OBJECTIVE [2] To attempt analysis of polysemic images
OBJECTIVE [3] To see how advertisers use this idea in their campaigns
As
you will already have seen, visual and aural images have denotative content and connotative
meanings.
Denotative [the physical form; what can be
seen/heard and agreed]
Connotative [Abstract; Speculative; Subjective]
Readings
[understanding of meaning] of images involve interaction between
the reader and the text and this always takes place in a social context. This means that each reader of an image will
‘see’ it and ‘understand’ it in their own personal way shaped by their own
unique personal experiences [see notes on Denotation and Connotation]
POLYSEMY
The fact that media texts, in particular
visual images, have a number of potential meanings is described by the term polysemy. They are said to be Polysemic [potentially
open to many interpretations].
CASE STUDY: BRAND BECKHAM [POWERPOINT: POLYSEMICS]
The
success of Beckham as a brand has been the polysemic nature of his image. Beckham is a football hero; a captain of his
country; an example of the drive to succeed.
He
is also attractive and desirable to women; a family man;
wholesome; talented; enviable;
married to an attractive successful woman; a globe-trotter; admired;
envied by other men; a fashion
icon; cool; fashionable.
Each
of these ‘readings’ of Beckham make him attractive to different advertisers to
endorse certain products.
The
trick is which facet of Beckham do you need to emphasise?
Powerpoint: polysemics - who is the real Beckham?
Analyse the poster for Addidas for the World Cup ; Cometh the Hour
How is Beckham 'used' - which aspects do we see of him?
Objective [1] to develop understandings of signs Objective [2] to establish cultural nature of signs Objective [3] to understand how signs work to create meaning in society During the lessons we're going to de-construct a series of images to focus on how these signs 'work' on us - creating ideas and understandings of complexity way beyond their simple graphic presence [a hazard sign; a sunset; a skull and cross-bones; a swastika]. We should see that signs do indeed consist of signifier and the signified as Pierce postulated. We will see how signs such as McDonalds have a universal recognition [understanding] that they fight vigorously to maintain. We will look at how Prince re-branded himself as a sign with no use of letters or language. The symbol he used [remember your Pierce, a symbol is a sign whose meaning has to be learned]
We now need to understand how signs work by signing ourselves Homework Task Create a band identity for yourself. If you decide to draw it or use computer graphics you must upload the completed symbol to your blog. the actual design and the uploading both account for the assessment.
OBJECTIVE [1] To review understanding of signification
OBJECTIVE [2] To introduce the language of semiotics
OBJECTIVE [3] To introduce the key theorists
To truly understand the ‘success’
of a text we need to analyse ‘how’ textscreate meaning
To do this we need to first be
clear as to what a sign actually is and how it ‘works’ in itself and then how
it works with other signs to create sophisticated layers of meaning
objective [1]
In studying the media we will be
concerned with:
[1]how signs work [physical
composition and understanding];
[2]
how signs operate in a social context - how meaning is created and how
audiences understand signs;
[3]
the impact ofthat meaning
A
sign is made up of the
signifierand
what is signified
Objective [2]
In a modern, complex society signs
often work together to create a wider, more layered meaning.It
is the complexity of this process that will be the focus of much of our study
of the media Our own language is a good starting place. Words are simply 'signs' - markings, shapes that we have agreed to give a meaning to and one that we commonly share. After all, what makes a 'c' a 'c' is nothing other than agreement. The PowerPoint in the lesson ought to help make this clearer. It is in other contexts simply a half-drawn circle.
As such, different cultures have ascribed [given] different shapes a similar meaning to our own [CAT in English is CHIEN in French - a different sign for the same creature].
We also ought to begin to think about how a shared understanding does not equate to a shared meaning. We all know what a cat is and what the sign cat represents when we read it but the meaning is shaded by personal experiences and preferences etc.
Review of the learning:
Signs
have a meaningascribed to them by the
culture that created them
Signs
have an understanding that is individual to us arising from the shared
understanding
Signs
have no meaning.The ‘audience’ gives
them meaning
Objective [3]
We now need to explore the theoretical ideas underpinning our study. The PowerPoint Semiotics takes you through the key ideas of Saussure and Pierce and finally arrives at Roland Barthes
objective [1] To begin a closer exploration of how signs construct meaning
objective [2] To embark on gathering an initial understanding of what semiotics entails
objective [3] To apply understanding to a media product
Contextual Background:
As a species, homosapien man has always been a meaning maker seeking to make sense of the world around him and to communicate this to others.
Such a desire is the foundation that lies behind the creation of a sign system, which might be better termed a meaning system. Such systems are the basis of each culture. The increasing sophistication of such sign systems both mirrors and expands human understanding.
From the cave paintings of 15,000,000 BC to the current smart phone, the connection is our desire to create and share meaning.
It is from this that the area of study known as SEMIOTICS has developed.
SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS POWERPOINT – REFER TO INITIAL SLIDES HERE
Consider the images on the slide - the wooden cross, the crucifix, the religious painting, the cemetery, the tattoo
What does each image represent - what do we see? What do we understand?
In what ways do these images offer different interpretations of similar icons?
If we have shared 'understandings' but take different 'meanings' what does this tell us about semiotics [the use and impact of signs].
Look at the slides of images of 'Family'
What idea of family do you recognize? Do these meet your own ideas of your family? Is your family like the idealised version of adverts?
How is such an understanding used in our society in media products? [[family values?]
Watch the advert for KFC
Write a short response in your exercise books [about 5-10 sentences]
How is 'family' interpreted here?
