REPRESENTATION OF IDENTITIES AND FILM STUDIES
DAKAM Publishing (D/PB) June 2015 , İstanbul. www.dakam.org Firuzağa Mah. Boğazkesen Cad.Çangar İş Hanı,No:36/2 34425 Beyoğlu,İstanbul,Turkey Representation of Identities and Film Studies Urban Identity, Space Studies and Contemporary Arts CINECRI’ 15 / Film Studies and Cinematic Arts Conference June 10-11 2015, Istanbul Organized by DAKAM (Eastern Mediterranean Academic Research Center) Hosted by Nazım Hikmet Cultural Center Academic Advisor Asst. Prof. Dr. Levent Yılmazok - Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Scientific Committee: Prof. Julian Reid - University of Lapland Asst. Prof. Ahmet Gürata - Bilkent University Asst. Prof. Gal Kirn - Berlin Humboldt University Asst. Prof. Tümay Arslan - Ankara University Senior Lect. Andreas Treske - Bilkent University Asst. Prof. Andrea Meuzelaar - University of Utrecht Edited by: Hande Altay Dirim Design: Özgür Aydoğan Cover Design: D/GD (DAKAM Graphic Design) Print: Metin Copy Plus, Türkocağı Cad No:3 , Cağoğlu, İstanbul ISBN: 978-605-9207-02-7 2
REPRESENTATION OF IDENTITIES AND FILM STUDIES CINECRI ‘15 II. INTERNATIONAL FILM STUDIES AND CINEMATIC ARTS CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS JUNE 10-11 2015
DAKAM Publishing 3
CINECRI ‘15
Contents 11
REPRESENTATION OF IDENTITIES AND FILM STUDIES
13
Urban Environment in Movies
15
Architecture Meets Cinema : Textual Analysis on Futuristic Architectural Setting and Design Elements in Cicakman Trilogy Nur 'Aainaa Zulkiflie and Mohd Hafiz Che Othman
17
The Settled Screen: Colonization, Landscape and National Identity Scott Wilson
31
The Menace II the Boyz is the Hood: Ghettocentric Films and West Coast Gangsta Rap as Sites of Spatial Resistance in Los Angeles Janina Schupp
49
FILM INVESTIGATIONS IN ARCHITECTURE QUESTIONS EVERYTHINGThe Use of Collage in Creating Speculative Architectural Environments Terri Meyer Boake
63
Framing the South African landscape on Film: Cinematically defining identity in urban and rural spaces Wanda Verster, Anna-Marie Jansen van Vuuren
65
City and Imagined City
67
The imaginary city: representation of Yugoslavness in Jovan Zivanović’s film Čudna devojka (1962) Tatjana Karabegović
81
READING A CITY WITHIN THE INTERSECTION OF CINEMA AND CITY: CASE OF BERLIN Zeliha Bayrakçı
91
REPRESENTATION OF LANDSCAPES IN THE FICTION OF COMMEMORATION IN THE MOVIES: THE BATTLES OF ÇANAKKALE IN TURKEY CINEMA Başak ÖZER*, Ebru ERBAŞ GÜRLER
107
Immigration: Turkey and Germany
109
THE TRANSFORMATION OF TURKISH MIGRATORY EPISODE IN GERMANY: FROM GUEST WORKER TO THE MARGINAL Tülay Kaya
121
Immigrant Women in Turkish-German Cinema Elif Gazioğlu Terzi 4
CINECRI ‘15
125
Mapping the Foreign: Images and Sounds of the East in Contemporary German Film Nora Gortcheva
127
Negotiating Transcultural Identities in Contemporary German-Turkish Diasporic Film. A Confident Walk into a Third Space as Represented in Almanya - Welcome to Germany Olesya Dronyak
141
THE CONCEPT OF “REPATRIATION” IN FILMS ON IMMIGRATION: A STUDY OF FATİH AKIN FILMS Emin Paftalı
151
National Identity, Otherness and Cinema
153
Small Monuments: Voicing Marginalized Narratives through Film and Video Naomi Vogt
155
Nazi Documentary Cinema and Basque Nationalism Santiago de Pablo
165
Journey to the Sun: Minor Possibilities in the New Turkish Cinema Yasin Aydınlık
167
‘Chineseness’ and sense of belonging in post-authoritarian Indonesian cinema: Challenging and negotiating diasporic identities through the discourse of nationalism, multiculturalism and cosmopolitanism Najwa Abdullah, S. Hum
187
National Identity, Colonialism and Cinema
189
Negotiating National Identities: United States Filmic Narratives and Their Impact on Latin American Identitary Typecasting Alfonso J. García Osuna
197 Balkan Cinema Identity as Consequence of Postcolonialism: the example of Montenegrin director Živko Nikolić Zerina Ćatović 209
Families in Transition: Geopolitics and National Identity in Recent Border Films Heidi Denzel de Tirado
5
CINECRI ‘15
211
Identity and Gender Issues
213
Pedro Almodóvar’s Spain: Women on the Verge of Cooking up a Revolt Rebeca Maseda
227
Cultural aspects of portraying women in the literary film adaptions The Europeans and A Room with a View Youngmi Kim
235
Young women’s lived experiences and the representation of the action heroine in film Cristina Alonso-Villa
237
The problem of identity in The Artist (2011) Elena Raicu
249
THE STORIES WOMEN TELL: CINEMATIC LANGUAGE AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN IDENTITY Chrysavgi Papagianni
251
Philosophy and Cinema
253 Heidegger & Bela Tarr: The Quest for the Essence of Being Fauzi Naeim Mohamed 267
Jacques Rancière: Gavin Hood’s Rendition (2007) Ian Fraser
271
Meditating Slow Cinema/ Slow Cinema as Meditation Fauzi Naeim Mohamed
273
Identity, Emotion and Ethics
275
Moon: a Parfitian exploration of identity and ethics James Mooney
277
Shaping Moral Identities. The Power of Movies Edwin Koster
279
Documenting Emotion: Hollywood Melodrama, the New Deal, and The River Anna Siomopoulos
281
THE PROBLEM OF ENTITY, EXISTENCE AND INDIVIDUAL IN “TAMAM MIYIZ?” (ARE WE OK?) FILM BY ÇAGAN IRMAK Kadir Yogurtchu
6
CINECRI ‘15
283
Representation Of Culture And Politics
285
Islamic horror film? Representations of Islam in Malaysian horror films: Al-Hijab (Partition) and Khurafat (The Superstition) Suria Hani binti A.Rahman, Paula Saukko, Frederick Attenborough
311
Signs of Culture in Yeşim Ustaoğlu’s Cinematic Spaces Şölen Köseoğlu
313
The Representation of Political Identities in the Political Films from the late 1980’s and the early 1990’s in Turkey Metin Çavuş
315
