Semiology, Connotation and Denotation

Representation in TV Drama

Representation is the process of analysing the ways in which film language, which includes; camera, sound, editing, and mise-en-scene) is used by filmmakers to create meaning for audiences.

We were set the task of considering how different social groups are represented through the media texts and the ways in which they represent these social groups through using deliberate film language. This process makes media both an art and a science. It could be considered an art due to the creative, visual side of using ones vision to construct a film. It could also be considered as a science due to the analysis side due to the way in which one has to back up statements surrounding the technicality of the production.

The terminology used in Mediastudies such as 'consuming the media', means that one is surrounded by different types of media. For example millions of people are subjected to media everyday when watching television. Computers and the internet is also an example of where people are experiencing or 'consuming' media everyday. This exposure to media all around us means that we become aware of media, for example we become aware of films and books that are coming out through advertising. My generation have grown up with media everywhere around them.

The Cultural Circuit:

Text à Institution à Audience à Institution à Text

Semiotics is the study of signs which act to create meaning. This particular topic examines how symbolic, written and technical signs construct meaning. Semiotics looks at how meaning is made and understood. There are some key terms that one should understand within this topic:

A Signifier the sign: a word, colour, or image. An example of a semiological signifier would be a balaclava, which acts at the signifier and robbery is the the signified.

Signified is the concept, meaning, associations that the sign refers to. An example of this would be a robbery as a balaclava can symbolise a robbery through a stereotype that has developed of robberies.

Denotation and Connotation:

All media texts have two layers of meaning.

Denotative Level: What we actually see

Connotative Level: What you associate with this image

Title sequence of Casino Royale

Information:

- Albert R. Broccoli's Eon Productions LTD.
- Daniel Craig (Leading Role)
- Ian Flemings James Bond 007
- Casino Royale
- Starring Eva Green
- Mads Mikelson
- Giancarlo Giannini
- Caterina Murino
- Simon Abkarian
- Isaach de Bankole
- Jesper Christensen
- Ivana Melicivic
- Tobias Menzies
- Claudio Santamaria
- Free Running Stunts: Sebastien Foucan
- Jeffrey Wright
- Judi Dench as M
- Associate Producer: Andrew Noakes
- Production Executive: David Pope
- Casting: Debbie McWilliams
- Stunt Coordinator: Gary Powell
- Second unit Director: Alexander Witt
- Costume Design: Lindy Hemming
- Editor: Stuart Baird A.C.E
- Director of Photography: Phil Meheux, B.S.C
- Production Designer: Peter Lamont
- Music: David Arnold
- 'You Know My Name': performed by Chris Cornell
- Written and Produced by Chris Cornell & David Arnold
- Executive Producers: Anthony Waye, Callum McDougall
- Based on the novel by Ian Fleming
- Screenplay by: Neal Pervis, Robert Wade and Paul Haggis
- Produced by: Michael Gawilson & Barbara Brocolli
- Directed by: Martin Campbell

Action:

- The ongoing theme in the title sequence is cards (Spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs) this could be associated with gambling and casinos.
- Man (Daniel Craig) with pistol shooting spades.
- Guns appear regularly in the title sequence. Guns have connotations of death and violence which are things that could feature in the film.
- As the gun passes over the queen of cards a womans face appears which is the only real erson othr then Daniel Craig so one could guess that she may be another leading role in the film.
- In all the killings the bullet is a either a diamond, spade or club and this could show that all the killings are linked to the gambling within the film.
- There is also an unknown man in a black suit fighting people whom one could guess is James Bond (Daniel Craig).

Band of Brothers Title Sequence

Information:

- HBO Original Programming

- HBO presents

- In Association with Dreamworks &Playtone

- Starring: Kirk Acevedo, Eion Bailey, Michael Cudlitz (Leading roles)

- Rick Gomez

- Scott Grimes

- John Hughes

- Damian Lewis

- Ron Livingston

- James Madio

- Neal McDonough

- Rene L Moreno

- David Shwimmer

- Douglas Spain

- Richard Speight jr.

- Donte Whalburg

- Casting: Liberman Patton

- Visual Effects Superviser: Angus Bickerton

- Special Effects Supervisor: Joss Williams

- Costume Designer: Anna Sheppard

- Edited by Fox, A.C.E

- Music: Michael Kamen

- Production Designer: Anthony Pratt

- Director of Photography: Joel J. Ransom

- Supervising Producer: Eric Jendresen

- Producer: Mary Richards

- Supervising Producer: Eric Bork

- Co-Executive Producers: Stephen E. Ambrose, Gary Goetzman, Tony To

- Executive Producers: Tom Hanks & Steven Spielberg

- Based on a book by: Steven E. Ambrose

- Written by: Graham Yost & Bruce C. McKenna

- Director: David Nutter

- Title: Band Of Brothers

Action:

- From the soldiers and guns etc one can infer that the film will be about warfare.

