Andrew Goodwin Theory

HOW TO ANAYLSE MUSIC VIDEOS

Andrew Goodwin identifies 6 key aspects of music videos which the audience should look out. These are....

1. The Star Image
2. Narrative and Performance
3. Relation of visuals to songs
4.Technical aspects of music videos
5. Thought beats (seeing the sound)


The Star Image

• Aspect of visual image
• Describes where the main performer has come over time (Meta Narrative)

Narrative and Performance

• Music videos should ignore common narrative. Important for advertising
• Should coherent repeatability  
• Work hand in hand so it makes it easier for the auidence to watch over and over again.
• The artist acting as both narrator and participant helps increase authenticity.

Relation of visuals to songs

•  3 ways in which music videos work to promote a song;

1. Illustrate -  use a set of images to illustrate the meanings of lyrics and genre.
2. Amplify - meanings and effects are manipulated and constantly shown through the video.
3. Disjuncture - where the meaning of the song is completely ignored.

Technical aspects of music videos

• Hold the music video together through the use of; camera work, movement, angle, mise-en-scene, editing and sound.
• Lighting and color effect help sets the mood and the key moments in the song.
• The setting is essential >> it needs to look authentic.
• Beats. The cuts are motivated by the beat/rhythem of the song to make the video more entertaining.

Thought beats

Seeing the sound in your head

• 1st step..... Look at the music itself. Look for the sturcture of the song, e.g chorus/verses
• 2nd step..... The voice of the song. The artist's voice is unique and can form identifications that links to the star image. Roland Barthes theory of gthe grain of voice can be linked to this.
• 3rd step..... Songs can be seen as stories, with the artist being the storyteller, making the video a two communication device, telling a story and us listening.