Semiotics

What are Semiotics?

Semiotics are the study of signs, and also anything which stands for anything else. We read images and pictures in an attempt to decode them and to make sense of what they mean to us. Semiotics are used in film posters for viewers to get an inside view of what the film is about if they analyse closely, this then plays a big part in out decision whether or not we are intrigued to watch the film or not from the film poster.

Denotation - What we see when we look at an image.

Connotation - What is understood from an image when we look at it in closely detail.

In our lesson we we practiced the process of denotation and took a look at four different coloured squares - Red, Blue, Yellow and Green. In pairs, we discussed what objects or feelings came to mind when seeing these colours. Together as a class, here are a few denotations we came up with:

Red Blue

Love, Anger, Evil, Calm, Ice, Cold, Boys

Communism, Socialism Authority, Conservatism

Desire, Heat, Passion Cleanliness, Strength,

Assertivness, Daring. Sadness.