Andrew Goodwin's Theory

Andrew Goodwin's Theory

Identifies key features that distinguish music as a form:

• A relationship between visuals either illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the lyrics.
• A relationship between the music and the visuals again either illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the music. 
• Music genres have their own music video style and iconography.
• There is likely to be voyeurism, particularly in the treatment of women. 
• There's a demand on the part of the record company for lots of close ups of the main artist. 
• There is likely to be intertextual references either to other music videos, films or TV texts. 

Thought Beats - seeing the sound in your head. 

• Firstly - look at the music itself. Take into account the structure of the song - chorus and verses. 
• Secondly - the voice of the song. the artists voice is extremely unique, can form identification or trademarks that work well with the stars image. Barthes theory of the grain of voice can be related to this. sees the singing voice as an expressive instrument and therefore able to make associations of its own. 
• Thirdly - Points of the artists mode of address. Songs can be seen as stories and the artist the storyteller, making the music video a two communication device, them telling us a story and us listening. 

When watching a music video we only 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. Its important that they advertise their artist. The artist as both the narrator and participant helps to increase the authenticity. The lip sync and other mimed actions remain the heart of the music video. The audience must believe that it is real. 

Relations of Visuals to Song:

• Illustrate - Music videos can use a set of images to illustrate the meaning of lyrics and genre, this is the most common.
• Amplify - This is similar to repeatability. Meanings and effects are manipulated and constantly shown through the video and drummed into vision.
• Disjuncture - This is where the meaning of the song is completely ignored. 

Technical Aspects 

• Technical aspects hold the music video together through the used of camera work, movement, angle, mise en scene, editing, sound and special effects. 
• Speed, camera movement, editing, cutting and post production are all forms of use of camera. 
• Lighting and colour help set the moods and emphasise key moments of the song for dramatic effect. 
• Beats - music videos use cut to go with the beat of rhythm making the video more entertaining. 
• Mise en scene - The setting of the music videos is vital, it needs to look authentic to attain professionalism.