Andrew Goodwin's Theory

Andrew Goodwin's Theory 

Andrew Goodwin  ‘Dancing in the Distraction Factory’ (Routledge 1992)

Andrew Goodwin believes that artists use music video to demonstrate their genre characteristics, to show what category they fall in to. The artist may chose to show the genre of their music video through the use of mise-en-scene, editing, camera work or soundtrack. Hip Pop based music videos often shows what genre they fall into by mise-en-scene, for example dance choreography and the style of clothing. Where as a punk rock music video would show their genre through the mise-en-scene mostly for example hair, makeup and clothing not dance choreography. 

Goodwin also states that there is a relationship between lyrics and visuals . This could be applied in many music videos now for example Katy Perry's `Last Friday Night'. In this music video you can see there is a clear correlation of the lyrics and visuals. 

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Goodwin also believes that there is a relationship between the music and visual. For example, in a Hip Pop music video the editing will be quick and clean, with a tempo matching the speed of the song. However a more slow music videos for example Adele's `Someone like you' the video is more slow, fading cuts this can help emphasis the expressions of the song.  




Goodwin also suggests that due to the demands of the record label, the artist would need to include a lot of close ups of the artist. This is used primarily to sell the material of the artist, and also to introduce a style to which fans can relate and imitate through mise-en-scene. This can be applied to many popular artists but one main artist that this could be applied is Rihanna. This is because in this music video the hair style/hair cut that Rihanna has was extremely popular after this music video came out. 

   

Goodwin also suggests that there is a frequently reference to notion of looking. This is mainly used in the updated music videos, which in their mise-en-scene, features several shots where the artist are looking into the mirror. As well as this, in music videos from the present aswell as the past, contains lots of female objective. This is constant feature throughout music videos, weather it be the singer herself, for example Rihanna. In the the music video above you can see her body language and mise-en-scene that she presents herself in a sexual way. This type of female objectivism could be found in many other videos for example the female dancers in the background in a male singer or group. 

Goodwin theory also says that there is often intertexual reference in music videos. There is often intertexual reference. Many artists uses several reference to other memorable image of figure through their music videos. Those images or iconic figures could be recognised by the audience and they understand the artist is trying to replicate this for either comic effect or the their attempt to create a relationship between the artist and the original image.