Matthew Heyns

SEMIOTICS

To gain a better understanding of how signs are used and what they mean, I watched a video called Roland Barthes Media Theory Semiotics Analysis. This page is a brief summary of what I have learnt in this video.

Semiotics is the study of signs and how they are interpreted and incorporated in our everyday lives. A sign is something that we can establish a meaning from, this meaning can be created by using a variety of different things like symbols, colours and logos.

Although there are lots of different signs, there are only two types of meanings that come from signs. One meaning that can come from a sign is denotation. Denotation refers to the literal understanding gained from a sign. For example, if someone was to see a white dove, they might just think it’s a bird and has no other meaning, that would be a denotation. 

However, the other meaning that can come from a sign is connotation. Connotation refers to all the other aspects that can be linked to the sign. Using the white dove as an example, people might see a white dove and see more than just a bird, they might see an animal that represents peace and love. This is an example of a connotation.

In film there are four categories by which signs are classified into:

• Mise en Scene - All the contributing elements that drive a narrative through the organisation of the set.
• Sound – Diegetic or non-diegetic sounds. Sometimes the lack of sound can create meaning.
• Camerawork – Camera angles, shots, composition and movement.
• Editing – The sequence of all the clips ordered together.


Media producers carefully select specific signs to create meaning and construct representation. Carefully selecting the right sign is important because it can hugely influence the way audiences interpret the film.

Roland Barthe’s theory suggests that the frequent use of a sign can result in the sign becoming a myth. 

Myth – An idea that is considered common knowledge, however the idea or belief is false.