Why?
What is the purpose of the advert? [apart from selling chicken]
the advert is entitled 'One Big Family' What are KFC saying about their products and their relationship with their consumers? [why not call it one big community' or 'friends'?]
To understand how these might be applied to wider range of products
This is the lesson where we move into the vital work on audience. Pretty much all we do in the next few terms is focused on audience issues. we need to consider some very fundamental questions and the following give the students an idea of the areas we need to get into. For the products given [the 2 Bond posters are a good place to start] we need to ask them:
To whom is the text addressed? What is the target audience?
What assumptions about the audience’s characteristics are implicit within the text?
What assumptions about the audience are implicit in the text’s scheduling or positioning?
In what conditions is the audience likely to receive the text? Does this impact upon the formal characteristics of the text?
What do you know or can you assume about the likely size and constituency of the audience?
What we should arrive at is that the products reflect different ideas about masculinity and femininity that are the result of the context of their times - the prevailing zeitgeist. What are these differences? How are they constructed by the media forms?
Today we're going to study Key Concepts - Alright?
The objective of the lesson is to ensure that students are prepared for the next lesson in which you will present the two minute clips to the rest of the group [a reminder here that the clips ought to be uploaded to blogs for ease of access in the lesson and to enable staff to assess the work later]
Objective [1] To understand media texts we need to apply a series of criteria that we call The Key Concepts
We must begin any study of the media with the key concepts – these are the basic tools of the media students knowledge and understanding as to how texts work with audiences.
If you are able to ‘DE-CONSTRUCT’ media texts you will find that your own texts will work better and will be much more effective in putting across your ideas to audiences.
We’ll begin by looking at an image from the Michael Caine gangster film ‘GET CARTER’ to see how the key concepts can be applied to understand the purpose of showing Carter in this way – the location, the costume, the construction of the shot and what this might tell us about the audience it was intended for [grades E-C]
We will also see how it contributes towards understanding the institution that created it and the audience’s own understanding of themselves. [grades A/B/C]
We'll be working from the PowerPoint The Key Concepts for the rest of the lesson so be certain to access this if you miss today's lesson.
Remember – without understanding the theory your own work will be much less effective and your final examination performance will be poor
Media Representations
Media Language
Media Audiences
Media Institutions
Media Values and Ideology
Task : In what ways [Q/A] does the image from Get Carter utilise these to create a reading and an audience?
[2] Representations:
We'll next look at some further images that require some de-construction to fully understand them and whose meanings tell us something about the ideologies that underpin them [and our society].
Next we'll look at a video clip that tells us something about media forms as well as carrying some ideological messages that that the product [orange phones] wanted to be associated with in audience minds.
Objective 1 how media forms can be used to explore ideas within a text
Objective 2 To apply the currently held learning
Recap lesson 2 learning
This session we are going to explore a little deeper and begin to think about the ways in which media products also contain a way of seeing the world[its ideology] that it transfers to audiences. Such messages [via saturation / repeated exposure] may influence audience behaviours and thinking.
We are not suggesting either that [1] exposure to a violent act in a film will provoke violence in the audience watching it but [2] as media students we have to be capable of stepping outside ourselves and be open to ideas about viewers and audiences in general as well as our own particular experience. This is a key idea to grasp at this stage. You need to begin to transfer your own viewing and media consumption to enable a bigger understanding of audience behaviours as a whole but also to see that behaviours difficult to grasp are nonetheless valid. In simple terms we need to look at our own media consumption to see how audiences use the media but at the same time to understand that just because we feel ‘invulnerable’ to violent video game content to see that others may be influenced by such ideas.
An ideology is a set of ways of thinking about the world that governs our subsequent behaviours - our belief in what is right and wrong is why we don't steal etc.
Sometimes this conveying of ideology is deliberate and premeditated [explicit products such as political propaganda or adverts];
Sometimes this is simply a by-product of a text [implicit products such as a soap opera or film] being constructed by human beings that are influenced by the context of creation and of consumption [the zeitgeist] – essentially who they are becomes part of how the text represents the world.
Consider what happens at the end of a Hollywood romance - the lovers get together and marry. Repeated exposure to such narrative conclusions helps us believe that marriage is the 'accepted' outcome of such relationships. This may not be the intention of the film-maker but it is a likely consequence - an implicit understanding of a message wrapped in the film's narrative.
Watch the campaign advert from Barnardos
What is the message of the campaign overall?
What is the intention of this particular advert?
In what ways has the product been constructed to reflect the underlying ideas of the campaign as a whole?
List the media forms / devices used to do so
How successful is the advert in conveying the campaign message?
Look at the article below from Brand Republic. What were the reasons for the advert attracting so many complaints?
[B] Watch the advert ‘Meet the Superhumans’ which was the channel 4 promotional advert for its coverage of the Paralympic Games in 2012. This product was also the key text for the 2014 AQA AS Media exam so early on gives a good idea of what it is that students will have to be able to discuss if they are to be successful.
This is not just a write down and discuss everything you can see and hear but requires focus and critical selection of the salient points.
The promotional trailer was part of Channel 4 attempt to re-position itself in the TV marketplace by redefining its core values of taking risks and being seen as a channel that challenges its audience. they had invested a great deal of money into gaining the rights to cover the paralympic games which [at that time] were very much seen by the media [and thus the public] as a second-class event
Homework:Write up the task below [about 300 - 400 words]
How does the Channel 4 product use media forms to represent / brand the channel itself?
