Cinema and Television: Cultural Literacy

I want to argue if it is true that television and film could affects our perception of reality and changes the politics of our identities. The reason why I am investigating this issue is because sometimes, I find myself was being influenced by certain ideas from the film and believes that what was being portrayed in the film is the representation of reality.

I use one of the P.Ramlee film, ‘Madu Tiga’ which is in Malay Language. Only Malays and Malay literate community can understand the story and all the jokes embedded in the film. Because as stated by Hirsch (2001), “Knowledge of words is an adjust to knowledge of cultural realities signified by words, and to whole domains of experience to which words refer. Specific words go with specific knowledge.”- Hirsch, 2002, page 2.

As stated by the writers of the book ‘The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy’, “When people hear the term cultural literacy, they sometimes associate it with artistic CULTURE- with opera, BALLET, painting, poetry, sculpture, architecture, and classic music. These fine arts are, of course, only part of cultural literacy, but they do make up an important domain of experience that people must aware of to communicate with the other literate people in our society. For many people, the appreciation of the fine arts helps brings satisfaction, joy, and meaning to life; and every person deserves to be exposed to good arts, whether popular or classical.” - Hirsch, 2002, page 163. Thus, the classic song by P.Ramlee in this film also considered as cultural literacy which brings upon the meaning of the story as well as representation of reality.

This film is a story about a married man, Jamil (starring by P.Ramlee) who has three wives. He manage to deals with the situation by playing tricks and lies but in the end, everything reveal as his wives finds out that there were married to the same man (Jamil). As a punishment, Jamil is require to be fair by alternately staying with each of his wife in the rotation of ranking (the first wife comes first, then the second and later the third). In the end, they are all happy with it and agree to be husband and wives again.

The story influences my perception of reality that having three wives is not that bad. However, I do not like the idea because I’m a woman. I do not like being two or three- timing by guys, so I go against it. But, for guys, they might influence by the concept of having two or three wives is good as long as you know how to handle the situation by playing tricks and so on. This perception of reality will indirectly change the politics of their identities and their desire of having two or more wives.

According to the writers of the book “Presence: human purpose and the field of future”, “When I say “We see the world not as it is but as we are,” I’m offering it as a timeless leadership lesson consistent with Humberto’s groundbreaking work in the biology of cognition. We all tend to think of ourselves as objective observers, but none of us are. If I want to see things change ‘out there,’ first I need to see change ‘in here,’” – Senge, 2004, page 9. In conclusion, everything we observe will affect our perception of the world or reality. Since its effects our perception, thus, politics of individual identities is also shaped by the representation of the world. Though it is not much, but some will do.

References:

Hirsch, E.D. 2001. Cultural Literacy. Retrieved from: http://projec12.fatcow.com/Background/culliter.pdf

Hirsch, E.D. & Kett, J.F. & Trefil, J.S. 2002. The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy. Retrieved from: http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=GAzOg4eQl2YC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=cultural+literacy&ots=Gt-c_PXq_-&sig=cFOD5eksSf1v6VzMKbP91iVg9sE#v=onepage&q=cultural%20literacy&f=false

Senge, P. & Scharmer, C.O. & Jaworski. J. & Flowers, B.S. 2004. Presence: human purpose and the field of the future. Retrieved from: http://www.janetmccallen.com/PDFs/Presence.pdf

Photography

 

I want to argue about the relationship of memory and space in the photograph as well as its cultural critique. The reason why I want to study this matter is because I want to know if one photograph has a cultural critique in it.

Photograph is capture for the purpose of inventing memories of what we want to remember or recall as we see it again. This is because photographs can trigger our memories about our thought and feelings at that time. As Kavanagh (2000) stated, “A clear distinction can be drawn between which is valued for itself (chosen and cherished objects) and that which triggers a host of memories (photographs).” (Kavanagh, 2000, page 20) Such as photograph above, it generates my feelings of being there and something I thought when I capture it. Cultural memories which I can observe here is the old wooden-still-houses on the water.

