Goodwin's Theory

Goodwin's Theory

Andrew Goodwin, when looking at music videos, determined that there were certain features, codes and conventions that make a music video what it is, and these theories are:

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics, such as a stage performance in a metal video - if the band is jumping around their stage 'head-banging', then the audience would know that this is most likely a music video of the metal genre. Another example would be a dance routine for a girl or boy band - if a dance routine is used in a video and there is a full body shot of them dancing, then the audience will most likely deduce that they are watching a pop music video. It is how they present themselves on stage and during a music video.

This is an image of the popular girl group Girls Aloud. As you can see from this image, they look like they are performing a dance routine, thus proving Goodwin's Theory.

2. Goodwin concluded that there is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. In other words, he says that the music video is a visual interpretation of what the lyrics are. For example, a song's lyrics might be telling a story about love, and for the music video, typically, the artist will try and visually tell that story of love. This isn't genre specific (as in it is only applicable to the rap genre), as most artists in their genres try and tell the story of their lyrics through their music video.

This is a picture from a song called "Stan" by Eminem. The song's lyrics tell the story of an obsessed fan, and the music video demonstrates this perfectly, proving Goodwin's Theory.

3. Another part of Goodwin's Theory is that there is also a relationship between the music itself and the visuals. For instance, if the music is slow and calm, the music video will follow suit and keep in pace with the music, usually using one shot for a longer period of time. Opposite to that is that if the music is fast paced, there will be many camera shots in quick succession, so the audience feel the pace of the music.

Usher is of the R&B genre, and has made many slow songs, to which the music video was as slow paced as the music.

4. A key part of an artist is their image, and this is included in Goodwin's Theory of Music Videos. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close-ups of the artist, and with the this the artists may develop motifs (something unique and recognisable), such as their visual style. The reason the record label would do this is to make more money, as usually it is the artist who the audience want to see.

5. There are frequent references to the notion of looking, such as including media devices such as laptops, computers and TVs in the video - something the audience can watch the music video on. Another part to this point of the theory is that there is voyeuristic treatment of females and the female body - they are presented as sexual objects, and this appeals to the male target audience of any genre. Stereo typically, women are presented like this in the Hip-Hop and R&B genres, as the lyrics talk about women a lot.

6. Last but not least, to conclude Goodwin's theory, he said that there are often intertextual references to films, TV programmes and other music videos. For example, a present music video could try and imitate a past film, or parody it, or use it heavily for inspiration. A perfect example of this would be Madonna's music video for her song "Material Girl". The music video more or less copied an extract from a very popular musical starring Marilyn Monroe; Monroe was performing the song "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend".