Goodwin’s theory

Goodwin’s Theory

7 key ideas from Andrew Goodwin’s theory on music videos.

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g. stage performance in metal video, dance routine for boy/ girl band.)

2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. (Either illustrative, amplifying and contradicting.)

3. There is a relationship between music and visuals. (Either illustrative, amplifying and contradicting.)

4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work ( a visual style.)

5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screen, telescopes, etc. ) and particularly voyeuristic (sexual) treatment of the female body.

6. There is often intertextual reference (to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc.)

7. Whether the video is primarily performance based, narrative based or concept based and how elements of each is used in it.

1.Genre Characteristics• Folk videos tend to be performance-based with aspects of concept, which focus on

the music rather than the artist themselves. This is shown through close-ups of instruments, or their faces as they sing and the fact that artists rarely have elaborate costumes or dance routines, rather they perform the song in a largely stationary position. KT Tunstall’s ‘black horse and a cherry tree’ opens with a close up of her face then quickly cuts to her beating a drum, then an extreme close up for her playing the guitar. Within 10 seconds KT has already fulfilled many genre characteristics of a folk/folkrock video. Throughout ‘Little Lion Man’ Mumford and sons stay in one costume on one stage, the entire video is comprised of different shots from that stage.

2. A relationship between lyrics and visuals

• The fact that the ‘Little Lion Man’ video consists of the band performing to an empty concert hall suggests themes of loneliness and isolation, linking with the lyrical themes of the unravelling of a relationship.

• The title ‘Always Like This’ suggests repetitiveness, which is mirrored in the visuals constantly reverting to one of a handful of locations. The switching between shots taken from different positions of the same location reinforces this.

3. A Relationship Between Music and VisualsThere is a strong relationship between music and visuals. For example ‘Black Horse and a Cherry Tree’ opens with a close up of KT’s face, emphasising her presence as the singer. The rest of the video is then centred around her singing or playing various different instruments.The close ups of the instruments in ‘Little Lion Man’ enhance the intensity of the performance towards the climax of the song .The traditional style of the music of Mumford and Sons is reflected in their somewhat archaic clothing.

3. A Relationship Between Music and Visuals cont.

• In KT Tunstall’s ‘Black Horse and Cherry Tree’ the cuts are in time with the music. The same can be said for Bombay Bicycle Club’s ‘Always Like This’ whose cuts are in time with the start of each bar. This engages the viewer of the music and allows them to relate to the video on both a visual and aural basis.

• This is also conveyed through the way in which the band members of Mumford & Sons emphatically stomp their feet in time with the music.

4.The Demands of the Record Label and Motifs.

• The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which reoccur across their work.

• In each video there is evidence of this

• Motifs don’t appear to be common in music videos. Mumford & Sons wear the same costumes through out the video, all in similar styles to each other. Through out the videos the only other motifs appear to be their instruments.

5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking and particularly voyeuristic treatment of

the female body.• The use of CCTV footage alludes to the concept of voyeurism.

However, this does not encompass an element of female objectification in the way numerous pop videos do, rather linking back to the idea of repetitiveness, and continuously watching the band members perform similar actions.

• There are no notions of looking or voyeurism in ‘Black Horse and a Cherry Tree’ or ‘Little Lion Man’

6. Intertextual references

• There are no intertexual references to any films, TV programmes or other music videos in any of the three song’s videos.

7. Whether the video is primarily performance based, narrative based or concept based and

how elements of each is used in it.

• All three videos are performance based in that the central focus of each of them consists of the artist/artists performing the song, whilst placing emphasis on the shots of the musicians and their instruments.