The Power of Semiotics

Mother's Day evening the entire family was over for good food and good company. Later in the evening, we all watched Disney/Pixar's UP together. While watching the movie, and after the small comment made by a class mate a few classes back, I decided that another discussion of semiotics was in order. This movie sparked my interest in other Disney/Pixar films. I noticed in practically every one I have seen, there is a small part with no words, just images and music. These little parts in the film, to me, express the largest amount of meaning and emotion. The use of semiotics in anything uses something as simple as changes in music and images to create a sense of meaning across to the audience. These Disney/Pixar films truly do a wonderful job of this. The clip shown below is a small part in the beginning of UP. While these 5 minutes offer no words or text whatsoever, it is clear what the message is. With the music and the images the viewers see, we can tell there is a love story going on. And as the characters begin aging, and going through the stages of life as a couple, the audience is able to go through it with them, feeling happy, sad, and all the emotions the clip portrays. The audience can see the youthfulness of the characters, the joy when they want a baby, the sadness when the couple realizes they cannot have a baby, the sympathy when she becomes ill, and the love they share throughout. All this is done with the signs and symbols offered throughout the clip, with the different music playing on our emotions in the background. And in actuality, this short moments with no words, only the use of semiotics, end of being the most meaningful and powerful.