Roland Barthes : Semiotics

Roland Gérard Barthes (RB), a French essayist and social and literary critic who wrote about semiotics and influenced many theories. Semiotics is involved with RB's work on the science of symbols. Semiotics, the studying of signs and their meanings. Involves denotations and connotations involved in seeing signs/ symbols.

RB's work is heavily linked to the terms signifier and signified, that comprise what makes up a sign. Signifier's: a symbol, sign, picture, sound or even word. These link with the signified, which is the meaning of the signifier.

RB's work also includes denotations & connotations. Denotations, are the literally and factual meanings of the signifier. Connotations are feelings and opinions based on the denotation. These together, end up creating Myths.

RB theorised Open & Closed texts. Open texts are open to interpretation and can have many different subjective meanings that are individual to the audience. Closed texts are those that are produced with a single, definitive meaning in mind, rendering any interpretation from the audience inaccurate.

RB theorised abut the five codes. The codes included: The symbolic code, the referential code, the semantic code, the hermeneutic/ enigma code and the proairetic/ action.

The symbolic code summarised is taking the meaning for things and finding deeper meanings for them. The referential code summarised is references to texts notions towards external knowledge (historical, factual ect...) The semantic code is the voice of the person. Any further meaning through connotations. The hermeneutic/ enigma code is mystery and slowly clues given to allow clarity or the narrative. The proairetic/ action is the hiding and revealing the story to increase suspension and engagement.

Dry Your Eyes - Media Video Project

Media Key Words

Naturalistic Mise-En-Scene

This consist of the setting, costume, lighting and actors would be derived from or closely imitating real life or nature.

Linear Narrative

A linear narrative is the story in chronological order.

Narrative Disruption

The narrative, which is the story told out of the chronological order

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In the video "Unfinished Symphony" by Massive Attack, why would you describe the miss-en-scene as naturalistic? Why would you then describe the mise-en-scene in Fatboy Slim's "Ya Mama" as less naturalistic?

• In unfinished symphony, the mise-en-scene, referring to the actors, setting, costume and lighting is completely normal, not abstract in any way. The band, unfinished symphony is a very serious band and this is then represented through the video. However, Ya Mama, who's artist is extremely carefree and seems to not care about what shenanigans go on in is music videos. We see his video as non-naturalistic, everything that happens during that video is not what would happen in real life. It is all staged and not natural

In the video "Ya Mama" by Fatboy Slim why would you describe the narrative as linear? Why would you not describe the narrative in "Unfinished Sympathy" by Massive Attack as linear?

• Ya Mama has a narrative, it is also told in chronological order. The story plays it in a natural order and the way it would normally. This is what is meant by the term "linear". As apposed to this we watch Unfinished Sympathy, and although it plays out naturally there is no real story being told through the scene. We are shown elements of things and aspects of different lives whilst not having a true linear narrative, or story being progressively told throughout the scene.

At what point in "Ya Mama" is there a narrative disruption? Explain the event and how this disrupts the initial equilibrium of the scene.

• During Ya Mama the narrative disruption occurs very early, at just 38 seconds into the video. We so far have experienced equilibrium as the Red-neck hillbillies ring about there business, painting ornaments, playing the guitar, watching junk food and watching Tom & Jerry. He listens to the music and the narrative is disrupted. They are sent into a crazy state. This does not stop throughout the whole video, affecting the whole of the market and also the price.