Semiotic- the study of sign

Semiotic- the study of signs

Need to learn how to analyze the ways in which film language (camera, sound, editing and mise-en-scene)

                                                        The Cultural Circuit

                                           

                                                               Text

AudienceInstitution 

Key Terms

The signifier- The sign: a word, colour or image (i.e colour BLUE)

The signified- The concept/meaning/associations that the sign refers to (i.e BLUE is often associated with sadness or the sea etc.)

What does GREEN signify?

Eco-friendly

You can either adhere to subvert a stereotype

For example:

     Geek

Vocabulary

Denotative Level: What we actually see

Connotative Level: What you associate with this image

Two Types of sound

Diegetic- The sound that the character and the audience can hear. It is happening within the film.

Non-diegetic- A soundtrack to add an effect

The Powers of Sound

Sound is a powerful film technique for many reasons.

The sound engages a distinct sense which can lead to a synchronization of senses- making a single rhythm of expressive quality unify both image and sound.

It can direct our attention quite specifically within the image. For example, our attention on the foreground not the background

The soundtrack can clarify image events, contradict them, or render them ambiguous.

In all cases, the sound track can enter into an active relation

Thirdly sound helps us to form expectations

Example: Quentin Tarrentino’s Kill Bill