Why Spider-Man Votes Democrats And Batman Doesn’t Even Like Democracy: Criterion Of Ideological Labelling For Superheroes Alfonso M. Rodríguez de Austria Giménez de Aragón
325
Ideology and Cinema
327
From Zombies to Mythical Sangomas: Redefining the myth of the Boer Hero in Anglo-Boer War Short Films Anna-Marie Jansen van Vuuren
341 Visualizing a Renewable Future: The Utopian Potential in Science Fiction Films Islam Abohela, Terri Boake 355
Populist Cinema: Ideology of Turkish Cinema in 1960’s Mesut Bostan & Neşe Kaplan
365
Memory, Emotion and Cinema
367
MEMORY AND HISTORY LINDOKUHLE MNYANDU
375
Trauma, Authority, and Memoryscape in Chinese Films Esther C.M. Yau
377
Myth of a Nation: from Historical Films to Online History Wan Aida Wan Yahaya
7
CINECRI ‘15
385
Cinema and Marketing
387 BETWEEN CREATIVITY AND INFORMATION: ARTISTIC INTERPRETATION OF THE ADVERTISING FILMS Zinka Bejtic 395
City branding through imported creativity: International Golden Goose Film Festival in Kars, Turkey Zeynep Aktüre
407
CITIES AND URBAN MARKETING MOVIES BAŞAK ÖZER
411
The Problem of the Self and Modernity
413 Violating Identity: The horror of Calvaire Peter Versteeg 419
Growing Up in a Record Store: Transitions to Contemporary Adulthood in Empire Records (Allan Moyle, 1995) and High Fidelity (Stephen Frears, 2000) Andrea Regueira
421
FRAGMENTS OF AN INNER LIFE: A CINEMATIC PORTRAIT OF DIANE ARBUS Ana-Maria Gavrila
429
Once upon a time the Self: cinema and online identity playground tales Gino Frezza, Diana Salzano, Antonella Napoli, Mario Tirino
443
Society and Cinema
445
Into Herzog’s Abyss: A Transatlantic Perspective on Capital Punishment Faye Stewart
447
INFORMAL LEARNING THROUGH FICTIONAL AND NARRATIVE FILMS: A STUDY ON FILM RECEPTION IN THE IBERIAN PENINSULA FRANCISCO GARCÍA GARCÍA, PEDRO ALVES
467
Cinematic Society Ebru Thwaites-Diken
469
THE USING OF SHORT AND FEATURE FILMS AS SKILLS DEVELOPMENT IN LANGUAGE TEACHING AND BENEFITING FROM CINEMA SEMIOTICS IN THIS PROCESS Kadir Yoğurtçu
8
CINECRI ‘15
479
Immigration: East and West
481
“Juxtaposing Time, Space and Body: The Representation of Iraqi Migrant Corporeality in the Cinematographic “Illegal” Immigration Narrative.” Jyhene Kebsi
483
The ‘migrating’ narratives and transnational subjects in the post-authoritarian Indonesian cinema: Consuming, imagining and constructing the West and the Rest Najwa Abdullah, S. Hum
499
Migrant Voice and Agency in Sandhya Suri's I for India Robert Cross
201
Eden Is West: a contemporary postmodern migratory road movie Kynthia Arvanitidi
503
Dystopia and Science Fiction
505
Title of the paper: NOIR CITY: DYSTOPIAN IMAGES OF URBAN LANDSCAPE Ivana Maraš, Milica Kostreš
521
Automata: Multiple Transitions between Territories in a Postmodern Dystopia Çağıl Erdoğan
535
Future City in Science Fiction Films: Reading and Extrapolating the Depiction of the City in Sci-Fi Films Islam Abohela
555
Marxism and Science Fiction: "Alienation" in the Writings of Philip K. Dick Anthony Burns
557
Character and Film Analysis
559
Comparison of A. Sokurov’s Alexandra and N. Mikhalkov’s 12 From the Aspect of Subjugation and Subjection Relation Erdem Erinç
569
“The Count of Monte Cristo” between 1844 and 2002. Losing Haydée Elena Raicu
571
The Surreal Gesture of Kawamoto’s Animation Nurul Lina Mohd Nor
9
CINECRI ‘15
573
Actors And People in the Cinema Industry
575
Physical Appearances Choices of The Cinema Players To Identify The Culture Sevtap Müzeyyen Aytuğ
585
Stars in the Aisles: Cinema Usherettes, Identity and Ideology Ms Eva Balogh (BA Hons)
609
Hos(ti)pitality and the Pure Gesture of Acting towards the Other Vlad Alina – Nicoleta
619
Glorious Gohar, ‘unhistoricised’ pioneer of Indian cinema, and the limits of film history Valentina Vitali
10
CINECRI ‘15
REPRESENTATION OF IDENTITIES AND FILM STUDIES CINE CRI ’15: II. International Film Studies and Cinematic Arts Conference, hosted by Nazım Hikmet Cultural Center (www.nazimhikmetkulturmerkezi.org) and organized by DAKAM (Eastern Mediterranean Academic Research Center), will take place between JUNE 10 - 11, 2015. All presented papers are going to be published in the proceedings e-book with an ISBN number before the conference. In addition to this, after the conference, sinecine: Journal of Film Studies (ISSN 1309-5838), is going to publish selected papers. (http://www.sinecine.org/) The CINE CRI ’15 Conference aims to explore the representation of identities in cinema. Artistic and documentary works that make problematic the concept of identity within its political, ideological and historical correlations are in the scope of this year’s conference. Besides, the lived experiences related to cinema and the industry, not necessarily represented in films, may be addressed. Identity has been one of the most scrutinized concepts in academic circles in recent years. It has been the topic of debates in a variety of fields and disciplines of social sciences, humanities and arts. Cinema has not been opted out of identity matters as filmmakers have produced considerable number of works that are relevant to different dimensions of identity. Regarding the concept is constructed within discourse, difference and representation processes, film is a convenient space to be explored as a medium that both reflects and contributes to the construction and reconstruction of multiple identities that constitute an individual, i.e. the spectator. 11
CINECRI ‘15
12
CONTEMPART ‘15
Society and Cinema
443
CONTEMPART ‘15
444
CINECRI ‘15
THE USING OF SHORT AND FEATURE FILMS AS SKILLS DEVELOPMENT IN LANGUAGE TEACHING AND BENEFITING FROM CINEMA SEMIOTICS IN THIS PROCESS Kadir Yoğurtçu1
