Intertextuality

My latest lecture was on Intertextuality which is to do with the signs in Ive learned about in semiotics. Basically intertextuality is like a form of reference but only really works if the thing its trying to reference is known to audience, pretty obvious really.

A good example of this is the TV series 'Spaced' which is made by people who, like the audience watch a lot of films. It does however tend to angle itself more at a specific age group which may not make as much sense to people of different generations. Another good example is the series 'The Simpsons' this series has countless references to other forms of media across a broad spectrum using not only film and TV, but also fine art, music, politics and history.

Another way of thinking about intertextuality is how it effects the author on a subconscious level. Anyone who creates something today will have been influenced by things they have experienced in their life before the point of creation. Film makers might come to describe a dramatic scene and all ready have a scene from another film in there mind when he thinks of the . A painter might may be inspired by the way another picture uses colour or its dramatic brushstrokes. It is these subconscious influences that most interest people who study intertextuality as it is window into the way the human mind works.