Goodwin's Theory of Music Videos

Music and Visuals

Not only are the lyrics often associated with the visuals in video's, the music is also just as important and significant. For example, tempo, beat, pitch etc are all important factors in ensuring a successful music video.

I researched into this and a good example I found would be the song 'There goes the fear' by The Doves.

It is clear to see that while the tempo of the music gradually increases, the anxiety of the old man rises on a parallel. The climax come on approximately 55 seconds when the man slams open the door - with this, the music drops.

Demands of the record label and notion of looking

The record label of course have a certain control over how the artist is represented. A valid example of this would be, how many female artists these days are portrayed as sexy. Goodwin believed that women are often portrayed as objects, for instance, Nicki Minaj in her music video for the song 'Starships' is dressed in a tiny pink 'barbie like' bikini. This is perhaps to attract the male audience and thus make the song and video successful.

Goodwin's theory

Lyrics and Visuals

Goodwin suggested that the visuals within the music video will constantly reflect the lyrics of the song.

A perfect example of this would be Griminal's video, 'Invincible', in which the words, 'we' and 'us' work in cohesion with an image of the artist and his companion sharing an intimate moment.

Genre and Characteristics

This can be shown by costume, conventions and cultural signifiers as well as the set. Pretty much just the entire mis-en-scene.

A good example of this would be for a mainstream artist such as Rihanna or Jay-Z. If they were to wear a costume which is very fashionable at the time, it would enable us to establish that we are watching and listening to a 'pop' video, thus, determining the genre through characteristics.

Intertextual references (films, tv etc.)

An intertextual reference can be presented through almost any aspect of mis-en-scene, e.g costume or set design. It suggests that the artist (or whoever thought of the video idea) intended the audience to notice the reference and create a link to their video. It gives a deeper meaning to the song and video and perhaps allows the audience to develop their understanding.

An example of this sort of reference would be how Bob Dylan's song 'Subterranean homesick blues' comes from a segment of his film documentary 'Don't look back. This song/video is credited as one of the first modern music videos.