semiotics tasks

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

the film shows how language is not needed to communicate but however without words can be misunderstood and interpretd differently as multipe times people though that the boy was going to stab someone or shoot the shopkeeper however that was all a misunderstanding as he was holding a banana instead of a gun and  a pencil instead of the knife.

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?

As it was physically implied that he was going to stab someone as he had his hand in the pocket grabbing something however the knife was never physically shown and was never there but was interpreted

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

Ferdinand de Saussure said that anything can be interpreted as a sign and signs are made up of two parts – the signifier and the signified. 

2) What does ‘polysemy’ mean?

It means the argument on whether multiple interpretations can be made in thesame piece of text.

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

signs both have a signifier and we perceive it through our senses or  the implied as it is the physical form of the sign.

) What are Barthes’ 5 narrative codes?

 hermeneutic code, proairetic code, cultural code, connotative code, and symbolic code.

1) Find two examples for each: icon, index and symbol. Provide images or links.

Icon:

index:

symbol

2) Why are icons and indexes so important in media texts?

as an icon shows exactly what it is physcially resembling which is important s media use it to keep the reader intrigued and also makes sure they understand. An icon is important as it gives the reader an implied sign. this gives evidence for the reader.

) Why might global brands try and avoid symbols in their advertising and marketing?

As a smbyol as no resemblance between the signifer and the signifed and they must be culturally learnt which would make it hard to be globally understood everywhere has different cultures.

4) Find an example of a media text (e.g. advert) where the producer has accidentally communicated the wrong meaning using icons, indexes or symbols. Why did the media product fail?

This was published in 2002 and was majorly offensive as it was an index advertisement which was believed to imply 9/11 as the drinks replicated the towers and the fly replicated. Furthermore the phrase "collapse into cool" implies the collapsing of the towers. This made people furious and instead of the drink being popular the poster was more popular for extremely bad reason.

5) Find an example of a media text (e.g. advert) that successfully uses icons or indexes to create a message that can be easily understood across the world.

i believe that the nike is a successful use of icons and index's. The just do it phrase is a positive icon which attracts people and he tick is an index as it is a representation of the brand as its an implied sign of the brand .