Visual semiotic mode of perfume advertisements

Table 3. Tertiary (intermediate) colour formal description

The number of intermediate or tertiary colours is unlimited because the proportions of each mixture can be varied to an unlimited degree.

Hues containing a common colour, although in different proportions, are known as analogous hues, and their combinations produce a feeling of colour harmony in a visual semiotic mode of perfume advertisements. If only a single hue is used, the image is said to be monochromatic.

The relative lightness or darkness of an image is its value, also called brightness, shade, or tone. An object's value is a function of an amount of light reflected from its surface. The normal value of each colour indicates the amount of light it reflects and its maximum intensity. The addition of white or black would alter its value (make it lighter or darker) but not its hue. The addition of one colour to another would change not only the values of the two colours but also their hues. Intensity (also known as saturation or chroma) refers to the brightness or dullness of a colour. There are four methods of changing the intensity of colours. The first is to add white. Adding white to pure red creates light red or pink, which is lighter in value and less intense (white) + (red) = (pink). If black is added, the result is darker in value and less intense. If gray of the same value as the red is added, the result is less intense but retains the same value. The fourth way of changing a colour's intensity is to add its complementary hue. This makes the mixed colour less intense and more neutral than the original.

Table 4. Complementary colours

Table 4 describes complementary colours in the opposition of the most contrasting. They are often juxtaposed when a strong eye-catching contrast is desired. Mixing two complementary hues, on the other hand, has a neutralizing effect and lessens the intensity of each.

Formal absolute optical parameters are represented in 12 colours (hues), they are (primary colours), three [secondary colours], and six {tertiary colours}. Formal optical parameters are represented in formulas. A set of sub-parameters cannot be represented in formulae, they are value, brightness, shade, tone, intensity, saturation, chroma. In general, sub-parameters are between two points (brightness ^ dullness). Another set of sub-parameters are expressive qualities of colours. Bright or warm colours convey a feeling of gaiety and happiness. Red, orange, and yellow are generally considered warm, perhaps their association with fire and the sun. It has been verified by psychological tests that the colour red tends to produce feeling of happiness. Yellow bright colour means exciting, fun, youthful. Blue and any other hue containing blue, green, violet, blue-green is considered cool, possibly because of its association with the sky and water. It produces feelings of sadness and pessimism. Colours can also have symbolic significance. Red, for example, can symbolize danger as when one waves a red flag in front of the bull. But to "roll out the red carpet" means to welcome someone in an extravagant way, and we speak of a "red-letter day" when something particularly exciting has occurred. Yellow can be associated with cowardice, white with purity, purple with luxury, wealth, and royalty. In the advertisement of Dior j'ador Eau de Parfum 50ml the model is shown to be wearing gold. The perfume bottle is gold, her hair, her jewelry is gold too. This gives the sense of elegance and may suggest that wealthy people would wear this perfume. The colours represent a calming tone, and are very feminine. Gold is the colour for wealth and luxury, therefore this perfume advert would attract the female audience so that they can be shown as wealthy and elegant. In the case of DOLCE & GABBANA light blue the main colour used in this advert is blue. The colour blue tends to represent calmness, confidence, trust and wisdom. GUCCI GUILTY in its advert has a clear pink and black colour scheme which is very conventional and connotes a mix between femininity and seductiveness. The advertisement of Halle pure orchid by Halle Berry is full with the colour purple used throughout the poster to conform to the name of the perfume orchid which is a purple flower. This is shown through the sand, the dress and the sky colour. Colours used in the advertisement of GUCCI GUILTY pour homme are different: black connotes mystery and power, deep blue eyes connote calmness and guilt, red lips connote passion. It is evident that colour belonging to the intermediate group of formal elements occurs simultaneously in primary and secondary groups of formal elements. Colours having very definite visual effect may be divided into primary, secondary and tertiary. This division is based on the optical properties of colours which may be mixed in different ways and proportions creating secondary and tertiary colours. If the tertiary colours are recognized as combination of primary colours they are distinguished as a doubling of one primary colour and addition of another primary colour {(primary colour)2 + (primary colour)}. Colours cover the visual semiotic mode in all its directions giving additional meaning to all visual formal elements.

Conclusion

Investigation of perfume advertisements in the aspect of their visual semiotic mode has revealed rather integrated structure of that mode, and simultaneously its basic and common pattern has been drawn out. All components or details which are visualized in the semiotic mode sphere have different degree of significance. The most significative details are formal elements, less significative are sub-elements. Each formal element is described with a set of precognitive features which are recognized as parameters. Corresponding sub-elements are connected with subparameters. Boundaries between elements and sub-elements are diffusive. It gives the whole visual semiotic mode additional flexibility. According to their functions formal elements are separated into three functional groups including primary, secondary, and intermediate ones. Flexibility is created as a result of mutual cooperation between formal elements, sub-elements, parameters, and sub-parameters which are integrated within the visual semiotic mode of perfume advertisements. Further research in the sphere of formal elements looks perspective.

References

1. Barthes, R. (1977). Image, Music, Text. Waukegan: Fontana Press, 220 p. [in English].

2. Bateman, J., Schmidt, K. H. (2012). Multimodal Film Analysis: How Films Mean. London, New York: Routledge, 338 p. [in English].

3. Halliday, M.A.K, Matthiessen, C. (2014). Halliday's Introduction to Functional Grammar. New York: Routledge, 786 p. [in English].

4. Kress, G. (2009). What is mode? The Routledge Handbook of Multimodal Analysis. London: Routledge, 54-67. [in English].

5. Kress, G., Leeuwen, T. Van (2001). Multimodal Discourse: the modes and media of contemporary communication. London: Bloomsbury Academic, 142 p. [in English].

6. Kress, G., Leeuwen, T. Van (1996). Reading Images: the Grammar of Visual Design. London: Routledge, 312 p. [in English].

7. Martinec, R., Salway, A. (2005) A system for image-text relations in new (and old) media. Visual Communication. N 4 (3), 337-371 [in English].

8. Metz, C. (1973). Methodological Propositions for the Analysis of Film. Screen. N 14 (1-2), 89-101 [in English].

9. Mital, P., Smith, T., Hill, R., Henderson, J.M. (2011). Clustering of gaze during dynamic scene viewing is predicted by motion. Cognitive Computation. N3 (1), 5-24 [in English].

10. Multimodal Literacy (2003). [ed. by C. Jewitt., G. Kress]. New York: Peter Lang, 196 p. [in English].

11. Painter, C., Martin, J.R., Unsworth, L. (2012). Reading Visual Narratives: Image Analysis of Children's Picture Books. Sheffield: Equinox, 181 p. [in English].

12. Ryan, M.L. (2006). Avatars of Story. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 275 p. [in English].

13. Schriver, K. (1997). Dynamics in Document Design: Creating Text for Readers. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 592 p. [in English].

14. Spillner, B. (1982). Stilanalyse semiotisch komplexer Texte. Kodikas, Code. Ars Semeiotica. N 4/5(1), 91-106 [in German].

15. Stockl, H. (2009). The language-image-text - Theoretical and analytical inroads into semiotic complexity. Arbeiten aus Anglistik und Amerikanistik. N 34, 23-226 [in English].

16. Tseng, C. (2013). Cohesion in Film: Tracking Film Elements. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 176 p. [in English].

Dictionaries

17. Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (Harlow: Pearson Education Limited, 2006), 1951 p. [in English].

Размещено на Allbest.ru