ANDREW GOODWIN

WHO IS HE?

• Theorist

• Goodwin was one of the founders of USF's media studies department

• Was ‘a pioneer in the field of media and cultural studies nationwide’, USF media studies chair Bernadette Barker-Plummer said.

• Author of ‘Dancing in the Distraction Factory: Music Television and Popular Culture’

• His theory about music videos changed the way people viewed them, and enabled an easier way of analysing them.

CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF MUSIC VIDEOS

• Relationship between lyrics and the visuals

• Relationship between the music and the visuals

• Genre stereotypes

• Voyeurism

• Intertextual references

• Star quality – artist’s style and motif

LYRICS AND VISUALS• The visuals tend to illustrate, amplify or contradict the lyrics

Dizzee Rascal – Bonkers. This video amplifies its lyrics, for example, in this clip the lyrics are ‘I wake up, everyday is a daydream’. The scene is of him waking up to an exaggerated, weird room. His clothes, and other aspects of the mise-en-scene, are oversized and exaggerated also, which amplifies the title of the song, ‘Bonkers’, as well.

Adele – Rolling in the Deep. This video illustrates the lyrics: ‘and it’s bringing me out the dark’. As the sings those lyrics, the scene cuts to a brightly lit, open room.

MUSIC AND VISUALS• The visuals can illustrate, amplify or contradict the music

Arctic Monkeys – Do I wanna knowThis music video amplifies the beat, and the melody of Alex Turner’s voice. The whole video is sound waves that move to the beat and the melody, so when you watch the sound waves, you are more aware of the music and it becomes more clear.

GENRE STEREOTYPES• Music videos tend to include demonstrations of genre characteristics

50 Cent – In Da ClubThis music video has the genre of hip-hop andfollows many characteristics of the genre.For example, here, the fashion is widely associated with hip-hop: caps, chains andbaggy clothes.

VOYEURISM• Men or women being portrayed seductively

Eric Prydz – Call On MeThe use of mise-en-scene (clothing), and camera angles portrays the use of voyeurism, as it emphasises how little clothes they are wearing, and the sexual poses that they are peforming.

INTERTEXTUAL REFERENCED• References to films, television programmes, other videos, etc. Allows the

audience to know the ‘in joke’

Destiny’s Child – Independent WomenIntertextual reference to Charlie’s Angels

STAR QUALITY• Record label tends to have certain demands regarding the music video.

For example, close up shots of the artist, and the artist presenting a visual style, recurring across their work

Lady GaGa has a recurring quirky style throughout all of her videos, performances and public appearances.

The ‘4th wall’ is often broken in music videos, especially when the video is being portrayed as a performance.

KATY PERRY – LAST FRIDAY NIGHT • How do the codes and conventions apply to Katy Perry’s music video?

Lyrics and visuals. She sings, ‘is this a hickey or a bruise?’ while revealing the mark to the camera. This illustrates and amplifies the lyrics, making them more noticeable to the audience.

VoyeurismMid shot of the man, where the audience can clearly see his abs. The girl in the frame is looking at his body, which draws our attention to it (if the audience was not looking already).

There is a panning shot, upwards, revealing what Katy Perry is wearing.This is followed by a shot of the man’s (left) reaction, which emphasises that the audience is supposed to find her attractive.