Use of Signs in Television and Film

While watching television or a movie, certain camera shots and editing techniques are used to signify certain meaning. For example, according to Arthur Berger, author of Media Analysis Techniques, a close up shot, focusing on a person's face signifies intimacy. A long shot, capturing the setting and characters signifies context, scope, and public distance. When the camera pans down, camera looks down, signifies power and authority. When the camera pans up, looks up, it signifies smallness, or weakness. When we watch television or films, these shots and editing techniques help us to understand the story, characters and/or program better. These signs help us to interpret what we see and hear on the TV.

Something that signifies a deeper meaning is a sign. Signs are used in the media all the time. For example, certain products may signify a certain status, class or style depending on their advertising and consumer perceptions. Symbols and icons are used often to establish an identity, especially in the corporate world. There are many different products, and each brand is trying to establish an identity. So by creating an icon or symbol to relate their product to, meaning also is established to the brand. These icons and symbols are also examples of signs. They signify something. When consumers think about certain brands, or when they see their logo, different meanings and emotions can be related to the product. For example, Starbucks coffee signifies comfort. The Hummer signifies power and ego.

People use signs to convey certain notions about themselves as well. Hairstyle and clothing are signs to what people may be like. When I see someone with a Mohawk, I think that they might want to be different and probably have interesting and unique views on society, culture, style, and/or music. I might assume they listen to Punk rock. I might assume they resist authority in some way. I get these assumptions by the interpreting signs they provide. The hairstyle is a sign that tells a little bit more about the person, just by viewing them. Body language, gestures, voices, and facial expressions are all signs that help people understand each other or gain insight to who this is, their personality, and sometimes even their values.

Music can also be a sign. Sounds can provoke certain emotions. This is especially important in TV and films. Certain sound effects and music make the TV or film more realistic, and help the audience to feel the emotions related to what they are watching.

People interpret signs everyday, and don't even realize it. Our culture and society teaches us what these signs mean as we are brought up in our communities.

In the movie, What the ***** do We Know, they used many different camera shots, sounds, and visual images. The female photographer character was viewed as frustrated, confused, thinking deeply about life, and insecure during the majority of the film, up until the end. They convey these emotions and help the audience to understand her character by using camera shots and different camera techniques. Camera shots such as close up, full shots, and medium shots were used. To signify intimacy, close up shots were taken of the characters face. The audience was able to understand the character by her facial expressions. The audience can feel what she is feeling because it is close and personal. They used the full shot to signify social relationships. The audience was able to understand how the character reacts around and with others. With this type of shot, the audience can watch the characters nonverbal communication, which is a good indication of how a person is feeling or what a person is like. A good example of this shot is when the photographer was at the wedding reception, drinking and dancing with the man. We understood the feelings and interaction of the characters because we could see their nonverbal communication from a distance. They also used medium shots to signify personal relationships. Medium shots are when the camera is focused on most of the body. This allows the audience to understand the character’s personal relationships with ideas, thoughts, or things. They also moved the camera in (dolly in) when she was thinking or focusing hard. This camera editing technique signifies observation and focus. This character was partly deaf, so she did not talk very much. But certain camera shots and her facial expressions, gestures, and body language were signs that gave the audience an accurate perception of her character. The movie also had a lot of cut editing technique, which is switching from one image to another. This signifies simultaneity and excitement. The movie had a lot of different images switching back and forth, which did create the intended excitement at those times. Of course the beginning and end were obvious by fade in and wipe. Fade in is when the first images appear on a blank screen, signifying the beginning of the movie. Wipe is the technique when the image or images are wiped off the screen, concluding the movie. This production did an excellent job at using signs to convey the message of the movie.

Signs are used everywhere, everyday, through multiple mediums. It is interesting and extremely useful to view the signs used in television and film production as a way to convey incites to personalities, emotions, ideas, and to better understand the characters and the film itself.