Semiotics blog tasks

 Part 1) English by Tarun Thind analysis

1) What meanings are the audience encouraged to take about the two main characters from the opening of the film?

That they are hoodlums, a pair of troublemakers who have no respect of the elderly.

2) How does the end of the film emphasise de Saussure’s belief that signs are polysemic – open to interpretation or more than one meaning?

Well in the beginning and through the film, the two main characters are interpreted as the bad guys but at the end there is a plot twist of them being mute which then makes us feel bad as most of us judged the book by its cover.

Part 2) Media Magazine theory drop: Semiotics 

1) What did Ferdinand de Saussure suggest are the two parts that make up a sign?

Signifier and signified.

2) What does ‘polysemy’ mean?

When something has multiple meanings.

3) What does Barthes mean when he suggests signs can become ‘naturalised’?

He means that sings can become so widely proceed that as a society we collectively think of a specific image or meaning for a specific sing.

4) What are Barthes’ 5 narrative codes?

Hermeneutic, Proairetic, Semantic, Symbolic, and Cultural

5) How does the writer suggest Russian Doll (Netflix) uses narrative codes?.

The movie is about two characters who are stuck in a nerve ending loop of constant death but there is a twist, every time they die and the day restarts the universe gets smaller just like the when u open a Russian doll which makes perfect sense when we think about the movies title.

Part 3) Icons, indexes and symbols

1) Find two examples for each: icon, index and symbol. Provide images or links.

Icon:

YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

Google

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn-icons-png.flaticon.com%2F512%2F720%2F720255.png&tbnid=jgQEZeN3SmcicM&vet=12ahUKEwivpoCDtMWBAxUSoUwKHS-yAGkQMygBegQIARB2..i&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.flaticon.com%2Ffree-icon%2Fgoogle_720255&docid=2rlJI9gPhJPOBM&w=512&h=512&q=icons%20google&hl=en&client=opera-gx&ved=2ahUKEwivpoCDtMWBAxUSoUwKHS-yAGkQMygBegQIARB2

 
Index: C-h-a-i-r       C-a-s-t-e-l

Symbol: 

Love

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2Fthumb%2Fc%2Fc8%2FLove_Heart_symbol.svg%2F1125px-Love_Heart_symbol.svg.png&tbnid=VfzBYj5OALSrZM&vet=12ahUKEwjPqpPXtMWBAxUsmicCHWCVCJkQMygBegQIARB5..i&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fen.m.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFile%3ALove_Heart_symbol.svg&docid=Eva7hsOapvDNGM&w=1125&h=1031&q=symbol&hl=en&client=opera-gx&ved=2ahUKEwjPqpPXtMWBAxUsmicCHWCVCJkQMygBegQIARB5

Peace

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ8MjNiOQA104V_bSqxfTJSan7GEsp0LKGHrA&usqp=CAU

2) Why are icons and indexes so important in media texts?

Because without them nothing has meaning. without indexes what meaning does "love" have or "hate", it has nothing. Without icons things will always have to be described using specific word. Why say "a social media platform which you post pictures" when you can just say "Instagram" and most people will automatically have an image in their mind of what your talking about.

3) Why might global brands try and avoid symbols in their advertising and marketing?

Symbols constantly change. A specific symbol for an example a rainbow, back in the day used to be a symbol of a lifelong covenant or promise between God and his creation. Now its a flag used to represent gay people. 

4)Find an example of a media text (e.g. advert) where the producer has accidentally communicated the wrong meaning using icons, indexes or symbols. Why did the media product fail?

In 1985, Coca-Cola introduced a new formula and logo for its flagship soda, known as "New Coke." The updated logo received a largely negative response from consumers, leading to a public backlash and a return to the original formula within months. The new logo and formula conveyed the message of change, but it was interpreted as a departure from a beloved classic.

5)Find an example of a media text (e.g. advert) that successfully uses icons or indexes to create a message that can be easily understood across the world.

Apple's iPhone Icons: Apple's iPhone uses a set of simple and intuitive icons for common functions like making calls, sending messages, and accessing apps. These icons are instantly recognizable and universally understood, making the iPhone user interface user-friendly across different cultures and languages.