Music Video Analysis: Benjamin Francis Leftwich

‘Atlas Hands’

‘Atlas Hands’

This music video has a definite Indie/Acoustic style to it, which is aimed at teenagers and young adults both male and female. I have chosen to analyse this video as I am inspired by it’s creative references, such as the close up shots of the characters building the boat, and I also like the tranquillity of the beach location.

The music video is completely all narrative based; the shots document the characters building the boat, there are no performance scenes by the artist. I think this works well within this video as it’s simple but effective, however I would like a combination of both narrative and performance for my video, as I think it’s important for the viewer to see the artist performing the song.

The Indie genre is portrayed through the quirky costumes, authentic props, creative concept, and melodic tune. The lyrics and visuals have a strong relationship as the title ‘Atlas Hands’ is illustrated through the close up of maps, and the theme of the video is reflected through the visuals as the characters are preparing for a journey. The title ‘Atlas hands’ conveys a sense of adventure and exploration which is amplified through the visuals of the characters building the boat and preparing for an adventure.

‘Atlas Hands’

The establishing low angle wide shot depicts a stretch of beach with the sun reflecting on the water. The sun appears to be rising which evokes a positive feeling of a fresh start – the start of a new day. This reinforces the exploration/adventure concept of the music video and also sets the scene as the whole video is set on the beach. It also works well with the continuity editing as at the end of the video the sun is setting over the beach and they’ve completed building the boat and are setting sail. I would want multiple locations to feature in my music video to add interest to the narrative, however I think a beach location enhances the Indie genre as there is a quirky, peaceful, slightly rustic feel to the video.

‘Atlas Hands’

I really like this bird’s eye view close up shot of a female character plaiting another character’s hair. The bight red nail polish conveys glamour which is juxtaposed with the scruffy costume, however the colour red has connotations of danger and love. The plaiting of the hair evokes a sense of preparation as if they are about to go somewhere, thus emphasising the feeling of going on an adventure. I think this shot also portrays the close relationship between the characters – there is a strong sense of teamwork, as they’re all helping each other build the boat. There is a mixture of child actors and young adult actors, but they all have a certain quirky look about them. There is shallow focus within the shot, so the foreground is in focus, but the background is out of focus , this emphasises the plaiting of the hair.

‘Atlas Hands’

This close up shot of the artist conveys an intimidating edge, due to his harsh theatrical make up. The background is out of focus so the man really stands out, emphasising his serious expression. His costume evokes a pirate style, especially his red neck scarf, which makes him appear threatening, but also reinforces the theme of exploration and embarking on a voyage. I like the use of a montage of close ups of all the different characters, which introduces them to the audience and makes the video more personal.

‘Atlas Hands’

This close up shot of a hand on a map illustrates the lyrics and the title of the song ‘Atlas Hands’. The shot evokes a childlike yearning for adventure, it brings to mind the phrase ‘the world is in your hands’, thus enhancing the whole concept of exploration within the video. However it also conveys a sense of growing up, being independent and leaving home.

‘Atlas Hands’

This wide shot depicting children playing a tug of war on the beach, gives the video a playful, fun feel which contradicts the serious feel of most of the video. The wide shot displays the vastness of the beach; conveying a sense of isolation and peacefulness . The lighting is very bright but the sky appears quite misty which evokes a feeling of uncertainty and mystery.

‘Atlas Hands’

This close up shot has a shallow focus so the sail in the foreground stands out and the characters in the background appear blurred, this makes the viewer wonder what both of the characters are looking at, thus creating a sense of mystery. The theatrical, ‘pirate-esque’ costumes evoke a childlike, playful attitude, as if the characters are playing a game of dress up. The colour red is used in a lot of the characters’ costumes which has connotations of love but also danger, which could represent the danger that comes with the fun of exploration and adventure. I like the feathers that are attached to string which gives the boat a creative feel, the props appear very rustic and authentic, which reinforce the Indie genre of the music video.

‘Atlas Hands’

I think this wide shot shown at the end sums up the whole concept of the music video. It portrays the childish fantasy of exploring new places and having adventures, but also of growing up and becoming independent. This is depicted through the lone man pushing the children away on a mini ship – like mini explorers setting sail to travel the seas. The wideness of this shot exposes the vast, open nature of the beach which evokes isolation but also tranquillity. The setting sun correlates with the rising sun at the beginning of the music video, so the editing has been done in a chronological order to illustrate the boat being created in a day. The setting sun not only symbolises the end of a day, but may also symbolise the ending of childhood, as the children are embarking on their own journey, independent of the adults.

I like the narrative of this music video as it contains deep undertones that make the viewer think. However in my own music video I would like a combination of narrative and performance to add more angles to the video. I like the extravagant costumes and creative touches to the video such as the close up shots of the shells and feathers. I also think the beach location is very effective.