14138 - Semiotics of the Media (1)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course the student: masters the specific terminology of the semiotics of cinema and audiovisual media; understands the basic principles of the semiological tradition (such as diegesis, denotation / connotation, signifier-signified, paradigm / syntagma, code, sense and signification, etc.); can analyze film sequences and audiovisual products, as well as specific genres of different media.

Course contents

The course provides the tools to perform semiotic analyses in the specific relationship between music and sound within audiovisuals.

To this end, in the first part some theoretical notions of media text semiotics will be addressed. For those who have not previously studied semiotics, it will be necessary to know some basic notions, (as indicated *** further down in the programme).

In the second part, the lectures will focus on an examination of cases, and text types, in order to highlight the different uses and sense effects of sound and music in audiovisuals: films, TV shows and series, commercials, music videos, media events, etc.


CALENDAR

The structuring of topics will be roughly as follows, in the individual weeks:

Week 1 - Elements and analysis of media text semiotics.

Week 2 - Semiotic analysis of the audiovisual text: sound/image relationship, audiovisual syncretism.

Week 3 - Music and TV: theme songs, series, music supervision.

Week 4 - Videoclips: history, structure, evolution, case studies.

Week 5 - Textual analysis of global and performative media events, analysis of commercials.

Readings/Bibliography

Bertetti, P. (2012). Il racconto audiovisivo. Teorie e strumenti semiotici, Cartman.

Spaziante L. (2023), Elementi di Semiotica dei media (handouts)

Spaziante L. (2020), "Tv playlist: serie tv, musica e supervisione musicale", Mediascapes Journal, (16).

Spaziante L. (2022), “La relazione tra suono e immagine nel videoclip ] ” in estetica. studi e ricerche, 2, pp. 313-330 (remote access via Proxy).

Spaziante L. (2021), “So disarmingly European”: Eurovision Song Contest and the European Identity in F. Mangiapane, T. Migliore (eds.) Images of Europe, Springer.

Spaziante L. (2022) "La versione infinita: riedizione come risemantizzazione", Versus, 134 (1), pp. 85-100.

 

Spaziante L. (2022), “Lucio Dalla, per brevità chiamato cantautore”, Comunicazioni sociali, vol. 3, pp.315-330.

Spaziante L. (2023), "The Beatles", in: D. Mangano,  F. Sedda, Simboli d’oggi: critica dell’inflazione semiotica, Mimesis, pp.125-148.

 

***OPTIONAL TEXTS

• For a better teaching experience, it is useful to know the basics of semiotics in advance, choosing from these readily available books:
  

Marrone, G. (2018),Prima lezione di semiotica, Laterza.

Pozzato, M.P. (2013), Capire la semiotica, Carocci.

Traini, S. (2013), Le basi della semiotica, Bompiani.

 

• likewise, to study and deepen the basics of film, music and media semiotics:

Malavasi, L. (2019), Il linguaggio del cinema, Pearson.

Peverini, P. (2012), I media: strumenti di analisi semiotica, Carocci.

Marino, G. (2020), Frammenti di un disco incantato. Teorie semiotiche, testualità e generi musicali, Aracne.

Teaching methods

The course involves frontal lectures and encourages the presence and participation of students, as audiovisual materials will be shown during the lectures and collective analyses will also be conducted.

 

 

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is suggested that they get in touch as soon as possible with the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en) and with the lecturer in order to seek together the most effective strategies for following the lessons and/or preparing for the examination.

Assessment methods

The course does not distinguish between attending and non-attending students.


Testing is by means of a written test with open questions on the programme content, to be held in the computer lab room.

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EVALUATION CRITERIA

The ability to argue in a critical, in-depth and original way - quoting names and definitions - combined with the possession of an expressive mastery, which demonstrates the learning of a specific language, as well as the mastery of analytical tools, will be assessed overall with marks of excellent range (28 / 30L).

The mechanical and / or mnemonic knowledge of the subject, combined with poorly articulated synthesis and analysis skills and / or an incorrect use of specific language, will lead to evaluations of a good range (24/27).

Obvious training gaps and / or inappropriate language - while showing a set of minimal knowledge of the exam material - will lead to grades that, depending on the case, will exceed the sufficiency, or a little more (18/23).

Training gaps, inappropriate language, lack of orientation within the bibliographic materials offered during the course, inability to argue, will be evaluated below sufficiency.

Teaching tools

The course will make use of computer and multimedia tools: classroom with PC, slides and audio-video projector.

Office hours

See the website of Lucio Spaziante