Semiotics

Semiotics are the signs that draw attention to give the image a meaning. The signs draw attention representing how something is structured. It is the form of social criticism, the theory by Ferdinand de Saussure and Charles Sanders Pierce. The theory says that semiotics is a way of figuring out the link between all the mise-en-scene, lighting editing etc.
Semiotics can be talked about by using signs. A sign is a basic unit of meaning; anything that means something to the viewer. Therefore, a sign can also be used to tell a lie.
Signs have two areas that work on leading in a more descriptive and a wider meaning.
Signifier is where a sign can indicate something; clothes, expressions, locations etc. Signified is the concept referred to signifier. E.g. a happy relationship is shown when models are captured happy and together.
For example, if the word 'rose' is shown on screen or said, people would automatically get different images related to that word according to their experience and ability. Therefore, signifier would work as the denotation and the signified would be the connotation of that word which leads on to making more sense of that object or word.

Metonym is used as a part of something to refer to it as a whole. It is a sign that works to refer to someone/something. E.g. piece of clothing that a person always wears.

All the signs together are cultural paradigm; a collection related to association.
When doing a tagline we'll have to consider it so it is a pun/rhymes.

In brief, we would need to produce a series of signs to ensure the audience of our product understand the meaning as we want them to. To make sure we get this through to the audience we would need to have the correct facial expressions on the right shot, appropriate costumes, lighting and also the speed of our scenes. All these would work in making our trailer attention drawer and likeable which is what is needed in a trailer.


The main sign we feel we will use within our trailer is characters running, this sign is a action. Within the location, the action of running connotes to fear the unknown. The characters are in fear of it, thus if the audience read this sign correctly they may perhaps also fear this element that is unknown to them.