Media Language: Theorists and Application

Media Language Theory:

Read the list of relevant theorists. Choose 2 which you either agree or disagree with and explain how your chosen c/w piece supports or challenges the ideas.

Charles Sanders Pierce (1931) – details that ‘we only think in signs’. Signs only represent anything when society attributes meaning to them. Anything can be a sign as long as someone interprets it as 'signifying' something - referring to or standing for something other than itself. We interpret things as signs largely unconsciously by relating them to familiar systems of conventions. It is this meaningful use of signs which is at the heart of the concerns of semiotics.

AGREE - MUSIC VIDEO

Society has attributed meaning to the connotations of colour to represent emotion, social and cultural ideas. For example, in my music video red was adopted as the primary hue, visible in the location and used predominantly in the subject's costume. The lipstick of my female artist was dark red, as well as her 1950s A-line red polka dot dress. Therefore the red has enhances the sexuality of the subject, making her appear more aesthetically pleasing to a mass audience. Similarly, this can be applied to the use of black and white effect within the video during the bridge. This, in combination with longer shots and non-verbal communication of the subject smiling, had connotations of sophistication as well as security; going against the abrupt 'cool' attitude of shots with full colourant. 

Another 'sign' can be applied to the use of props, especially in the adoption of a black retro cigarette holder which was used by the subject to inhale and exhale a cigarette. In modern day terms, it is unconventional and now has connotations of individuality and enhances the 'attitude' of the subject smoking it, in this case the artist. It has connotations of carelessness and non-conformity to expectations of society - becoming more of sign of style than functionality. 

Charles Sanders Pierce (1931) – there are three types of sign that we use every day to create

meaning; iconic, indexical and symbolic signs.

 Icon/iconic: a mode in which the signifier is perceived as resembling or imitating the signified (recognizably looking, sounding, feeling, tasting or smelling like it) - being similar in possessing some of its qualities: e.g. a portrait, a cartoon, a scale-model, onomatopoeia, metaphors, 'realistic' sounds in 'programme music', sound effects in radio drama, a dubbed film soundtrack, imitative gestures.

Index/indexical: a mode in which the signifier is directly connected in some way (physically or causally) to the signified - this link can be observed or inferred: e.g. 'natural signs' (smoke, thunder, footprints, echoes, non-synthetic odours and flavours), medical symptoms (pain, a rash, pulse-rate), measuring instruments (weathercock, thermometer, clock, spirit-level).

AGREE - MUSIC VIDEO

The use of the garden location which was set at night-time can arguably be directly connected to the 'signified', in this case, the artist. The natural signs of the night-time scenery, with dark sky and unnatural lighting, can be inferred as a reference to the subject - providing mysterious and lonely connotations that the artist may be feeling. The autumn leaves around the subject, and wilting foliage, may also be inferred as the subject's own state of mind, again reinforcing the loneliness and 'dieing' state she may be experiencing (again tieing in with the song).

Symbol/symbolic: a mode in which the signifier does not resemble the signified but which is fundamentally arbitrary or purely conventional - so that the relationship must be learnt: e.g. language in general (plus specific languages, alphabetical letters, punctuation marks, words, phrases and sentences), numbers, morse code, traffic lights, national flags.

Did your work contain any signs?

Roland Barthes (1967) – signifier/signified – to discuss connotations that can be attributed to denotations (signs).

John Fiske (1982) - “denotation is what is photographed, connotation is how it is photographed”.

Stuart Hall (1980) – texts can be encoded by producers and meaning is decoded by audiences.