Semiotics

 English:

1) What meanings are the audience encouraged to take about the two main characters from the opening of the film? 

That they can't talk, or they are uneducated in some sort of way.

2) How does the end of the film emphasise de Saussure’s belief that signs are polysemic – open to interpretation or more than one meaning?

That without words, you wouldn't be able to cover your point or communicate as actions could be misrepresented in any way.

Media Magazine MM68:

1) What did Ferdinand de Saussure suggest are the two parts that make up a sign? 

The signifier which is the thing that does the communication and the signified which is what is communicated.

2) What does ‘polysemy’ mean?

Multiple meanings

3) What does Barthes mean when he suggests signs can become ‘naturalised’?

When something has been used multiple times in a specific way becomes 'normal' after a period of time. For example when we see the yellow  curved 'M' we associate it with McDonalds. It has embedded within society.

4) What are Barthes’ 5 narrative codes?

• Hermeneutic/enigma code: mysterious/unexplained
• Proairetic/action code: how an action can create a follow up meaning
• Semantic code: elements in texts which have deeper meanings
• Symbolic code: symbolic meanings, e.g colours associated with traits
• Cultural code: anything related to scientific, historical and cultural meanings

5) How does the writer suggest Russian Doll (Netflix) uses narrative codes?

• A fruit going rotten: enigma- why does only the fruit go rotten, but the days are the same?
• Title- 'Russian Dolls'- compared with an actual doll, they tend to become smaller when you keep opening them but they're still identical. Correlates with how the days are the same but slowly objects are disappearing/becoming smaller- reflects enigma, symbolic and semantic codes.

Icons, indexes and symbols:

1)

Icons:

 

Indexes:

 

Symbols: 

                    

2) Icons and indexes are important in media texts because it communicates what things are and how they have been / are represented in todays world and in the past.

3) It may misrepresent what they are trying to communicate, and it also wouldn't really have a meaning towards the product.

4) https://miro.medium.com/max/1400/1*tyw3GPGyTfzeNY-akVD9vQ.png 

By saying that "white is purity", the message could be taken as racially abusive.

https://miro.medium.com/max/1100/1*sTF_pFAUVcO7Ty_2bhnAcg.png

The cellophane material is dangerous for kids as it can cause suffocation. Adverts usually warn parents about packaging material due to its dangers. Product goes against that "rule" and is promoting it. 

5)  

 

The ad talks about how having an "old car" is "classic, and coca cola is also trying to represent that have coca cola is also "classic".