Applying Andrew Goodwin's Theory

By India Jones

Andrew Goodwin's 6 features of music videos:

• Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics.(e.g. stage performance in metal videos, dance routine for boy/girl band, aspiration in Hip Hop). [Also known as iconography]

• There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images.(either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

• There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music.(either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

• The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style).

• There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, mirrors, stages, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

• There are often intertextual reference (to films, tv programmes, other music videos etc)

The music video I have chosen to apply Andrew Goodwin's theory to is Lady GaGa - Telephone...

• 1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics

• Lady GaGa is a well known pop artist and so therefore creates catchy, upbeat pop songs. 'Telephone' is an excellent example of key pop genre characteristics. Within the video there are three dance scenes which take place, which are very common in pop music videos as this connotes excitement and further emphasizes the upbeat and catchy music, making the audience want to dance.

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics

• Another key feature of 'Telephone' is that there are many shots of Lady GaGa looking directly into the camera, connecting with the audience and making the audience feel more involved. Again, this is a common characteristic of pop music videos.• As the tempo of the music quickens, the pace of the edits mirror the pace of the

music, as the beat becomes faster the edits switch from long takes to quick, snappy short takes which connotes a sense of excitement. This technique is commonly found within the pop genre as it creates for an interesting video.

2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals.

• Here are some examples of when the lyrics match the visuals of the video:

Lyrics: "Hello, hello, baby you called I can't

hear a thing"Visuals: Phone rings, Lady GaGa answers

Lyrics: "You're not gonna reach my telephone"

Visuals: A mobile phone

Lyrics: "Tonight I'm not taking no calls cos I'll be

dancing"Visuals: Phone on the bed,

Beyonce starts dancingThese three matches are all

illustrative representations of the lyrics; simply showing exactly what is being said.

3. There is a relationship between music and visuals.

In this shot the music and lyrics are repeating, "eh, eh, eh, eh, eh" as the visuals

of the shot are also repeated. Beyonce is repeated over and over again doing the

same action which corresponds in time to the music.

At the beginning of the song before 'Telephone' starts, another one of Lady GaGa's songs is

playing called 'Paper Gangsta'. This is significant because the song 'Paper Gangsta' is about a man with large amounts of money who enticed her to be with him by trying to buy her love, and also represents an aspect of strong

independent women - which leads to the music relating to the visuals in this scene, as the song is playing as the shot cuts to strong, fearless

women in prison. The prison setting and atmosphere also reflects the lyrics of the song 'Paper Gangsta'. This therefore amplifies the visuals creating a feeling of empowerment.

Music and visuals...

The music at this point is quick and upbeat and is reflected by the dance

routines quick and succinct dance moves.

The beat of the music is playing quietly in the background of this scene, and no lyrics are heard.

Instead, a voice from the prison officer is heard. The quieting of the

music highlights a change in the narrative, as Lady GaGa is released

from Prison on bail.

4. The Demands Of The Record Label

• Throughout the video there are many close up shots of both Lady GaGa and Beyonce - highlighting that they are the main aspects of the video and that the audience should be focusing their attention on them. Close up shots of the artist are vital in pop music videos and key conventions of the pop genre as this allows artists to develop certain motifs across their work. A reoccurring motif for Lady GaGa is her extravagant outfits which help build her visual style.

5. Frequent reference to the notion of looking and voyeuristic treatment of the female body.• Voyeurism and the notion of looking are both themes are that almost every music

video contains. Voyeurism can be used to sell the artist's music through sex appeal. 'Telephone' is an excellent example of both of these and the way in which they have been used to the artist advantage in order to create profit.

• Within 'Telephone' the notion of looking has been created in many different ways. An example of this is at the beginning of the video a mirror is used within the narrative and prison based setting, as a female prisoner positions the mirror in order to view Lady GaGa as she is wearing a low cut outfit which is shown in the next shot. This coincides with Laura Mulvey's theory of 'The Male Gaze' that producers of mainstream media platforms manipulate editing in order to highlight to audiences certain sexualized parts of the female body. (e.g Boobs and bum).

• The notion of looking is evident through out the video, a common convention of pop music videos as it is clear in contemporary media and modern society that sexual references and sexualisation sells music.

Notion of looking...

Unsurprisingly, the notion of looking is a key theme throughout the video and interestingly, as the audience are introduced to Beyonce, before we even see her face the first thing the camera sees is her cleavage, yet again reinforcing this idea of the male gaze and the objectification of women, suggesting that this is the most important feature of her as a person . This is a redundant feature of the pop music genre and perhaps a key reason that pop music video are so widely viewed on platforms such as YouTube.

6. Intertextual references• Often in music videos, especially pop music videos there are intertextual

references to other forms of media such as films, TV programmes, other music videos etc. In 'Telephone' there is an intertextual reference to a film called 'Kill Bill' as the car Lady GaGa and Beyonce are driving called 'The Pussy Wagon' is from the film.

Andrew Goodwin's Theory applied to Lady GaGa ft. Beyonce 'Telephone'.

•By India Jones