Research into Goodwin's theory - Miss Georgiou

Research into Goodwin's theory - Miss Georgiou

Andrew Goodwin devised a theory on the key elements and aspects of a music video; these occurrences feature within all music videos and contribute towards the enjoyment of the video. There were 7 aspects within his theory:

• Links between lyrics and visuals - this is linking the visual imagery within the music video to the lyrics the artist is singing, thus creating a more detailed visualization of the narrative the artist is attempting to portray. 
• Links between music and visual - this is linking the visual imagery within the music video to aspects of the song itself, such as the tempo or pitch, this creates a visual association between the video and the song. 
• Genre characteristics - this is the use of features within a music video that correlate with the genre of the artist's music. 
• Performance, Narrative or Concept based videos - this is the style of the music video as it can either depict the artist's performing their song, showcase a narrative and attempt to tell a story or assert a specific concept in order to create influence or persuade. 
• Frequent notion of looking - this refers to the motif of looking through certain things such as mirrors or screens, most specifically the voyeuristic treatment of females.
• Intertextual reference to other products - this is the reference to other media products such as TV shows or films.
• Abundance of close ups - this is the motif of close ups of the artists as a demand of their record label.

The music video I will be analysing for elements of Goodwin's theory is Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO. The genre of the music group and of the song is pop, the reasoning for selecting this music video was because the pop genre is one of the most popular and mainstream genres, thus the music videos deriving from this genre would be more likely to be conventional and follow theories such as Goodwin’s. The music video features many examples of Goodwin’s theories and I will comment on the effectiveness and reasoning for these elements being implemented.

1) Within this music video there are several instances of Goodwin's theory that make the video more enjoyable and convention to its genre: firstly there are several intertextual references to other products, such as the video including a close up of Beats by Dr. Dre as part of product placement. The use of product placement is common within music videos, mostly within mainstream music videos that enter the charts as they target hundreds of millions of viewers and thus this arises as a very good opportunity to promote their product through the music market. In terms of the companies paying for advertisement within the music video the product placement is primarily a method of gaining extra income the viewers of the video, however, for the record label and producer of this particular music video the implementation of and collaborating with Beats also aids as a visual link between the lyrics and music, as the song consists of a positive ethos, which promotes listening to music, dancing and having a good time, which links with Beats as their product promotes themselves as merchandise that promises music and dancing. The Beats also directly link to the narrative of the video as the two members of LMFAO use the headphones in according to the plot, thus the product is able to fit in whilst also adding to the video. As a result of this reference the audience may be more inclined to purchase the Beats, as they have been advertised in an enjoyable music video appropriately whilst creating a positive link to the music. Avid users of Beats may enjoy the video even more as they have the product and thus can relate to the video more, the company and media behind Beats may also promote the music video in order to gain more views, this is thus beneficially to Beats and to LMFAO. 

The reference to Beats within LMFAO's
music video.

2) Another aspect of Goodwin's theory is the implementation of both performance and narrative based sections within the music videos. In terms of performance based elements the artists can be seen performing their song, through lip syncing their lyrics and adding the sound after through editing, and also through the dance routines directed at the camera and link with the music. The use of performance within the music video creates a relationship between the audience and the artist as the song seems more genuine as the artists can be seen actually singing the song, thus depleting the idea of ambiguity or confusion through an unconventional video, as unconventional music videos tend to be hit or miss especially within the mainstream music genre pop. The performance can also can encourage the audience to sing or dance to the song as the artist is doing exactly that, the audience learn the lyrics and dance routines easier and in turn this creates a more fun experience for the audience as there have been extra added to the music video, this in turn results in more views and income. The narrative aspects within the music video sets the scene for the audience, as there is an introduction that lacks any music, the use of this is to add to the  entertainment of the video as the video now has a story to base itself on. The video transitions from performance to narrative many times within the video, this provides something for the audience to watch without getting bored as just having one type of video could be boring due to a lack of variation in aspects such as camera shots/angles or editing. If pulled off well the use of performance and narrative sections in the video are very effective and enjoyable for the audience as it creates both a sense of realism and escapism in one. 

One member of LMFAO can be seen
performing their song.

3) Within the music video there are also several instances of links between the lyrics and visuals. One example of this is when one of the artists says "put your hands up," and subsequently the actors within the music video all have their hands up or are waving their hands in the air. Another aspect of a link between lyrics and visuals is when the artist says “everyday I’m shuffling,” which refers to the Melbourne Shuffle, a dance that is popular with young people due to its prominence in the pop/electro genre. After the artists say “everyday I’m shuffling” the actors within the video proceed to perform this dance, thus again creating a direct link to what is being said and what can be seen by the audience. Another link between lyrics and visuals can be seen through mise-en-scene, as the artist sings “everybody have a good time,” the facial expressions of the actors and artists are all happy and positive, this promotes happiness and adds to the enjoyment of the video. The use of a link between the lyrics and the visuals aid the artists as they correspond and thus the audience will appreciate and enjoy the video more as it actually has relevance towards the artist's song. The lyrics have many different meanings however they generally reflect he positive, energetic and youthful ethos the song emits, which again is conventional of the pop and electronic genre usually exerts, as these mainstream songs target a worldwide audience they rely on relating to the masses through promoting happiness and positivity. The linking of lyrics  are also encouraging the audience to dance and have a good time through learning the Melbourne Shuffle and with the visuals also showing the same thing the encouragement is only furthered both through the visuals and the lyrics.

