay specific and tight.
Brainstorm about possible understanding of your sign .
- If you write your essay is about urban vegan trends, you may read that sign as an indication of a growing health initiative, an urban change towards eating patterns that emphasize natural, whole foods that are low in saturated fat
Write the introduction of your essay ,
- Name your particular sign and set it up for your reader in a relevant literary, historical, theoretical, social, or cultural context.
- Make a conclusion of your opening section with a thesis that alludes to your understanding of the literary or cultural signifier under study.
Build the body of your essay using three to five of your interpretations of the sign under study .
- Each interpretation gets its own group of paragraphs, depending on the length of the essay.
- Avoid repeating your ideas;rather get into a deeper explanation of your understanding for each of your theories.
Make a conclusion of your semiotic essay with an illustration of the significance of your symbols in its context. Describe why it is significant and drive home the importance of your theories
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Film Analysis
What this handout is about.
This handout introduces film analysis and and offers strategies and resources for approaching film analysis assignments.
Writing the film analysis essay
Writing a film analysis requires you to consider the composition of the film—the individual parts and choices made that come together to create the finished piece. Film analysis goes beyond the analysis of the film as literature to include camera angles, lighting, set design, sound elements, costume choices, editing, etc. in making an argument. The first step to analyzing the film is to watch it with a plan.
Watching the film
First it’s important to watch the film carefully with a critical eye. Consider why you’ve been assigned to watch a film and write an analysis. How does this activity fit into the course? Why have you been assigned this particular film? What are you looking for in connection to the course content? Let’s practice with this clip from Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958). Here are some tips on how to watch the clip critically, just as you would an entire film:
- Give the clip your undivided attention at least once. Pay close attention to details and make observations that might start leading to bigger questions.
- Watch the clip a second time. For this viewing, you will want to focus specifically on those elements of film analysis that your class has focused on, so review your course notes. For example, from whose perspective is this clip shot? What choices help convey that perspective? What is the overall tone, theme, or effect of this clip?
- Take notes while you watch for the second time. Notes will help you keep track of what you noticed and when, if you include timestamps in your notes. Timestamps are vital for citing scenes from a film!
For more information on watching a film, check out the Learning Center’s handout on watching film analytically . For more resources on researching film, including glossaries of film terms, see UNC Library’s research guide on film & cinema .
Brainstorming ideas
Once you’ve watched the film twice, it’s time to brainstorm some ideas based on your notes. Brainstorming is a major step that helps develop and explore ideas. As you brainstorm, you may want to cluster your ideas around central topics or themes that emerge as you review your notes. Did you ask several questions about color? Were you curious about repeated images? Perhaps these are directions you can pursue.
If you’re writing an argumentative essay, you can use the connections that you develop while brainstorming to draft a thesis statement . Consider the assignment and prompt when formulating a thesis, as well as what kind of evidence you will present to support your claims. Your evidence could be dialogue, sound edits, cinematography decisions, etc. Much of how you make these decisions will depend on the type of film analysis you are conducting, an important decision covered in the next section.
After brainstorming, you can draft an outline of your film analysis using the same strategies that you would for other writing assignments. Here are a few more tips to keep in mind as you prepare for this stage of the assignment:
- Make sure you understand the prompt and what you are being asked to do. Remember that this is ultimately an assignment, so your thesis should answer what the prompt asks. Check with your professor if you are unsure.
- In most cases, the director’s name is used to talk about the film as a whole, for instance, “Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo .” However, some writers may want to include the names of other persons who helped to create the film, including the actors, the cinematographer, and the sound editor, among others.
- When describing a sequence in a film, use the literary present. An example could be, “In Vertigo , Hitchcock employs techniques of observation to dramatize the act of detection.”
- Finding a screenplay/script of the movie may be helpful and save you time when compiling citations. But keep in mind that there may be differences between the screenplay and the actual product (and these differences might be a topic of discussion!).
- Go beyond describing basic film elements by articulating the significance of these elements in support of your particular position. For example, you may have an interpretation of the striking color green in Vertigo , but you would only mention this if it was relevant to your argument. For more help on using evidence effectively, see the section on “using evidence” in our evidence handout .
