CIARA BYRNE
AMPLE MEDIA
CANDIDATE NUMBER 9045
ENIGMA CODE
Enigma codes pose questions to the audience which are then answered shortly after or later on in the film. For example, who is she? Where is she going? Why is she doing that? They're questions enabling the audience to get intrigued with the film and wanting to find out the answers to these questions, therefore watching more of it. Enigma codes entice the audience to watch the rest of the film as they're curious as to what will happen next; they also help to move on the narrative.
ROLAND BARTHES
Roland Barthes formulated the idea of the Enigma Code. His theory suggests every media text, such as, TV, Film and advertisment need to contain something that intises the audience. In addition, creating a sense of mystery or ambiguity. By doing this, the audience will be intruigued and either want to purchase a product advertised or keep viewing the narrative. It may hold ambigious questions, have a concealed image or storyline which creates mystery, an audience will want to find out more, discover what is happening. For example, in the thriller genre, there will be a mysterious character which will have questions surrounding them, which will not be answered to the end. The big reveal of who the character really is at the end, will answer the question of mystery around who they are.
The Hermeneutic Code
The hermenueutic code referes too any element of the story that has not been fully explained, hence why it is a myster to the reader. The purpose of this is to keep the auidence on their feet, to keep on guessing, arresting the enigma. Until the final scene when all is revealed, when all lose ends are tied and closure is achieved.
The Proairetic Code
The Proairetic Code also builds tension, referring to any other action or event that indicates something else is going to happen, and which hence gets the reader guessing as to what will happen next. The Hermeneutic and Proairetic Codes work as a pair to develop the story's tensions and keep the reader interested. Barthes described them as:
"...dependent on ... two sequential codes: the revelation of truth and the coordination of the actions represented: there is the same constraint in the gradual order of melody and in the equally gradual order of the narrative sequence."
The Semantic Code
This code refers to connotation within the story that gives additional meaning over the basic denotative meaning of the word. It is by the use of extended meaning that can be applied to words that authors can paint rich pictures with relatively limited text and the way they do this is a common indication of their writing skills.
IN RELATION TO A FILM: SKYFALL
SKYFALL released in (2012) is the twenty-third James Bond film produced by Eon Productions. It was spread by MGM and Sony Pictures Entertainment. It features Daniel Craig as James Bond, and Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva, the film's antagonist. The film was directed by Sam Mendes and written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan.
At the beginning of this opening scene we see a low angle shot of someone falling down, this shows an enigma code, it makes the audience wonder is he still alive? Why is he falling? Is he going to survive? Who is he? As he’s falling down the camera pans out to a high angle shot to show how venerable he is. The scene dissolves into a black scene, this builds suspense because we wonder what happened to him but instantly we see a hand grab his hand and instead of helping him it looks like the hand is pulling his deeper in the water. As the we go on to more scenes we see a close up of the protagonist, this indicates his mysteriousness and his facial expression.
