Doctor Who Complete Series 1 DVD Cover
On the front of the Doctor Who Complete
Series 1 DVD Cover, there are two dominant signifiers. The first contains an
image of The Doctor and his companion, Rose Tyler. This is a mid-shot, and we
are on level with the characters connoting that we are on a similar level with
the characters, and that they are our friends. The Doctor is stood in a
dominant, highly masculine, almost confrontational position. This shows that he
is the hero in the text. Rose, however, is stood in a much less confrontational
position, her body turned sideways so to make her look smaller. She is also
leaning on The Doctor, suggesting her role is of more of a companion or even
possibly the princess in the story. Both are giving us direct mode of address,
and thus connecting with the watcher. The Doctor wear mainly black, adding
mystery to his character, where Rose is wearing much lighter colours suggesting
she is a more relatable character.
The second dominant signifier is of three monsters from the series. They are set in a darker light to represent their dark intentions and are below the main protagonists, suggesting that they are below them in society as well. Each of the monsters has a less-than-human appearance and, due to lighting, their strange features are highlighted. This signifies their mutated hearts and their alien greed for things that they cannot have.
The second dominant signifier is of three monsters from the series. They are set in a darker light to represent their dark intentions and are below the main protagonists, suggesting that they are below them in society as well. Each of the monsters has a less-than-human appearance and, due to lighting, their strange features are highlighted. This signifies their mutated hearts and their alien greed for things that they cannot have.
The series symbol is placed in the centre of
the page. It has a very masculine font, connoting the fast paced, action based
premise of the programme. The subtitle is also a very masculine font, but is a
little more off-centre. This shows the unconventional nature of the programme.
In the background to the front cover it shows
the backdrop to the TARDIS, which if you were to have seen the programme you
would have recognised. The whole cover is set in a red light and this has an
indexical link to danger. This theme carries on to the next page over the image
there.
Sherlock Complete Series 2 DVD Cover
The dominant signifier on the front cover of
the Sherlock Complete Series 2 DVD Cover is a photograph of Sherlock Holmes and
John Watson. Sherlock is dressed in a long coat, suit and scarf. A long coat is
an indexical link to detectives, and this is shown in the actual text as well.
His suit connotes a more professional nature to his work but the scarf
indicates that he puts his own twist on what he considers to be his job. John
however is dressed more informally. He is dressed in a shirt and jacket and
this connotes his more relaxed approach to what he has been roped into. John is
wearing relatively light colours, especially compared to Sherlock, which
connotes to his somewhat less dark mind. Sherlock is stood in a very dominant
position, in front of John and striding forward. This signifies his role as the
main protagonist and hero of the series, which is further suggested by his
direct mode of address. John, though in a very similar position, is stood
behind Sherlock and is smiling at the camera. This all connotes his role as the
sidekick in the series.
Also seen on the front cover are the almost
ghostly images of Jim Moriarty and Irene Adler. Jim is staring directly at the
audience in an almost threatening manner, and this shows his role as the
villain in the text. Irene, however, is looking more seductively or secretly at
the audience. This creates the enigma code as the audience will want to know
what she is hiding. Their faded appearance is an indexical link to ghosts,
which themselves connote fear and the supernatural.
The words on the front cover, stating
‘Sherlock’ and ‘Complete Series Two’, are in a very masculine font, suggesting
that is a masculine text. Masculine fonts are used throughout the cover.
The back cover uses similar dark tones as the
front to connote a dark storyline or characters. There are the black and while,
almost transparent images of Sherlock, John and Jim. Their ghostly appearance
creates an enigma code and thus making the audience want to know what the
mysterious characters may be hiding. John is sat in a relatively informal
position, holding a newspaper. This agai9n suggests his relatively relaxed
approach to the whole situation. Sherlock is playing his violin, which shows
his eccentricity and suggests he may not be your typical protagonist. Jim is
stood looking at the audience from a sideways position. This body position suggests
he has something to hide and creates another enigma code.
The BBC logo is placed on every side of the
DVD cover. The BBC logo brings prestige to the DVD as the BBC typically creates
good programmes. There is also a recommendation from Caitlin Moran, who works
for The Times. The Times also brings prestige as it is a long standing and
traditionally straight-talking broadsheet newspaper.
NCIS Complete Season 5 DVD Cover
The dominant signifier on the front cover is
a large image of Gibbs. He is stood in a dominant position, in front of all of
his co-workers, even those ranked above him. This signifies his role as the
lead protagonist and hero. He is dressed in a suit and this connotes that the
text is based around his profession, and that he takes it seriously. However,
he is not wearing a tie and the top button on his shirt is undone. This
connotes that, while he takes his work seriously, he can be relaxed about
certain things. He is giving direct mode of address and this also shows his
dominance in the show. He is smiling at the audience, though not a full beaming
smile, more of a smirk. This suggests that he knows something that you do not,
and creates an enigma code.
Behind him are stood Ziva DaVid and Director
Shepard, behind whom stands Ducky and Tony DiNozzo, who behind stands Abby
Sciuto and Timothy McGee. All of these are main characters in the text. All are
stood in relatively dominant positions, but all are placed behind Gibbs. This
shows that, in terms of the characters, they are below him (though this is not
necessarily true in the storyline). Most give direct mode of address to the
audience, and those who do not are looking off into the distance, creating an
enigma code.
The NCIS logo is in a very masculine font,
and this shows the masculine nature of the text and the male-dominated target
audience. There are no feminine fonts on the DVD cover, again demonstrating the
male target audience and the very masculine storylines throughout the text.
On the back of the DVD cover you can see
several shots from the episodes contained within the box set. This creates
several enigma codes as, if you have not seen the episodes, you will want to
know what is going on in the various action shots or by the various expressions
shown on the character’s faces.
On the side of the box you can see the CBS
logo and the Paramount logo, which both carry prestige.
