Research into Goodwins theory

Intro to Andrew Goodwin’s theory

Andrew Goodwin writing in 'Dancing in the Distraction Factory'- 1992 Routlegde

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g. stage performance would be present in a rock/metal video whereas a dance routine would be seen in a typical boy/girl band for example JLS or The Saturdays) In the video to Beat Again by JLS, we as an audience are presented with many shots of the group performing and dancing to the camera in a studio, therefore following Goodwin's theory. This may appeal to audiences wishing to pursue a career in dance as they can learn the routine by following their choreography 

2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals (e.g if the song is about falling in love you would see a couple go on dates whereas if the lyrics inform the listener of heartbreak you would conventionally see an illustration/be told a story of how the couple are missing each other) In the video to We Found Love by Rihanna ft Calvin Harris there is a strong relationship between the lyrics and visuals. The lyrics depict a narrative about being in a rocky relationship therefore the visuals support it with shots of the pair fighting and falling for each other again

3. There is a relationship between music and visuals (relevant to editing which can either be parallel or contradict the beat/bass of the soundtrack)
 Parallel editing is most common within music videos due to the tempo/beat of the song which enables the audience to gain a deeper understanding into the meaning of the song/portrayal of the artist. It also makes it simple to understand and easier to follow as opposed to random cuts made off beat which may alienate audience members and therefore their entertainment value is dramatically decreased as they do not enjoy watching content edited in a bizarre way, thus making the artist less successful, even if the song is a hit!

4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs (products) which recur across their work (the artist sings to each individual fan in aim to appeal to everyone and create a fan base who will purchase their single/album/pay a little extra to have the music video on their phone) The video to It's My Party is filled with various close-up shots of the artist Jessie J, mainly for the audience but it has an ultimate dual purpose for the record label too. This allows the audience to become more involved with the artist and therefore the video will appeal to them. However, this desired effect would not have been created if the artist did not appear in the video, consequently making it less appealing

5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (Voyeuristic approach) where the artist can't see the audience but the fans get a deeper insight into their life as many close-up shots are used for individual pleasure. Voyeuristic treatment of the female body is typically used in R&B videos with provocatively dressed women and also men with good bodies conventionally presented for female fans. In the video to Ayo Technology by 50 Cent ft Justin Timberlake there is frequent use of security cameras and telescopes in aim for the audience to witness what the artist is seeing. It also adds an element of mystery and curiosity amongst audiences alongside male pleasure of the voyeuristic treatment of the female body throughout with many close-up and panning shots used

6. There is often intertextual reference (to films, tv programmes, other music videos etc)
In the video to Broken Hearted by Lawson ft. B.O.B there are a few intertextual references evident. The audience witness the young girl switch on the television where Lawson appear performing. The audience then hear: "I was standing in the dark, girl. Now I'm in control" The lyric "standing in the dark" is a direct reference to the bands previous single as it is the song title. This proves that the young girl cannot escape the Media frenzy of her ex  boyfriend. This is also therefore a combined intertextual reference to the bands lyrics and video within a new video which very cleverly promotes them further within it! Furthermore, the next shot is also of the television in which we see a shot of the band being interviewed on a non-fiction show aired in America named Young Hollywood, another example of the Media bombarding the young girl with images of her ex. This is supporting the exclusive shot also appearing on the television with the headline "Lawson front man splits with girlfriend! Did she cheat?" which puts the young girl in an increasingly vulnerable position. Lastly, a further intertextual reference is a shot of the young girl picking up two fictional magazines with Lawson as the front cover. To summarise, all intertextual references embedded within the Broken Hearted video are used intentionally to promote the band itself rather than brands which would usually be promoted in other videos of the pop genre

Goodwin also stated it is also worth considering:

7. Whether the video is primarily performance based, narrative based or concept based and how elements of each is used in it (usually stated by percentage worth eg. the video to 

Why is theory important?

