Andrew Goodwin's Theory

Andrew Goodwin has this theory that all pop music videos approach narrative from a differnt angle to novls and films. Rather than the traditional narrative structure, he believes that pop videos use a different structure. His thoughts were:

• normaliy-problem-resolution is the traditional narrative structure, but pop videos are mainly built around songs and songs don't often pose the traditional narrative structure.
• the singer is used as the narrator AND as the character in pop videos.
• the singer is directed to look straight at the camera and in this way it involves the viewer with the performance.

Repetion is a main feature in a pop video relies on. Because of the repetion of choruses or lines in the song, he believes that this is the reason why pop videos repeat images and rhythms of a song and other songs (intertexuality). This helps the song become familiar with the aduiences and viewers at home as they hear it on the radio and watch it on their television screens and possible advertising for a film ot TV tie-in which makes the viewers identify the song very easily through the use of repetition. During the 3minutes of the song and the pop video, it is mainy based on repetition or as it ends, it cuilds t a climax before the fade away.

He mentions that some videos are seperate from the lyrics and that the video of the song may go beyond the original meaning. Some pop videos are done to promote films and some videos use repetition only to promte the music. So there are 3 main types of relations between songs and videos, and they are the following:

• Illustration - this is where the lyrics are the main part of the music video to tell the story. A dance would express the feeling/moods in the song.
• Amplification - this is when new meanings are introduced and contradicts the lyrics adding layers of meaning.
• Disjuncture - meaning there are few or no connections between the music video and the lyrics or where the video contradicts the lyrics.

Goodwin also states the recognisable features of a music video: the way women are presented as objects for a male's desire in a Hip-Hop genre music video. Also, some old music videos use footages of their younger days to attract a wider audience by trying to connect with the younger audience so they can identify with them.

Illustration:

Beyonce - If I Were A Boy
I have chosen this music video as Beyonce herself as the main character and the narrator, narrates her life if she was a boy and how she would act. She is shown here playing the male character until the disruption of when she switches back. There is direct link between the lyrics and the video which I think follows Goodwin's theory.

Amplification:

Eminem - Not Affraid
I've chosen this music video as an example of amplification as it adds another laer of meaning to the song through the actions in the video as he comes back stronger. So, if you are not affraid your will become a stronger person and you will be able to face everything impossible. The deeper side of the story is that he encourages us that we should not be affraid of anything as everyone goes through everything and that you are not the only one.

Disjuncture:

Beyonce - Single Ladies
Throughout the whole of this video, Beyonce and two other females are doing a whole dance routine which only has a few connections with the song. The fact that there are 3 females and the repetition of the main dance move of 'you should have put a ring on it' - the waving of the wrist.