Andrew Goodwins Theory

A man named Andrew Goodwin did a lot of research into music videos and he believes they all contain elements of a theory he came up with (at least about 3 in every video). He created this theory based on music videos which consists of 8 key aspects that they include in which we as an audience should look out for:

1) Music videos demonstrate certain genre characteristics
Certain features are expected out of a music video so that it is clear to the audience what genre the music is. For example a pop girl or boy band are expected to have dancers and close ups of the singers, an indie band are expected to have performance shots of themselves and have it cut to a fast beat, hip hop artists are expected to be throwing signs at the camera, and gangster rap artists are expected to be wearing a certain fashion trend for example gold chains.

2) There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals
Themes, mise en scene and events of the video match with lyrics of the song to help portray the message of the song. It is quite common to have illustrative music videos but they could amplify or contradict the lyrics as well. For example Riptide by Vance Joy contains the lyrics 'I was scared of dentists and the dark' and the visuals will represent the dentist and the dark.

3) There is a relationship between the music and the visuals
Music videos are often illustrative in which they use a set of images to illustrate the meanings of lyrics & genre - this is the most common. They also amplify which is similar to repeatability. Meanings and effects are manipulated and constantly shown through the video and drummed into our vision. Furthermore, they can also contain disjuncture. This is where the meaning of the song is completely ignored but this is the least common. Music videos are most commonly illustrative and many are also amplified but disjuncture is rarely used. An example of a music video that is more illustrative between the music and visuals is Bad Blood by Taylor Swift because the music is up beat and it is also quite fierce and dramatic because of the use of explosions and fighting. An example of a music video that is amplified is Telephone by Lady Gaga because of the repetition of the situation and the narrative - there is a constant reminder of 'telephone' when she repetitively picks up the phone and sings into it. An example of a music video that relates to disjuncture is 'I'm not alone' by Calvin Harris because it doesn't contain any relation to the lyrics at all.

 

4) Close ups
The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist. You see this in a lot of female music videos to draw attention to them and make them the star of the music video. Britney Spears uses a lot of close ups in her music videos.

5) The Star Image
The star image is another vital aspect of music videos. Meta narrative, which is a big story that describes the development of the star overtime, has an important part to play in the music video production process. Also the artist may develop motifs or iconography that reoccur across their work (a visual style) to make them original and stand out.

6) Emphasis on ‘looking’

There is a frequent reference to the notion of 'looking' which references to screens within screens, filming and cameras so there maybe a TV or a phone screen shown in the shots. An example of a music video that does this is Titanium by David Guetta. This emphasis also contains this aspect of pleasure through 'looking'. The ‘male gaze’ is often used to attract a male audience. The male gaze theory is a focus on presenting things that appeal to men. This often means a voyeuristic view of an objectification of women. An example of a music video that uses this is 'Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke'. The emphasis on looking also includes the artist looking directly into the camera helping the audience connect with the artist.

 7) Intertextual references
There are often intertextual references used in music videos mostly to film, television and popular culture. An example of a music video that includes an intertextual reference is 'Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Ray' which references to the film 'The Great Gatsby'. It references it having an old fashioned theme for example the clothes and visuals are old fashioned and rich like the themes from the film.

8) Technical, narrative and performance aspects of a music videos

•  The technical aspects hold the music video together though the use of camera work, movement, angles, mise en scene, editing sound and special effects. Speed, camera movement, editing, cutting and post production are all forms of technical aspects. Lighting and colour help set moods and emphasise the narrative of the song for dramatic effect. In terms of mise en scene, the setting of music videos is vital. It needs to look authentic to attain professionalism by making sense to the narrative and presenting the performance well. In terms of beats, music videos use cuts to go with the beat or rhythm of the music, making the music video more entertaining and to flow well with the music. When looking at beats the first step is to look at the music itself. We must take into account the structure of the song for example the chorus’ and verses. The second step is to look at the voice of the song. The artists voice is very unique and can form an identification or trademark that will work well with their star image. In other words, their voice is very distinctive and an audience can easily recognise who’s voice it is. The third step is to look at the artist’s mode of address. Songs can be seen as stories and the artist is the storyteller selling out a point the artist is trying to make and getting their words out there. For example, Katy Perry’s Chained to the Rhythm evokes a strong message about the world we live in.

• Songs often fail to give us the complete narrative. We only tend to understand the meaning of a song and generate our own idea of what is being told. Goodwin explains that:

o   Music videos should ignore the common narrative

o   It is important in their role of advertising

o   Music videos should coherent repeatability

o   Narrative and performance work well together and it makes it easier for the audience to watch over and over without losing interest

o   The artists acting as both narrator & participant of the music video helps to increase authenticity however the lip sync and other mimed actions remains the heart of the music videos – the audience need to believe it’s real.

  

Doing this research on Goodwin's theory has helped me to understand all the important elements and properties of music videos and learn about what they mean and how they work. This has also helped me to learn how similar all music videos are and that this theory is genuine because I have noticed it in a lot of music videos I have looked at. This has allowed me to narrow down every aspect of a music video so now I know what I need to consider for my own music video to make it fit in the media industry and make it to the best it can be.