Goodwin's theory

Media Theorist: Andrew Goodwin

Andrew Goodwin wrote about music videos and suggested that basically they follow certain rules or codes and conventions.

1.     The record companies demand for exposure of the artist, will mean a lot of close-up shots of the singer/band.

2.     There will be a relationship between the music and visuals.

3.     There will be a relationship between lyrics and visuals.

4.     There will be genre characteristics, for example rock music videos show live performances, hip-hop videos present images of wealth and a ‘gangster’ lifestyle and boy bands have dance routines.

5.     There will be references to the notion of looking (voyeurism) for example, TV screens, mirrors, people looking at each other or at the audience etc.

6.     There will be some use of intertextual referencing:

·      Scopophilia – overly sexualised treatment of the female body.

·      Performance, narrative, other visual elements.

·      Genre characteristics – Goodwin

·      Cinematography – Goodwin- angles, shots, movement

·      Mise-en-scene – costume, make-up, setting, props, performance, lighting etc.

·      Editing

·      Voyeurism