 Photographs can tell us the time and spaces in which the event takes place by identifying the material in the photograph. According to Lury (1998), “…there is a recognition of productivity of ‘the proliferation of “passage” or “contaminations” between images, in which the creative interdependence of time and space may be explored, leading to ‘the materialization of linkages in time and space that enhance understanding’ (1995:46; quoting the artist Ester Parada).” I use the photograph above for my investigation. In the photograph above, the cultural spaces can be seen though the motor boat, modern girl and the modern clothes.

According to Marcus (1999), " ...cultural critique by which modern anthropology has partly justified itself as a field of knowledge." - Marcus, 1999, page 111. Cultural critique can be obtained from the photograph by combining its cultural memories and spaces. In this case, the old wooden-still-houses on the water indicated the traditional water villages and on the other hand, the presence of motor boat, the modern girl and the modern clothes represent the modernization of the people. Thus, when I combine the cultural memories and space, the cultural critique results from the photograph above would be the modernization in the water village.

In conclusion, cultural memory and space is interrelated with each other in order to give out the cultural critique of one photograph. In other word, cultural memory and space are very important components which can exist in every photograph taken.

Reference:

Kavanagh, G. 2000. Dream Spaces: memory and museum. Retrieved from: http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=xxuKLVrH0yEC&oi=fnd&pg=PP8&dq=relation+of+memory+and+space+in+the+photograph&ots=su-zFJRHIi&sig=EHGjjxTud6SQItHNARN8KhBxgfQ#v=onepage&q=cultural%20memories&f=false

Lury, C. 1998. Prosthetic Culture: photography, memory and identity. Retrieved from: http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=-iFC3nzVIuwC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=relation+of+memory+and+space+in+the+photograph&ots=MziHIuTcn9&sig=1dPP3XccHb8wGHcu24eDa8ir58o#v=onepage&q=relation%20of%20memory%20and%20space%20in%20the%20photograph&f=false 

Marcus, G.E & Fischer, M.J. 1999.Anthropology as Cultural Critique: an experiment moment in the human sciences. Retrieved from: http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=oStfoHG0ovIC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=culturalCritique&ots=4Weq8jX9iT&sig=rcZJTYb8DvM3DxHp9e77KSWrTJ8#v=onepage&q=cultural%20%20critique&f=false

Visual Narratives

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZfyBK3m1d0

I wish to argue whether syntagm will change or not if we alter the paradigms of the film. The reason why I want to investigate this matter is because I have found much similar films use the same storyline but has different paradigms such as its actors, setting and genre.

The writers of the book 'New Vocabularies in Film Semiotics : structuralism, post- structuralism, and beyond' agree with Saussure that both paradigmatic (which often called 'associative' by Saussure) and syntagmatic are two fundamental types of relationship which involve signs. (Stam, 1992, page 9) For example in alphabetical language. If words is our paradigm, then when we combine the selected words(paradigms), it will give us a sentence (syntagm). (Adedimeji, 2005) Like what Fiske (2002) state in his book “ Introduction to Communication Studies”, “A paradigm is a set from which a choice is made and only one unit from that set may be chosen…We can sum up by saying ‘where there is choice there is meaning, and the meaning of what was chosen is determined by the meaning of what was not’.” – Fiske, page 57 and 58. Fiske also defined the term syntagm as the collection of chosen paradigm. (Fiske, 2002, page 58)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gfZnWVoqZ8

I am using the films ‘Meet the Spartans’ and ‘300’ as my analysis. The films link can be seen below the caption of the images.

‘300’ is an American action film which is adapted from the graphic novel of the same name by Frank Miller, starring by Gerard Butler as King Leonidas: King of Sparta, Lena Headey as Queen Gorgo: Queen of Sparta and Rodrigo Santoro as King Xerxes: King of Persia. On the other hand, ‘Meet the Spartans’ is a parody film in 2008 which mentioning many movies, TV shows and people pop cultural events. However, it is primarily focused on the film ‘300’ (2007). The film is starring by Sean Maguire as King Leonidas, Carmen Electra as Queen Margo, Ken Davitian as King Xerxes. Both films share the same basic storyline: Warriors of Spartan gloriously fight with a millions of Persian soldiers. And in the end, they died with honors in the battlefield.

