This document discusses concepts related to media language and semiotics. It explains that semiotics examines private, mental signs versus public spoken or written signs used to communicate meaning. Genres rely on signs, signifiers, and signifying practices, which define a genre. Saussure noted the gap between what is displayed in society and how humans derive meaning from it. Signifiers are physical objects that convey a signified meaning or concept. Mise-en-scene refers to everything placed within a scene, including settings, props, costumes, lighting, positioning of characters and objects, which can convey hidden meanings and manipulate audience expectations beyond what is literally depicted.

1. MEDIA LANGUAGE
BY Evangeline Horne

2. SEMIOTICS
The main categorisation of signs concerns those that are mental and
private and those which are spoken or written in order to be made public.
This process of making meaning from society’s signs underpinned a new
logic/science/philosophy or way of thinking. GENRE relies on signs,
signifiers and signifying practices. Signifying practices are what defines a
genre.
Saussure pinpointed the gap between what is on display in society and
how the human made meaning from it.

3. SIGNS
 Signifier- the physical object e.g. sound, printed word or advertisement
 Signified- meaning or mental concept conveyed by the signifier. E.g. police
drama
 Polysemic= many signs
 Remix= postmodern
 Saussure ideas were initially related to language and understanding
 Roland Barthes used Saussure’s ideas and modernised them, applying the
frame work to popular culture. Barthes also used his work and applied it to
post-modern culture of western life. He used the term “Mythologies” to
describe how we construct a desire to answer a non-existent need.

4. MISE-EN-SCENE
 What is put into a scene or frame
 Settings & props
 Costume, hair, make up
 Facial expressions and body language
 Lighting and colour
 Positioning on characters
 Objects within a frame
 HIDDEN MEANINGS –what meaning/ emotions do the following images
convey.
 Denoted-what you can see which is a fact

5.  Settings can manipulate an audience by building certain expectations and
then taking a different turn.
 Costume, hair and make up act as an instant indicator to us of a character’s
personality, status & job.
 Facial expressions and body language provide a clear indicator of how
someone is feeling.
 Positioning of characters and objects within a frame can draw our attention
to an important character/ object between people.
 Colour carries certain connotations which many add meaning to a scene
 Lighting, low key lighting and high key lighting can show the difference
between a scene and personality of a character