Andrew Goodwin’s theory

Andrew Goodwin’s theatrical frame work is that a music video/clip that responds to the lyrics/music played.

Andrew Goodwin classifies five key features of music videos which are;

·         The star image

·         Performance and/or narrative

·         Visuals relating to the song

·         Synaesthesia, seeing the sound

·         Technical aspects of the music video

Synaesthesia, seeing the sound

1.    Look at the music itself, and take into account the structure of the song.

2.    The voice of the song. The artist’s voice is extremely unique and can form identification or trademarks that work well with the star image.

3.    The artist’s 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 we listening.

Narrative & Performance

Songs sometimes fail to give us the complete narrative.

We only tend to get an idea of the meaning of the song and then tend to make up what is being told – A negotiated view of a text.

Goodwin explains that music videos should ignore common narrative. It is important in their role of advertising.

Narrative and performance work hand in hand its make it easier for the audience to watch over and over without losing interest.

The artist acting in the video helps to increase the legitimacy, however the lip sync and other mimed actions remains the heart of music videos. The audience needs to believe this is real.

Star Image

The star image is another vital aspect of music videos. Meta narrative which is a big story that describes the development of the star over time, it has an important part to play in the music video production process.

1.    Illustrate –video used a set of images to illustrate the meaning of the lyrics.

2.    Amplify –the visuals add to the lyrics.

3.    Disjuncture –the meaning of the song is ignored.

Technical Aspects

Technical aspects hold the music video together through use 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 moods and emphasise key movements of the song for dramatic effect.

·         Mise-en-scene, the setting of music videos is vital; it needs to look authentic to attain professionalism.

·         Beats, music videos use cuts to go with the beat or rhythm making the video more entertaining.