Environmental Sustainability in Short Films at Music of the Spheres World Tour Jakarta: A Visual Semiotics Approach
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35516/Hum.2026.10033Keywords:
Music industry, environmental sustainability, semiotics, Roland Barthes model, short films, Coldplay concert.Abstract
Objectives: This research aims to identify and analyze environmental awareness messages in short films shown at the Coldplay Music of the Spheres World Tour concert in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2023, using semiotic analysis.
Methods: Semiotic analysis is a form of qualitative research. Through a semiotic approach, this research will examine visual and verbal signs with the Roland Barthes model that uses three stages, namely, denotation, connotation, and myth. A total of 7 screenshots were taken from YouTube and focused on the short film shown before the music performance of the band Coldplay began. The other 9 signs were analyzed using the concept of multimodality to enrich the understanding of how meaning is constructed in visual texts.
Results: The results showed that the short film’s main message, conveyed through both visual and verbal meanings, is to increase audience awareness of environmental issues and support Coldplay’s sustainability mission. The Music of the Spheres World Tour adheres to the three sustainability concepts of reduce, reinvent, and restore, as evidenced by (16) messages in all.
Conclusion: The music industry is rapidly transforming, especially in formulating visual messaging strategies based on environmental engagement. Environmental issues are becoming more complex as music becomes more popular. By considering its ecological effect, the music industry can contribute to the change towards a more sustainable lifestyle. This research advances environmental communication and semiotic theory and provides a conceptual map for the music industry to improve engagement with audiences in promoting ecological awareness and action.
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