Denotation and Connotation

Denotation and connotation are media words

They are used when analysing images

These images can be still images or moving images

Producers use denotation and connotation is used to target a specific audience

A picture is worth 1000 words

Denotation is what you SEE image

Connotation is what that image means. What is being represented?

 

Denote	What you see Denote, signified, denotation, shown, portrays, illustrate
connote	The meaning behind what you see Represents, connotes, connotation, signifies, infers, suggest, Implies, indicates

 

Point

Denotation

Connotation

 

What is the point?

State what textual analysis section I am seeing

Sound

Miss en scene

Cinematography

Editing

Example of a point: within the miss en scene the women are represented to be inferior to men

 

Denotation

What you see?

SPECIFIC example of the extract

You must use sound, miss en scene, editing and cinematography terms

Your example should be specifically from the extract

You should describe as though the examiner has never seen the extract

Examples

The cinematography detonates a close up of a woman’s eye

Denoted in this extract us the use of red in the miss- en scene

Illustrated in the next clip is

The juxtaposition of the man who is a woman is portrayed within the editing

 

Connotation

What do you think the deeper meaning is and what does the director want the audience to interpret?

Examples

The connotation of this close up is

The colour red within the miss en scene signifies

The cross cutting represents

Image B denotes a picture of Ed sheeran when he was younger in the foreground. The background shows a contrast of colours fading in to black. The cinematography is a close up of his face. The connotation could suggest that  the picture is to do with Ed sheerean younger life and the good and bad things about his life this is linked the contrast of colours as the blackness should suggest bad things in his life while the colourful colours could suggests happiness and happy times in his adulthood. The idea of Ed covering half his face could suggest he has something to hide or he is embarrassed about