When comparing the films, most of paradigms in ‘300’ have been altered. The most obvious one are actors and genre. In ‘Meet the Spartans’, King Leonidas is starring by Sean Maguire while in ‘300’, it is by Gerard Butler. The change of actors does not affect the storyline because as we know the basic storyline of both films is the same since ‘Meet the Spartans’ is the parody of ‘300’. In addition, the genres of the films also change from action to epic comedy. This is because they have change the way the characters speaks. Thus, it alter the paradigm of the film. Both the time setting of the films are suppose to be in the era of Roman Empire. But there are clashes of time in 'Meet of Spartans' where innovation such as car, fashionable cloths and robot can be observe in the film. All of these innovations are the paradigms which symbolize the modern culture, space and time. But, although most of the paradigms are changed, the storyline (syntagm) remains the same.

In conclusion, altering paradigm did not change the syntagm (storyline) of the film. The only thing which can change the syntagm is if the characters change what they says as well as the script. Hence, it will change the entire storyline.

References:

Adedimeji, M. A. 2005. Word Structure in English. Retrieved from: http://www.unilorin.edu.ng/unilorin/publications/ADEDIMEJI/WORD%20STRUCTURE%20IN%20ENGLISH%20final%20submission.htm

Fiske. J. 2002. Introduction to Communication Studies. Retrieves from : http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=J3XzYCuDLNYC&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&dq=paradigm+and+syntagm&ots=1-D6TqXbFS&sig=jrOy3UMRZVIZsDpA5JjNjBJBdJg#v=onepage&q=paradigm%20and%20syntagm&f=false

Stam, R. & Brugoyne. R & Flitterman- Lewis, S. 1992. New Vocabularies in Film Semiotics: structuralism, post-structuralism, and beyond. Retrieved from: http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=LeNOhp54ieUC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=syntagm+in+film&ots=BMbHsFJyvU&sig=gQ9fJqZih5Spm8mw5wqeE90Xa1Y#v=onepage&q=syntagm%20in%20film&f=false

Rhetoric And Persuasion

 

" " SPEECH designed to persuade" ( dicere ad persuadendum accommodate) : this is the basic definition for rhetoric ( and its synonym, " eloquence," ) given in Cicero himself, cites it as something taken for granted, as the first thing the student of rhetoric is taught. Three hundred years before him, Aristotle's Art of Rhetoric had similarly named "persuasion" as the essence and end of rhetoric, which he defined as " the faculty of discovering the persuasive means available in a given case." " - Burke, Kenneth, 1969, page 49.

The advertisement above had drawn my attention and persuaded me. Thus, I use it to make an analysis for rhetoric and persuasion.

Visual rhetoric is more or less the same as verbal rhetoric but in verbal rhetoric, it miss some of the component for example the images and symbols. As stated by Charles and Marguerite in their book " Defining Visual Rhetorics" , "...verbal expression of the argument is equivalent to the visual argument...verbal extraction leaves out completely the enormously evocative power of the visual imagery and symbolism of the actual visuals making up the ad." - Hill, Charles A. and Helmers, Marguerite H., 2004, page 50. 

The rhetorical argument here is deductive. 

Premises1: she used the perfume. 

Premises 2: she is beautiful, exotic, attractive, seductive and untamed.

Premises 3: if I use the perfume as well I'l be like her too. 

Conclusion: I should buy the perfume.

According to Stephanie and James in their book " Public Speaking: The Evolving Art", "...no one has to say anything in the ad- you know how to interpret those visual claims based on your social and cultural experiences. One key reason that visual claims work so well is the naturalistic enthymeme- audiences assume that unless there's evidence to the contrary, a camera captures a realistic and natural view of what they would see." - Coopman, Stephanie J. and Lull, James, 2009, page 395. Thus, I conclude all these by using visual enthymeme; the dark background and the red color contrast signifies exotic, the snake signifies the wildness, her face signifies beauty, and her pose and body language signifies the seductiveness.