Also be sure to avoid confusing the terms shot, scene, and sequence. Remember, a shot ends every time the camera cuts; a scene can be composed of several related shots; and a sequence is a set of related scenes.
Different types of film analysis
As you consider your notes, outline, and general thesis about a film, the majority of your assignment will depend on what type of film analysis you are conducting. This section explores some of the different types of film analyses you may have been assigned to write.
Semiotic analysis
Semiotic analysis is the interpretation of signs and symbols, typically involving metaphors and analogies to both inanimate objects and characters within a film. Because symbols have several meanings, writers often need to determine what a particular symbol means in the film and in a broader cultural or historical context.
For instance, a writer could explore the symbolism of the flowers in Vertigo by connecting the images of them falling apart to the vulnerability of the heroine.
Here are a few other questions to consider for this type of analysis:
- What objects or images are repeated throughout the film?
- How does the director associate a character with small signs, such as certain colors, clothing, food, or language use?
- How does a symbol or object relate to other symbols and objects, that is, what is the relationship between the film’s signs?
Many films are rich with symbolism, and it can be easy to get lost in the details. Remember to bring a semiotic analysis back around to answering the question “So what?” in your thesis.
Narrative analysis
Narrative analysis is an examination of the story elements, including narrative structure, character, and plot. This type of analysis considers the entirety of the film and the story it seeks to tell.
For example, you could take the same object from the previous example—the flowers—which meant one thing in a semiotic analysis, and ask instead about their narrative role. That is, you might analyze how Hitchcock introduces the flowers at the beginning of the film in order to return to them later to draw out the completion of the heroine’s character arc.
To create this type of analysis, you could consider questions like:
- How does the film correspond to the Three-Act Structure: Act One: Setup; Act Two: Confrontation; and Act Three: Resolution?
- What is the plot of the film? How does this plot differ from the narrative, that is, how the story is told? For example, are events presented out of order and to what effect?
- Does the plot revolve around one character? Does the plot revolve around multiple characters? How do these characters develop across the film?
When writing a narrative analysis, take care not to spend too time on summarizing at the expense of your argument. See our handout on summarizing for more tips on making summary serve analysis.
Cultural/historical analysis
One of the most common types of analysis is the examination of a film’s relationship to its broader cultural, historical, or theoretical contexts. Whether films intentionally comment on their context or not, they are always a product of the culture or period in which they were created. By placing the film in a particular context, this type of analysis asks how the film models, challenges, or subverts different types of relations, whether historical, social, or even theoretical.
For example, the clip from Vertigo depicts a man observing a woman without her knowing it. You could examine how this aspect of the film addresses a midcentury social concern about observation, such as the sexual policing of women, or a political one, such as Cold War-era McCarthyism.
A few of the many questions you could ask in this vein include:
- How does the film comment on, reinforce, or even critique social and political issues at the time it was released, including questions of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality?
- How might a biographical understanding of the film’s creators and their historical moment affect the way you view the film?
- How might a specific film theory, such as Queer Theory, Structuralist Theory, or Marxist Film Theory, provide a language or set of terms for articulating the attributes of the film?
Take advantage of class resources to explore possible approaches to cultural/historical film analyses, and find out whether you will be expected to do additional research into the film’s context.
Mise-en-scène analysis
A mise-en-scène analysis attends to how the filmmakers have arranged compositional elements in a film and specifically within a scene or even a single shot. This type of analysis organizes the individual elements of a scene to explore how they come together to produce meaning. You may focus on anything that adds meaning to the formal effect produced by a given scene, including: blocking, lighting, design, color, costume, as well as how these attributes work in conjunction with decisions related to sound, cinematography, and editing. For example, in the clip from Vertigo , a mise-en-scène analysis might ask how numerous elements, from lighting to camera angles, work together to present the viewer with the perspective of Jimmy Stewart’s character.
To conduct this type of analysis, you could ask:
- What effects are created in a scene, and what is their purpose?
- How does this scene represent the theme of the movie?
- How does a scene work to express a broader point to the film’s plot?
