Andrew Goodwins' Theory: Music Videos

Andrew Goodwin, an operatic tenor, invented several theories about music videos concerning what they include and how they are portrayed to an audience. 

1. Music videos more often than not tend to include a demonstration of typical genre characteristics

By this Goodwin means that music videos unknowingly or not display stereotypical characteristics that represent their chosen music genre; most likely to enforce the music genre and make it clear to the audience. For example, many pop music videos contain bright colours whilst many of the people are seen to be having a good time. Country music videos tend to feature denim, cowboy boots, tractors, line dancing and the artist performing to a crowd of people in a back garden/barn type of setting. Hip Hop/Rap/R&B music videos feature objectified women dancing in skimpy clothing, alcohol, drugs, money and materialistic items such as cars, jewellery. 

Our chosen music genre is hip hop soul, which is good as it gives us the freedom to float between two distinct music genres. We're able to break away from stereotypes and typical conventions as we aren't pigeon holing ourselves in one well known and listened to style. Paired with a strong concept such as ours, gives us the chance to allow our music video to stand out. 

2. There are frequent references to the notion of looking and the voyeuristic treatment of the female body

Goodwin states that in music videos often the artist and/or group are portrayed seductively and enticingly through the use of certain camera angles, props and/or direct eye contact. 

Voyeurism is 'the sexual interest in or practice of spying on people engaged in intimate behaviour'. Whilst this isn't made evident in most music videos, the use of mirrors, cameras and TV screens subconsciously stimulate the idea of voyeuristic behaviour to the audience. Voyeurism is commonly used nowadays in the music industry to sell an artists' music through sex appeal, a key example of this is Miley Cyrus' Wrecking Ball which created a lot of controversy in 2013. 

By doing this it makes the audience view the artist with a 'male gaze' which is a concept created by a feminist film critique  Laura Mulvey in which visual arts are structured around a masculine viewer. This encourages the audience to view the artist/group (most often female) as someone or even something, to be spied on, which therefore lessens their view of women in general. 

We intend to break away from this common convention of music videos starring females. Whilst I believe there is nothing wrong with owning your own sex appeal and using it to promote and further your career; I also believe it's not something to rely on and there are other ways to advertise and market music in the industry. 

3. There is a succinct relationship between music and visuals

By this Goodwin means that in a music video, the relationship between the music and the visual representation is clear and evidently expressed. Whether this means that the visuals match the music or that they contradict them, it's clear for the audience to interpret. For example, this is seen in the music video for Cocaine by The Internet; the electronic synthesised beat reflects the lights and the atmosphere of the funfair/circus setting.

This is seen in a lot of rap/hip hop music videos, when it's common to see rappers in videos with scantily clad women, cars and money which goes hand in hand with the lyrics of their songs which often describes the lifestyle they're able to life and the privileges they're also able to gain.

We intend to stick to this theory in our music video as we want our music video to have a conceptual theme throughout, rather than stick to a narrative storyline.

4. The record label which the artist is assigned to tends to have certain demands. They often include the need for several close ups of the artist and their artist will have a visual style which recurs across their work

This is done in order to not only promote the artist, but also to emphasise their image and sell this to their target audience. Artists who develop their style and hone their individual image are far more recognisable and therefore are able to sell their music faster, easier and better than those who constantly change their style/image. The use of close ups also allow the artist to break the fourth wall by directly addressing the audience during parts of the music video; this allows the audience to feel directly involved.

Pop artists such as Lady Gaga have a well known style/image, which is what propelled her into fame with her unusual sense of style and controversial clothing choices; such as her meat dress worn at the 2010 MTV Music Awards.

We intend to stick to this theory, as seen in my Artist Style Moodboard, we have a clear style that we want our artist to have and get across in the music video. This allows our artist to become more easily recognisable and this sense of style/image is something we hope to reflect in our digipak; so that they have a direct relationship with each other.

5. There is often intertextual references

Artists often use intertextual references to not only promote both their own music video, but also the piece of media that they chose to reference, such as films, TV shows and other music videos. They also do this because audience members often enjoy being part of the joke when they know and understand when things are referenced.

This is seen in music videos such as Destiny Child's Independent Women, where they referenced the film Charlie's Angels. This not only promoted the film, but also Destiny Child as a group; which helped market them as a unit.

We hope to include at least one intertextual reference in the music video, however we're not sure what it'll be, but hopefully it'll link to the music video and the song.