Theorists - Language Flashcards
Roland Barthes -
semotics
Iconic Signs/Symbolic Signs/Indexical Signs
Anchorage
Denotation/Connotations
sign, signifier, signified.
Myths: Naturalisation,Reductive,power structures anchorage
His 5 codes
semotics
Roland Barthes - Iconic signs
Theory: Media Language
page 9 in book
Iconic Signs - (literal sign) - Occurs when the signifier resembles the signified. e.g the public male and female toilet signs.
the numbers are the pages you can find this information in the book
semotics
Ronald Barthes - symbolic signs
Theory: Media Language
Symbolic Signs - (learned sign) - The signifier (the physical/material) does not resemble the
signified (concept), so the relationship between the two must be
taught. e.g the Nike sign has no natural resembalance to the brand.
page 9 in book
semotics
Ronald Barthes - indexical signs
Theory: Media Language
Indexical Signs - (implied sign) - The signifier (the physical/material) is directly connected to the signified (concept), but the relationship is at the interpreter’s discretion. e.g, people may feel nostalgic when smelling a certain perfume or feel something completely different. Or a piece of music might make someone emotional based on a link to their own experiences. Also, smoke is an indexical sign that there is a fire.
Indexical signs can be heard, smelled, seen or felt.
page 9 in book
semotics
Ronald Barthes - Anchorage
page 13 in book
Theory: Media Language
The term “anchorage” is to describe how text can be used to guide a reader’s interpretation of an image.
e.g captions and headlines in newspapers and taglines in adverts or on film posters.
semotics
Ronald Barthes - Denotation/Connotations
Theory: Media Language
The denotation of a word or expression is its direct meaning.
Its connotation consists of the ideas or meanings associated with it or suggested by it.
Page 2 in book
semotics
Ronald Barthes - sign, signifier, signified.
Theory: Media Language
Sign - the object
A signifier - the physical existence (sound, word, image)
The signified - the mental concept
Page 2 in book
semotics
Ronald Barthes - Myths: traditional
Theory: Media Language
what are the 3 types of myth’s he states?
Barthes contends that the term myth does not mean something is false but that it can be true or false.
Traditional myths, Barthes tells us, are important because they present a collective representation of the world. Myths, are allegorical - they present moral outlooks and tell us how we ought to behave.
When, for instance, Narcissus (hunter in Greek mythology) falls in love with his own reflection, we, too, are being warned about the dangers of vanity and self-absorption.
in book: (11-12)
Naturalisation/ Reductive/ power structures anchorage (11-12)
semotics
Roland Barthes - Myths: Naturalisation
in book: (11-12)
Theory: Media Language
Myths and naturalisation
As a result of the media’s uncanny ability to look and feel real, audiences understand this as a matter of fact or common sense. If a range of media products repeat the same idea enough times, audiences come to believe those ideas are not a matter of perspective, but are in fact the norm.
semotics
Roland Barthes - Myths: Reductive
in book: (11-12)
Theory: Media Language
Media myths are reductive
Barthes tells us that the media simplifies, reduces or purifies ideas. The use of this simplicity creates audience appeal, but it also has the effect of de-intellectualising and depoliticising ideas. Message reduction also discourages audiences from questioning or analysing media too closely.
semotics
Roland Barthes - Myths: power structures anchorage
in book: (11-12)
Theory: Media Language
Myths reinforce existing social power structures
Barthes believes those who have power control the myth-making process. Either through owning or indirectly channelling media content through privileged access arrangements. The powerful ‘hold all the cards’ and because of this the system is ordered and unchangeable.
Roland Barthes- name his 5 codes
- hermeneutic codes - enigmas, mysteries, and questions that arise within a story, keeping the audience guessing and prompting them to seek answers or explanations.
- proairetic codes - focuses on the narrative’s plot points and actions that drive the story forward and create suspense by prompting the reader to anticipate the resolution of those actions.
- semantic codes - elements within a narrative that carry connotations or additional meanings beyond their basic denotation, enriching our understanding of characters, settings, and plot.
- symbolic codes - signs and motifs used to create larger meanings and interpretations
- cultural codes - elements in a narrative that allude to/ reference common bodies of knowledge, cultural practices, or historical/social contexts, requiring the audience to have a shared understanding to fully decode them. The audience’s ability to decode these cultural codes depends on their own cultural background and knowledge base.
Steve Neale -
Theory: Media Language
Genre theory
Studies how genres are created and why they evolve.
Neale challenges audiences to look at their evolution over time and the way they may challenge or subvert these conventions. Traditionally, genre-based labelling classifies products into categories or families that share common ingredients.
