Please refer to the pdf titled semiotic analysis to learn how to structure your
semiotic analysis. This outline is aiding you in brainstorming and not academic
essay writing. Meaning filling up this table does not equate to a completed
essay.
Conducting the Semiotic analysis
people
Who/what
is
represented
(people/object)
By whom?
place
What is the setting of
the image
(location/events)
Presence and distance
What is immediately
apparent/visible
(foreground) and what
is perhaps silent or
invisible (background)
purpose
Is there a caption or
description attached to
the image?
Does
the
caption/description
reflect the image in any
way?
meaning
What was the intention
of the person who made
this?
What
meanings/ideas/feelings
did
they
want
the
viewer to pick up?
affect
Which aspects of the
image
was
most
impactful for you?
Draw on specific details
of the image to illustrate
your response
Please refer to the pdf titled semiotic analysis to learn how to structure your
semiotic analysis. This outline is aiding you in brainstorming and not academic
essay writing. Meaning filling up this table does not equate to a completed
essay.
What are the denotative
Denotative
signs you can pull out?
Are
they
iconic,
symbolic or indexical?
identify between four
and six significant signs
Connotative
What
are
connotative
the
meanings
of the signs you pulled
out.
Connotation
-
emotional
the
and
imaginative weight of
what is seen in terms of
concept/ideas
these
stand
What
in
for.
signs/symbols
(i.e.
objects and other props)
assist in understanding?
TOOLS:
Colour Palette –
What are the effects of
colours on the overall
appeal of the image?
Here consider contrast
and saturation/intensity.
Compositional meaning:
How
is
the
image
constructed? (i.e. visual
aesthetics)
Placement
Determined
by
the
reading path; direction
your eyes follow as
determined
image.
people/objects
by
the
Are
Please refer to the pdf titled semiotic analysis to learn how to structure your
semiotic analysis. This outline is aiding you in brainstorming and not academic
essay writing. Meaning filling up this table does not equate to a completed
essay.
central/peripheral
(on
the edges)?
Framing
This is the combined
amount and distribution
of visual information
presented/not
presented. Frames can
bring
together
separate
or
items.
Consider angles
constellation
Construct
initial
constellation:
Identify
the theme (eg., wealth,
beauty, authority) that is
common to three
or more signs.
ideology
Propose ideology: Draft
a brief sentence that
offers an attitude or
advocates
an
action
related to the
theme (eg., wealth is
good, beauty requires
youth,
authority
is
necessary etc).
discourses
Based on your visual
analysis, what is/are the
discourse/s
being
reinforced
challenged
or
in
this
image?
Does the Ad reinforce or challenge particular beliefs and
values in society
Please refer to the pdf titled semiotic analysis to learn how to structure your
semiotic analysis. This outline is aiding you in brainstorming and not academic
essay writing. Meaning filling up this table does not equate to a completed
essay.
Writing the semiotic essay:
What is your argument
Thesis statement
of the essay that you
will state in your intro
and
cohesively
demonstrate/explore in
your essay
What topic sentence
Topic sentence 1
would you write for the
first paragraph? This is
the opening line of the
firstparagraph
which
contains the argument
of that paragraph. Topic
sentences
help
you
maintain one argument
per paragraph
What theory would you Theory:
theories
use to support this topic
sentence?
Write also its definition
on the second column.
NB:
your
chosen
definition should not
contradict
argument
What
denotative
connotative
meanings
and
drove
you to your topic sentence?
Outline these. Pull from the
advert (remember in a column
above you had stated these. Now
your
Definition:
Please refer to the pdf titled semiotic analysis to learn how to structure your
semiotic analysis. This outline is aiding you in brainstorming and not academic
essay writing. Meaning filling up this table does not equate to a completed
essay.
use them here to push your
argument)
Do you need further evidence
to solidify your topic sentence?
Which evidence would you use?
Eg. Similar campaigns from
L’oreal,
or
other
cosmetic
companies/other media campus/
or what about contemporary
culture?
Use the format to write paragraph 2 and 3 etc of your essay.