Semiotics

Saussure’s Signs & Semiotics

For this post I will briefly look at Semiotics and Saussure’s ideas in signage and how this is relevant to my product, then I will analyse the opening titles of a film just using Saussure’s signs. Semiotics is simply the study of signs.

Pierce – “We only think in signs”

Saussure came up with the idea of Signifiers and the Signified. A signifier is the form a sign takes, for example image/text. The signified is the concept the sign represents, the signified is different to everyone because it is based on social/cultural experiences. I will present an example – the image on

the left (Ferdinand de Saussure). The Signifier is an image, an old black and white photograph. The Signified to me in that image is that it’s an early photography picture, the character is formal due to his suit. He is serious and deliberately posing. It reminds me of the 19th century, the Victorian era and the moustache makes me think of a high ranking societal individual. One of Saussure’s main theories is that ‘All signs lead to other signs, there are many layers of meaning’. This theory is shown with my example above, it initially reminds me of the Victorian era which leads me to think about the industrial revolution and factories which makes me think about child labour, the list continues on and on. The Pacific Opening Titles – Semiotics Analysis The video of The Pacific opening titles is shown below, I would recommend you watch it first as I will use and analyse screenshots to shows signifiers and signified. You need only watch the first two minutes as I will not analyse anything after that.

As you can see it is a very symbolic trailer that requires careful thought about the signified. I will now select a few choice screenshots that have an interesting and creative signified.

 

The signifier of the image above is a video of a pencil drawing a line across some paper (0.10 minutes into the video). The signified is the idea of creation, something being built form nothing. Of memory, some memories are only preserved in paper and lead. The traditional writing implement reminds us of an era gone by, of a simpler time. What the lead is drawing is significant, we can only see a line, a starting point, something basic and two dimensional that has the potential to grow and develop, rather like man himself.

 

 

The signifier of the image above is a still from a video of soldiers running away form an explosion (1.10 minutes into the video) , the juxtaposition of the colours, the bleak grey and white background set against the vibrant stain of red. The signified immediately reminds us of death and destruction. Also I see a conflict and going by the soldiers it is reminiscent of the 20th century, an era infamous for conflict. Now that I imagine a time period the signifier means something different, it now represents a Japanese flag, The Rising Sun. This image is a perfect example of how a signifier is constantly adapting and how you can see new perspectives the more you look.  

 

 





The signifier of the image above is a still from a razor blade sharpening the leaden writing tool (1.17 minutes into the video) . It is an extreme close up of the action and allows the viewer to see the visceral violent harsh cuts the razor makes. The signified is an interesting contrast between modern and ancient, the olden writing tool blunt and past its time with the modern new industrialised razor sharpening it and bringing it back to life. It symbolises a symbiosis of future and past, the past needs to survive with modern technology in order to preserve its memories, lead on a page for example. The harshness of the action makes us consider the barbarity of life, of how the razor is cutting off ,with little effort, parts of the lead, refining it but losing some of it in the process, suggesting that in order to move forwards, you need to move on/refine the past.

From these examples above it is easy to see how Semiotics has a large role in media, this is why I did the research. Every tiny detail could have meaning, people could take away different experiences making me understand that detail to the extremity has to be taken in my film opening. Thanks to Saussure and Pierce media can take many forms and many meanings for each person, we do only think in signs.