This detailed approach to analyzing the formal elements of film can help you come up with concrete evidence for more general film analysis assignments.
Reviewing your draft
Once you have a draft, it’s helpful to get feedback on what you’ve written to see if your analysis holds together and you’ve conveyed your point. You may not necessarily need to find someone who has seen the film! Ask a writing coach, roommate, or family member to read over your draft and share key takeaways from what you have written so far.
Works consulted
We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.
Aumont, Jacques, and Michel Marie. 1988. L’analyse Des Films . Paris: Nathan.
Media & Design Center. n.d. “Film and Cinema Research.” UNC University Libraries. Last updated February 10, 2021. https://guides.lib.unc.edu/filmresearch .
Oxford Royale Academy. n.d. “7 Ways to Watch Film.” Oxford Royale Academy. Accessed April 2021. https://www.oxford-royale.com/articles/7-ways-watch-films-critically/ .
You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — Film Analysis — Semiotic Analysis of the Campaign “Greenpeace: Ocean of the Future”
Semiotic Analysis of The Campaign "Greenpeace: Ocean of The Future"
- Categories: Film Analysis
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Published: Apr 8, 2022
Words: 1504 | Pages: 3 | 8 min read
- Weyler, Rex. 'A Brief History of Environmentalism.' Greenpeace International. January 5, 2018. Accessed May 9, 2019. https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/11658/a-brief-history-of-environmentalism/.
- Greenpeace UK. 'The Ocean of the Future Should Be Filled with Fish Not Plastic, Ogilvy & Greenpeace Campaign Tells Supermarkets.' Greenpeace UK. April 17, 2018. Accessed May 9, 2019. https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/press-releases/ocean-future-filled-fish-not-plastic-ogilvy-greenpeace-campaign-tells-supermarkets/.
- Hall, S. (1997) Excerpts from ‘The Work of Representation’, in Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices. London: Sage, pp.1-27. Accessed May 7, 2019
- Greenpeace UK. 'Is This The Ocean of the Future?' Digital image. Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKzqLdkuj6I. April 16, 2018. Accessed May 7, 2019.
- Greenpeace. 'Questions.' Greenpeace UK. 2019. Accessed May 9, 2019. https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/about/faq/.
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Semiotic Analysis of an Image
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Advertisements on the Effect of Smoking Essay
The print advertisement provided is on smoking effects especially on the lungs. The printed picture shows how far the smoke from cigarettes can cause damage to the lungs. The advertisement is made visible to the public to act as a warning of smoking. The smokers are supposed to see what is capable of happening to their lungs if they continue smoking. This advertisement is portrayed with red affected lungs to show the danger of smoking.
The theoretical part of warning people from smoking has not been so effective, and that is why the media finds it useful to make use of prints advertisements as warning. The advertisement is also magnified to make it clearly visible to the target group, who are warned against smoking. Small print advertisement may not portray the information as intended by the person advertising, and that is why this print is magnified (Shaughnessy and Stadler 203).
The print advertisement is a form of non-personal communication used by the advertiser to pass the information in a creative manner. The advertiser has put the lung picture in a way to persuade the viewer to become more interested to the information contained. The colors and the positioning of the advertisement is meant to expose the viewer in a manner that he or she will believe what the advertiser wishes.
The print advertisement is portrayed in a manner that, once the viewer set his or her eyes on it, he or she will see the truth of the advert immediately (Macnamara 113). The creativity of exposing the lungs within a human body has a great impact on conveying the message, as it is a sign of reality. The first look of this advertisement draws a lot attention from the viewers, who would like to know the message behind it.
This media product has overt messages that are hidden from the viewers. Even if tobacco industry may try as much as possible to be responsible and of help to the public, it is hard for them to come up with advertisement that would directly discourage users from purchasing their product.
What this industry does is to encourage smokers to change their habits, but continue smoking. The industry talks of light cigarettes with relatively lower levels of tar and nicotine, but the studies shows that they are equally dangerous. It is evident that, the big tobacco campaigns that are trusted to discourage smokers from purchasing the product, promote it (Aggarwal 342). This act has made the youngsters to think that smoking is not very harmful as their parents tell them.
