Andrew Goodwin came up with his theory after research into music videos, he came up with codes and conventions in music videos and elements which music videos have in common.
Music videos have certain genre characteristics e.g. dance routines in girl/boy bands. An example is Fifth Harmony in their music video "work from home"
A relationship between lyrics and visuals- plays a role in conveying the theme or message of the song
Matching the visuals to the music- Matching the overall look and feel e.g. If the song has a fast beat the editing will usually contain fast paced editing with short takes
The artist may develop motifs and iconography- When you see particular conventions you should expect a genre
There can be inter-textual references- this is done through the reference to the theme or style of another media text
Star representation- Generally the singer is presented the most, this can be created with close up's so it seems like the singer is singing directly to the audience. This means that there is more audience interaction. An example of star representation is in Drake's music video "One Dance". The audience focus on Drake as he is the "star" of the video performing.
Technical aspects- Camera shots, editing, sound, mise-en-scene
Goodwin states "As consumers, we make up our own meaning of a song in our minds: a music video can anchor meaning and gives the artist a method of anchoring meaning"
Richard Dyer`s theory can be split into 3 parts- The star as a commodity, construction and ideology.
Dyer states that the star is a construction and not a real person. The commodity generates money through creating stars and making profit.The stars sell albums and make the institutions money.Stars create certain ideologies by representing different views and social groups. As a result fans begin to copy styles and views created by the stars. The star as a construction means we have certain expectations which we consume, male solo artists are expected to be well groomed and fun loving whereas female solo artists are expected to be pretty and girly. Therefore the audience live up to these stereotypical expectations and the star gains a fan base.
As the stars shape ideologies they have an influence on our culture because of how they influence the audience. Therefore the stars have to maintain a positive influence on the audience. This theory can be applied to different music videos and artists which represent the commodity, construction and ideology. Stars such as Lady Gaga maintain ideologies by using social networking sites such as Twitter to express her views to her audience. Gaga sends out Tweets and expects her little monsters (fans) to engage with the tweets as well as listen to her music.
This theory could be applied to our music video production because as our music video is narrative it would carry a message. Therefore the star would create certain views which the audience would engage with. Also the star would start to form an ideology.
Laura Mulvey`s theory suggests that the male gaze denies women human identity, referring to them as the status of objects to be admired for physical appearance. The term male gaze was given from Mulvey`s essay, however in film the male gaze occurs when the audience are put into the perspective of a heterosexual man. The scene may focus on the curves of a women's body putting the viewers in the eyes of a man. The male gaze creates hegemonic ideologies in society at times women take over the male gaze. Women begin to gaze at other women the same way a man would and end up objectifying other women.
Many music videos in today's society can be applied to Mulvey's theory because they represent the 'male gaze'. A music video that represents this is Robin Thicke's "Blurred lines". In the video the men are seen gazing at the women and their bodies; with the women having no problem with it. The women are seen as objects as they are dancing and performing for the men whilst they admire the women. The women in the music video are also represented as objects for entertainment purposes. The mise-en-scene represents the male gaze because of the outfits the women wear and the red lipstick; as the colour red can sometimes have "sexual" connotations.
Mulvey`s theory supports the idea of scopophilia -gaining visual pleasure often admiring erotic objects. For our coursework production we won`t be applying the theory to our music video so therefore we will be challenging the male gaze as we will be creating the music video without using sexual based elements for entertainment.
Laura Mulvey`s theory suggests that the male gaze denies women human identity, referring to them as the status of objects to be admired for physical appearance. The term male gaze was given from Mulvey`s essay, however in film the male gaze occurs when the audience are put into the perspective of a heterosexual man. The scene may focus on the curves of a women's body putting the viewers in the eyes of a man. The male gaze creates hegemonic ideologies in society at times women take over the male gaze. Women begin to gaze at other women the same way a man would and end up objectifying other women.
Many music videos in today's society can be applied to Mulvey's theory because they represent the 'male gaze'. A music video that represents this is Robin Thicke's "Blurred lines". In the video the men are seen gazing at the women and their bodies; with the women having no problem with it. The women are seen as objects as they are dancing and performing for the men whilst they admire the women. The women in the music video are also represented as objects for entertainment purposes. The mise-en-scene represents the male gaze because of the outfits the women wear and the red lipstick; as the colour red can sometimes have "sexual" connotations.
