Semiotics: blog tasks

 Part 1: English by Tarun Thind analysis

1) What meanings are the audience encouraged to take about the two main characters from the opening of the film?

the audience are lead on that the 2 main characters are seen as gangsters and people who are disrespectful and ignorant 

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?

the end of the film we learn that the two main characters are deaf, this gives us an understanding of why the 2 characters was ignoring people, this establishes de Saussure's belief because it gives us a different interpretation of the 2 main characters and that they are kind and mistaken.

Part 2: Media Magazine theory drop - Semiotics

1) What did Ferdinand de Saussure suggest are the two parts that make up a sign?
the signifier and the the signified

2) What does ‘polysemy’ mean?
open to interpretation or more than one meaning

3) What does Barthes mean when he suggests signs can become ‘naturalised’?when signs are so commonly used and recognised they become a part of that culture 


4) What are Barthes’ 5 narrative codes?
enigma code, symbolic code, cultural code, hermeneutic code, proairetic code

5) How does the writer suggest Russian Doll (Netflix) uses narrative codes?by using repitition and looping within the storyline, this creates a sense of mystery and intriguing.

Part 3: Icons, indexes and symbols

1) Find two examples for each: icon, index and symbol. Provide images or links.

Icon:

Index:

Symbol: CAT

2)Why are icons and indexes so important in media texts?as they allow producers to communicate with their audiences 

3) Why might global brands try and avoid symbolsin their advertising and marketing?as they want to attract audiences and symbols maybe to vague 

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?an advertisement for a cleaning product used a symbol that was commonly associated with danger.This cause confusion amongst the audience leading to the product failing.

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.One good example is Apple.The bitten Apple is recognised world wide where audiences automatically know the brand.This leads it to being a success.