Wednesday, 4 July 2012

ANDREW GOODWIN'S THEORY


1 - MUSIC VIDEOS DEMONSTRATE GENRE AND CHARACTERISTICS


This can be shown through the costumes, the set design, mise-en-scene, conventions and cultural signinfiers.
For example a female artist like Beyonce or Rihanna performing a dance routine in a music video would be considered a pop music convention. Another way of demonstrating the genre through this video would be the costume choice, this style was in fashion and set new trends when the video first came out, establishing this video as a pop video.



2 -THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LYRICS AND VISUALS - EITHER ILLUSTRATIVE, AMPLIFYING OR CONTRADICTING

These can be shown as enhancements/editing/animation on the video, props, costumes, mise-en-scene, set design etc.
For example in Stooshe's video 'Black Heart' towards the end of the video, the characters paint the backdrop/set design of hanging hearts black from pink. This visual is re-enforcing the lyric "He got a black heart" and supporting.




3 -THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MUSIC AND VISUALS


This is shown through the visuals of the music video and the pace and dynamics of the music video.

For example in Jamie T's music video 'Sticks 'n' Stones' it is an upbeat fast song, which is shown in the video, there are many shots of trains, people running, tracking shots etc, making it feel like a fast paced music video as well as song.





4 -THE DEMANDS OF THE RECORD LABEL WILL INCLUDE THE NEED FOR LOTS OF CLOSE UPS OF THE ARTIST AND THE ARTIST MAY DEVELOP MOTIFS ACROSS THEIR WORK


This could be shown as a visual style or something that the re-occurs in their music videos that is automatically recognisable.
For example in Mumford & Sons music videos, there are close ups of the lead singer singing and the musicians playing their instruments, in most of their videos they try and re-create the iconic image of the playing their powerful instruments, which is recognisable to their fans.


5 -THERE IS FREQUENT REFERENCE TO NOTION OF LOOKING AND PARTICULARLY VOYERISTIC TREATMENT OF THE FEMALE BODY


This is often shown through women in underwear, swimsuits or little clothing.


An exmaple of voyerstic treatment of the female body is shown in Nicki Minaj's music video 'Starships' where she is mainly featured in a barbie pink bikini and nothing else. There are repeated shots of Nicki Minaj wearing not a lot, but it is used to draw attention to the song/video to create attention and hype.








6 -THERE ARE OFTEN INTERTEXTUAL REFERENCES (TO FILMS TV AND OTHER POSSIBLE REFERENCES)


An intertextual reference can be made through costume, set design, lyrics, prop mise-en-scene and many other ways. It link highlights the fact that the artist wanted the audience to think of the reference and link it to their video. It gives a deeper meaning to the video/song.
For example in Madonna's music video to Material girl (1985), she werars similar costumes, has the same set and the same style of men surrounding her as Marylin Monroe does in 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' (1953) song 'Diamonds Are A Girl's Bestfriend'. This reference is to make the link that Marylin Monroe was a very sexy woman and portrays a suggestive image in the pink gown she wears. Madonna tries to replica this image by making the intertextual reference to this video.




1 comment:

  1. Well done Emily, you have linked your music video examples splendidly to Goodwin's theory. Do note it is "reinforcing" not re-enforcing!!! Could you sort out and remember the correcting spelling.
    A very strong start to Year 13 and I can't wait to see the raw footage you shoot in Dorset, and more particularly on The Cobb at Lyne Regis! Do remember to make intertextual visual references (if appropriate) to John Fowles' "French Lieutenant's Woman" (google stills from the film);
    Jane Austen's "Persuasion" and Hardy if the latter is possible. Hardy's Wessex in his novels is a melancholy/poetic/evocative and often harsh landscape. In literature his representation of Dorset is iconic.

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