Research for music video

A summary of the main points of Andrew Goodwins theory;

Andrew Goodwin

Structure of Music Video Rethinking Narrative Analysis;

Before reading the Andrew Goodwin handout we as a class watched a series of videos on YouTube, which our teacher (Louisa) thought would help us understand the handout much clearer. The videos we watched were;

• Wiley – numbers in action
• The streets – Fit but don’t know it
• Amy Winehouse – Back to black

One of he main points that Goodwin mentioned in his handout were that traditional narrative analyses doesn’t really apply to pop videos, as pop videos approach narrative from a different angle to novels and films. The narrative structure of a pop video is as followed

• Pop videos are built around songs which often do not pose traditional narrative structures.  
• Pop videos use their singer both as a narrator and character. 
• The singer in most pop videos often is faced with a camera directly this allows the performer involve the viewer at home with the performance.

Goodwin believes that Pop videos rely heavily on repetition, usually the video repeats a series of images, props and lines/chorus. By doing this Goodwin believes that the audience become familiar with the genre of the song/music video and create certain expectations as to what shall be visual and heard. Repetition is frequently used as a form of closure the repetition adds to the climax of the song and slowly fades away closing the track.

It is said by Goodwin that usually videos are autonomous from the music they spring; the visualisation of a song may go beyond the original meaning. Sometimes the video may create a visual pleasure that encourages the viewers to repeat their viewing which results into promoting the music which may include the promotion other commodities such as films.

It can be said that there are three types of relations between songs and videos;

• Illustration: this is where the videos using visuals such as props, location and to tell the story of the lyrics. An example of this relation is Madonna ‘Papa don’t preach’ in which Madonna shows the relationships between father and daughter. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkxqxWgEEz4&ob=av2n

• Amplification: occurs when the video introduces new meanings that don not relate with the lyrics. An example of this relation is Lady Gaga ‘Judas’ in which the meaning of the song doesn’t reflect the visuals which include bikers and half naked dancers.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wagn8Wrmzuc&feature=fvwrel
  

• Disjuncture: is where there is little connection between the lyric and the video. An example of this relation is Michael Jackson ‘Man in the Mirror’ the song is about self realisation but the video is full of radical world events.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PivWY9wn5ps&ob=av2e