[email protected] Abstract The using of short and feature films for educational purposes is a fairly common practice Appleford and Burton (2008), and this practice is traditionally used especially in foreign language teaching. However, it is difficult to chance upon visual materials that were elaborately evaluated and classified, and on in-depth film studies in related literature Lewis (2003). As far as the history shows, the idea of benefiting from cinema films seems to be a source of inspiration for many Western languages (as native or foreign language or second language) teaching methods and techniques and creating related environment Yakar (2013).Similarly, in the last decade it is observed that theory-based academic studies and activities in development of practical system and related environment are accelerating. Naturally it is eligible to common sense to structure and use the short and feature films in teaching of Turkish in order to develop understanding and explaining skills. But at this point, it is enough problematic which film is thought to be selected and by what purpose, by which criteria would be structured selected films and how selected films would be effectively and efficiently used in classroom activities. For as much as in academic studies of films, motion pictures or movies first of all are assumed to carry a sense of semiotic value and to realize it by original expression instruments. At the same time it is specific issue that to which semiotic analysis method would be applied in order to elucidate the meanings and messages of the selected movies and which foreign language learning and teaching theories would be referenced in converting of films into educational materials. It requires specialization in both areas. This study aims to study the suitability of short and feature films as an educational material, and is focused on Barthes’s Semiotics Theory (1957; 1964), Metz’s A Semiotics of Cinema (1968; 1972), Kaes and Rentschler’s Reading a Films Technique (2012). At the result of reading and analyzing of the meanings and messages given to indicators in the filmic images, training materials that will be developed in the case of Teaching of Turkish as a Foreign Language are expected to be an effective tool in achieving the objectives. As a matter of fact, the statistical results of questionnaire evaluations of course materials applied to the Turkish language preparation class students of Foreign Languages High School in Kyrgyzstan-Turkey Manas University during the 20142015 academic year, have supported this expectation. 1 Senior Lecturer PhD., Kyrgyzstan-Turkey Manas University, Foreign Languages High School, Department of Language Preparation
469
CINECRI ‘15
Keywords: teaching of Turkish, film sequence analysis, film semiotics. 1. Introduction In the studies on the effectiveness of films in education a process has been mentioned which is nearly dating back to the beginning of cinema. In the first period cultural transfer Birkök (2008, p. 2), and teaching social sciences came primarily to the fore, after the world wars, has been focused on factors such as the persistence of learning, concretization of the processed subject sand reaching analytical results Yakar (2013, p. 21). In the 70’s, area of social sciences has been exceeded; the topic has been viewed from a wider perspective. In this sense, the first serious studies Culkin (1970); Maynard (1969; 1971; 1977) began to emerge. Among these studies especially Wegner’s (1977) is an important first example for adapting films into education by separating the types of films and education and brought an interdisciplinary perspective to the subject. Therefore debates on the use of films as educational materials entered into activities of various disciplines. Period in question, especially the social psychology and anthropology studies together with French and American social research Bloom (1995); Dubec (1990); Foreman and Thatchenkery (1996); Funderburk (1978); Johnson and Iacobucci (1995); Kranzdorf (1980); Michaud (1997); O’ Meara (1976); Ruby (1976); Sanchez (1976) seems to stand out Champoux (2007, pp.241). Today studies on the use of films in many educational areas including the teaching of foreign language Alexander (2010); Acland and Wasson (2011); Streibl et al., (2012); Ellis and Thornborough (2012); Peterson (2013) seems to be on the agenda. In these studies, it has been emphasized that the filmic materials effective in transferring the sociocultural realities and values in the target language also have been influential on bringing language skills in desired level. The original content and meaning of value revealed in films is decisive in the anticipated development of refining the communicational effectiveness in students. Because transportation of events which are hard to achieve in real-life to artificial learning environment by films is concerned. At this stage, the reality is both the content and source of knowledge. In terms of student it is a phenomenon that needs to be created and perceived Kaya (2005, p. 31). Films providing a high level of student motivation and thus effective in teaching a foreign language are also teaching materials suitable for analysis to be made in the aesthetical, historical, sociological and psychological dimensions with their content and characteristics of their narrative structure. The main goal in foreign language education takes contemporary approaches to the center is to turn students into easily interacted with other members of community using that language through ‘their communicative competence”. The films exemplifies of the use of language in natural habitat is the best tool for this. These tools in question reinforce students’ both visual and listening skills and their interpretation skills from what they saw. Yet these tools, through classroom communicational activities also provides power for the development of individual creativity in learning foreign languages. But at this point, usage of films appropriate to the age, socio-cultural and cognitive development of the target group stands out. According to Berk (2009, pp.1-2) with evolving paradigm in the social sciences, in cases like using visual materials in education, discussing a multidimensional perspective where there are some subcomponents such as the variety of formats, compatibility with 470
