The document discusses various concepts related to analyzing media, including: - Denotation and connotation of symbols like snakes, flags, and guns. - Iconography of different genres like westerns, sci-fi, and fantasy. - Elements used to analyze posters and trailers like color, props, costumes, lighting, and framing. - Linear and non-linear narratives and examples of each. - How music and editing can be used to set tones like tension or horror in media. - Common stereotypes along dimensions like gender, class, age. The document provides definitions and examples to illustrate key terms for analyzing symbols, genres, visual and audio elements

1. Theory- Meaning
Andrew Downes

2. Snake
• Denotation
– A snake is a reptile that
usually lives in warm areas
such as Africa however
small ones can be found in
most places.
• Connotation
– Suspense, danger, fear.

3. Flag
• Denotation
– Piece of Fabric that usually
fills people with a sense of
pride.
• Connotation
– Could be pride a sense of
home or belonging.

4. Gun
• Denotation
– A gun
• Connotation
– Pain, war, anguish, culling.

5. God of War

6. God of War
Colour: They used dark colors usually associated with loss or pain and only use a few lively summer colors such as blue
green and yellow
Props: Kratos’ swords are attached to chains ( which give off a feeling of tension fear and maybe pain sometimes it gives
people a feeling remembrance.) and so are Hades sickles ( give off a similar feeling to Kratos’ swords except they also give
off a feeling of dread and despair). And There would be Hades helmet ( usually when people see helmets they think of
safety and defense however it could also symbol war and other sorts of things of the kind).
Costume: There isn’t a massive variety of costume change because all they are using are tunics ( red tunics in this time
period would make the consumer think deadly foe in battle who might belong to the Spartans), greaves and gauntlets and
maybe an arm brace( Theses were all methods of defense when it comes to the time period which would make people
think of defense and safety maybe even home)
Location: Greece ( Home to some of the best warriors of their time such as the Spartans/Armies/ brutality)/ Mount
Olympus ( Where the Greek Gods live upon high as overlords of Greece/ Godly/ Holy)/ the underworld ( Where Hades
rules tricked by his brothers which would make people think of despair depravity ,maybe betrayal).
Lighting: the lighting is almost dank there is very dim lighting at the front of the poster and there is vibrant light in the
background.
Framing: The main point of attention is in the right third, which our view is almost immediately lead to from the left third
which is filled with white space.
Model: Kratos + Hades

7. Dark souls.

8. • Colour: Dark souls uses dark colours to effectively show how hard
the game will be it is renowned for how hard it is, and there is light
at the top to show the fire going out.
• The props that were used would be the swords ( usually make the
consumer feel fear and maybe tension)the helmets and the tunics,
the heavy armor and the shields( These would create a feeling of
protection/Safety and war or battle).
• The location is in Lordran or Lothric( Both are mythical places for
the undead to scour and find enough souls to re-kindle the fire of
the ages which gives the character some sort of quest to kill himself
to make the age of fire continue).
• Model= protagonist no one knows the identity (it is not set)
• Frame= The frame is centered because the left is filled with white
space and all the attention to detail is mainly in the middle.

10. • The lord of the rings uses bright light to show the allies and the dark
coulors to show the evil within the series.
• The props would be swords, hammer , staff , bow, ( These are all
associated with war/ pain/ fear)armor( Creates a false sense of
safety and protection), horses( are a fast means of getting around
which usually give people a sense of hast to the quest) and a tower(
creates a false sense of protection for Sauron and creates a feeling
of a godly power existing with-in).
• The location is in middle Earth, The Shire and other places.
• Actors= Orlando Bloom, Viggo Mortenson, Sean Bean, John Rys-
Davies, Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood etc.
• Frame= The positive frame is concentrated on the left half of the
screen concentrating on community. Where-as the negative frame
is on the right side of the poster which is centered around strife.

11. Soundtrack
• Clip 1
– Horror/something bad is going to
happen. It is a piece of horror
music so should make people fear
what comes next. One is about to
get told off for not doing work.
• Clip 2
– It is a joyous piece which would
usually be in a comedy or a child
movie. As I suggested it is a joyous
piece so it is to make people
happy. This piece probably gives
the picture a comedic genre.

12. Shining
• It has happy and jumpy music which usually
indicates that if it is an advert for a roncom
not much is going to go wrong. Then there is
ecstatic music on a guitar to create a happy
setting.

13. Scary Mary
• The music was taken from a horror film so it
was used to instil some tension within the
piece, also the editing is great it only takes us
to mischievous and evil grins from Mary
Poppins and it takes us to some of the more
isolated parts of the film and also in some
cases, they edited in children singing and also
some screams to make it really feel like a
horror.

14. Stereotypes
Men
• mean
• strong
• Stronger mind set
• Usually have heavy
lifting jobs.
• Pessimistic
• nerdish
Women
• kind
• weak
• Weaker mind set
• Usually have clean
jobs.
• Optimistic
• Don’t play video
games.

15. Stereotypes
Upper Class
• Posh
• Stiff upper lip
• Tidy
• Clean
• Wealthy
• Political power
• superior
Working Class
• Messy
• Dirty
• Poor
• Inferior
• Manual workers
• Poor knowledge
• Blue collar.

16. Stereotypes
Old People
• Know everything
• Fragile
• Generous
• Patient
• Inflexible
• Cautious
• Afraid
Young People
• Inexperienced
• Energetic
• Healthy
• excited
• Carefree
• Lazy
• Greedy

17. Iconography- Western
• Western= Action + Slice of life + Adventure

18. Iconography- Sci-Fi
• Sci-Fi= Action + Adventure + horror + (in some
cases comedy).

19. Iconography- Fantasy
• Fantasy= action + Horror + adventure +
Comedy.

20. Narrative
• Narrative Definition
– It is usually the storyline of a piece of media such as movies or
cartoons or even TV programmes.
• Linear Narrative Definition
– Is a storyline that starts at the start and goes to the middle and
then to the ending.
• Linear Narrative Film Example
– The good the bad and the ugly.
– Non-Linear Narrative Definition
– It is a story line that jumps forwards and backwards in time of
the storyline with things such as flashbacks and the kind.
• Non-Linear Narrative Film Example
– Pulp fiction, Reservoir dogs

21. Clip Analysis
• In the clip from Star Wars Rebels it creates an ominous setting by using the music to create
tension between the characters and you can automatically say who are the good guys
because they are wearing down to Earth sort of colours and also the main bad guy wears
black and so you can easily tell who is on which side. Also there is piece of dialogue saying
the cold when it turns to the bad guy which also creates an ominous view on the bad guy,
almost as if he is a force of nature.
• Due to the fact it is a fight scene the props are ominous such as guns swords and explosives.
When we first see the bad guy the camera pans towards the masked face and and zooms and
then pans to the back of the helmet.
• You can also immediately tell who is the bad guy by how tall they are the bad guy is much
taller than than the good guys, this fact also goes in for power as well. Darth Vader also
seems to always have the ‘higher ground’ (ha funny) and has way more experience than any
of his enemies.
• Darth Vader also seems to be way stronger than his enemies too, You can also tell who are
the good and bad guys by there blaster colour or their light saber colour.
• The good guys still can’t kill Vader when they work together they still can’t kill the dark
characters.
• There is a certain sense of community and comradery on the good side.
• It is every man for himself on the dark side.