Wednesday 20 September 2017

TERMONOLOGY Semiotics key terms: This is England

Denotations:

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This boy isn't very rich and we can see that from the ripped wallpaper, the cheap looking lamp and the fact that his nightstand is on a chair.





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Connotations:

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The text is worn and gritty giving the film a darker/ more serious theme. It connotes that it is a drama instead of a comedy. It also connotes that the setting could be in a rough area.




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Signifier:

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This framed photo of the main characters father signifies that he was killed in action during the falklands war. It portrays his father as a war hero. We know he was killed as this isn't a normal photo to have at your nightstand unless it means a lot to you



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Binary opposition:

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In this scene there is an older kid  helping/ being nice to a smaller kid (the main character) because he looked "beat up" and then when the main character explains he's being picked on the older teenager doesn't laugh at him unlike his friends.



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Polysemy:
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This photo (explained before) could mean that his father died in action, but it could also be there as a reminder of him because the boy misses his father. Yes this is somewhat the same, but he can still miss his father because he is on a mission currently and/or not there at that given moment.




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Anchorage:
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This scene anchors war as there is 3 guys dressed up as soldiers, a wounded man on a stretcher and a helicopter in the background.






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Commutation:
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This first shot of Margaret thatcher makes us unsure if the movie is about her, what she's done and how it has affected people. It could be about that but could also just represent England in the 80's as she was in office then.




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Preferred/Negotiable/ Oppositional reading:

Preferred:
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This Duran Duran concert is a perfect example of preferred reading because people aged 40-60 now were probably the primary audience of Duran Duran. This means this is something the audience with that age can relate to this shot a lot more compared to a teenager these days. This is because the teenager today simply wasn't alive when this band was "at large."


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Negotiable:
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A bit like before some people can interpret this two different ways and therefore it is negotiable reading. The director wants to say one thing but another person might think of it as another thing but still get part of the idea which the director is trying to get across.




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Oppositional:
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This shot is very odd and the only reason it is in the opening of the movie is because it was made during the same time period as the movie is set. Someone who didn't know this would probably interpret this shot as a foreshadowing. They could also interpret the movie to have the genre of action as The Knight Rider is an action movie.



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Narrative enigma:

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When the audience isn't sure what is going on in a scene and therefore are uncertain of what meaning is trying to be created. For example in this scene there is a bunch of fighting going on and the audience has no idea why because it has just cut straight into the action. We are unsure about whose side is winning, if there even is a side? We are also unsure of why and how it begun.


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Intertextuality:

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It is when a media makes links or references to another form of media or text in the world. For example, these specific costumes links into the Boy George Culture Club. This was a culture which was highly followed in the 80's by many teens throughout the world. They would dress up and try to act like none other than, Boy George.



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1 comment:

  1. B: Mostly excellent analysis/examples, but some need further consideration: you haven't used the term denotes; not a great example for bin opp; polysemy: there is no anchorage YET this is his father; commutation [consider switching a signifier around] if this was a left-wing leader instead... PRESENTATION: make the terms into clear sub-headings; introduce the post with a brief explanation of what its about.

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