The artists and extras within the music video
all have their hands up making reference
to the song's lyrics itself.

4) Another aspect of Goodwin’s theory within this music video is the several instances of voyeurism and frequent looking features. There are many instances of looking in terms of the performance aspect, as the artists look directly at the camera when lip syncing and performing the song however the particular instances of looking being referred to by Goodwin is the use of sexualisation, which is used within the music video to add sex appeal to the music video and is a regular feature within music videos, specifically within mainstream genres such as pop and hip hop, it us most usually female artists that are objectified due to the appeal it adds and male audience it attracts. Goodwin states that female performers are sexually objectified by camera shots, angles and editing with body shots emphasising sexualisation of a certain performer. The use of voyeurism and editing which emphasizes the female artists appeals to the male audience which results in increased viewers. Within this video there are several instances of vouyersim within this video, through the use of mise-en-scene the costumes of certain female actors are short and revealing, specifically the female artist Lauren Barnett performing in the song. The use of seductive facial expressions, actions and dancing is also implemented within the video to again add to the sexual nature of the song to appeal to the male audience. The fact that the female artist is looking directly at the camera attracts the male audience along with the objectification of the women, this is a very effective and common aspect of music videos that is subject to a lot of controversy due to the sexualisation of women within the videos, it does however provided enjoyment and entertainment to the video for male viewers and can be used as an effective tactic to attract the male audience. 

A use of voyeurism within
the music video.

5) Another aspect of Goodwin's theory that features within this music is the use of several genre characteristics and conventions used in the video that reflects the pop genre the video derives from, as LMFAO create pop music. The use of these genre characteristics are useful for several reasons; firstly the use of these conventions appeals to the target audience of this genre, which in this case would be teenagers and young adults as the song is of the pop genre, the audience enjoy these conventions which is why the pop genre is one of the most popular genres within the music industry with the majority of music within the charts and being broadcast on music channels deriving from some sort of pop culture. The first use of pop conventions within this song is the use of trendy and fashionable outfits within the video; these outfits are modern, colourful and relate to the youthful audience whom are enthusiastic about what they wear. Another convention of the pop genre is the use of dance routines within the music video, dance routines are a common element within music videos for many reasons: firstly the dance routines correlate with the high tempo of the song, thus aiding towards the aided fast paced ethos of the song. Secondly the dance routine, (within this particular music video being the shuffle) encourages the audience to follow the musicians and copy the dance routine, this in turn becomes a motif as avid listeners do not have to watch the music video to know the dance routine and it spreads, leading to an increase in viewership. The use of pop conventions within this music video is effective as the song is of a pop genre, and thus the audience will expect the music video to be conventional. An unconventional music video is extremely risky as the audience may not enjoy something out of the ordinary and may find it odd or confusing, especially fans of a mainstream genre such as pop. 

The trendy outfits are conventional
to the pop genre.

6) Another aspect of Goodwin’s theory that features within this music video is the abundance of close ups in the video. There are many reasons as to why close ups are used within music videos: firstly the close ups promote the artists within the music video, under the orders of the record label, the promotion of the artist is essential as fans of the artists and the viewers of the video are expecting the artist being the main focus of the video as they are sole fans of the artist and thus enjoy seeing them whenever possible. Another reason as to why there are several close ups is as close ups put the main focus on one aspect such as a person’s face, which can thus emit the emotions of the music, and can also put the lyrics into highlight as the artists will move their lips through lip-syncing the music. The many close ups within this music video are predominantly of the artists performing within the music video, this is as the music video is performance based and thus there is a profusion of lip-syncing and singing within the video. There are however close ups of certain actors within the music video, such as the man with the robot box on his head, the reasoning behind this is as the actor could be deemed funny and entertaining especially in correlation with the shuffling dance he is performing, this adds humour to the video which the audience will enjoy. The use of close ups is engaging and effective for the artists as it appeals to both the passionate and new fans of the artist as they both equally enjoy seeing the artist in the video, some for strictly entertainment purposes however certain fans (predominantly female fans of teen-pop boy bands) enjoy seeing their favoured artists due to finding them attract, which again increases viewer enjoyment. 

A close up within
the video.

7) The last element of Goodwin’s theory that features within this music video is the links between the music and the visuals; the use of this element creates a visual association between the song and the video, thus making it more relatable and enjoyable. There are several instances of links between the music and visuals within this music video: firstly the use of an upbeat dance routine correlates with the high tempo of the song used, this increases viewer and listening quality as the song is enhanced through the linking of the dancing. Another link between visuals and music is the fact that every time there is a different drum beat or transition in sound there is also a change in camera angle or shot, this is a complex feature as it requires an abundance of different camera shots and a good editing skillset/knowledge to make sure there is both enough camera shots for the particular section of the song and that it syncs with the tempo and the beat, as otherwise it would be out of tune and wouldn't look good, in fact it may be confusing for an audience to watch. Another feature of music and visuals linking within this music video could be the use of mise-en-scene, specifically the settings and lighting within the video. The music video is set in the streets and is brightly lit, the settings and lightings combined create both a sense of unity and positivity through the association of togetherness through brightness, this correlates with the music as the song consists of a high tempo that is generally prominent within positive songs., specifically in the Pop/electronic genre of which this song consists from. The linking of the music to the video is a successful technique as it adds realism to the music video as it is not just a random video, it correlates with the said song, this thus aids the viewer experience.

The urban setting and the
positive ethos within
the music video.