Knives Down, Bikes Up is a short, interview-style documentary, produced by Masses Collective, focusing on the youth in London, and how knife violence has been taking the region by storm and has been a grow problem for the past few years. Teens as young as 16 have been victim to knife violence and influenced by violent acts involving knives. Riders created the movement to create a sense of a new community, that swings the focus away from this violent lifestyle.
The text to begin the video coupled with the black and white shooting choice provides for a theme that could be felt as troublesome, or eerie, or as if being stuck somewhere that can be fearful. Almost as if the character(s) are trying to break out or move past that black and white lifestyle, or the potential for that violent lifestyle, and breaking into a world filled with color, and a more meaningful and fulfilling life that is founded by a small community of youth. It is used to transport the audience to this troubled community that is surrounded by the fear of being threatened with a knife, or worse yet being physically hurt. In this community, kids walking home from school are at risk and exposed to this potential violence.
The quote “I think knives is just an easy way to scare people, you know you’re going to do a damage with a knife, it’s easy to get a knife,” flows well with the black and white theme the producers used for the video and the underlying and eerie tones of the music track used.
Portraits are used throughout the video to give us a glimpse into those affected by this type of violence and humanizing the issue more for us by placing the faces right in the middle of the camera, in an attempt to put us, the audience, face to face with these kids. Furthermore, the producers use zoom-in to try and enhance this by bringing us from further out, to up close and personal.
The producers beautifully crafted together a portrait shot of an individual (at 1:18), being circled by another performing a “bikes up” wheelie, providing an artistic way to describe the movement without even having to say anything. The circling around breathes protection, community and youth coming together for one another.
The producers create a powerful sequence at 2:09-1:40, capturing the youth riding together as a community, with voice over quote “If you’re giving kids the opportunity to do what they want as long as it’s positive, then you’re keeping them away from what they could be getting drawn into.”
Slow motion of bicyclists poppin’ wheelies and super close-up shots of bicycle spokes turning seem to mesh well with the music in the background, but the producers keep it humble by not overwhelming us with too much of it.
A technique I really admired was that the producers didn’t use any talking head video footage of the interviewee. There’s one shot of (who I believe is the one speaking) seen below:
(cont.) and this is the only instance where we see him. He does start the video off by giving us a brief account of a particularly frightening experience he had, bringing us with him into the severity of the issue in London. However, it’s brilliant because the character isn’t just one person but rather this community of youth banding together. He doesn’t take over the video and the message. A talking head would have taken away from the beautiful style and character.
The use of zoom-in, the voice flowing with the tones and music, portraits, close-up and slow-motion shots are beautifully crafted together to make a short, but very moving and enjoyable piece to deliver an important message.
– Joe Ciolino