ipl-logo

How Are Semiotics Used In Films

1326 Words6 Pages

Semiotics is the science of the signs (Biemann, no date). One system of signs we know is language. Films are also capable of using a kind of language made up by sounds and pictures containing semiotics. The great thing about film language is that it is universal. We can all interpret a film language and get different meanings from it (Biemann, no date).
We live in a world of signs, and of signs about signs (Hawkes 2003). Semiotics play a big role in our world as they seem to interpret how to read things, how to describe them as well as how we react to them. Signs are also read on other people, either by reading it on their faces or physical appearance and gestures. This essay will analyse the semiotics used in films, narrowing it down to Halloween …show more content…

Theatre is a polysemic text, that is, there are many possible meanings (Semiotic Theatre, no date). The main purpose of a theatre is to be able to transmit signal to the receiver, which is the audience. The signals are encoded by the senders (including: writers, actors, directors) and then decoded by the receivers, with different meanings (Semiotic Theatre, no date). Although it’s up to the writers and directors to include any semiotics within their films to convey to the audience, the message is not always the same as the creators of the film intended it to be. Depending on the receiver’s feelings, emotions, awareness and education, different meanings can be attained as a result of them having different point of views of the film and how they want to enjoy …show more content…

Semiotics within the film industry are very important to analyse while watching any type of film, to understand the characters, the narrative and to be able to separate the weak from the strong, the good from evil. The horror genre takes advantage of semiotics by using different signs that define the characters, as well as the villains or monsters. Within the horror genre, especially the Halloween sub-genre, we can always define the characters by their costumes and their first impressions of anything unorthodox that happens during the beginning of the film. Also, the mask plays a big role as you can only read the mask, and the person behind the mask is completely hidden, as Paul (2015) described it referring to his clown make-up. Therefore, semiotics play a big role in our world as they seem to interpret how we read things, how to describe them as well as how we react to

Show More
Related

No Sugar Textual Conventions

1001 Words | 5 Pages

The use of language, stage directions and dialogue.

Read More

Halloween In The Anthropocene By Craig Santos Perez: Poem Analysis

265 Words | 2 Pages

In “Halloween in the Anthropocene,” Craig Santos Perez uses the structure of his poem to make his point. Although it is a prose poem, it is still separated into stanzas. These stanzas do not follow the structure of the sentences, but rather the structure of his argument. For example, Perez urges us to “[p]raise the souls of black // boys, enslaved by supply chains” (3-4) through not one, but two stanzas.

Read More

Symbolism In P. D. Cacek's The Grave

815 Words | 4 Pages

The horror story is a uniquely interactive genre. Its main objective is to make the reader feel something, whether that be fear, anxiety, suspense, or any combination thereof. These feelings are evoked with the use of a monster, depending on the story it can be an external source, like a vampire or werewolf, or it could be something inside one of the characters, something in their psyche. In her story, “The Grave”, P.D.Cacek utilizes the literary elements of symbolism, imagery, and point of view.

Read More

Our Zombies Ourselves Parker Analysis

621 Words | 3 Pages

In “Our Zombies, Ourselves” author James Parker speaks to moviegoers and monster fans about that slow-moving creature of horror known as the zombie. In the essay, he attempts to uncover the reason for the zombie’s sudden and extreme popularity. To do such a thing he unearths the history of the zombies in film, literature, video games, and other media, and he sheds some light on their real origins – which all lead him to the conclusion that zombies are popular because of their “ex-personhood” (345). Throughout the essay Parker uses analytic language peppered with metaphors, description, and colorful references to some of the latest and greatest depictions of zombies, which help to bring the essay and the monsters to life and keep the audience’s interest.

Read More

Symbolism In Night Of The Living Dead

926 Words | 4 Pages

Despite its unorthodox style, Night of the Living Dead does not fail to be more than just a story about zombies antagonizing a group of people. The film uses a multitude of techniques that create an array of signs and symbols. These can be used as various underlying meanings for the viewers. Moreover, the symbols can be used as direct references to the events of the late 1960’s.

Read More

Symbolism In What's Is Eating Gilbert Grape

1110 Words | 5 Pages

Different films use different styles in presenting the information to the readers. The strength of the information to be passed also depend on the symbols, images and other style used. Symbols involve something that is visible in the films and can be used to express the main information represented in the film. Some films may not have a clear summary of what is going on but through the symbolism style, the reader can keenly observe the film and understand the author's message to the readers. The film, "What's is eating Gilbert Grape", by Lasse Hallstrom, the author applies various symbols to pass the information to the readers.

