The two main characters have little bother for normal behaviour, the alien feel is encouraged
2) How does the end of the film emphasise de Saussure’s belief that signs are polysemic – open to interpretation or more than one meaning?
Media Magazine theory drop: Semiotics
Greenford Media department has a subscription to Media Magazine - a brilliant magazine designed exclusively for A Level Media students and published four times a year. We strongly recommend you read it regularly and also set plenty of work for the course based on the articles inside. You can find our Media Magazine archive here and for this task need to go to MM68 (page 24) to read the introduction to Semiotics. Once you've read it, answer the following questions:
1) What did Ferdinand de Saussure suggest are the two parts that make up a sign?
the signifier and the signified
2) What does ‘polysemy’ mean?
open to interpretation or multiple meanings
3) What does Barthes mean when he suggests signs can become ‘naturalised’?
When there is a universal connotation that means an oppositional or preferred reading is neutralised
4) What are Barthes’ 5 narrative codes?
• Hermeneutic code or ‘enigma
code’ – this is anything in the text
that is mysterious or unexplained,
usually raising questions that
the reader or viewer needs
answered. Enigma code is a
really useful bit of vocabulary
for media and film students.
• Proairetic code or ‘action code’
– this refers to how sequential
elements of action in the text
can create meaning. Something
happens (a character picks up their
car keys), and it suggests what
might happen next (they leave
the house and go somewhere).
In many ways this is simple
but it’s quite hard to pin down
examples if you’re not confident.
• Semantic code – this refers to
elements of the text that carry
deeper meaning. It’s basically
connotations so you might as
well stick with connotations as a
term if that’s what you’re used to.
• Symbolic code – you can use
this term to describe anything
that has a symbolic meaning.
Colours in lighting, set design or
costume for example (white for
purity, red for danger or love) are
examples of symbolic codes.
• Cultural code – this refers to
anything in the text which refers
to an external body of knowledge
such as scientific, historical, and
cultural knowledge. A Black Power
salute would be an example of a
cultural code – in a particular part
of the world during a particular
time it is loaded with meaning,
in another place at another
time it might mean nothing.
5) How does the writer suggest Russian Doll (Netflix) uses narrative codes?
The writer suggests enigma codes are used subtly throughout the series as
The writer talks about the enigma codes used. There is a bowl of fruit that rots as the story progresses yet the main character relives the same day over and over. It isn't until later that the character acknowledges this occurrence, meaning the sinister mystery behind this becomes a Hermeneutic code.
Icons, indexes and symbols
1) Find two examples for each: icon, index and symbol. Provide images or links.
Icon:
Index:
Symbol:
The fire smoked.
2) Why are icons and indexes so important in media texts?
They can be understood by a global market and do not need to be translated.
3) Why might global brands try and avoid symbols in their advertising and marketing?
They have to be translated into different cultures which takes more time than using globally understood icons and indexes.
4) Find an example of a media text (e.g. advert) where the producer has accidentally communicated the wrong meaning using icons, indexes or symbols. Why did the media product fail? (This web feature on bad ads and marketing fails provides some compelling examples).
Unfortunetly, touch woody means something different in English. They didn't check the meaning after translating.
5) Find an example of a media text (e.g. advert) that successfully uses icons or indexes to create a message that can be easily understood across the world.
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