Continuing Media Theory- Andrew Goodwin

Andrew Goodwin (1992) - Dancing in the distraction factory

He wrote there are six key things in a music video.
1. lyrics that fits with the visuals
2.  There is often inter-textual references to films, other music videos, TV series.
3. There is frequent reference to notion of looking( screens within screens, mirrors, stages.ect) and particuarly voyeristic treatment of the female body. The male gaze- Laura Mulvey. Of which there are three parts. 1. men looking at women 2. women looking at themselves 3. women looking at women
4. Genre characteristics
5. Music that fits with the visuals- cuts on beat
6. The demands of the record label will need lots of close ups of the artists and the artists may develop motifs which recur across their work.

He also wrote about the five key ways to analyse a music video

1. Thought beats - seeing the sound.
Look at the structure of the song, the voice of the song and then the artists mode of address.

2. Narrative and Performance. - We only tend to get a gist of the meaning of the song and therefore have to work out the rest of the narrative yourself. Music videos should have coherent repeat-ability, so that the audience could watch them over and over again. The artist working as narrator and participant helps authenticity. The audience needs to believe its real.

3. Star image-  Meta narrative, showing the artist develop over time and how are they being represented.

4. Relation of visuals to the song- There are three ways in which music videos work to promote a song. Illustrate , where a music video uses a set of images to illustrate a meaning. Amplify, where meaning and effects are repeated so they are stuck in your head. Disjuncture- there is no relationship between what your hearing and what is being shown visually.

5. Technical aspects - This is what holds a music video together , through camera work, angle and movement combined with speed , editing, sound , special effects and mise en scene. The setting of a music video is vital. It needs to look authentic to look professional.

Examples of music video.

There are three different types of contemporary music video that often get used.
They are...

Performance - Where the artists show footage of them playing their music to an audience or in a studio.
Example : Slipknot - Wait and Bleed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1zCN0YhW1s
Narrative - Where there is a visual story that is shown along side the music often in relation to what is being sung about in the song.
Example : Micheal Jackson - Thriller. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOnqjkJTMaA  

Conceptual - Where there is an on going visual idea that is frequently used in the video and can often be obscure.
Example : OKGO - Here it goes again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTAAsCNK7RA