Read More

Theatre 115 Response To A Play

426 Words | 2 Pages

Theatre 115 Response One Chapter 10 highlights the importance of the interaction between the audience and the performers. If the audience on a given night is altogether apathetic in regards to the performance they have gone to see, then it will serve as a negative impact on the overall confidence of the actors once they pick up on it. Theatre is often used to provide an insightful reflection of the way in which society is functioning at a given time. One example that was not listed in the book is Hair, which goes well with the other listed works critiquing the Vietnam War. Certainly, it is a piece that is capable, even today, of stirring up certain sentiments within an audience, even if the audience was not necessarily alive during the original

Read More

10 Out Of 12 Analysis

860 Words | 4 Pages

The cast of the play are unaware of the audience, however, the audience is able to listen to dialogue that occurs throughout the theater, whether it is in the headsets between technicians, on stage between the actors playing their characters in the play and between the director and actors who make adjustments when necessary. The third fourth wall was at its edge of breaking, where the audience is almost unable to tell whether what they are experiencing is real or not. As an observer of the rehearsal of this play, this wall was broken when I understood that what I was watching was a rehersal of a play, of a rehearsal of a play. It was difficult to describe or understand when the cast of 10 out of 12 were actually in or out of character. The complexity of this play lies in the use of metatheatre, which has been exploited to its fullest extent

Read More

The Crucible Film Analysis

955 Words | 4 Pages

The artistic choices made in the production of cinema have a great impact on the way the audience will perceive certain aspects of the performance. One director may choose to highlight a certain scene, while another director may push it aside as trivial. A majority of the symbolism behind theatre lends itself to open interpretation, but some underlying messages have a widely accepted truth. In Nicholas Hytner’s 1996 interpretation of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, lighting and camera angles help accentuate the importance of particular moments throughout the film. I chose to analyze the courthouse scene in which Deputy Danforth asks Elizabeth whether or not John Proctor committed the crime of adultery.

Read More

Compare And Contrast Essay On Into The Woods

1065 Words | 5 Pages

As you are watching the stage production, the actors might make a really funny joke that is made toward the other actor, but they look towards the audience and make funny faces and other things and the audience laughs and the actor that is being made fun of just sits there and ponders about what is going on. Another thing that is related to this topic is the the stage production can break the fourth wall and actually talk to the audience with makes for a better. Others can say that movies can have the same effect on people and it doesn’t matter if it is a stage production or movie. They might also say that there are movies that have broken the fourth wall like the movie Deadpool. In Deadpool the main actor talks to the audience all the time.

Read More

Essay On Madea Halloween

665 Words | 3 Pages

“A Madea Halloween” movie will be funny, scary, and dramatic. I believe people should go watch this movie because Tyler Perry has a background for making funny and dramatic movies. In the past, he has produced dramatic movies like Madea’s Big Happy Family and Diary of a Mad Black Woman. From the commercial preview, the movie “A Madea Halloween” will be funny because of Madea's funny voice along with her other great character skills that make an audience laugh.

Read More

Ancient Greek Influence On American Culture

512 Words | 3 Pages

The Greeks were the first to introduce the concept of theater. As a matter of fact, one performer, Thespis, created the idea of a chorus, which was a group of people that expressed opinions, gave advice, and had the author’s point of view. The chorus would be the equivalent to the “score” in modern theater. The International Thespian Society, an organization formed to honor student’s success in the theater, was named after Thespis. In Greek theater, the place that the actors performed was called the “paraskene,” while in modern theater it is called the stage.

Read More

The Globe Theater During The Elizabethan Era

690 Words | 3 Pages

Most didn’t sit and watch in silence like today.” (The Globe Theater, Robson). The Audience presented their emotions towards the show if they felt like it. If they did not like the play they would throw things and booed to the actors, on the other hand if they did like the play that was showing they would cheer on and encourage the things that were happening on stage. People in this time acted and knew differently than people do

Read More

Narrative Essay On Halloween

1619 Words | 7 Pages

I was putting my Halloween costume on when I heard something moving in my closet. I turn to the closet door half dressed with a curious look on my face. In my mind, it being Halloween, I thought I was just hearing things or my little brother was playing a prank on me. I walk out the door to my room, down the stairs and as I was about to walk out the front door my father caught me, “Where are you going?” he asked “Out, it’s

Read More

Research Paper On Waiting For Godot

1686 Words | 7 Pages

“Godotmania” Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot completely changed our perception of theatre as a whole, thanks in part to the unique and unusual path it took on the wide map of theater. It is perhaps those two words, unique and unusual, that best describe everything we associate with the drama, from its obscure plot and characters, all the way to the stories told of its curious production history. It is safe to assume that when Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot was first released, nobody had expected that a nonsensical ‘adventures’ of two senile old men and their ludicrous inactivity would go on to have such an impact on theater. Ever since its release, the play had been treated as somewhat of an outlier, giving headaches to producers and actors alike. However, the few that had successfully tackled the production of such an absurd drama, can vouch for its importance.

Read More

More about How Are Semiotics Used In Films

Related Topics

Open Document