The concept for the advertisement is 'hypnotic poison'. People will be hypnotize when they smell the perfume and then, automatically attracted to you (if you use it). 

The proposition for this advertisement is the promise of beauty, attractiveness, seductiveness and wildness for the user.

Reference:

Burke, Kenneth. 1969. A Rhetoric Of Motives. Retrieved from: http://books.google.com/books?id=y44o7549eC8C&pg=PA49&dq=rhetoric+and+persuasion&hl=en&ei=-wuUTI2zMsercZC8kKQF&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=rhetoric%20and%20persuasion&f=false

Coopman, Stephanie J. and Lull, James. Public Speaking: The Evolving Art. Retrieved from: http://books.google.com/books?id=LUaXyJYUtOkC&pg=PT414&dq=Visual+enthymeme&hl=en&ei=KCaUTMKsFMmXcdLnjaQF&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CFcQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=Visual%20enthymeme&f=false

Hill, Charles A. and Helmers, Marguerite H. 2004. 1st Edition. Defining Visual Rhetorics. Retrieved from: http://books.google.com/books?id=ZFzq3B1FRSgC&pg=PA50&dq=Visual+enthymeme&hl=en&ei=KCaUTMKsFMmXcdLnjaQF&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Visual%20enthymeme&f=false

Gestalt Effect and Schema Theories

According to Erik Du Plessis and Millward Brown in their book " The Advertised Mind: Ground-Breaking Insights Into How Our Brains Respond To Advertising", "A Gestalt is in a way a concept, except that in some way it is a stripped-down concept. It is more like a complex trigger for a concept."- page 51. They also added that "...Gestalt effect: the whole is more that the sum of the initial components."- page 53.

I was wondering if I can apply the Wertheimer's five law of perception (the principles of perceptual organisation) for this picture advertisement and try to identified its schema. I use this picture because it draws my attention once i look at it for the first time.

The first law of perception is proximity: when the object near each other, it will be group together. As stated by Willis D. Ellis in " A Source Book of Gestalt Psychology", "...the predominant influence of what we may call The Factor of Proximity...is the first of the principles which we undertook to discover." - Ellis, Willis D.,1938, page 74. The purpose is for the eye fixation. In the picture, our eye will be more focus on the olives and automatically we group it as one.

The second law is similarity: tendency of the same object bond together. The purpose is to emphasis the message. The olives are similar with each other and thus, the message should be about the content of the olives in the product.

The third law is common fate. The purpose is to create direction and decrease tension in viewing. When I see the pac man I can imagine that it moves from left to right while eating the olives.

The forth law is pregnantz (figure or ground). Its purpose is to assort while providing the same information. The box above shows the pac man and the olives. This arrangement is drawing my attention as I look at it because I assume it as a pac man who wants to eat the dots just like in the game. I apply or use something in the reality to simplify it.

The fifth or the last law of perception is closure. The purpose is to influence perception to create fine effects. Here, it uses the pac man as the subject of the product. We know pac man always eat the dot. Thus, pac man is the representation of the product. We imagine it eat the olives. Hence, the connotation of the product is it contain more olives in it or the product have olives flavour.

" Schema Theory is another constructivist theory. In general, the theory strives to explain how knowledge is created and used by learners. According to Schema Theory, people organize everything their know into schemas, or knowledge structures." - Tracey, Diane H. and Morrow, Lesley Mandel, 2006, page 51. In the picture, I used to see it as the pac man wanted to eat the dot. That is its schema because I have use my  knowledge to resemble it as what I know to simplify or organize the picture so that I can remember it easily.