The television campaign that ended in 2003 was an overt message to the kids when they were told, “Think. Don’t Smoke” the campaign was meant to discourage the act of smoking among the youngsters, and to encourage them to think beyond and see the repercussions of smoking (Berger 98).
Another overt message was in the smoking campaign that stated “Talk: They will Listen”. This was meant for the kids but through their parents. The parents were urged by the advertisers to talk to their children on issues concerning smoking. An Australian researcher challenged this phrase by concluding that there was no clear message, as to why teenagers should stop smoking.
The initiative of showing teens images of body organs spoiled by smoking like disfigured lungs and blood clot in a smoker’s brain has a more effect than theoretical part of it. Sometimes, it becomes hard for the advertiser to convey an open message of telling people not to smoke (Hoynes 107).
This is because the tobacco industry is also looking forward to retain and attract more customers into their business. Although the tobacco industry insists on telling the public that there are cigarettes that are less harmful, they do not prove the truth behind their advice. Most of media products therefore provide some advertising products with overt messages especially to the parents, with the target group being the kids. Parents are supposed to understand and pass the information to the young generation.
To convey the message of smoking effects it would be better if the cigarette packages were decorated with shocking pictures of body organs spoiled by smoking. Some of the pictures that would do best include premature aging, and lung cancer.
The media pass through this message by use of several signifiers. Apart from showing lungs suffering from cancer as one effect of smoking, some other signifiers are used to pass the same message to the smokers. The media tries to use various body organs to show how smoking can affect important body organs (Carey 364).
For instance, there are signifiers like blood clotting in a smoker’s brain leading to stroke and death. When smokers happen to see such pictures, they tend to take the information they receive seriously than before. Teenagers are the worst hit group, as they tend to ignore the advice from their parents, and they assume that they are adult who are supposed to be independent.
Another important signifier that passes this message well is through the images of clogged blood arteries resulting to shortage of oxygen in the body hence suffocation, and at times death. Advertisers have used several signs in efforts of trying to show people the effects of smoking.
Signs portray message more clearly than words only. As long as the signs are placed in a creative manner that would be possible to attract the attention of as many viewers as possible, it can create a great difference from the normal phrases that people are used to hear and see (Wells 142).
As much as advertisers try to convey the message of effects of smoking through various signifiers, other things still drags back their efforts. Individuals and organizations may come together to fight smoking, but the government is strict on other drugs like marijuana and leaving smokers unpunished. Smoking causes serious injuries to the body organs than some drugs, but no serious charges placed against them.
With the print advertisement, several messages are passed to the public with the main theme being discouraging smoking. There is need to do denormalization by trying to change the social norms of the people. People’s perception is very crucial, and there is need to convince them that smoking can compromise their health, and lead unacceptable behaviors in the society (Byrant 96).
Direct communication with the smokers is very essential, as this would involve a direct interaction whereby questions and answers session can be initiated. The families of a victim should be communicated to through cessation programs, as they are also entrusted to help their patient to recover. The advertisement opens some opportunities for the advertiser to share with the public the experience of a tobacco-free lifestyle.
The non-smokers, who see such a print advertisement, feel equipped with stronger public policies that may assist a great deal to reduce tobacco use among the young and the old. The continued side effects of smoking have proved to be harmful to the smoker, and even the people around him or her (Wells 153). Through smoking, the people around the smoker are also passively affected by the act, and that is why it is a responsibility of everyone to fight against smoking.
This effort would even safe the lives of innocent kids as well as the unborn. The most effective way of passing this message to the public apart from the media is through putting those shocking side effects of smoking on the cigarette package. This information on the package would end up reaching the target group, who are the smokers. The smoker will take enough time to go through what is written on the package, and get the information well.
Mostly, advertisements are faced by challenges just like any other activity. Cost is one of the challenges that are faced by the advertisers. At times, it becomes hard for the advertiser to relate the cost with the outcome of conducting an advert. The adverts that are displayed on the internet are declared as nuisance to the regular users of those internet programs (Macnamara 216).