CINECRI ‘15
technological classroom, competence of educators in using and the benefiting from multimedia theory and practice is on the agenda. Therefore, it is inevitable to revise the educational environment and conceptualization of competent teaching staff. Accordingly, in the teacher’s competences, especially to determine the intended use of visual, technology-based classroom teaching, in expectations in terms of visual selection and effective usage there has been a radical differentiation meaning upper cognitive awareness. In making visible this feature attributed to instructors, the selection and restructuring of the audio-visual educational material remains as an important point in the process. Therefore, throughout the audio-visual tools, in the selection of short and full-length films as a course material it is obvious that a particular set of criteria have to be looked out for. In this context revealing meaning code sand relationship of images in films (image-image / image-word) and the contribution of cinema semiotics offers systematic advice on technical issues such as effect of superficial and deep structure relationships to filmic understanding seems worth discussing. 2. Cinema Semiotics and Selection of Language Teaching Material Many philosophers and scientists have produced many thoughts on the concept of sign from antiquity to the present day. The founding of contemporary basic of this concept discussed in different fields such as anthropology, philosophy, aesthetics, literature was realized by Ferdinand de Saussure and Charles Sanders Peirce, Büker (2010, p.29). According to Saussure’s statement, who examined language as a system constituted from signs, in context of ‘structuralist linguistics’ sign “is a unit established from signifiant and signifié” Saussure (1995, p. 72). Pierce who draws attention to the relationship that exists between thoughts with signs said, “From the proposition that every thought is a mark, as a result, every thought has to take itself to another thought, should identify some other ideas as that it is the essence of a mark.” Peirce (2004, pp. 103-104). After these determinations sign in its general meaning is defined as “for it is in the quality to replace another thing, it is all kinds of object, phenomenon or entity showing another thing other than itself” Günther (2002, p.181). Because the image of an object formed in the mind of an individual has an associative relationship with another image of a semiotic stimulus, it should be considered that signs have covered broad concept areas. For example, a smoke is a sign of the fire; a scowling facial expression is a sign of anger. Then sign is concerned both linguistic and non-linguistic planes Vardar (2001, pp. 72-73).Here within these planes, signs has been produced in order to establish communication between the people and in this context it makes possible the formation, transferring and sharing of meaning. For what creates meaning is human and society he lives in, it is clear that the only way to understand human and human society is to understand produced signs. In this context, sign can be defined as a concept produced for designing communication between people, including the formation, transfer and sharing of meaning. However, to understand the produced signs to demonstrate the characteristics of individual and the society including him/ her as the only actors of production of meaning is important to understand the sophisticated communication network of our age. In this context, as Saussure (1995, p. 72) underlines, semiotics stands out as a discipline dealing with the study of signs. Nowadays human beings who produce images and spread around meanings 471
CINECRI ‘15
in these images in many different forms and again within very complex systems, have triggered the diversification of semiotics. Because of this the diversity of energy sources of signs and the target centers of the receivers disperse to a wide range caused the semiotic approach to show diversity. In particular, the content of the highlighted text concepts is considered as an important argument for filling this diversity. Within this framework, as Fiske indicates (1996, pp. 61-62), all kinds of images that are objects of semiotics must be addressed as a text meaning-loaded. Indeed, the cinema as a mass communication tool is considered as a text constructing meaning and has to be making sense of Wollen (2008, p. 108); Lotman (2011, p. 63) and the meaning units in its content are analyzed by semiotic approach. In our age where we feel the weight of the visual culture, ‘cinema semiotics’ which is associated with the moving images and develops its own conceptualizations draws attention for having the opportunity to examine the meaning of the filmic image and interpersonal relationships in both aesthetic and social context. When the film is examined when it is taken as a text it is possible to identify, interpret and evaluate both the deep and