Todays lesson: semiology

In todays lesson we talked and learned about the science of semiotics. The definition of semiotics is "the signs and symbols of communiative behaviour, the analysis of systems of communication, as language, gestures, or clothing" and "a general theory of signs and symbolism, usually divided into the branches of pragmatics, semanics and syntactics".
So basically, in the case of what i am going to do: the analysis of the sign and sybolism which comes from a photo. What a photo could tell us about a person using connotations (the meaning behind a description) and denotation (the literal meaning of that description).

Denotations often lead us onto a connotation: for example, the woman is wearing a diamond ncklace, therefore suggesting she is a very wealthy lady who likes to impress.

We did a 2 big sheets in class which one featured photos of an old lady, a youthful girl, a sexy woman and a brightly-haired young girl. With these photos we had to write what we thought aboiut them and words which we associated with these women. To do this we had to be very stereotypical and judgemental, however people need to be put into categories in order to create a target audience and to have an idea of how to target this audience.

There were also some more keys words: context and anchorage: the way that different media language elements combine to help fix meaning. Elements which finalize and certify a meaning. Print based media texts will use anchorage to help readers interpret the photos they used to illustrate their stories or articles. Basically when lots of descriptions all link into one full fixed meaning.

Here i have done my own examples of signs and signifiers, denotations, connotation and context and anchorage:

 Denotations: Black leather bikini, dark hair, centre frame, smiling, lots of make-up, action-style belt, half-naked, strong and confident persona due to hands of hips and focused eyes, attractive to men, sexy, dentermined eyes
Connotations: sexy, daring, tough personality,

FINISH

Plans for this week.

This is a list of the thing i need to do this week:

- Look at previous students blogs: Jordan Bezants - animation
                                                    Lydia Earl - documentary
                                                    Tom Palmer and Blaine
                                                    James Wigger - Website
                                                    Sam Webber - short film

- Throughout the year make sure i remember to record useful websites (which i did in my previous blog).
- Look at the media studies blog.
- Look at my last years blog to see if i can include anything onto this blog.
- Find out how to create a website and do some practice/drafts on it which lead onto my final website. Post evidence of these websites to show the process.
- Choose a brief and research it.
- Research and talk about all three of the sub-briefs to then choose two which i will definitely do.

My first post.

This is the second blog i have ever done and hopefully it will go as well as the first. The evening of every media lesson i will try to upload a post about the discussions and the information i have discovered in that lesson. This is mainly for my benefit so i can look back to them for reference and to also show my journey of production and learning through the year. There are some main points i need to know which i have outlined:

• This blog and the project i am planning to do must be done by January, so i can alter it for the strict deadline in February.
• Show my ability to plan and construct a media product using the appropriate technical and creative skills.
• Show my knowledge and understanding through the process of the project and also when i finally evaluate my own work.
• Show my ability to undertake, apply and present appropriate research - whenever i do anything, always make sure research has been to done to make sure i am doing the correct thing that will target the correct audience.
• My media portfolio will be produced through a combination of two or more o the following medias: a video, print, web-based, audio (radio) or games software.
• Make sure i do a good amount of work - informative but not boring.
• Be organised and start SOON!
• Make evidence of EVERYTHING i do.

I am planning to work on my own as last year things went very successfully and i was able to keep things controlled and organised.
I have a big list of the things i need to include in my blog. E.g: target audiences, planning of posters etc. This list also tells me what i must include to gain the higher marks. I will follow this as much as i can.