Semiology is an approach that can be used to understand how media texts make meaning for their audiences. Semiology is the meaning and feeling we get from a media text. Signs are what all media texts are constructed of, there are a variety or signs these can be anything such as the colour of a V or how a set of stars grow in size and what colours different things are. In paper based media both text and images are signs. In moving image media, text, all aspects of mise-en-scene, camerawork, editing and sound can be considered as signs.
Denotation and Connotation
Denotation is the literal meaning/description of a word/object. Connotations are the associations that are made when interpreted a sign. For a better example of this look at the Sign section and its picture with the descriptive breakdown of it below.
Context and Anchorage
Context is similar to the first thoughts due to experience of a object, for instance the colour red. signifying danger. This link is due to the language culture we each belong to. These language cultures have developed over a long period of time. These context points are very similar to stereotypes but in the sense of emotions and feelings towards images rather than people or significant things.
Anchorage is the way different media language elements combine to help fix meaning. Print based media texts will use anchorage to help readers interpret photographs, they use to illustrate their stories and articles.
Signifiers
Signifiers are objects or people or settings that have a meaning greater than what the original thing is, for example
This picture is of a femme fatal, she is smoking and wearing tight fitting black clothing. She is wearing make-up and staring into the distance. She is represented as smoking a cigarette; in the 1940s this signified a dangerous woman. Stereotypically cigarettes, red lips, sexual confidence, independence and financial independence anchored a female character as dangerous and the audience knew she was likely to be a threat. Interestingly apart from the cigarettes these stereotypes in the twenty first century are considered attractive and desirable in a woman, for example Kylie Minogue or Katie Perry. Cultural relativity is important in media studies, this is the changes in views over different periods of time. For instance, the change in what way women should behave. Pre war views are of the 'perfect' house wife, staying in cleaning and looking after the kids whilst the father is out getting the money for the household. Post war views are very different, this is mainly due to the way the women had to do the men's jobs whilst they were out fighting in the war. This caused women to be more independent and to have a far broader view on what they could achieve in life compared to what they were told to look at.
Signs
Signs are everything that can be seen or heard on screen or everything that can be seen or read on paper or other forms of media. Signs aren't limited to text, they can be images, sounds, gestures, movements and so on. Signs can be used to create feelings or emotions or to converse a point to the audience of the specific media format
This Image of a sign on a clear blue sky is a good example of what a sign is. The sign it self is red signalling danger and warning. Red has the connotation of danger and warning due to how it has been used for a long time with its association with danger. The white background allows the writing to stand out on the red and it makes the sign striking to any viewers the 'stop' in full caps is very loud compared to if it was written in lower case wording. The blue sky with clouds can be seen as quite calm and peaceful.
