#emilyshort

We were asked to create a 45 second stop motion animation using the book we had to buy from a charity shop over the inter semester break. Already done some tests using the book and words from the front cover of the book.

Critical Perspectives Week 3 Notes

IMAGE AS LANGUAGE: The science of sign systems.

Contents : Semiotics and Structualism Key theorists - Ferdinand de Saussure - Charles Sanders Peirce - Roland Barthes Signs Texts Iconic, Indexical and Symbolic Signs Intertextuality

SIGN = signifer (significant) form + signified (Signifie) concept Cat = ’cat’ + (picture of cat)

The arbitrariness of spoken languages meaning can be illustrated by looking at writing systems. A phonetic alphabet records sound values I.e the letter ‘A’ corresponds with a particular vocal sound.

Ideographic system uses symbols to represent a thing or idea without indicating any of the sounds in its name.

Different types of signs:

ICONIC SIGNS = look like they thing they signify E.g. portraits, photos etc.

INDEXICAL SIGNS = refer to other knowledges E.g. natural signs: clouds signify rain, footprints signify feet etc.

SYMBOLIC SIGNS = have meaning only due to convention E.g. rods, flags etc

STRUCTURALISM

Everything we encounter is a ‘text’ that we ‘read’

LANGUE = the structural rules and conventions within any system PAROLE = the spoken/individual usage of signs within a system

BONDWICH = a graphic designer who designed some articles for harpers bizarre, very modern for the time he created them.

PINK video language: costume, special effects, makeup, bodies, extra, locations, props I.E keyboard, piano, kids toy, lighting switching between black and white film.

Language seen from one still: Main figure: male, tall, black, muscular, loose fur coat, baggy jeans, shirt/vest, gold chain, baseball cap, do rag, stubble, hair covered still, facing communication, pointing at audience, eyes are visible, looking at camera and not the woman

Secondary Figure: white, small, female, short top, shorts, thick high socks/boots, trillbe, dancing, side on to the camera, eyes concealed by the hat, focus is on her body.

Setting: Urban, concrete basketball court? Smoke rising suggests industrialised. Natural light showing transition, maybe dusk, artificial lighting four visible lights in background shot.

Non-representational signs: camera is below the mans eyeline, audience is looking up at him, off camera lighting is focussed on the figures, figures are cropped, can only see 2/3’s of them. Lyrics and music

Sign: signifer (fur coat) + signified (functionality) Signifies glamorousness, the function of keeping warm, old money/investment, that he’s a pimp, animal cruelty.

Post structalism: meaning is not contained within a text, it relies on knowledge of other external texts to ‘make sense’ of it

ESSAY CONTENT 1200 words

Part 1: the question =

“PROVIDE A DETAILED CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF A CULTURAL TEXT”

What is a cultural text? What do we mean by critical analysis? Critical = disposed to judge or discrimination with care and precision, contributing to a decisive judgement: critical evidence Analysis = a method of determining or describing the nature of a thing by resolving it into its parts. Critical analysis = provides a well rounded balanced investigation One that is, well researched, methodical, logically structured and clearly articulated.

FOR THE ESSAY

1. Identify your subject

2. Break it down into its component parts/key words/concept/elements

3. Decide which of those points interests you the most ( make sure can be covered in 1200 words)

MODULE SPECIFICATION FOR ESSAY

-knowledge of some of the key critical theories and issues underlying ongoing debates around creative practices and their relationship to the workplace

-awareness of aspects of the historical development of creative practices in art, media and design and of the contexts of production

-the development of analytical and critical studies

-development of research and library skills

-the ability to observe describe and contextualise. SEMINAR TASK: - Reflect on fieldwork - what were our groups significant findings - what feelings did you find surprising/challenging - if you had to do it all again, what would you do differently and why?

HOMEWORK:

Consider what cultural text you might choose to study and write about for essay

Be clear about rationale behind the choice I.e why I want to spend time researching it and how it will benefit me and my practice

Consider the type(s0 of critical discourse(s) that might be employed to make sense of your chosen text.

Look at the ‘research hub’ on blackboard

Critical Perspectives Week 2 Notes

WHAT IS VISUAL CULTURE? Visual culture is the connection between say advertisements and how they connect to a certain audience. i.e Old Spice shower gel = original advert is aimed at adults, to then have puss in boots recreate, yet even though it was from a film aimed at children, this certain advert was aimed at adults still because they understand the connection between the two.

It combines cultural, historical, political, psychological, and philosophical and other critical frame works to make sense of contemporary.

Due to time restrictions you will receive a largely Eurocentric account of visual culture. - NOT because other cultures are inferior or unimportant. As researchers you should be aware of the position ally of the authors of the texts that you encounter. Writers are not disinterested, objective viewers, they are uncultured and positioned We all have a position and that position is not neutral. We are sophisticated readers of cultural ‘texts’

‘text’ does not literally mean text.

ASSESSMENT: We will need to make a poster (250 words) We will need to write an essay (1200 words) We will also need preparatory/supporting work from blog.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF RESEARCH: Primary = new, unmediated date/information. This is information taken straight from the source as it were. i.e through surveys, questionnaires, one-to-one interviews, trials, subject, observation tests etc. Primary research can be used to collect both qualitative and quantitative data.

Secondary = information that has already been gathered and interpreted by someone else for a purpose of their own. This can also be used to gather both qualitative and quantitative data. Remember information gathered via secondary research is ‘mediated’