Semiotics: The study of sign processes.
Denotation: A meaning of something. What is shown.
Connotation: What is implied by the image.
Denotation:
Got home late from work - night job. Pays the babysitter which sows she is a single mum.
Her clothes are quite old and this may show her class.
She is rushing around and this may show she is under stress.
The houses in the street are all attached together and this could show that its not a very rich area.
Connotation:
Mum coming home late from work.
Taking her kids to school in the morning by herself.
Old street.
What does sound bring to a media text?
It can cause different emotions e.g. a happy song could be in a romance film.
It can also be used to create suspense.
Can create different atmospheres.
Sound sets the tone/mood.
Four types of sound:
Diagetic sound - comes from the scene itself. Add atmosphere.
Not diagetic sound - Sound that is added over the scene to create a particular mood, e.g. a programmes theme tune.
Synchronised sound - Occurs when there is a match between the visuals and a sound track .
Selective - To highlight and emphasise particular areas of a text.
Sounds in The Street:
Non diagetic sound as the scene starts.
Selective sound - when the children are shouting, creates a sense of stress.
Synchronised sound - In the shower and when the door closes.
Mise -en-scene:
- Selective sound - When the people are talking. Repetition of the word 'please', this causes different emotions and creates different moods.
- The governors are all dressed in smart clothes, whereas the mother and her children are wearing old clothes.
- Also the way they sit they slouch a little whereas the governors are sitting up straight, this also shows there status is higher.
Discuss the ways in which status is represented in the clip:
In this answer you must:
- Use media terminology and vocabulary.
- Discuss the different types of sound by name.
- Make your answers as detailed as possible.
Status is represented in many different ways in this scene. You can see the different class when they first walk into school as they are sitting in the waiting area there is another family who look very posh and are wearing better clothes. The sound at this stage is diagetic sound. Then they go into a room and talk to the school governor people and the sound is then selective, when the mother and other woman are speaking. The mother also repeats the word 'please' a lot, and this shows she is begging as her class is lower. They are also sitting lower down than the other people.Lastly, when she talks at the end before they walk out there is synchronised sound. There is also the aspect of lighting, there is light on the governors whereas it is quite dark where the mother and her children are sitting, this adds to their status.
Mise-en-escene: The governors are sitting upright and they are higher up than the family showing the difference in their social class.
Sound: The sound when they are in the waiting area in diagetic sound.
Lighting: There is also the aspect of lighting, there is light on the governors whereas it is quite dark where the mother and her children are sitting, this adds to their status.
