Three slides of semiotics and media language

1. Media language;
The way in which a text is constructed to
create meaning for a reader or viewer of the
text”- Basically what this means is that every
shot, prop, piece of editing, lighting, mise-
en-scene, setting, all of that has been
planned so that the form matches the
certain target audience. – How we read
things.
By Sara Bonito

2. Signs and signifiers
• All media texts have signs and signifiers, these exist so that the
director can send specific messages to the audience using there
capabilities to decode signs laid out for them. An image/sign conveys
a certain thing. We interpret signs unconsciously and it can lead to
being influenced into believing things, for example, if you hear a
scream and there’s an image of a dark hallway the instant reaction
from the audience would be to assume the text is of a horror genre.
• The sign can be split into signifier and the signified, the signifier is the
thing/item that we ‘read’ and the meaning behind it is the signifier,
together these form the sign code.

3. Semiotics
• Semiotics is essentially just the study of signs and fits after the
understanding of signifiers and codes.
• Semiotics is very vital when coming to understanding the world, without
semiotics we wouldn’t be able to understand to understand human
communication very well. Anything can be seen as a sign, this can include,
facial expressions, food, setting, costume, gestures, pretty much
EVERYTHING can be read as a code within a short film or music video.
• You can both connote and detonate a sign, For example with a heart, you
may think about it being an organ, but I can also be associated with love
and romance.