Semiotic language
The following language should be used in textual analysis tasks where appropriate. In general, you should always avoid simple statements like 'this shows that' or 'it draws the audience in', and use the following terms instead. Definitions for all terms can be found here.
- Connotes
- Signifies
- Constructs
- Designates
- Anchors
- Constructs a myth
- Encodes
- Narrative code
- Visual code
- Technical code
- Gesture code
- Genre code
- Symbolic code
- Proairetic code
- Hermenutic code
- Cultural code
- Referential code/intertextual reference
- Naturalises
- Cultivates
- Message reduction
- Meaning implosion -
- Paradigmatic feature
- Structures
- Fetishises
- Mode of address (formal, informal, direct, uncomfortable etc)
- Diegetically situates
- Positions
- Aligns
- Deconstruct
Advertising
- Codes and conventions
- Layout and design
- Composition
- Images/photographs - camera shot type, angle, focus
- Font size, type of font (e.g. serif/sans serif), colour
- Mise-en-scène – colour, lighting, location, costume/dress, hair/make-up
- Graphics, logos etc.
- Language – slogan/tagline and copy
- Anchorage of images and text
- Elements of narrative
Moving image
- Codes and conventions
- Camera work – framing, shot types, angle, position, movement
- Editing – pace, type of edits, continuity/montage Structure/narrative
- Sound – music/dialogue/voiceover
- Mise-en-scene – colour, lighting, location, costume/dress, hair/make-up
Music video
- Codes and conventions – performance/narrative/experimental features
- Camera work (framing – shot types, angle, position, movement)
- Editing – beat-matched?
- Elements of continuity/montage
- How does the video interpret the music and/or lyrics?
- Structure/narrative
- Intertextuality
- Sound
- Mise-en-scene – colour, lighting, location, costume/dress, hair/make-up
Newspapers
- Point of view and ideology
- Codes and conventions of news products/newspapers/type of newspaper
- Layout and design
- Composition – positioning of headlines, images, columns, combination of stories
- Images/photographs - camera shot type, angle, focus
- Font size, type of font (e.g. serif/sans serif)
- Mise-en-scène – colour, lighting, location, costume/dress, hair/make-up
- Graphics, logos
- Language – headline, sub-headings, captions
- Copy
- Anchorage of images and text
- Elements of narrative
Television
- Genre codes and conventions
- Genre theory
- Genre fluidity
- Camera work - framing and composition shot types, angle, position, movement
- Lighting and colour
- Editing – pace, type of edits, continuity
- Narrative construction, related to narrative theory
- Sound – dialogue, music
- Mise-en-scene – setting and location, props, costume/dress, hair/make-up
Magazines
- Codes and conventions – changes over time?
- Layout and design
- Composition - positioning of masthead/headlines, cover lines, images, columns
- Font size, type, colour
- Images/photographs - shot type, angle, focus
- Mise-en-scene – colour, lighting, location, costume/dress, hair/make-up
- Graphics, logos
- Language – headline, sub-headings, captions – mode of address
- Copy
- Anchorage of images and text
- Elements of narrative
Online media
- Homepage and other pages
- Codes and conventions
- Layout and design
- Composition
- Font size, type of font (e.g. serif/sans serif), colour
- Images/photographs - camera shot type, angle, focus
- Mise-en-scene – colour, lighting, location, costume/dress, hair/make-up
- Graphics, logos
- Language - formal/informal mode of address?
- Anchorage of images and text
- Elements of narrative/structure around the site
- Interactive features
- Menu bar and navigation – structure and design of the site