1. Vehicle Strand Interpreting Media

2. Introduction  media as vehicles/channels  meaning in media messages  using semiotics

3. Matrix (1999) Part 2

4. Branston & Stafford  semiotics (sign, signifier, signified, and difference)  structuralism (binary oppositions, e.g. Titanic)  denotation and connotation  codes (shared meanings) We will discuss these further on the Forum

5. Session Objectives  the essential basis of semiotics  practice with example: The Matrix  key terms: sign, signifier, signified, signification, semiotics, paradigm, syntagm

6. Key theorists Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913)  French linguist  Study of language as a system of ‘codes’. Roland Barthes (1915-1980)  French literary theorist  Applied semiotic analysis to media texts

7. Saussure:  Sign = signifier + signified  Signifier = words written down, gestures, colours  Signified = idea or meaning associated with the words, gestures, colours.

8. Essence of Semiotics  meaning is difference…

9. Example:  Himba tribe from Northern Namibia  Horizon, Do you see what I see? 8 th August 2011 http://www.boreme.com/posting.php?id=30670  Ochre as body decoration = sign  Names of colours = sign Meaning is difference…

10. Semiotics and Signs  semiotics = the study of signs  sign = anything that conveys meaning  e.g. Neo’s finger…

12. Signs  Signifier = finger gesture  Signified = cultural meaning  Finger = sign, conveying a meaning  anything can become a sign  cultural understanding  so how do signs convey meanings…?

13. Differences  differences between signs make meaning possible  meaning depends on what a sign isn’t  two semiotic terms: paradigms and syntagms…

14. Paradigm  a set of signs that go together e.g. all possible starters in a meal: samosa, soup, fruit salad, etc e.g. all main courses: vegetable curry, spaghetti, stew, etc e.g. all desserts: sorbet, sponge pudding, fruit salad, etc Matrix example…

16. Paradigms in The Matrix  interrogation scene: e.g. all possible lead actors: Keanu Reeves, Will Smith, Angelina Jolie, etc e.g. all possible costumes: suits, jeans, floral dresses e.g. all possible sets: bare room, shopping mall, Eiffel Tower

17. Syntagm  a combination of particular signs  each drawn from a paradigm e.g. samosa + veg. curry + sorbet e.g. fruit salad + spaghetti + sorbet

18. Syntagm in The Matrix  the scene as a whole is a syntagm  Keanu + suits + bare room

19. Meaning  the meaning of a sign depends on:  its selection from a paradigm  its combination within a syntagm  the meaning of a sign depends on:  all the signs which weren’t selected  all the combinations not made Matrix example…

20. The Meaning of The Matrix  interrogation scene (syntagm):  Keanu (not Will or Angelina) +  suits (not jeans or dresses) +  white room (not shop or Eiffel Tower)  different choices = different meaning  different combination = diff. meaning  meaning is generated by differences Any Questions?

21. Exercise In your 2 minute presentation:  explain which scene you are rewriting  explain which element in the scene you are changing  explain how this change alters the meaning of the whole scene Try also to point out:  from which paradigm you have made a new selection  what the syntagm is here

22. Semiotics and Meaning  behind every choice are all the choices you didn’t make  the meaning of a message (syntagm) depends on how it differs from all others Any Questions?

23. Environment Strand Visual and Acoustic Space

24. Introduction  McLuhan on writing and printing  two media which create new environments  key terms: visual space, acoustic space

25. McLuhan on Writing  invention of writing changes culture, society and individuals  creates a new environment  move us from acoustic space to visual space

26. Visual Space  the stuff around objects  eye focuses on objects: abstracts object from surroundings  space is what is between objects

27. Acoustic Space  how can you have acoustic space?  consider hearing…  we are immersed in sound: “We cannot bid the ear be still”  attention/focus unimportant  orientation unimportant  demonstration…

28. What is Acoustic Space?  a way of thinking about how we exist in the world  not in visual but acoustic space  acoustic space is: immersive inclusive interactive instantaneous

29. Immersive & Inclusive  immersive: all around us, perceive it all  inclusive: you’re open to everything you’re connected to everything no boundaries, undefined, unified  interactive and instantaneous…

30. Early Acoustic Space  before writing everyone exists in acoustic space  focus is on hearing not sight  listen, interact, converse (no reading)  interactive and instantaneous

31. Writing and Visual Space  arrival of writing (4 th millennium BC): shift to seeing instead of listening  solitary reading possible  we begin to think more visually  move into visual space

32. Printing  200AD  intensifies this tendency  handwriting = personal  printed book = uniform text, unknown reader  less personal, interactive

33. Evaluation  McLuhan isn’t judging: just different environments  writing and printing encourage individualism, segmentation  society, i.e. the environment, changes Any Questions?

34. Electronic Media  acoustic space emphasises: immersive, inclusive, interactive, instantaneous  visual space emphasises: distance, fragmentation, isolation, delay  electronic media: a return to acoustic space…

35. Telephone, Radio, Television  telephone = acoustic, interaction  radio = acoustic  television = simultaneous broadcast  cyberspace…

36. Cyberspace  online technologies:  email  instant messenger  chat rooms and forums  blogs and websites  social networking e.g. facebook, tumblr, twitter  written but still have acoustic qualities…

37. Cyberspace  interactive & instantaneous: Whatsapp, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat (even websites, email & forums)  immersive & inclusive: all web-pages connected (hypertext) ‘worldwide web’

38. Essence of Cyberspace  is the internet fundamentally acoustic in nature?  websites aren’t text but data  this can be read or spoken…

39. Essence of Cyberspace  Speech recognition applications e.g. Iphone voice control  Video conferencing; Skype

40. Summary  writing and print shift us from acoustic to visual space  acoustic space: immersive, inclusive, interactive, instantaneous  visual space: distance, fragmentation, isolation, delay  society and individuals segment and separate  electronic communication: a return to acoustic space Any Questions?

41. Module Forum  key themes: sign, semiotics, paradigm, syntagm acoustic space, visual space  reply, or start a new topic

42. Module Forum Remember:  to post 10 or more comments in sessions: Media, Matrix and McLuhan.  comments in Miscellaneous will not be counted in the assessment.  comments must be written over several weeks

43. Module Forum Assessment:  engage with theory  apply theory and ideas to your own media examples  interact with others’ posts

44. Before Next Week  read Ch. 3 of Branston & Stafford on ‘‘Genres’ and Other Classifications’  register and post on the Module Forum