The internet service providers keep on complaining about the financial burden created by the online advertisement. For instance, the adverts for discouraging smoking are presented to all ages including young and old.
Some advertisers take it to even public places like school to address the students, and some people tend to argue that is a form of child exploitation due to psychological pressures associated with it (Shaughnessy and Stadler 190). The shocking pictures of the effects of smoking provided by the media, some people claim that is a way of instilling fear to the smokers especially the young ones.
People claim that such pictures may have some serious psychological effects to the smokers, making the condition worse that before. Some people are against demonstration of some shocking pictures that show the effects of smoking.
Advertisements on the effect of smoking always face opposition from some people who have smoked for many years without experiencing such effects (Wells 137).
Some people claim to have smoked from their teenage up to when they are seventy. Such individuals tend to oppose the messages conveyed by the media concerning the dangers of smoking, as they see and consider themselves health. A lot of opposition has been received due to demonstration of some media products that show clearly what smoking is capable of doing in the body of a smoker.
In conclusion, the government to handle the campaign of fight against smoking should fund the media fully. Cost is discovered to be their main challenge, such that they cannot run such adverts for a long time (Carey 266). Another important step is for the government to introduce strict charges for the smokers; in the same manner, they treat other drug addicts.
The effects of smoking are far much serious than some drugs that are strictly prohibited. With enough resources, media would be in a position to conduct their campaigns and educate people as much as possible on dangers of smoking. This would enable them to come up with products that are more creative and persuasive to the target group.
One of the media products of smoking effects.
Works Cited
Aggarwal, Vir. Media and society: challenges and opportunities. New York: Concert Publishing company, 2002.
Berger, Arthur. Media and society: a critical perspective. Michigan: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007.
Byrant, Jennings. Media effects: advances in theory and research. New York: Routledge, 2002.
Carey, James. Communication as culture: essays on media and society. New York: Taylor & Francis, 2008.
Hoynes, William. Media/society: Industries, images, and audiences. New York: SAGE Publications, 2011.
Macnamara, Jim. The 21st century media revolution: emergent communication practices. New York: Peter Lang, 2010.
Shaughnessy, Michael and Stadler Jane. Media & society. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.
Wells, Alan. Mass media & society. New York: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006.
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Semiotic Analysis of the Opening Sequence of "The Sopranos"
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Denotation, on the other hand, refers to the literal or explicit mean-ings of words and other phenomena. For example, Barbie Doll denotes a toy doll, first marketed in 1959, that was originally 11.5 inches high, had measurements of 5.25 inches at the bust, 3.0 inches at the waist, and 4.25 inches at the hips.
The sign, 'eating' has the signifiers of the letters that form the word, 'e-a-t-i-n-g'. The signified would be to put something into the mouth and swallowing (New Oxford Dictionary). Lastly, the sign I want to present in this analysis is 'only'. The signifier would be the letters that form the word, 'o-n-l-y'.
Semiotics, the study of signs and sign-using behavior. It was defined by one of its founders, the Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure, as the study of 'the life of signs within society.'. The idea of semiotics as an interdisciplinary study emerged only in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
To write a semiotic analysis, you should ask yourself what the particular sign is trying to say. You then need to identify the signifier and the signified. Afterward, you determine an initial constellation: several common themes of the sign. After that, start writing your introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
Examples Of Semiotic Analysis. Decent Essays. 1467 Words. 6 Pages. Open Document. 1. Introduction and Background In this essay I will evaluate the various components used to construct meaning in Figure 1 by means of a semiotic analysis. I will discuss the theory of certain semiotic concepts and apply them to Figure 1 throughout the text.
icon: An icon physically resembles the signified.Example: a photograph: index: An index somehow suggests, references, or indicates the signified in three possible ways: Track, Symptoms, Designations (Peirce qtd. in Huening 2020). (1) Tracks tend to have cause/effect relationships: the scent of cigarette smoke, a runner's footprint on the beach.(2) Symptom: a fever may suggest an infection; a ...
Semiotics is the study of visual language and signs. It looks at how meaning is created, not just with words but also with images, symbols, gestures, sounds, and design. We use semiotics to look at how different modes of communication (e.g. language, visuals, or gestures) work together to create meaning in context.
