Artistic Studies

Hafidh Akbar Dinhar, Ilyas Supena

Religious short films have increasingly become a powerful medium for conveying Islamic values in the modern digital era; however, their limited duration often challenges filmmakers in communicating complex spiritual concepts through concise visual storytelling. This study examines how specific cinematographic techniques are strategically utilized to represent the fundamental Islamic values of ikhtiar (earnest human effort) and tawakkal (absolute trust in God) within the short film Doa Suto. A qualitative content analysis approach was employed by examining selected scenes, lighting, and visual compositions throughout the film. The analysis was primarily guided by Mascelli’s Five C’s of cinematography camera angles, continuity, cutting, close-ups, and composition and further supported by the interactive data analysis model of Miles and Huberman to ensure rigorous interpretation. The findings indicate that ikhtiar is visually represented through focused close-up and medium-shot framing, precise continuity editing, and repetitive visual patterns that emphasize persistence, physical labor, and internal emotional struggle. In contrast, the concept of tawakkal is effectively conveyed through expansive wide shots, balanced symmetrical compositions, minimal camera movement, and extended shot durations that symbolize spiritual calmness, divine presence, and total surrender. These visual strategies demonstrate how cinematography functions not only as a narrative tool but also as a symbolic device in communicating deep religious meaning to a digital audience. This study contributes significantly to religious film and media studies by showing how cinematographic techniques operate as a specialized form of visual theology that successfully translates abstract Islamic spiritual values into tangible, evocative cinematic representation for contemporary viewers and filmmakers.

Artistic Studies

Khairil Roqi

Indonesian films often employ rich visual styles, yet systematic studies on how cinematographic principles construct ideological meaning remain limited. This study addresses that gap by examining how Joseph V. Mascelli’s 5C cinematographic principles are applied in the film 3: Alif Lam Mim, emphasizing how visual storytelling shapes narrative and ideology. Using a qualitative-descriptive method and close reading of key scenes, the research analyzes composition, camera angles, shot size, continuity, and editing as visual tools for meaning-making. The findings reveal over 90% alignment between the film’s visual language and Mascelli’s 5C model. Specific examples include the use of the rule of thirds (57: 43), golden mean (1: 12: 37), and diagonal depth (2: 00: 58), as well as high and low angles to modulate vulnerability and dominance. Editing techniques, such as the smash cut at 29: 21, effectively convey psychological rupture. The results indicate that 3: Alif Lam Mim employs cinematography not merely for aesthetics but as a critical narrative device, reinforcing ideological stance and emotional resonance. This highlights the role of visual grammar in socio-political storytelling within Indonesian cinema.

Artistic Studies

Siti Julaikah

Creativity in early childhood often remains underdeveloped due to structured, teacher-centered instruction that limits children’s opportunities for exploration. This study examined the effectiveness of the fingerpainting method in enhancing coloring creativity among children aged 5–6 years at TK Islam Al Husna, Salatiga. Using a quasi-experimental design with non-equivalent control and experimental groups, two classes were compared: Class B1 received finger painting activities, while Class B4 followed conventional instruction. Data were collected through validated observation sheets and analyzed using SPSS 26. Results showed that children who engaged in finger painting demonstrated markedly higher creativity scores than those in the control group. These findings suggest that finger painting offers an effective, sensory-based approach for promoting creativity in early childhood. Unlike previous studies that focused on traditional art instruction, this research highlights the value of tactile, exploratory learning experiences that enable children to express their ideas more freely. This study extends earlier work by providing empirical evidence from an Indonesian early childhood context, where structured, conformity-based instruction still predominates. It contributes to the global understanding of how culturally responsive, sensory-rich art activities can serve as powerful tools to foster creativity and expressive freedom among young learners.

Artistic Studies

Deva Tri Rahma Dina, Asna Istya Marwantika

Interfaith relationships remain a socially and emotionally complex issue in Indonesia, where love often collides with religious boundaries. Despite the prominence of interfaith themes in popular culture, few studies have examined how such tensions are represented semiotically through audiovisual media. Addressing this gap, the present research analyzes Petrus Mahendra’s lyric video “Seamin Tapi Tak Seiman” using Charles Sanders Peirce’s triadic semiotic model to explore how signs convey meanings of interfaith love, conflict, and moral negotiation. A qualitative descriptive approach was employed through transcription, coding, and interpretation of selected lyrical and visual segments. The findings reveal that qualisigns (emotive phrases), sinsigns (symbolic acts), and legisigns (ritual practices) express struggles between affection and doctrine. Interpretants emerge as emotional empathy, moral reflection, and acceptance, showing how audiences may internalize interfaith dilemmas through music. The study contributes a novel perspective by extending Peircean semiotics into the moral and cultural domain of popular music, demonstrating how audiovisual texts mediate intersections of love, belief, and identity in Indonesia’s plural society.

Artistic Studies

Rizal Rizal, Syahruddin Syahruddin

Indonesia’s past is marked by state violence and structural injustice, often left unexamined in public discourse. Literature, particularly poetry, offers a powerful medium to revisit and critique these social wounds. This study aims to analyze Mata Luka Sengkon Karta by Peri Sandi Huizche through the lens of literary sociology, focusing on the authorial context, reader reception, and textual content to uncover embedded social values and historical narratives. Using a qualitative-descriptive method, data were collected through textual analysis and in-depth interviews with two literary readers. The study applies and slightly extends Wellek and Warren’s sociological model by examining how contemporary Indonesian poetry combines theatrical performance, ideological critique, and interpretive response. The findings reveal that the poem not only narrates the wrongful persecution of Sengkon and Karta but also reflects broader issues such as authoritarian repression, economic disparity, and ideological conflict in Indonesia’s political past. Reader responses indicate heightened awareness of historical injustice and a strengthened sense of social solidarity. The study concludes that Huizche’s work functions as a medium of resistance and moral reflection, reaffirming the relevance of literature in socio-political critique. These findings emphasize the importance of engaging poetry as a means of collective memory and transformative discourse. Theoretically, the study contributes to Indonesian literary sociology by showing how poetry can mediate both aesthetic and political resistance, reaffirming literature’s role as cultural memory and sociological critique.

Artistic Studies