Intro to Semiotics

Semiotics is a study of signs and an aspect of media language which communicates with the audience. The key aspects include facial expressions,costume, colour,lighting and set designs.All media texts are a system of signs and symbols which convey meaning to the audience. The denotation of semiotics is the literal meaning so what you can actually see and hear whereas the connotation is the symbolic meaning and what it suggests.

For Example:          

The denotations of the word heart are: muscle,blood,organ,pump.

The connotations are:love, valentines, happiness.

 Semiotics with sound 

There are two types of sound: diegetic sound which is the sounds on set whilst filming and non-diegetic sounds which our sound effects which have been added afterwards(soundtracks to create a mood/atmosphere).

Example ' The Shining'

This clip is relevant to my course work as i have chosen to do a horror genre for my film opening and this film matches the genre.

Diegetic sounds:

• Dialogue 
• Window opening
• Breathing
• Door opening
• Knock on the door
• Wind
• Axe hitting the door
• Screams
• Footsteps

Non -Diegetic  sounds:

• High Pitched sound track

Analysis

The combined use of both diegetic and non-diegetic sound are effective in impacting the effect of a film on the audience. A prime example of this is in this clip where the appropriate use of sounds convey the sinister, scary narrative. Diegetic sounds such as the window opening,characters breathing and the axe hitting the door make the scene more effective as the sound aids the characters to know exactly  what is going on so tension begins to build. The diegetic sound of the characters' dialogue and screams played under the non-diegetic sound track is the key aspect of building an emotion response in the audience. The jumpy sound track with inconsistent notes and instruments signals to the audience that something unexpected and shocking is going to happen.