Product Analysis- Flobots 'Handlebars' Jack Clark

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuK2A1ZqoWs&feature=channel

Genre and Narrative

For my music video deconstruction I have decided to do Flobots ‘Handlebars’. I have chosen this because I think it has a very interesting video and it portrays very interesting messages. The group probably belong to the rap genre more than anything but they do have a link with the indie genre as well. The video is all narrative although it is done using animatics. There are no real life shots involved it is all in cartoon. The notion of looking is used however as we can see the two cartoon characters faces through a mobile telephone. There are also very obvious strong links between the lyrics and visuals. For example when the song lyrics say, ’I can ride my bike with no handlebars’ for the first time it shows the two characters riding on a bike with no handlebars. These kind of strong links appear often in the video when something similar is ever mentioned. Also the editing is timed so the different shots cut in on the beat of the song. Using Goodwins critical framework I am able to distinguish the style of video this is. I have found it to be an illustrative video as it portrays most of what is being said in the vocals through images. This is done to allow the audience to gain a clearer understanding behind the meaning of the song. This video could certainly be considered art due to the way that it has been created. The ideas presented through the song are about human beings having so much potential to be destructive or to be creative. It is about how tragic it is that Americas appetite for military evolution is endless. However when it comes to taking on a project like ending world hunger, it is seen as outlandish. It is not treated with the same seriousness. This makes the video very post-modern as it is not just an advertisement for the band but it is an advertisement for a protest against the government. This video directly challenges the government thoughts and ideas very openly.

Media Language

The visual techniques used in this video are very interesting and different for a music video. This is because the video is animation. The camera shots are full of motion. Almost each different shot in the video pans around or tracks in and out. The motion is usually sped up in between different distances of shot. For example there is a MLS of a crowd and then a sped up shot of the camera tracks through the crowd of people to a MLS of a woman and a man. The camera then tracks forward again to a MCU of the woman sitting on the floor. This constant motion of the camera add to the energy of the song and it contributes to its influence because adds to the connotations of witnessing different horrors within society. The editing is time in a way so that the shots change in time with the underlying beat of the music. There are very many intertextual references to culture within the video as it shows the paths of two different people. One person is shown to be walking though a poverty ridden area whilst the other is seen to be walking through a wealthy area.

Representation

The band are not shown at all through this music video so it adds a very strong sense of mystery to them which is very appealing I think. There are two social groups which are shown in the video. One group is seen to be very poor working class, however this group is seen to be kind, friendly and innocent. This in in contrast with the wealthy people shown who are seen to be vicious, spoilt and cruel. This idea reinforces the underlying meaning of the song that the wealthy people are too power hungry and are neglecting the real issues in the world such as poverty. This also reinforces the tension between people due to socio-economic status. However gender, age and race are not referenced very much at all during this video. I think that the governments dominant values are being challenged by the peoples values and beliefs are being reinforced in this video. I believe that the artist has done this to instil their beliefs into the listeners and get a powerful message through to their audience subtly.

Institution and Audience

I believe that this video can be consumed through focused and ambient viewing. However I think that people will watch this video in a more focused environment because of its intriguing visuals. Also because it is a protest song the focused viewers will be interested to see how they portray their views through imagery. The record label I believe will not have very much say in what the artist wants from the video. Due to the songs nature the band will probably take control and put in what they want to emphasise their message as powerfully as possible. The song is anti conformist so it would be hard to see them being controlled in this way by a record label, especially with their rebellious persona.