A surface scratch on film-semiotics

Semiotics, the study of signs, consists of icons, symbols, codes, words, gestures that, most of the time, are shown on the background of the frame of a film in a likely less important manner while rendering different and subtle indications to the surface meaning of the content.

Christian Metz is the founder of film semiotics.

There are different types of signs. Each depending on its relationship between the signs and its meaning. Each sign consists of a signifier and a signified. For example, the logo of Apple is the signifier and the company is the signified. Like, the word ‘dog’ is the signifier and the creature itself is the signified.

There are three types of signifier.

• Icon: Has a physical resemblance to the idea conveyed.
• Index: Proof of existence.
• Symbol: Abstract, neither the proof of existence nor any physical resemblance.

A map is an icon resembling the shape of a country or something like that. Smoke is an index of fire. Symbols have no causal link to what it signifies, unlike index.

The idea the signifier conveys (signified) is of two types.

• Denotative: literal, specific, objective meaning to something.
• Connotative: relative, subjective, interpretative.

Apple logo is a signifier because it provides a meaning or several meanings. It’s denotative meaning could be an apple, a logo but its connotative meaning might be apple products, iPhone, wealth, rich people, capitalism and whatnot. The whole thing depends on perspectives, background, culture etc. That’s why signs are polysemic, meaning to have many or several meanings at a time.

There are essentially four categories of signs in films.

• Mise-en-scène: Literally meaning everything within the frame.
• Sound
• Camerawork
• Editing

When a sign is used frequently in a culture, Ronald Barthes argues that it can become a myth. And the process of establishing myths is known as Naturalization.

Roland Barthes’ five codes (or set of rules) of meaning are given below.

• Hermeneutic/Enigma codes: Provides mystery in the content that raises questions and suspense in the audiences’ mind.
• Proairetic/Action codes: Something is about to happen. Like drawing a gun means there’s going to be a gunfight.
• Symbolic codes: Symbols that denote the context.
• Semantic codes: Hidden meaning. Like red means danger.
• Cultural/Referential codes: Will only be understood if somebody is a part of specific cultural background/references.

Information courtesy: The Internet.

Photo courtesy of Occam's Answers