ROLAND BARTHS
SEMIOTICS - denotations and connotations
media products are decided by their readers. Therefore both “denotative” and “connotative”
reading exists. Denotative reading is when reader recognize the physical content of media imagery. Connotative decoding is when reader subsequently engages in the process of analyst the physical context and identify the meaning that it coneys.
Barths' 5 code symphony
1. Hermeneutic (enigma) codes
construct a moment of mystery to intrigue the reader or viewer to ask question and engages them to keep reading or viewing. It is used commonly in the opening of a movie to attract the audience to build interest so they have the will of keep watching it.
One example of enigma code in movie opening is SAW. It started with a man waking up in a dilapidated bathroom, everything is dark around him. This create a sense of disorientation and intrigue audience to ask several questions like: “who is this man?” “Why does he wakes up in this space? ” “Where does he located?” etc. The opening does not give audience a clear information about what is actually going on, aiming to get audience attention and makes them wanted to find out furthermore about the film so audience won’t get bored.
2. Proactive (action) code
offer meaning through action or demonstration.
3. Semantic codes (connotative elements)
refers to any element produce a single connotative effect. In a film, this could include mise en scene (lighting, color usages).
4. Symbolic code
Repeated symbols coveys a deeper meaning (repeated theme or visual motif are reference throughout the story)
5. Cultural codes (referential codes)
Inclusion of material that generates meaning dean outside the product. examples could be proverbs, costumes or idioms.
The media’s idealogical effect of media consumption:
1. Neutralization: present ideas as natural fact or common sense. Audience get to believe those ideas are not stereotypes or specific ideas through times of repetition on different forms of media.
2. Media myths are reductive: media turning complex contents to easy information.
3. Media myths reinforce existing social power structures
CLAUDE LÉVI - STRAUSS
BINARY OPPOSITION
include polarizes themes to explore human experiences. States that narratives are structured in pairs. When we look at themes within stories they consists of differences, conflicts or opposites.Strauss believed thees oppositions are fundamental to our ability to make meaning in our lives.
1.CHARACTER OPPOSITION: villains vs. hero/ masculinity & Femininity. In most of MARVEL productions, character oppositions exist to be the most obvious thing. Villains and heroes are 2 opposing characters building conflicts and therefore a clear line is drawn to distinguish good and evil. As a stereotype, we walk into the cinema with already knowing the end which is hero will always defeat villains, but we are aiming to see the process of the conflict.
2. NARRATIVE OPPOSITION: failure and success — deliver finale of story excitement through a narrative collision.An example would be “The pursuit of Happiness” The film tells a story of a man’s self development through the process of failure to potential success.
3. STYLIC OPPOSITION: Encode products using juxtaposition in technical codes of film. This created aesthetic interests.4.GENRE-DRIVEN OPPOSITION: Oppositions deeply entrenched within genre. The concept of technology verses humanity often appears as an opposition in sci-fi product. In crime dramas, There will be plot involves law enforcer and law breaker. Example of genre-driven opposition in film would be “AI”,this film discuss the content of technology and humanity(mostly love) as an opposition. Delves deeper in robots’ ability of love and human’s inability to accept it. The purest and permanent love are actually coded by technology, contrasting with true and cruel humanity.In this world, robots tries to pursue self values but ended up with find out that they are actually nothing except substitute and tools.
FILM NOIR
noir is the grey area between the absolute black and white. This blurred our impression of good and evil. In film “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, The Red Queen initially symbolizes evil. However, we draw sympathy to the red queen when we look at her childhood and thing shapes her to this flawed personality. She is not absolutely evil, it is just the unfair treatment in her childhood makes her behave like an villain.
Problems
Oppositions lead to a status of hierarchy, one side has to win the conflict which is ties to the structure of narrative. Because of this, audience are expected to agree with, and favor the wining side. The can create a dangerous “norm”
VLADIMIR PROPP
Analyzed hundreds of Russian folk stories in an attempt to uncover their underlying narratives structured. She come up with a conclusion of characters whose roles and narrative functions her defined as follows:
The hero
The villain
The princess ad the princesses father
the donor
the helper
the dispatcher
the false hero
Propp suggested that stories do not necessarily have to use all the characters listed. There are 31 “narratmes” (stages) to form a typical similar narrative structure.
1st sphere: INTRODUCTION
arratmes 1-7 introduce the situation an the main characters, setting the scene for the subsequent adventure.
2nd sphere: THE BODY OF THE STORY
The main story started here and extends to the departure of the hero on the main quest.
3rd: sphere: THE DONOR SEQUENCE
In the third set of functions, the hero goes in search of a solution, gaining the magical agent from the donor. Note that this is itself may be a complete story
4th Sphere: THE HERO’S RETURN
In the final (and often optional) phase of the storyline, the hero returns home, hopefully uneventfully and ti a hero’s welcome, although this may not always be the case.
Harry Potter As an example
The hero: Harry Potter, the protagonist of whole movie
The villain: Voldemort
The princess: Ginny Weasley
The princess father: Arthur Weasley
The princesses father:
the donor: Dumbledore
the helper: Ron and Hermione
the dispatcher Dumbledore
the false hero: Professor Quirrell, he is believed to be good but actually intend to kill Harry.
Tzvetan TODOROV
Todorov highlighted the importance of character transformation within a story. He suggested that an idea narrative is organized using allowing story structure.Equilibrium: constructs a stable world at the outset of the narrative. This is the part of stability
Disruption: Oppositional forces— action of villain, disable the equilibrium. Lead the protagonist attempt to repair the disruption.
New equilibrium: disruption is repaired and stability restored . It is the equilibrium achieved at the end of the story is different to that outlined at the stated.
NOTEBOOK AS AN EXAMPLE:
In this film, the initial equilibrium establishes inside a nursing home, gives the information about Noah and Allie being an old couple. However, Allie forgot everything because of alzheimer's disease when aging. Noah, his husband, start reading a story to her, which is their story...to help her memorize: Tow young lovers met one evening at the carnival, starting their love story.
The disruption at the stage is That they are separated by Allie's parents who disapproves of Noah's unhealthy family and moves Allie away-. They broke up and fall in love with someone new.
The new equilibrium established after several years later. Allie saw Noah's photo on the newspaper before her wedding and decide to go and say farewell. However, when they see each other again they knows that they never forgot about each other according to the deep roots of love inside. They started new relationships and lives happily ever after.
However, the story does not end. There is another disruption which is Allie's trauma became severer, walking toward the destination of life. The disruption finally recovered by the brand new equilibrium: Noah and Allie passed away together with each other's accompany, when sleeping, without pain.
STEVE NEALE
repetition and differences
Steve Neale states that all genres dominated by reputations but marked by differences, variations and changes. Difference is a vital elements in develop genre economy.
Repetition is the stereotypes and conventions which overlaps in most films under one genre, while difference is the approach to subvert the conventions & codes and make them differentiate from other films in same genre.
The reason why repetition exist is that the typical elements in genres keep attract targeted audience and the elements which are characterized help the film to maximize profit from the aiming audience. However, it can still be bored in some extent.
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