journaling project no. 1

A shot from the previous installment in my series "Dad Jokes."

Barthes describes "all images are polysemous; they imply, underlying their signifiers, a 'floating chain' of signifieds, the reader able to choose some and ignore others" (39). Images can have many meanings, some denoted, what is literally there, and some connoted, what symbolism is there. I chose a still from the previous installment of my animated documentary series, "Dad Jokes."

Linguistic message: The denoted message of this image is what is literally there, the "HA's" that fill the screen surrounding a hallway of doors. The connoted message is of laughter filling the house with love and happiness. 

Symbolic message: The image of doors and a hallway signify entryways to a home that can be filled. Happiness or sadness, all that goes on in a home goes through those spaces and creates memories connected to those spaces. The image is in black and white signifying a memory in the past. The image is a shot from an animation, usually a lighthearted and fun film genre. This creates a juxtaposition of the animation style with the bittersweet theme of the film. 

Literal message: The anchor, the hallway filled with the text of "HA's." The relay, a happy and loving home filled with laughter. All these elements together create an image that paints a narrative of a home filled with laughter and memories. 

Project update: I've been working on the brainstorming and working on the audio for my film. This week I will record some phone call conversations with my mom.