superficial structures. In this context, in the selection of films for using in foreign language teaching, it seems possible to analyze signs produced by the director in detail. Especially this method is seen as a useful tool for foreign language teaching professionals who specifically targeted communicative skills. Likewise by cinematic film analysis approach of the films it can be revealed how effective it would be bringing students in communicative skills (linguistic faculty, society linguistic faculty, rhetorical skills and strategical abilities). But it will be useful to remember the compelling aspects of semiotic-narrative structures which forming the deep, abstract, non-disclosure level of cinematic meaning phenomenon. In deed when Saussure has conceptualized semiotics as a science that aims to understand the law sand attributes of signs Saussure (1985, pp. 70-84); he seems to focus on the not easily seen, secondary, connotation meanings of the structure exists in society and language through ‘structural linguistics’. The aim of this approach is to disclose discursive and textual structures as well as unseen, implicit meanings of the texts. In the light of these discussions that it will be an appropriate approach to benefit from Saussure’s approach as well as semiotic system Roland Barthes has revealed. Because syntagmatic/paradigmatic axes of the language skill Barthes’s conceptualized and the denotation/connotation levels of explanation offer a functional way to analyze films produced in genres ranging from industrial cinema to “auteur” cinema. Barthes who presents guidelines providing to understand the universe of intense narratives surrounding human, has moved from the Saussure’s concept of sign in outlining his related work. According to Barthes (1999, p. 58), who indicates that sign is established from a signifiant and signifié, the plane of signifiant has constituted the plane of expression, the plane of signifié has constituted the plane of content. Signifié as one of the two relational elements of sign allows for reading in different depths and the attribute of it leads to discussion about degrees of ‘reality’. Because signifié is the mental design of the object; that is, meaning that user of sign has attributed. It is assumed that the meanings have been configured signifiant implicitly or explicitly Barthes (1999, pp. 61-65).Therefore it is required to “read” implicit meaning as well as the explicit one in order to resolve signifié competently. Because when signifié was analyzing from this perspective, both the content of a text made up of signs and its relation to real 472
CINECRI ‘15
world and cultural values/attitudes/interests/ideology could be resolved. In revealing the connotational layers in the messages, syntagmatic/paradigmatic axes approach makes a complementary reading possible. Elements such as fiction, staging, camera movements, in syntagmatic axis → what is selected to shoot; in paradigmatic axis → how the shoot is presented constitute various means systems. Hence it has to be anticipated that connotation which is itself a system cover signifiants, signifiés and occurrences /means that connects them. Barthes (1999, p. 107), mentions that several denotation sign can come together to form a single connotation and major pieces of denotational discourse may constitute a single unit of connotation system. According to him, for connotation will not completely include denotational structure, denotational items always stay back. Barthes is not entirely alone in this thinking. When the literature examined Christian Metz (2003a) who has followed semiotics of Saussure in his early works it is seen that in the context of ‘cinematographic language” he focuses on the basic structures in the production of filmic sense like Barthes. According to Metz, cinema is a narrative area which produces meaning and transmits this meaning within the frame of a certain film language to the audience who are at the receiver position and therefore films are considered to be a research subject of cinema semiotics. Among the basic figures of this area; editing, camera movements, image-word relations, sequences and other sequences fall into Metz (2003a, p. 97). Analysis of this sequence should get into the domain of linguistics, even semantic. In this way, the classification of the visual images and revealing the relationship between the images will be available. Alongside these views Metz (2003a, p. 99), states that cinema semiotics might be designed as a semiotic of connotation or core meaning (denotation). According to Metz (2003a, p. 101), the cinematographic image has all the core meaningful material as a signifiant. This presupposition also means to accept that signifiant has also the function of signifié. In other words, signifiant and signifié of core meaning combine and create the signifiant of filmic connotation (Metz, 2003a, p. 100). In this sense every elements related to the regulation of the filmic narrative modes (composition, frames, camera movements, light games, etc.) should be evaluated in connotational features category. On the other hand audios regenerated in audio tape and of perceptual sense visual that the image reproduces fall within the scope of connotational features. Thus signifiant of connotation may correspond to the meaning arising from the intersection or struggles of images (any text, a sign, poetry, visual image) with each other. Thus – as Metz emphasizes (2003a, p. 105) – cinema semiotics is an approach that focuses on syntagmatic rather than paradigmatic. However, this should not be interpreted as the absence of paradigmatic correlation. As is known, in the cinema which can accommodate an infinite number of images, director can create a meaning universe in an unlimited scale by using technical codes such as visual elements, shooting angles, camera movements, the properties of the film strip code. For a main part of this universe composed of cinematographic elements, the assumption that data can be judged mainly from a connotational aspect, can be argued. However, if it is remembered that the same data were also directly related to the cinematographic infrastructure, surface structure in the film in a way is to be understood creates interactions in the paradigmatic axis. This structure must be taken into account for a compact film analysis. In this regard, Eric Rentschler and Anton Kaes who are doing researches on 473