- The heroic but somewhat saddening music suggests that many die

- The old plane and bad quality of the video footage suggests that this film is set long ago.

- Possibly the beginning of the war as it shows hundreds of soldiers boarding a ship from the city suggesting that they are going to war

- Shows close ups of certain soldiers who may feature as leading parts in the film

- The title sequence portrays the soldiers as brave and heroic and this is made clear by the music and the footage of the men battle.

- The footage shows the soldiers together with one another through the good times and bad times suggesting that the film  may be to do with the group of soldiers

- At the end of the title sequence it shows thirteen soldiers standing in a line next to one another suggesting that they are the band of brothers.

Catch Me if You Can Opening Title Sequence

Catch Me if You Can - Opening Title Sequence

Information:

- Dreamwork pictures presents

- A Kemp company & Splendid Pictures production

- A Parkes/Macdonald production

- A Steven Spielburg film (Director)

- Leonardo DiCaprio (Leading role)

- Tom Hanks (Leading role)

- 'Catch Me If You Can' (Title)

- Martin Sheen (Actors)

- Nathalie Baye

- Amy Adams

- James Brolin

- Brian Howe

- Frank John Hughes

- Steve Eastin

- Chris Ellis

- John Finn

- Casting by: Debra Zane, CSA

- Casting Associate: Terri Taylor

- Co-producer: Devoorah Moos-Hankin

- Based upon the book by: Frank Abagnale

- With Stan Reading

- Titles by Kuntsel Deygas

- Music by John Williams

- Costume Designer: Mary Zophres

- Film Editor: Michael Kahn, A.C.E

- Production Designer: Jeannine Oppewall

- Director of Photography: Janusk Kaminski, ASC

- Co-Executive Producer: Daniel Lupi

- Executive Producers: Barrie Kemp & Laurie Macdonald

- Ex Prods: Miche Shane & Toby Romano

- Produced by: Steven Spielberg & Walter F. Parkes

- Screenplay: Jeff Nathanson

- Directed by Steven Spielberg

Action:

- Smartly dressed men and women holding suitcases and hand bags appear from all angles of the screen

- Many aeroplanes also feature in the sequence

- One can infer that the people are at an airport as an animated control tower is also shown

- Mysterious suited man changes into pilot or air-host

- The use of the xylophone for sound creates a sense of suspicion due to the pause between each hit .

- Music constructed using very similar instruments as  the 'Pink Panther', a notorious detective film could suggest similarities in Catch Me if You Can.

- Another man appears he is dressed in a smart suit with a hat similar to that of the stereotypical detective's. The hat could suggest that he is hiding from something.

- This man is looking around taking in his surroundings, suggests he is very perceptive just like a detective.

- The man in the hat follows the pilot. This suggests the rest of the film will be centred around these men.

- The rest of the title sequence shows the detective man following the pilot around.

Preliminary Task

Editing The Prelim

We began by opening Final Cut Pro onto our screen. We then searched the shared area and found our film footage that had been uploaded onto the computer already.

We then opened a new page and immediately created two 'bins'. The first one was called the 'Rush bin' where we kept all of our video footage that was saved on the program. After we'd placed all of the footage in the 'Rush bin' we then created the second bin called the 'Log bin', in which we placed all of the footage that we wanted to use for our editing.

Once we had sorted out the footage that we were to edit, we began the editing process:

1. We watched the first clip over once on a small screen and picked the point where we wanted to cut it. We then clicked on the point and pressed 'i' and a small yellow triangle appeared on the timeline below the small video screen. To end the cut we pressed 'O'and a second small triangle appeared confirming the cut.

2. Then we dragged the chosen footage down onto the timeline where the footage appeared with the yellow triangle that signified that the cut footage began at that exact point of motion.

3. We then did the same for all of the seperate clips that were in the 'Log Bin' until we had all the clips of footage cut and next to one another, in order on the timeline.

4. The clips did not flow onto one another perfectly yet so we began to cut all of the footage on the timeline in motion to create continuity and this meant that we could avoid any mistakes and if any were made which some were initially, it enabled us to correct what we'd done wrong initially. In order to shorten or lengthen the clips to create this continuity all you had to do was hover the mouse over the timeline and a razor would appear, then you either dragged it backwards or forwards to lengthen or shorten the piece of footage.

During these stages of the editing process we made a few mistakes whilst cutting the footage yet because we had used the method of continuity editing we were able to go back and correct these mistakes and this gave us the time to understand where we had went wrong and how we managed to go off track.