Semiotics Theory 💡

Question 1

Who was the Semiotics Theory created by?

Answer 1

Roland Barthes.

Question 2

Semiotics

Answer 2

The study of signs.

Question 3

What are signs?

Answer 3

Signs are anything from brands and symbols to colours and camera angles.

Question 4

What is a signifier?

Answer 4

A sign that creates meaning.

Question 5

What is a Denotation?

Answer 5

The literal meaning of a sign.

Question 6

What are Connotations?

Answer 6

The signified meaning or the ideas associated with a sign.

Question 7

Polysemic

Answer 7

To have multiple meanings.

Question 8

Why are signs selected by media producers?

Answer 8

To create specific meaning.

Question 9

What does Barthes argue?

Answer 9

Barthes says that if a sign is used consistently in culture, the sign can become a myth.

Question 10

What is a Myth?

Answer 10

A widely accepted dominant connotation of a sign.

Question 11

What is Naturalisation?

Answer 11

The process of establishing myths.

Question 12

What are the elements in Barthes’ Semiotics Theory?

Answer 12

1. Hermeneutic Codes (Enigma Codes)
2. Proairetic Codes (Action Codes)
3. Symbolic Codes
4. Semantic Codes
5. Cultural / Referential Codes

Question 13

What is a Symbol?

Answer 13

An image which has come to represent something else.

Question 14

What are Semantic Codes?

Answer 14

Parts of a media product that we understand have a hidden meaning.

Question 15

What are Proairetic Codes (Action Codes)?

Answer 15

The elements of media products which signify that something is going to happen as a result.

• For example, if someone pulls out a gun in a movie, we know that there will be a conflict or some sort of bloodshed that will occur.

Question 16

What are Hermeneutic Codes (Enigma Codes)?

Answer 16

Enigma = mystery, so it’s any mystery parts of a media text that will engage the audience and makes them watch / read the full media text.

Question 17

What are Cultural / Referential Codes?

Answer 17

The parts of a media product which you will only understand if you are part of that culture.
- For example, you may only be able to understand a media text if you come from the same society, race, age, gender, ethnicity, historical period, or country that the text is talking about.

Question 18

Why are Cultural / Referential Codes good and bad?

Answer 18

1. They’re good because they engage particular audiences. They also add layers of meaning to create a particular narrative for the audience.
2. They’re bad because some audiences may find the text hard to understand as they don’t have the cultural / referential knowledge, excluding some audiences.