CINECRI ‘15
the history of cinema, are the names stands out. Researchers suggest an eclectic approach named as “Reading A Film Sequence” (2012), which in theoretical sense extant today, also benefits from cinema semiotics accumulation. The outlines of the way Rentschler and Kaes proposed to follow are based on the announcement of the narrative elements in the film’s infrastructure such as narrative, staging, cinematography, editing, sound, audience’s position and titles. Explanation of this narrative elements that make up the infrastructure of the film, reveals a relatively formal/superficial reading and data offered by this reading provide a basis for core semantic analysis. Kaes and Rentschler like other semiotics see the film as a text and expressed that this texts could not be discussed independently from the social reality around them. From this idea in film analysis they pay more attention to the basic elements such as social/historical standing, the artist’s universe of meaning, the film’s motivation to serve to commercial, artistic or political purposes. As a result it should be noted that sequence analysis guide authors’ suggest is an important tool supports the semiotic analysis. Nevertheless Rentschler and Kaes’s analysis method, does not have enough arguments to apprehend cinema as a language. When narrative elements utilized to use the cinematic language in a competent way transform from verbal language into richer expression combinations in the “camera-pen”, of “auteur-directors”, in reading signs contained in films, should also be consulted to the semiotic analysis. 3- Approach and Scope of the Film Analysis proposed in the Study As it is known in cinema studies all fictional films are fed from the technicalmechanical infrastructure. However, it is necessary to mention the abstract conceptual dimension obtained by images fictionalized in films Parsa (2008, p. 18). Any cinematographic preferences chose by the director (shooting mode, shooting distance, lens use, scene, editing, etc.) as well as the narrative, audio, music, text, graphic images make it possible to regulate the main meanings displayed in the film. The stage where ‘technical codes’ and the information channels of the film has been organized is the stage the director of the film is looking for answers to questions such as, What should be along with what? /What should follow what? Monaco (2004, p. 398).These choices made, will move the signs to different situations and in different contexts. In this case it is necessary to investigate systematically the basic messages generated by the use of information channels and cinematography and to demonstrate the meanings reshaped by the technical codes. For this purpose, the sequence analysis approach which is recommended by Anton Kaes and Eric Rentschler (2012) is proposed for the analysis of the technical codes for selected films in this study. In the semiotic analysis, the theoretical attitude and conception of semiotics should be considered predicted by Roland Barthes. Therefore, it is necessary to focus in the analysis on denotation/connotation, syntagmatic/ paradigmatic categories defined by Barthes for image analysis. It is recommended to include assessments of the information channels (photographic / moving images, text / graphic images, recorded conversations, recorded music, recorded sound and effects) distinguished in cinema semiotics and also emphasized by Metz (2003) in such analysis. Yet this approach of meaning analysis which is closely related to the contextuality of meaning are commonly used instructuralist researches. Therefore, 474
CINECRI ‘15
in this study, it is expected to be possible to systematically resolve the signs each of them representing a certain structure in the ‘universe of cinematic meaning’ by structuralist approach. Barthes (1979, pp. 31-35) who adopts the conceptualization of sign which can be summarized in Saussure’s linguistics terminology as ‘signifiant and signifié constitute sign’, defines the sign formed a basis to ‘sense’ as“one of the two relational elements of sign”. Sense is responsive to the context and the situation which it has a closed association with. Because of this feature it is assumed that the senses configure the significant explicitly or implicitly. Therefore, it is required to “read” explicit senses as well as the implicit senses for the resolution of the signifié competently. Because, as shown, if signifié is resolved from this perspective, both the content and the cultural bonds to real world and culture of a text made up of signs, will be resolved. The content and bonds that are in question, is directly related to the act of signification. In the act of signification there are two basic levels as denotation level and connotation level. In the first level of signification, while the object indicated by