Mulvey`s theory supports the idea of scopophilia -gaining visual pleasure often admiring erotic objects. For our coursework production we won`t be applying the theory to our music video so therefore we will be challenging the male gaze as we will be creating the music video without using sexual based elements for entertainment.
This image shows an email we sent to RCA records to request us using the song "Don`t judge me" by Chris Brown, we sent this email so that we can use the song for our coursework production and are awaiting their response.
On Pinterest I gathered some pictures to create a mood board, these pictures are ideas that I could use when I create my music video, they all show emotion whether its positive or negative which is an important factor to think about when creating a narrative music video so that it effectively tells a story and engages the audience.
"No limit" by Usher is a performative music video, it doesn't carry a message or have a story behind it as it just has lots of dancing, this makes the video lively and in most performance based songs makes the viewers want to get up and dance. The target audience is aimed at both males and females.
In the music video Usher dances in front of an all white background accompanied by his dancers. The white background means that viewers can focus on the lyrics and choreography of the dance and there is more attention on usher. The colour white is uplifting and symbolises hope and calmness. The outfits worn by Usher and the dancers are in style and modern clothes and it's very common for male dancers to wear this attire in music videos, for example the shirts, trainers and gold jewellery.
Throughout the whole music video a wide shot is used to show Usher and all the dancers, this is so they fit into the surrounding white background. A close up is used and two shots to fit the dancers into the frame. There are a few shorter shots where there is an extreme close up of Usher; an almost turquoise effect is seen. The music video as a whole is positive as it's just a group of males having fun dancing. Quite a few modern music videos are presented in a sexual way whereas 'No limit '
takes away this element.
What I liked/might use:
I liked that the music video was performative so i`d
like to use this concept to create my music video
because it can still be creative and entertaining without
there being a narrative. I would also like to use a plain
background so that the focus is more on the lyrics than
the setting.
"Chandelier" by Sia is a narrative based song. The song has a melancholic theme and the lyrics express alcoholism through the typical thought process of a "party girl". The song tells a story of Sia`s life when she was struggling as a solo artist and became an alcohol addict and started taking drugs. The lyrics in the song remind her of life and the way she lived " like tomorrow never exists... and drinking like 1,2,3,1,2,3.. drink, throw em back till I lose count."
The target audience is aimed at both males and females and people who are alcoholics. The message given out shows what being an alcoholic does to you and if you're trying to give up the addiction it can be a challenge because you might end up drinking again. " Gotta run from this, here comes the shame...".
The music video is filmed in a dirty apartment with only one dancer. The dancer is seen performing an interpretive dance which expresses human emotions and situations. The dance routine consists of lots of arm movements, drops to the floor, spinning and crawling. Generally low key lighting is used and there`s only natural light through the window. This creates shadows and represents depression.
In the video the dancer wears a nude leotard.
The simplicity of the outfit means there is less attention
on the outfit and the music video is more emotive. Additionally as Sia isn't in the music video and there`s only one dancer this adds to making the video more emotional. At the start of the music video there is an establishing shot of one of the rooms of the apartment. This is followed by fast shots of the hallway and the bedroom. A long shot is used throughout the video to show the dancer and the whole room. The colours of the apartment are grey and brown, this makes the video look dull therefore adding to the sad aspect of the video. What I liked/might use:
I liked the use of lighting in the video, both low key lighting and natural light were used. Therefore I would like to use low/high key lighting in my music video to support the narrative
and convey emotion.
"Salute" by little mix is both a narrative and performative based song. The performative aspect of the song is Little Mix dancing in the music video, this conveys a modern theme of how music is represented with singers and backing dancers. Jesy Nelson (band member) added 'I personally want to put a lot more dancey stuff in there, one of those songs that make you want to dance'. The narrative convention carries a message throughout the song which is about empowering women. The lyrics represent this message 'warriors your country needs you, we don't need no man'.
The song encourages women to stand tall, be confident and strong, 'men fight great but women fight greater '. The music video was filmed in a nuclear bunker. This creates narrative because the location is carrying connotations of war and fighting and this suggests that women should join the army. The dancing takes away the seriousness but suggests if you were to join the army, you can still have fun. As the song is both performative and narrative it carries a message but creates a lively atmosphere.
The target audience for the song is mostly aimed at females as it embraces women to be strong. Even though the song is aimed at females it doesn't portray men in a bad way. As part of editing a range of fast shots are used at the beginning to show all the members of Little Mix. We also see fading and blending into each other in the music video when they sing their verse. Blue smoke and flames are used in the video, this along with the theme give it a mystical feel.