Theory is fundamental to any practical creation and is especially imperative to music videos. Goodwin's theory is a guideline to what a typical music video includes and the conventions (what the audience may expect from a certain genre/artist etc) mentioned may be broken or followed. Without a theory, a music video may not be successful, remembered or liked amongst audiences as it may miss vital points such as genre characteristics. It may be odd if a music video to a song of the dance genre does not include a club setting, alcohol consumption or bright lights, hence why genre characteristics are put in place as conventions for directors to chose to follow or break. 

How will theory assist you with your research and planning your own video?

By learning theory it will enable me to plan and pursue my own music video production. I can identify that it is imperative to consider how the target audience will develop a relationship with the artist, part of Goodwins theory which is fundamental to the artists success. In aim for that relationship to be built, close-up shots are necessary as well as the promotion of affordable brands in aim that the audience can relate to the artist by buying into their lifestyle. 

Drake- Started From The Bottom (Explicit) Analysis

The video to Drake's song entitled Started From The Bottom follows many Goodwin's 7 theory factors. To begin, it has a strong narrative which flows throughout in which we witness the artist working in a supermarket with his friends. He then gets promoted to night manager which is where the song title is proven correct as the artist literally has started from the 'bottom' position of his occupation and due to the promotion, he is in an entirely different position both financially and egotistically. The song title Started From The Bottom is a huge hint towards the hierarchy of the workplace and proves to the artists listeners that everybody starts from the bottom of their job to work their way up, even people we assume to have automatically "made it" in the industry such as the artist himself. The individual lexis "Started" is past tense which therefore tells the audience that the artist is no longer at the "Bottom" but a different position entirely from a financial perspective. “Just as a reminder to myself I wear every single chain even when I'm in the house” is lyric which presents the artist to be arguably arrogance. The lyrics “reminder to myself” expresses his 'big ego' whilst the following lyric “every single chain” states he has  huge financial wealth and is boasting about his materialistic way of life

The music video "demonstrates genre characteristics" from the beginning. The scene begins with an artificial snow machine, the artist dressed from head to toe in white and he jumps out of a white Bentley car which is cruising slowly down a suburban road, performing to the camera. The use of an expensive car hints about his extravagant lifestyle whilst the repetition of the colour white could imply the artist harbours an innocent personality. However, the audiences perception of innocence isn't something which is common with many rap/hip hop artists which could be a unique selling point for the artist, making him increasingly popular. On the other hand, it is rare for music video of the hip-hop/rap genre to include an over a minute comedic scene. From 0:56 until 2:04, a scene is shown between the artists 'geeky' (less conventionally attractive) male colleague and a conventionally attractive, provocatively dressed female customer. The line "Accompany me to my crib so I can show you how I live" is said by the "geeky" worker and shows the male characters assumption that the female character would be interested in him due to his apparent wealth. This assumption is proven wrong once the second male colleague interrupts the awkward encounter. I believe that the director of this video has intentionally selected a male actor to avoid conventions of modern attractiveness to contrast the more stereotypically handsome male actor, an additional contrast alongside the clear juxtaposition of "Starting from the bottom" to "working your way up" It is highly evident that this music video revolves around lifestyle choices and wealth, which follows traditional characteristics of the hip-hop/rap genre. 

An example of this music video conveying a "relationship between the lyrics and visuals" is a shot where it zooms out of the artists mother (an actress) standing outside their family home. This could hold significance of the artist moving out with the supporting lyrics "Living at my mama's house we'd argue every month" which hints at a bad relationship. This lyric also tells a separate story of his upbringing, hence why he moved out and also provides the audience with an insight into his life which used to be ordinary telling it from a different time of his life which is fairly extraordinary in comparison.

In addition, this music video proves an existing “relationship between music and visuals” in regards to the editing. This is evident the entire way through, with the change of shot being the consequence of each beat. This method of using numerous clear cuts in the editing process is popular with many music videos, but most popular with videos of the hip-hop/rap genre. It is parallel and not contradicting because with each lyrical sentence, there is a clean and subtle cut, therefore the cut is not conciously noticed by the audience. 