sign is distinguished in the second level cultural connotations become evident. At this stage the signifié of denotation is regarded as signifiant of connotation. Signifié shown in deep sense constitutes the other component of this signifiant. In this stage at connotatively extent messages implicitly transmitted are made appear. Thus sense, is evaluated in a specific contextuality. In increasing the visibility of connotation layers in the messages it is known that the paradigmatic approach which is used by Claude Lévi-Strauss at his structuralist studies providing an integral contribution to the process. Binary oppositions detected in transferred sense are effective in achieving the deep sense of themes sage that was delivered. In the constructivist approach, each element in itself may be included in this axis formed by the binary oppositions (polar or binary oppositions) is assumed to be sorted out. In other words by these efforts, from the images selected or excluded by the director has been reached to the connotatively signifié of signs. In this sense Berger highlights (1982, pp. 30-32), every element chosen from the infinite number of possibilities of those set of selected or unselected components is required to evaluate in a sequential extent with a synchronic approach. At this stage the built structures such as text, social context, structures, ideology which are particularly emphasized in semiology will be made visible. In this sense, the sequence analysis guide of Rentschler and Kaes, Barthes’ semiotic theories and the conception of information channels of Metz are the basis for the proposed film analysis approach. Based on the analysis of the selected films configured as educational material in the framework of these basic approaches, it is possible to search answers for questions such as “what the director of the film explains” and “how the director explains”. Again, through the data provided by this analysis the denotatively signs of the film will be demonstrated. Also based on this interpretation, the questions of ‘why director explains that way’ and ‘what the director actually says’ should be considered for the determination of the connotatively extent of the film.
475
CINECRI ‘15
4. Conclusions and Proposals For using short and full-length films for the purpose of education and development of skills in teaching language firstly subjects as examining and categorizing sequences, in which subjects technical codes are effective has to be demonstrated. For this purpose, answers for the questions as “what the director of the film explains” and “how the director explains” must be sought. The data provided by this analysis gives an opportunity to interpret the denotatively signs of the film. Thus answers to ‘why director explains that way’ and ‘what the director actually says’ questions should be sought through the analysis of connotatively signs of the film. Films to be selected with the help of this resolution should also help in order to determine in which language skills they have to be configured. A worksheet of each film analyzed should be prepared and learning materials must be prepared according to the expectations of communicative skills and characteristics of students (level of readiness, language skills, etc.). The effectiveness of prepared materials should be tested using a pre-prepared scale and results must be reported for taking feedback. In this study the usefulness of films whose theoretical selected by the above-discussed method has been investigated by adapting the lower dimensions of analytic scoring rubric suggested by Ünsal (2011, pp. 819-820). Adapting dimensions are as follows: •Intelligibility of the instructional materials; •Suitability of the teaching materials to the goals and objectives of the course; •The scope of the instructional materials; •The quality and quantity of instructional materials; •Suitability of teaching material to pedagogical features; •Suitability of teaching material to training and practice guidelines; •Features of the instructional materials in reflecting real-life; • The level of the ability of students in using course material; •Developing creativity characteristic of the teaching material; •Developing analytical thinking characteristic of the teaching material; • Educational materials can be developed and can be updated In this questionnaire applied to the students there have been given a total of 29 statements of those questioned lower size. Yet in the scale section of the questionnaire students’ opinions has been taken on the prominent factors of course materials prepared for short and full-length films. In that regard students were asked to evaluate the criteria, related to effectiveness of teaching materials identified in the questionnaire, between the two extremes as totally agree or not agree at all. In the created 5-point likert scale, the 3 point is defined as the “unstable” option which is in the middle. The average of the responses of the students to the questions has been calculated and their differences in terms of unstable option, “3 average” were investigated with the one sample “t” test. The average of the responses to all the questions came statistically different from 3 in significance level of p=0,000. Therefore, averages greater than 3 means participation-support oriented, while the less ones are evaluated as not-participating, not-supporting. According to the results of research it has been found that students support all aspects related to course materials structured by selected films which are specified by semiotic analysis. Among these with averages nearest to 5 opinions 476
CINECRI ‘15