Low key lighting is used in the music video; in the bunker, this creates seriousness and suggests that standing up for yourself can be tough. Also beams of light and flashes are used but outside of the bunker it's dark, making the video seem negative. In the lyrics when Little Mix say 'Attention!' we see lights flashing and hear sirens this creates a military theme.
In the music video Little Mix wear black military style outfits, the male dancers also wear black outfits. This matches the theme of the song and black can often represent fear and power. On the other hand the outfits worn by Little Mix are revealing and aren't the usual war ' camouflage ' colour or style. This could be because in modern music videos provocative outfits are worn and this can attract a mass audience. Dark eye make up is used this matches the outfits and sets the tone.
Throughout the music video long shots are used to show the bunker and outside of it as well. Wide shots are often used to show the band members and dancers. The main shots used are close ups and mid shots, these shots put more attention on the band members so we focus more on them . The music video as a whole is shown at an eye level angle.
What I liked/might use:
I liked the use of camera shots. I would use wide shots and long shots to show the setting and everyone featured in the music video.
I would also like to edit my music video using fast shots to enhance
the creativity of the music video.
"Problem" by Ariana Grande is a performative based song meaning it has largely images of performance. Grande has stated that the song is about "the feeling of being absolutely terrified to re-approach a relationship that`s gone sour - but you want to more than anything".
As part of the mise en scene the music video has a retro and archaic black and white theme. The performance involves a group of dancers both male and female performing a modern dance routine. Low and high key lighting is used, this could represent how Grande is feeling or the relationship. The setting of the music video seems to be in a room with the black, white and pink background which are photos from a photo shoot. The photos make the video eye-catching and create a fun and vibrant feel, it also creates a unique twist because music videos today don`t have a 1960s theme. The effect of this on the audience is that it can make some viewers nostalgic. The outfits worn match the setting, Grande wears a black dress with white boots and the back up dancers also wear black and white. The male back up dancers are wearing open shirts and Grande is wearing a
short dress this can make the video seem alluring as the outfits may be
seen by some as "seductive".
The music video starts with a long shot, this allows us to see Grande, the back up dancers and most of the background. The shots in the video have a fast tempo which keep the song upbeat. A range of camera shots are used from over the shoulder shots and mid shots to close ups and extreme close ups of Big Sean who makes an appearance in the video along with Iggy Azalea who is featured. The target audience of the video
is mostly aimed at females and people who are in
relationships.
Overall the fact that the music video is largely based on performance gives it a hopeful message. Also as the video is vivacious it makes the viewers want to get up and dance.
What I liked/might use:
I liked that the music video had a retro theme and sticking with this idea I would consider using a filter. Filters such as grey scale or perhaps
sepia in my music video to represent a particular
point in time or to show flashbacks.
What I didn't like/wont use:
I didn't like that in the music video the outfits
worn can make the video seem alluring. Therefore
my music video wont contain this element; especially
if it has narrative with a deep meaning as it can take
away the conventions of a narrative based music video.
"Jealous" by Labrinth is a narrative based song, it is addressed to one of Labrinth`s parents, who left the family when he was young. Labrinth has offered the following explanation: " A lot of people have been through that experience. It`s kind of written from the perspective of how my family felt at the time, but I wanted to write it so that anyone could dig into the song and relate to it to their own situation.
MTV describes the song as a " heart-breaking ballad". We feel sympathy towards Labrinth as the lyrics are powerful "But I always thought you`d come back, tell me all you found was heartbreak and misery" this conveys emotion. Throughout the whole music video Labrinth is shown on his own isolated in a room, this evokes loneliness, in addition low key lighting is used to represent negative feelings. Over the shoulder shots and mid shots are used in the video, furthermore close-ups are included. These shots enable us to understand how Labrinth is feeling and he expresses how he feels through hand gestures. where he puts his hand on his chest to show the hurt and pain.
These pictures of Labrinth are from the music video, from what we see they emphasise how he feels because of his facial expressions which point out how empty he feels. Therefore this supports the narrative.
The target audience for this song is aimed at both males and females of any age, because the aim is for people to connect and relate to the lyrics. What I liked/might use:
I like that the music video contains close-ups to
express how Labrinth feels. I might use the idea
of close-ups to express feelings, additionally using
hand gestures and facial expressions to support the
close ups.
