WEEK 3 - Revisited of semiotics.

Other than verbal or non-verbal (action) communication, signs also provide human with an understanding of communication way before words are created which seems to be more persuasive. Signs do not necessarily associate with symbols. "The sign is the whole that results from the association of the signifier with the signified" (Saussure,1983) By understanding the theory of semiotics which also means the study of sign can help us to understand how ideologies are visually constructed. Thus it can be apply as a tool to analyze how human use visual images, pictures and signs to communicate either as a persuasive communication or as a production of 'meanings' for the audience to interpret. 

Before that, I will explain briefly about signifier, signified, denotation and connotation which must be understood before analyzing signs in the form of any ‘text’. Sign is a result of signifier and what can be signified or interpret by the audience or receiver.

Sign can be divided into three categories:

1)Iconic - it is a representation of reality through the process of imitation.

2)indexical - sign which compels attention without giving any information about its object.

3) symbol - a meaning that we get from the symbol.

Signifier – form of which sign takes. (in the form of text, sound, images and object.) – According to Saussure.

It is also define as a unit of something that can carry out ambiguous or multiple meanings – define by Mardy S.
The signifier is form by all 5 senses of human which is sight, smell, touch and sound.

Signified – ‘A concept in our mind are shaped by the signifier that our language provide for us to think and to talk with’ as mentioned in Bignell, Jonathan. Media semiotics: an introduction. (1997). Manchester University press. Manchester.

Denotation – literal description and meaning of a signifier of a sign.

Connotation – representation and concept of the sign.

A signifier - W A R S

A signified - what do you have in mind? this? 

                  OR

                   This?

                  OR 

                          This?

Its all up to you and your imagination when the you read the signifier. 

The input (signifier) of signs may made up from one sources but the output (signified) or result of this signs produce a different interpretation depends on the individual and its cultures. I will explain about this further with accompany with examples below.

Here, i will explain regarding connotation and denotation.

Connotation - three guys near the lack shooting for a dug. Two of them used a shotgun in order to catch the dug. And the last guy which seems to be more shorter is using a vacuum cleaner.

Denotation - although the two guys who uses shotguns seems to be more good in shooting but they choose somebody who seems to be naive in that activity. but at the same time they prove that our physical appearance will not be a problem towards what we desire. with a strong vacuum like that, it will manage to get what we desire for which seems to me for the purpose of cleaning.

The input (signifier) of signs may made up from one sources but the output (signified) or result of this signs produce a different interpretation depends on the individual and its cultures. I will explain about this further with accompany with examples below.

 To me, in order for we to understand or analyze media, it is useful for we to have knowledge about semiotics. In order for we to understand the meaning, first we should understand the sign. More or less, without the explanation from the signifier, it is hard for us to understand the message which they try to sent. 

for example in the above picture, without that tiny little symbol of mouthwash Listerine, maybe we will denotes a different meaning according to our present knowledge. Maybe we will think that the priest is giving a worst speech ever. We can call this as 'anchoring'. It anchor the whole image to be more narrow into a specific interpretation for the viewers.

Here's another anchoring process in a video advert.

Without the last line which act as an anchor in the end of this video. we might not understand that this video designed specifically for a condom advert.

We also should understand that the interpretation of meaning is depend on so called 'codes' which also means set of rules which agree upon by a community. Without the acknowledgement of this 'codes', it is hard for a society or audience to interpret the meaning of that sign that they did not understand or disagree. Maybe a 'non-smoking' signs will not be that affective when you put it on the wall where the native people live. this is because they are not familiar with that sign and they did not even agree or exist that sign in their culture.

 Thus, ‘semiotics is concerned with everything that can be taken as a sign’ (ECO 1976, 7). As mentioned by Chandler.D (semiotics : the basics), which is define by Umberto Eco that semiotics involves the study not only of what we refer as ‘signs’ in everyday speech, but of anything which ‘stands for’ something else. In a semiotic sense, signs take the form of the words, images, sounds, gestures and objects. In other words, it is the study on what and how meanings are made and how does representation of signs reflects the reality of the world.

 REFERENCE :

• The Art of the Subject: Between Necessary Illusion and Speakable Desire in the Analytic Encounter.

• Bignell, Jonathan. Media semiotics: an introduction. (1997). Manchester University press. Manchester.
• A theory of semiotics by Umberto Eco (P. 178)