Media Language Theories

Saussure

There are 2 levels of meaning to an object within a media text

• Signifier 
• What we can see
• The form the sign takes
• Signified
• What idea we associate with the signifier
• The concept it represents

The sign or symbol we see does not make sense without the meaning it creates

It's up to the audience to decide on which meaning the word 'bank' takes until it is defined by the text

Can your audience make sense of the signs you use?

• AS
•  
• A2
• 
  

Is there any ambiguity to your coursework piece?

Barthes

Looks at how meaning is created by media texts

This meaning is influenced by society and the audiences experiences

• Denotation
• What we see
• Connotations
• Any specific meaning attached
• These meanings are normally culturally significant

How have you used connotations in your coursework piece?

• A2
• Red lips - connotations of love and lust - links back to the digipak "Outspoken"
• 
  

How might different audiences respond to this?

• A2
• Males - sexulise her because of this 
• Women - see it as a fashion statement - want to copy her

Hall

Continues to look at meanings within media texts

Looks at preferred reading of a text

• Encoding
• What is written within the media text is placed there by the producer of the text
• Will either challenge or promote the dominant ideologies
• Decoding
• Audience will then decode this message and make their own interpretation of what the image means

Believes the media circulate the 'dominant ideas'

Producers encode these ideas into media products with the intention that the audience interpret the preferred or intended meaning

Other readings that Hall makes

• Oppositional 
•  feminist - woman is on display - man lifts her up - stronger in society
• being sxulised and seen as an object rather than a person
• Negoatiated
• Typical of a pop video + society
• Preferred
• Empowered - purposefully putting her self on display 
• Trend setter/ style icon - mise-en-scene

What messages have you encoded in your coursework?

• A2
• Couple in love - cuddling, holding hands, kissing etc
• Promote dominant ideologies - heterosexual couple
• Challenge - mixed ethnic couple - not white - conforms to the song genre though
• Idea of love and lust - couple, protagonist wearing red lipstick - red - leggings as well. Bright colours - locations - sequined clothes - fireworks
• 
  

What readings can audiences decode from these images?

Bright colours on location - happy, bright, fun - image of young love
Red lipstick - love, lust
Two shots of the couple - them being in love

Look at coursework micro elements

• Camera angles 
• Two shots of the couple 
• Close ups of the artist + body
• Range of camera angles in the brick wall - variation - on level with the artist - viewers are equal 
• Editing
• Fast paced for build up to the chorus - reflect the tempo 
• Slo mo - running couple - happy + in love
• Fast forward - limo scenes - reflect increase in tempo 
• Sound 
• Song = upbeat 
• Dance song
• Song will have a light hearted meaning
• Mise-en-Scene
• Tight clothes - show off protagonists body - male gaze
• Fashionable clothes - style icon - need to be followed
• Camera Movement
• Pans over her body
• Pans and tilts to follow the couple - main focus
• Hand held element - home video - more sentimental
• Special Effects
• Slo mo - her running with a smile - dream like - finding love in a hopeless place
• Fast forward - fast paced to follow the tempo 

This is the language of your coursework - how have you used these language elements to create meaning and "speak" to your audience?

Refer to genre etc