Reference:

Ellis, Willis D. 1938. A Source Book Of Gestalt Psychology. Retrieved from: http://books.google.com/books?id=T432HyCzw2oC&pg=PA71&dq=wertheimer%27s+five+law+of+perception&hl=en&ei=DPeTTNjeCYXKcc60gKQF&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

Plessis, Erik Du and Brown, Millward. 2005. The Advertised Mind: Ground-Breaking Insights Into Our Brains Respond To Advertising. Retrieved from: http://books.google.com/books?id=WrWisgkaZY8C&pg=PR7&dq=Gestalt+effect&hl=en&ei=Ee-TTM_AJMmXcaPtxaQF&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=Gestalt%20effect&f=false

Tracey, Diane H. and Morrow, Lesley Mandel. 2006. Lenses On Reading: An Introduction To Theories And Models. Retrieved from: http://books.google.com/books?id=tebt2CTsvNEC&pg=PA51&dq=Schema+theories&hl=en&ei=Qe-TTOLlGYW3cMyoxaQF&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Schema%20theories&f=false

Visual Syntax and Semantics

I want to argue on how we read one image, interpret and creates meaning from it. I was curious whether one image have fixation, application of syntactic rules of composition and semantics definition (study of meaning). I will use the image above for my analysis.

Fixation

Fixation is a focus of eye movement. In the image above the fixation are circle and numbered. The first thing that my eye focus on is the women's face in the mirror, followed by the body, the big word 'Dior', the bag, the sunglasses and the chair, the small word 'LADY' and finally, the tiny word on the upper right edge (the name of the model). Perry agree with psychologist S. Jay Samuels in her book "Words About Pictures: The Narrative Art of Children's Picture Books" that "...when pictures and words are presented together, the pictures would function as distracting stimuli and interfere with the acquisition of reading responses" - S. Jay Samuel (Nodelman, Perry, 1988, page 2). This is why we always notice the image first, then the words.

Syntactic rules of composition is base on visual observation of the image. Our brain can see colors, form, depth and movement. This is the basic way how we visually interpret things. In " An Autonomous Robot Photographer" written by Zachary Byers, Michael Dixon, Kevin Goodies, Cindy M. Grimm and William D. Smart, they stated that "Rule-of-thirds: It is best to place the faces in a photograph at, or near, the one-third and two-thirds horizontal lines in an image."- page 4. Thus, I can apply the rule of third here, same as the balancing of weight - colors between the background (grey) and her dress (red) ,and the viewpoint.

According to Paul Martin Lester in his book "Visual Communication: Images With Messages" , "We tend to associate a pleasant or bad experience with the color of the objects that constitute the event...Most people never associate color with a formless blab, but with a definite object. For that reason, memory of a color affects the perception of it." - Lester, Paul Martin, 2006, page 35 and 36. In this image, the plain grey background gives an impression of a lifeless or boring life. On the other hand, the presence of the red color of her dress give a contrast with the background, results in brighter, alive, passionate and emotional image. The semantics definition would be 'if you use this product your life would not be boring anymore. You will become more beautiful, sexy, fun and  confident'. In conclusion, the meaning of the image can be illustrate by interpreting the color according to its use or context in the image.

Without words too we would not know what product they are trying to sell. Thus, image and words need to be together to make a successful visual communication.

References:

Lester. Paul Martin. 2006. 4th Edition. Visual Communication: Images With Message. Retrieved from:
http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=6oibH9roTmkC&oi=fnd&pg=PP10&dq=Lester+2006+-+images&ots=uB1ht2LtBm&sig=uYvQeiHf4mI66gkxYIubepdK06M#v=onepage&q&f=false


Nodelman, Perry.1988. Words About Pictures : The Narrative Art of Children's Picture Books. Retrieved from: http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=kjmVSP1ap1YC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=words+and+pictures&ots=5lxuyUh62w&sig=jxp_Wi46Zob8ndpZoJsZhxSFCrA#v=onepage&q&f=false

Byers, Zachary. Dixon, Michael. Goodies, Kevin.Grimm, Cindy M. Smart, William D. 2003. An Autonomous Robot Photographer.