Semiotic analysis allows people to consider literature works through the prism of symbols. What the average reader might overlook is crucial to the semiotician. In the work of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House, there are a lot of such symbols: some are more noticeable, and some are less. These symbols reflect the relationship between Nora and ...
For the purposes of this writing, I will use semiotic analysis on the aforementioned Spectre watch ad as well as two past ads, a 1968 ad for a Rolex Submariner and a 1926 ad for a Rolex Oyster. I chose to analyze these two ads instead of the Tudor and Raymond Weil ads because they give a sense of the congruence with past marketing techniques.
The essay prompts in this lesson will help your students get started writing meaningful semiotic analysis essays. ... Write a semiotic analysis of two works of art from the same time period but ...
Write your analysis in the form of an essay, in a clear and interesting way. There is no one correct way of explaining the systems of meaning-making in the ad; writing a good analysis involves some imagination as well as accuracy. ... To get a sense of what these look like, there are examples of good student semiotic analyses here, here, here ...
Before I begin my semiotic textual analysis, I will first establish the basis of my analysis with the use of semiotic practices and semiology. As we have learned from Saussure, semiotics is the study of signs and the systems governing them, for example, hand gestures, facial expressions, colours, typology, camera angles etc.
Understanding The Semiotics: The System of Signs as a Means of Communication. In this essay I will be evaluating whether or not semiotics can be considered 'a science' of sign systems. Semiotics are a relatively new science, and are essentially the close analysis of any sign system found in an established society.
Your semiotic essay should focus tightly on three to five possible interpretation of the sign under study. Read the assigned poem, short story or novel, if applicable. If your assignment entails you to identify meaningful sign from a piece of literature, you are required to read the material once to ground yourself in the plot, setting, and ...
Semiotic analysis. Semiotic analysis is the interpretation of signs and symbols, typically involving metaphors and analogies to both inanimate objects and characters within a film. Because symbols have several meanings, writers often need to determine what a particular symbol means in the film and in a broader cultural or historical context.
Greenpeace is a non-government organisation aims to ensure that the future generations has a peaceful and sustainable world (Greenpeace,2019). The campaign presents a short storyline which is about group of young students going on a school excursion in an aquarium to see an 'Ocean of the Future' exhibition.
Semiotics Saussure's Two-Part Model Offers. My mother's language added yet another complex of signs: her words conveyed meaning and betrayed her psychological and social background and her particular views of marriage as a social institution with personal implications. Layers of meaning were embedded into a single object in one moment of time.
The present approach follows C. S. Peirce's semiotics: representational and non-representational pictures and even mental pictures are signs. How and why pictures without a referent can nevertheless be defined as signs is examined on the basis of examples of monochrome paintings and historical maps that show non-existing or imaginary territories.
It contains thousands of paper examples on a wide variety of topics, all donated by helpful students. You can use them for inspiration, an insight into a particular topic, a handy source of reference, or even just as a template of a certain type of paper. The database is updated daily, so anyone can easily find a relevant essay example.
This essay delves into semiotics and its application to the opening sequence of the television show "The Sopranos." The analysis explores how signifiers, such as the city, class, and violence, convey deeper meanings and contribute to the portrayal of the main character's power.
The thesis entitled "A Semiotic Analysis on Coca-Coca's Commercial Advertisements" has been defended before the Letters and Humanities Faculty's Examination Committee on Friday, July 07th, 2010. The thesis has already been accepted as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Srata One (S1). Jakarta, July 07, 2010.
Structuralism And Semiotics In The Matrix. This essay sample was donated by a student to help the academic community. Papers provided by EduBirdie writers usually outdo students' samples. The Matrix, as a movie, is a perfect representative for an analysis of Structuralism presenting a reality that is torn between the two ideologies, The Matrix ...
A student essay that analyzes a photo and a journal article about youth violence using semiotic analysis. The essay explains how the photo, the article, and the context of the article are all signs that construct a message about youth violence and its causes. The essay also discusses the codes, conventions, connotations, and ideologies of the photo and the article.