Blog 5_Trevor Brooks

Six Feet Under

What are the major signs in the piece and what do they signify and why?

The major symbolic signs are: The single tree (This is a message of being alone, and isolated. This is a feeling that many people get when they lose a friend or family member), The crow (Many people associate this as a bad sign of something going to happen or even as a symbol of death), the graveyard sequence (The tombstones, pallbearers, and the single bird sitting up in a tree are all messages of death. Someone either died or will be dying.)

What paradigm was used in the conceptualization of the piece?

What are major symbols used in the piece and why do you think they were used?

The crow, the hands breaking apart, the wilting flowers, and the graveyard. While all of them are sceenes they all reflect common stigmatas and beliefs of death, or represent the various states that the dead or the alive but affected go through.

What was the piece’s denotative message?

The denotative messege is that ultimately we as a people have created a world of death symbolagy around us. The various use of symbols and objects used in the sequence shows this

What was the piece’s connotative message?

The connotative message is that after a person dies they still have a journey to go on, that they have to go on alone. Even tough we will all have to go on it at some time.

What myth(s) were at work in the piece and how do you know?

The only real myth is the bird. Many cultures around the world have always associated the raven / crow with death and dying. This stigmata is still evident today when people will go out of their way to avoid a black bird in a tree and what not. While the myth was not directly applied the assocation of the black bird with the single tree, and the graveyard reinforces this negative message.

Did the piece use official or unofficial language? Was it affective?

For the most part it used officical language. The only aspect that maybe considered unofficial are the sequences invovling the prepping of the body, this would only be due to the lack of knowledge of the after death process that many people follow.

What was the purpose of the piece?

First and foremost to introduce the show itself, by following the basic stages of dying > dead > transport > burial it covers the bases of what happens to a person when its game over

What was the intended demographic of the piece? Did the piece successfully target that demographic? How did it accomplish this or why did it fail?

I think the demographic is from the early to mid 20s to the early 40s. The choice of imagery is seemingly universal in America, and it didn't focus on any graphic or potentially offensive images, while it avoided anything to flashy or pop driven.

How do you feel the piece substantiated brand?

It substantiated brand very well. The scenes were well thought out, the symbols and objects used supported the concepts of dying and death, and most importantly it didn't seem to glorify death in anyway. Instead it projected it in a simple realistic aspect.

Addick (Blooger said I timed out during the first time I tried to type this in. I HATE BLOGGER!)

What are the major signs in the piece and what do they signify and why?

What paradigm was used in the conceptualization of the piece?

What are major symbols used in the piece and why do you think they were used?

What was the piece’s denotative message?

What was the piece’s connotative message?

What myth(s) were at work in the piece and how do you know?

The only real myth that I could take away is the change of status from a urban lifestyle in the city, being changed into a cleaner more natural lifestyle with success and flashy cars

Did the piece use official or unofficial language? Was it affective?

Since I believe that it was aiming for the younger generations I think it was very offical. The background music reflected the style of the city, as well as reflected the status symbol of the car and success.

What was the purpose of the piece?

I think it was to demonstrate the motion and design ability of the design house. The motion was very smooth, and the additions of the faces reflected a every man style of process. The inclusion of the car and its "bling" showed the current status of the design house.

What was the intended demographic of the piece? Did the piece successfully target that demographic? How did it accomplish this or why did it fail?

15 - mid 20s. The piece had a hip-hop soundtrack, and the locations reflected the urban city that most of the youth in the country is living in today. With the green patch of land at the end of the sequence it showed the eventual leaving of the urban city to the vast green grasses of suburbia?

How do you feel the piece substantiated brand?

Honestly I don't know what the brand was they were trying to sell. I didn't know if it was an ad for the car, or for the design house or even a combination of both. If they were working for a car company and it was for the car they failed, if it was for a design house I think they did somewhat nice via showing a diversfied flow of motion, and demostration of what they will offer to potential clients.