ANDREW GOODWIN’S MUSIC VIDEO THEORY

MUSIC VIDEO CONVENTIONS

• Music Video intend to have the same, cliché and stereotype conventions when it comes to genre characteristics, which can also put a label on what kind of artist is performing. For example a stage performance is very typical for a metal video; dance routines for boy and girl bands and beautiful girls in bikinis by a pool while a flashy sports car pulls up outside a penthouse would be influenced by a rap video.

• Many music videos can also link to film genres, this is know as intertextuality. One example for this might be a heavy rock song that is influenced by a horror film or a pop song that could be influenced by a rom-com.

NARRATIVE AND PERFORMANCE

• Songs fail to give us the complete narrative! We only tend to get a gist of the meaning of the song and then tend to make up our own idea of what is being told. Goodwin explains that music videos should ignore common narrative. It is important in their role of advertising . Music videos should coherent repeatability . Narrative and performance work hand in hand it makes it easier for the audience to watch over and over without loosing interest. The artist acting as both narrator & participant helps to increase the authenticity however the lip sync and other mimed actions remains the heart of music videos. The audience need to believe this is real.

INTERTEXTUALITY REFERENCE

• There are often intertextual reference (to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc.). This allows the audience have a much more clearer understanding of the music video- meaning what it is related to and what it is all about.

• For example, Will Smith doing “Men in Black” for the film ‘Men in Black’, or Beyoncé doing “Listen” for the film ‘Dreamgirls’.

LYRICS AND VISUAL• There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with

images (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting). The lyrics and visual idea makes the music video clear about what it is the singer or band is singing about. Examples of this include the singer or band member interacting (acting) with various people in the video in certain ways that are mentioned in the lyrics. Take ‘The Wanted’ for example, when the lyrics say “the sun goes down” it shows the sun going down or when the lyrics mention “Take her by the hand”, the video shows a band member joining hands with a woman. The Visuals display which band member with a beautiful woman enjoying their holiday and loud party.

MUSIC AND VISUAL

• There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music. For example, many genre characteristic are shown when it comes to music and visual.

• For instance, a rock music video would include live music and a rap music video would present images of a gangster lifestyle.

• This also relate to..

- Illustration

- Amplifying

- Disjuncture

IllustrationIllustration is simples and easiest concept to base a music video. An example of illustrative ideas is Fireflies, when the artist is singing and as he says ‘fireflies’ the world fireflies some up on the screen to a little toy gadget.

AmplificationPerformance and narrative is included in this meaning, for example Kanye West ‘Homecoming’ where it does clearly shows his home but the audience can work out that the song is homecoming

Disjuncture This simply means that the meaning of the song is completely ignored from what it is really about. These music video’s don’t always tend to make sense and can often be quite abstract.

STAR IMAGE• The star image is also the vital

aspect of the music video. This completes who the star is and how it separates them from other artist.

ICONOLOGY• Every successful artist has

their own signature on who they are and what they represent, for example big iconic superstars like Michael Jackson does certain dance moves in his music videos which he does repeatedly that become his moves. Also Mariah Carey seems to have a rapper of some sort always repeat the word “MC” (indicating her name) in the beginning of her music videos or Amy Winehouse’s hair.

REFERENCE TO NOTION

• There are frequent references to the notion of looking and the voyeuristic treatment of the female body. The notion of looking includes men or women being portrayed seductively or if there is eye contact with the camera. The notion of looking can also be referenced by the use of props. e.g. Mirrors, television screens, cameras, telescopes, binoculars and magnifying glasses are all references to, these are commonly used.

VOYEURISM • Voyeurism is widely

used to sell the artist's music through sex appeal, a recent example being Miley Cyrus. Voyeurism today is only shown at one angle. You do not see a male doing that, only women.

GENRE CHARACTERISTICS

• All celebrities have a certain style that matches their music genre, certain artist genre characteristics can change from time to time never really putting a label on themselves but other artist such as Lady Gaga have obvious characteristics, for example she represents a unusual style of crazy outfits in nearly all of her music videos and all themes are always based around something strange yet original.

RECORD LABEL• A record Label which artist are assigned to tends to have

certain demands. They normally need a lot of close ups on the artist and the artist will have a visual style which recurs across their work ,for example lady gaga always wearing quirky clothes or Avril Lavigne wearing funky rock chick clothes