as “Educational material is consistent with real-life events.” “All audio-visual items contained in the material reflects the elements of communication of the language I learnt,” “Instructional material is selected and prepared according to my language level “, “Topics including in the teaching material is intriguing”, “Audio-visual features included by instructional material is for developing comprehension skills,” “Audiovisual features included by instructional material is for developing speaking skills “ are relatively more supported. Opinions which are closest to the average of the unstable option that is relatively less supported opinions are the ones such as “, The frequency of using the teaching material by the instructor is just enough”, “Audiovisual features contained in the educational material is effective in improving the writing skills,” “ Question diversity of teaching material is enough”, “Educational material is selected and prepared in the direction of developing mental activities”. In consequence of these results it was found that the films examined and classified by semiotic analysis can be use deficiently in teaching Turkish as a foreign language films made and in the development of communication skills. Especially it should be noted that dialogues are important in terms of reflecting the syntactic structure of the language and voice characteristics. On the other side, in the research it has been seen that the films are including signs valuable to reflect socio-cultural structure and the community features of the language and those has been effected students in distinguishing forms of social perception and value judgments. Again it was determined that the discourse structures produced in realistic environments through the images in the film can be transmitted effectively. However, it has been understood that through the images in the film, the speech-acts and the usage of body language and, characteristics of the strategic response developed in different contexts, in different social roles could be transferred. Due to these results, it can be said that the short and full-length films because of carrying the communication features above-mentioned can be converted into an effective educational material. These features undisputedly constitute the core of foreign language learning. Indeed, using communicative skills effectively that the written and verbal basis of the language can be use dup to the mark. At the modern educational environment using language as a communication tool rather than its rules is in the foreground. In these educational environment students are directed to understand and comprehend what they have learned and using them in their environments instead of memorizing patterns. In this context, communication is considered as a natural process essential to meet the individual needs and develop abilities, the formation and the maintenance of social life for students. References Acland, R. C., and Wasson, H. (2011). Useful Cinema, Duke University Press, Durham. Alexander, G. (2010). Academic Films for the Classroom: A History, McFarland Company,North Carolina. Appleford and Burton (2008). Digital History: Using New Technologies to Enhance Teaching and Research. The Journal of American History, 94(4), 1329. Barthes, R. (1979).Göstergebilim İlkeleri. Vardar, B. ve Rifat, M. (Çev.), Kültür Bakanlığı Yayınları, Ankara. Berger, A. A. (1982). Media Analysis Techniques. SAGE Publication, Beverly 477
CINECRI ‘15
Hillis/London/New Delhi. Birkök, C. M. (2008). Bir Toplumsallaştırma Aracı Olarak Eğitimde Alternatif Medya Kullanımı: Sinema Filmleri. Uluslararası İnsan Bilimleri Dergisi, cilt 5, sayı 2, ss.1-12. Berk, R. A. (2009). Multimedia Teaching with Video Clips: TV, Movies, YouTube, and mtvU in the College Classroom. International Journal of Technology in Teaching and Learning, 5(1), 1–21. Büker, S. (2010). Sinemada Anlam Yaratma. Hayalbaz Kitap, İstanbul. Champoux, J. E. (2007). Film As A Teaching Resource, The University of New Mexico, pp.. 1-20. Ellis, C. D., and Thornborough, L. (2012). Motion pictures in education : a practical handbook for users of visual aids.Ulan Press. Kaya, Z. (2005). Öğretim Teknolojileri ve Materyal Geliştirme. Pegem A Yayınları, Ankara. Lewis, J. (2003). Public pedagogy. Afterimage, 30(3-4), 17. Monaco, J. (2004). Bir Film Nasıl Okunur? Yılmaz, E. (Çev.), Oğlak Yayınları, İstanbul. Metz, C. (2003a). Essais sur la Signification au Cinéma. Tome I, Klincksieck, Paris. Metz, C. (2003b). Essais sur la Signification au Cinéma. Tome II, Klincksieck, Paris. Parsa, S. (2008). Film Çözümlemeleri. Multilingual. İstanbul. Peterson, L. J. (2013). Education in the School of Dreams: Travelogues and Early Nonfiction Film, Duke University Press, Durham. Rentschler, E. & Kaes, A. (2012). Reading a Film Sequence. https://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/gdavis/231/231s97/sequen.htm (05.05.2012). Streibl, D. et al.,(2012). Learning with the Lights Off: Educational Film in the United States.Oxford University Press, New York. Ünsal, Y. (2011). Öğretim Teknolojileri ve Materyal Geliştirme/Tasarımı Derslerinde Üretilen Üç Boyutlu Nesnelerin Değerlendirilmesinde Kullanılabilecek Bir Ölçek Önerisi. Siyasal Kitabevi, Ankara. ss. 817-822. Vardar, B. (2001). Dilbilimin Temel Kavram ve İlkeleri. Multilingual Yayınları, İstanbul. Wollen, P. (2008). Sinemada Göstergeler ve Anlam, Aracagök, Z., Doğan, B.(Çev.), Metis Yayıncılık, İstanbul. Yakar, İ.G.H. (2013). Sinema Filmlerinin Eğitim Amaçlı Kullanımı: Tarihsel Bir Değerlendirme. Hasan Ali Yücel Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, sayı 19, ss.21-36.
478