Goodwin also made a point that the record label has demands which includes the need for frequent “close ups of the artist” This is another point relevant to Drake's Started From The Bottom. There are many shots of Drake performing to the camera in various outfits. This benefits the audience as they assume the artist is in fact singing to each individual, although it is quite the opposite as the record labels aim is to promote the artist and to achieve a universal appeal (to male fans also)

References to the “notion of looking” is typical of many music videos by a male artist. This is because many attractive male artists tend to appeal to female fans (shirtless performances are conventional for some male artists) therefore in aim to have universal appeal, attractive women are hired to dance or act as the artists love interest for two primary reasons; to give credit to the artist and 'inspire' a male fan and to give a male a reason to watch the video. Unlike Drake's other videos including Best I Ever Had and Over, this music video does not use the voyeristic approach as frequent, possibly due to the content of the song lyrics not revolving around women but rather the controversial concept of an artists lifestyle. Despite this, the artist is shown enjoying a glass of champagne sat next to an attractive female who appears to be asleep. He is therefore admiring her, hence the panning shot of her body. It could be argued that by including shots of the female body objectifies the woman and gives her very little value but these shots are used in the majority of male artists videos.

There are a few examples of “intertextual references” throughout Drake's Started From The Bottom Most commonly, intertextual references in music videos would include references to films, television programmes and other music videos. Although Started From The Bottom does not, it uses many other references. Toronto, the largest city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario is shown many times throughout the video. The opening shot shows young Drake and his football team training in Toronto playing ground which promotes the area as Drake is an example of someone ordinary who was born around there who changed his life through entering the music industry. Toronoto is also printed on many t-shirts worn by extras towards the end. Young Drake is also shown to be wearing Nike trainers (although very subtly) which promotes the brand in aim that fans will buy into the artists lifestyle. Another brand which is promoted is Habibiz and Jack and Jones clothing lines which may also persuade the audience that in aim to create a successful image like the artist, they must buy into the brands promoted, which benefits the clothing provider/brand regarding profit gain. Furthermore, a few of the extras are spotted wearing printed t-shirts with the song title on them, alongside a billboard used which is raised above the city with “Started From The Bottom” printed upon it. This is where we as an audience witness the artist performing on the platform of the billboard which harmonizes with the height, symbolically raised in the air to contrast the “bottom” of his career. Also towards the end of the video, we see the artist fly in a private jet which expresses his lavish and luxurious lifestyle. Another comedic moment is when the artist attempts to press a button in the jet, only to be 'told off' by the pilot although both are superior to the average person; a humorous yet subtle struggle of power.

Much like Goodwin's final theoretical point, I have also considered the 3 elements of concept, narrative and performance for this music video and the reasons as to why I drew each conclusion:

Performance (50%) The artist is featured through the entirety of the video alongside many actors, dancers and extras. There are many shots of the artist looking into the camera and miming which harmonises with the ideaology of the song lyrics which are based around his life. This also follows Goodwins theoretical point of the record labels demand of needing close-up shots and also allows the audience to build a relationship with the artist simultaneously. The video is very much based around the artist himself more so than his peers and influences, although the lyrics state differently. 

Narrative (30%) Although the influence of narrative is strong throughout this video, I believe it does not out-weigh the performance element which is more profound. The narrative is a story told through the artists lyrics which are presented through sound but not as much through the audiences overall visual experience. In regards to the narrative of the video, it is only really emphasised in the first few minutes in the supermarket, other than that it is portraying the artists luxurious lifestyle (private jet, private parties, attractive women etc)

Concept (10%) The concept of this particular video is hinted in 4 words... The song title: Started From The Bottom. The video to this song sells the ideaology that if you work hard in whichever field you choose, you will succeed with the correct balance of dedication and enthusiasm. 

Additional notes for this music video include the use of shisha pipes. This does not promote unhealthy smoking like many other music videos of a similar genre which often promotes drug use and therefore appeals to a market ranging from teenage fans to middle aged fans of any gender.