Research- Andrew Goodwins Theory

Research

Andrew Goodwin’s Theory

 

Andrew Goodwin’s trusts that traditional narrative analyses don’t really apply to pop videos. This is mainly because pop videos approach narrative from a different angle to novels and films. The reasons for the different narrative structures are:

 

v  Pop videos are developed around songs. These songs do not pose traditional narrative structures.

v  Often pop videos use singers as both the narrator and as a character.

v  Singer looks directly at the camera , this is to get the viewer at home involved with the performance.

 

In pop videos they often repeat images in the way the song repeats choruses or lines. They mostly rely on repetition as we become familiar with the genre and certain aspects such as parts of the song and rhythm.  Videos played on the TV, radio etc. become very familiar through repetition.  Pop songs/videos do have a form of closure and ending. The three minute single that a video is based on must end this is shown up to a building of a climax or a constant repetition before fading away. The visualisation of a song may go beyond the original meaning. Often videos provide a visual pleasure that encourages repeated viewing which therefore promotes the music. There are three types of relations between songs and videos which are illustration, amplification and disjuncture. Music Videos try and appeal to as wide an audience as possible without alienating the core target audience. In some videos the different instruments in the music are represented by different objects.

 

2.) The examples that follow Andrew Goodwin's ideas are:

 

v  Amplification-  Occurs when videos introduce new meanings that do not contradict with the lyrics but the layers of meaning.
 

v  Illustration- This is when videos tells the story of the lyric for example dance can be a way of expressing the feelings/moods in the song.This video by J-Cole is an example of Goodwin's ideas.

 

 

 

v  Disjuncture- This is where there is little connection between the lyrics and video or where the video contradicts the lyric. This song by Bruno Mars is also an example of Goodwin's ideas.