ANDREW GOODWIN

THEORY APPLIED TO A

MUSIC VIDEO OF MY CHOICE.

By Martha George.

ANDREW GOODWIN Andrew Goodwin states that a music video is very useful for

understanding how to construct a product that follows the codes and conventions. He states that all music videos have some , or all of the following 6 points;

1. Relationship between lyrics and the visuals. The visuals illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the lyrics.

2. A relationship between music and visuals with the visuals illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the music.

3. Genres are complex and diverse in terms of music video style and iconography

4. Record companies will demand a lot of close-ups of the main artist or vocalist ( for promotion)

5. Voyeurism is present in many music videos, especially in the treatment of females, but also in terms of systems of looking. Some examples are screens within screens, camera, mirrors etc…

6. Likely to be intertextual references, either to other music videos or to films and TV texts, these provide further gratification and pleasure for the viewers/fans.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LYRICS AND THE VISUALS. THE VISUALS ILLUSTRATING, AMPLIFYING OR CONTRADICTING THE LYRICS.

‘I’m surrounded by your embrace’

‘Baby when I’m looking up’

GENRES ARE COMPLEX AND DIVERSE IN TERMS OF MUSIC VIDEO STYLE AND ICONOGRAPHY

In the music industry the most conventional between all of the genres is that the music video tend to revolve around the artist so that it helps the audience identify the star persona and create a narrative around them. With the Beyonce video its conventional with pop music videos as the mostly performance based music video revolves around the artist with little narrative.

A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MUSIC AND VISUALS ILLUSTRATING, AMPLIFYING OR CONTRADICTING THE MUSIC With the music on the Beyonce ‘Halo’ music video has

no harsh cuts they all seem to flow together smoothly which is linked with the music, the beat in the music isn’t harsh its soft and flows therefore if harsh cuts were used it wouldn’t work well with the music video.

RECORDING COMPANIES WILL DEMAND A LOT OF CLOSE-UPS OF THE MAIN ARTISTS FOR PROMOTION In Beyonce’s ‘Halo’ music video the use of closeups of

the artist, this sells the artists as a ‘product’ which comes as a media package with the song which is very conventional in pop music genres.

VOYEURISM IS PRESENT IN MANY MUSIC VIDEOS, ESPECIALLY IN TREATING OF FEMALES BUT ALSO IN TERMS OF SYSTEMS OF LOOKING FOR E.G. SCREENS WITHIN SCREENS AND MIRRORS ETC… The artist and her partner in the music video show

voyeurism as the shots are very private and personal between the 2, this is shown by a series of closeup shots that help emphasise the passion they have for each other in this video.

LIKELY TO BE INTERTEXTUAL REFERENCES, EITHER TO OTHER MUSIC, VIDEOS OR OTHER FILMS AND TV TEXT, THESE PROVIDE FURTHER GRATIFICATION AND PLEASURE FOR THE VIEWERS/FANS

With intertexual referencing for this music video, there are a few references from other Beyonce music videos, as in ‘Single Ladies’ she is seen in a black leotard with stockings and heels and in ‘Halo’ she appears to wear a similar outfit in a dance studio.

Beyonce - Halo Beyonce – Single Ladies