Media Theory 1: Semiotics

 Media Theory 1: Semiotics

This this first post in a series of posts on media theory, I will show you all the media theory of Semiotics. Made by Roland Barthes, it's a theory we will explore in the opening sequence of Punch-Drunk Love.

The clips shows off each of one of these traits, a sign, signifier, signified, denotative meaning, connotative meaning, and a code. Here's what each represent in the scene.

Sign: All the colors around and on Barry.

Signifier: Barry covered and surrounded by blue

Signified: Barry's feeling of isolation

Denotative meaning: It's the color of his clothes and office space.

Connotative meaning: Blue represents negative feelings, like sadness, coldness, and being alone.

Code: His blue suit, blue office, him being tucked in a corner of the room, his mountain of papers.

    This meaning of this clip is to show how everything is about to flip in Barry's world. The clip shows him isolated in a room, alone and calmly doing office work, when suddenly we jump to the warm toned outside and a random car crashes and another one drops off a piano suddenly. Barry is now ripped from his alone and quiet work to a new, sudden situation that he would of never been prepared for.