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of the major sections of the frame —center, top, bottom, and sides—can be exploited
for such symbolic purposes. Gianetti 2014 states that color in film started since 1940s. Since then, it is
used for symbolic purpose. Brown 2012 also states that color is important tool because it affects in creating visual subtext. If color is used for symbolic purpose and
to create visual subtext, then color meant to support the meaning of certain object in the frame. According to Giannetti 2014, color symbolism is somehow culturally
acquired, which its implications are different in each society. It is true that color in a film represents a symbolic meaning of why the director chooses certain colors in their
films. Each color conveys its symbolic meaning in its origin where the background of the film is intentionally taken.
Analyzing this film with some elements of mise-en-scène for this study generally has the benefit for the readers to unload their common way of enjoying a
film by sensing the reasons of the film being made in that certain ways or techniques. The way or technique that is executed and constructed in a film creates stories or
meanings.
B. Approach of the Study
This study uses a critical approach which is formalism. This approach reveals the form of the way something is done from its ethical ways. Jacobs 2014 says that
formalist approach is used to look at the film structure and form as its internal evidence. According to Ryan 2012, the major idea of formalism is about the form of
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how a work of art is done or made, it includes the techniques that an artist, director or cinematographer uses to construct a story or deliver the meaning of an idea. Thus,
formalism approach and mise-en-scène are suitable to work collaboratively to convey the message in this film. The formalism approach can be used to look at the film
itself. Its structure and its form can also be its internal evidence. Therefore, formalism approach can be used to analyze how the technical form from the film presents the
story or its meaning. Library study was used to conduct this study. Two sources were chosen to
conduct this library study. The primary source was the film entitled Gravity as the research object. The film was directed by Alfonso Cuaron, a well-known Mexican
film director, screenwriter, producer, and editor. This film is also cinematographed by Emmanuel Lubezki Morgenstern, a Mexican cinematographer who won the Academy
Awards for Best Cinematography in 2014. This film was released on October 4
th
, 2013 in the US. This film won seven Oscars for Best Cinematography, Best Director,
Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Music Written for Motion Pictures and Original Score, and Best Visual Effects. The data were taken
from frames that were selected in the film. The frames are the picture of Dr. Stone and veteran astronaut Kowalski with their surroundings. The secondary sources were
the formalism and film study books from various authors, journals, and websites. The first step in conducting the research was by watching Gravity film. After
watching the film, the writer formulated the problems to be analyzed. The first chosen problem is on the literal meaning
of Kowalski’s presence for Dr. Stone. The second is
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to re veal the deeper meaning of Kowalski’s presence for Dr. Stone through the term
of mise-en-scène film study analysis. The next step was giving the limitation to the problems to be analyzed. There are numbers of elements in mise-en-scène analysis.
Those are dominant, lighting key, shot and camera proxemics, angle, color values, lensfilterstock, subsidiary contrast, density, composition, form, framing depth,
character placement, staging positions, and character proxemics. The writer chose three out of fifteen elements above based on the data frames that the writer chose to
be analyzed. Those three elements are majorly seen on the chosen frames and
supported the meaning that lay within the frame. After analyzing, discussing the findings from the data frames, and consulting
the findings with an expert on movie making, the writer made conclusions as the result of the analysis.
The following are the definition of terms used in this study: 1.
Presence Merriam-Webster Dictionary online 2015 defines presence is technically the
state or fact of being present. 2.
Literal Meaning Literal meaning is the meaning that can be seen from its original form. This
meaning can be seen noticeably by watching the film. In this study, the literal meaning is defined as the meaning of the presence that the veteran astronaut
Kowalski made for Dr. Stone which can be seen from the Gravity film. Thus, after
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watching the film, the writer concludes its meaning from its surface. As Case and Marshall 2009 note that a literal approach in learning is the tacit acceptance of
information and memorization and does not promote understanding for long term retention of knowledge.
3. Deeper Meaning
Barnet 1994 says that deeper meaning is the meaning that told for us because it is implicit. It is supported by Case and Marshall 2009 that deeper
meaning involve the critical analysis of the new idea and promotes the application for life. Therefore, it can be concluded that deeper meaning is the meaning which is
hidden and promotes the application for life. In this study, the deeper meaning is the meaning of the presence that the veteran astronaut Kowalski made for Dr. Stone
which is not seen in the film. 4.
Mise-en-scène Mise-en-scène means to tell a story in visual artful ways through
cinematography and stage design. It is also known as staging. According to Gianetti 2014, it is a term in filmmaking and originally from France “placing on stage” that
refers to the arrangement of all visual elements in a theatrical production within a playing area on the stage.
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CHAPTER 2 DISCUSSION
This chapter discusses two problems, namely the literal meaning of Kowalski’s presence for Dr. Stone in the Gravity film and the deeper meaning of
Kowalski’s presence for Dr. Stone in the Gravity film through mise-en-scène film study analysis.
A. The Literal Meaning of Kowalski’s Presence for Dr. Stone
Matt Kowalski is a veteran astronaut planning to retire after the Explorer expedition. Meanwhile, Dr. Stone is a mission specialist that will flight on her first
mission. This film tells about the struggle of those two astronauts to survive the catastrophe. The writer found a literal meaning of
Kowalski’s presence for Dr. Stone while watching the film. Case and Marshal 2009 noted that a literal approach in
learning is the tacit acceptance of information and memorization and does not promote understanding for long term retention of knowledge. Dr. Stone was there to
get things done and leave. She did not take a moment to gasp at the beauty surrounding her. In fact, she seems kind of uptight. She wants to finish what she was
there for and get on with it. Meanwhile, Kowalski floats around exchanging life stories with the space station in Houston. He is a free-spirited and a type of person
who lives every day to the fullest. Besides, he is also a guy with a million stories to tell. When they heard that meteors potentially shooting their way, he reassuringly tell