Semiotic Approach in Brunei Food Advertisement

Brunei Tourism Advertisement

Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque

I decided to use this advertisement for the purpose of semiotic analysis. My aim is to argue whether a sign could gives many connotations. Umberto Eco stated in his book "A Theory of Semiotics", "A general semiotic theory will be considered powerful according to its capacity for offering an appropriate formal definition for every sort of sign-function, whether it has already been described and coded or not. So the typology of modes of sign-production aims at proposing categories able to describe even those as yet uncoded sign-functions conventionally posited in the very moment in which they appear for the first time." - Eco, Umberto (1979), page 5.

Semiotic is the study of sign. Sign must have both a signifier and a signified. Signifier is what we see, touch, feel, taste or hear. While signified is the interpretation of the signifier. As stated by Umberto Eco in his book "Semiotics and the Philosophy of Language", " The sign is usually considered as the correlation between a signifier and a signified ( or between expression and content) and therefore as an action between pairs." - Eco, Umberto (1984), page 1. 

As a signifier and a signified were identified, the signified will automatically become the denotation (literal meaning). And then, when we applied the denotation into a different signifier, it will gives us a connotation (deeper meaning). According to Gillian Dyer in "Advertising as Communication", "...denotation and connotation refer to first and second levels of meaning in a sign. The term denotation refers to the literal meaning of sign; to what is 'objectively' present and easily recognised or identified. Connotation is a term used to refer to meanings which lie beyond denotation but are dependent on it." - dyer, Gillian (1982), page 128.

From the food advertisement above, there are five signifiers that I can identified: the pictures of 'Ardam', 'Pulut Panggang', ' Bingka', 'Ambuyat' and 'Satay'. As we identified the signifiers, our brain will automatically interpret it as a group of 'foods' (signified). Thus, 'foods' is the denotation (literal meaning of sign). But, when we link the denotation with the picture of mosque above, it will gives a connotation (a deeper interpretation of meaning). In "Advertising as Communication", Gillian Dyer agree with Roland Barthes that "...the first system (denotation) becomes the plane of expression or signifier of the second system (denotation)...the signifiers of connotation...are made up of signs (signifiers and signifies united) of the denoted system."(Barthes, Roland) - Dyer, Gillian (1982), page 128.


The signifier (mosque) signified the meaning of Islam whereas when I associate it with foods I will think of 'halal' foods. Thus the connotation is 'halal' foods. Nevertheless, the mosque itself is a signification of Brunei because it can only be found in Brunei. Thus, another connotation is Brunei foods. In the advertisement also there are anchorage which illustrates the Malay food. We can see it directly from the Malay words 'Ardam', 'Pulut Panggang', 'Bingka', 'Ambuyat' and 'Satay'. All of these are the signifiers and they are the signification of Malay foods. Thus, the connotation is Malay foods.


As a result, it is true that a sign could give many connotations. It depends on both a signifier and a signified to interpret it. Umberto Eco agree with Pierce in his book " Semiotics and the Philosophy of Language", " The principle of interpretation says that " a sign is something by knowing which we know something more" (Pierce). The piercean idea of semiosis is the idea of an infinite process of interpretation. It seems that the symbolic mode is the paramount examples of this possibility." - Eco, Umberto (1984), page 2.

References:

Eco, Umberto.1979. A Theory of semiotics. Retrieved from:
http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=BoXO4ItsuaMC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=semiotic&ots=962T-rPwhi&sig=smdMtUs1j7H-ToX_5GmSaqTgtew#v=onepage&q=semiotic&f=false 


Eco, Umberto.1984. Semiotics and the Philosophy of Language. Retrieved from:
http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=aqTkkHZsIMwC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=semiotic&ots=9fXiUgWjUc&sig=UrtAACyhSg9h4aOytZ1u_im_XJ0#v=onepage&q=semiotic&f=false


Dyer, Gillian.1982. Advertising as Communication. Retrieved from:
http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=58StsR8D0gYC&oi=fnd&pg=PP11&dq=advertising+as+Communication&ots=FoNRMZdFm8&sig=CkgD3cuuAc78u6N_kEIVN0BkNK8#v=onepage&q&f=false