Start of Year 13 - Andrew Goodwin's Theory

This post marks the beginning of Year 13! 

Andrew Goodwin's Theory

• Music videos demonstrate certain genre characteristics e.g. on stage performances for metal videos, women in overly sexual clothing in rap videos and dance routines in pop videos particularly when it comes to boy bands or girl groups. The Spice Girls video below shows this well with the group dance routines they do.

• There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals e.g. the lyrics fit with the visuals and they illustrate each other or they contradict each other. The Iggy Azalea video below shows this well as she describes the boy being trouble and he gets arrested in the video.

• There is a relationship between music and visuals e.g. the visuals could illustrate, amplify or contradict the music or the shots could cut in time to the music. The Macklemore video below shows this well as the pace of editing follows the music normally and the shots sometimes cut on the beat.

• The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist e.g. in bands the record company might want equal shots of the band members or may want to focus on the main singer. The Paramore video below shows this well with the close ups of Hayley Williams being more frequent than close ups of the other band members.

• The artist may develop motifs or iconography that recur across their work (a visual style) e.g. some artists have certain fonts for the credits across their work or have certain costuming. The Lady Gaga video below shows this well as she has a distinct style with her unusual clothing.

• There is frequent reference to notion of 'looking' (screens within screens, filming, camera) and particularly voyeuristic (pleasure through looking) treatment of the female body e.g. eye contact with the camera or the artist being portrayed seductively. The Selena Gomez video below shows this well with her being portrayed sexually and having eye contact with the camera.

• There are often intertextual references - mostly to film, television and popular culture e.g. references can be made to other music videos, films, TV programmes or pop culture. The Iggy Azalea video below shows this well as it is directly based on the film 'Clueless'.