Steve Neale argues, genre-based categories are not fixed.Genres can change and subdivide, they fuse and die
Narrative Similarities
Character Driven Motives
Audience Expectations
Iconography
Repetition and Difference
Genre theory
Steve Neale - Narrative Similarities
Theory: Media Language
Narrative Similarities:
Genre-based classifications can also be enabled through the identification of defined story structures or formulaic narrative devices.
For example, murder mysteries always include suspense and surprise within the narrative. In a news article, it always starts with an introductory paragraph of the ‘who, when and where’ of the news event.
Genre theory
Steve Neale - Character Driven Motives
Theory: Media Language
Character Driven Motives:
Audiences expect some genres to deliver explicit character-driven motives. Lead characters may have defined attributes or follow genre-driven narrative arcs.
Genre theory
Steve Neale - Audience Expectations
Theory: Media Language
Audience Expectations:
Neale also highlights the way that genres are crafted to appeal to specific audiences. For example, romantic comedies are traditionally constructed to appeal to female audiences through the relationship-based narrative. Whereas, science fiction has traditionally created appeal for male audiences through action-based male leads.
Genre theory
Steve Neale - Iconography
Theory: Media Language
iconography: This refers to mise en scene expectations (setting, costume, makeup) as well as camera and editing styles. In print products, genre-driven iconography is deployed through layouts, header styles or page constructions. For example, in western films, you’ll be able to tell through the expectations of guns, desert settings, horses etc.
Genre theory
Steve Neale - Repetition and Difference
Theory: Media Language
Neale argued that genre films are a balance between repetition and difference. The repeated elements form the basis for genre classification, whilst the differences help keep the genre fresh and appealing to the audience.
Tzventan Todorov -
Theory: Media Language
Narratology ( The study of narratives)
The Master Plot: the most basic overview of events.
The Plot: the content of a story – what happens.
Narrative: the structure of the story.
Narration: the telling of the story.
Diegesis: is the act of telling a story through narration.
Narrative codes: the media language used to tell the story
the numbers are the pages you can find this information in the book
. Propps’ Character types (27-28)
. 3 Part Narrative structure (30)
. 3 types of transformations (36)
2 states of equilibrium seperated by disruption or imbalance.
Narratology ( The study of narratives)
Tzventan Todorov - Propps’ Character types
Theory: Media Language
Pages: (27-28)
The Hero: the person on a quest to solve the problems, resolve the disruption.
The Villain/Fake Hero: the person who tried to block the heroes progress in his quest. Performs a largely villainous role and typically unmasked towards the end of the narrative.
The Helper: the person who helps the hero during his quest.
The Princess/Prize: the person who becomes a prize for the hero.
The Dispatcher: the person who sends the hero on his quest.
The Donor: the person who helps the hero by sacrificing something on the hero’s behalf.
Narratology ( The study of narratives)
Tzventan Todorov - 3 Part Narrative structure:
Page (30)
According to Todorov, stories follow this narrative structure:
Equilibrium - the story begins with normality.
Disruption - a problem occurs and creates a disruption to the normality.
New equilibrium - the final stage of the story presents characters with a new normality.
Narratology ( The study of narratives)
Tzventan Todorov - 3 types of transformations
Page 36
Transformation in attitude
Characters develop new outlooks in order to overcome the challenges they faced.
Transformation of belief
Narratives outline the beliefs and ideas we should believe in if we want to succeed.
Transformation of knowledge
Character quests provoke heroes to uncover new forms of knowledge and to dispense knowledge that is no longer useful.
Structuralism Theory
Claude Levi-strauss
Theory: Media Language
Structuralism Theory
Believed that any common themes or motifs located in those myths would reveal essential truths about the way the human mind structures the world.
the numbers are the pages you can find this information in the book
. Oppositions: Character/stylistic/Genre/Narrative (17)
. 4 functions of opposites (18) (Which can have ideological significance)
Structuralism Theory
Claude Levi-strauss: Oppositions
Character Oppositions
Audiences expect villains to fight heroes. You have young and old characters, masculine and feminine character. Character oppositions can happen in the real world products too. Newspapers deploy stories in which criminals exploit victims etc.
Stylistic Oppositions
Media products also encode products using juxtaposed stylistic presentations. For example, camera work might change from quiet still in one scene, to a pan shot in another. Transitions of this kind can reinforce wider aesthetic interest. Mise-en-scene used to create oppositions.
Genre-Driven Oppositions
Some binary oppositions are so embedded in genres that they become a convention of that genre. Science fiction for example, regularly offers audiences with ‘technology vs humanity’ narratives. Crime dramas routinely reinforce ‘law enforcer vs lawbreaker’ narratives.
page 18?
