Meaning-Making in Environmental Awareness Animation: A Semiotic Analysis of The Turning Point (2020) by Steve Cutts

Abstract

As environmental degradation escalates in the 21st century, animation has emerged as a powerful medium for raising ecological awareness through symbolic visual storytelling. This study offers a semiotic analysis of The Turning Point (2020), a short animated film by Steve Cutts, drawing on Roland Barthes’ framework of denotation, connotation, myth, and the five narrative codes. It addresses four key questions; first, it explores how denotative and connotative signs interact to communicate ecological concerns. Second, it examines the ideological myths embedded within the film’s symbolic framework. Third, it considers how Barthes’ narrative codes contribute to the construction of environmental discourse. Finally, it investigates how the symbolic role reversal between humans and animals serves as a critique of anthropocentrism.Using a qualitative methodology, the film is broken down into thematically rich scenes reflecting issues such as consumerism, capitalism, ecological justice, and power. Visual elements, composition, motion, color, character symbolism, alongside music and textual components, are closely examined. Findings reveal a multilayered discourse where denotative and connotative signs intertwine to construct and critique cultural myths. Barthes’ narrative codes structure meaning while exposing dominant ideologies. The human-animal role reversal functions as a deliberate semiotic strategy to challenge anthropocentric perspectives and prompt reflection on ecological responsibility. This study affirms the potential of animated media to foster environmental consciousness through nuanced semiotic storytelling and meaning-making.