GOODWIN’S THEORY Ellie Monkman

THE 5 KEY ASPECTS

•Thought through beat

•The relationship between the song and the visuals

•Narrative and performance

•Technical aspect of music video

•Star image

THOUGHT THROUGH BEAT

This means to see the lyrics and music through the visuals. This is done in a three step system;

Step one is to analyse the structure of the music, making sure you have full knowledge of choruses and verses. Also keeping a close eye on the beat and sound.

Step two is to make the voice of the artist in question to stand out amongst the rest, and to keep the focus on that. This gives a form of identification to the ‘star image.’

Step three is to create a story which is often staged so that the singer is the narrator of that story. The singer then tells us that story throughout the music video.

THE RELATION BETWEEN THE MUSIC AND THE VISUALS

There are three different ways to promote a song through visuals. These are:

Illustrate; Music videos include images with relate to and illustrate the lyrics alongside the genre to create a story for the audience.

Amplify; similar to repeatability. This is when images and shots are shown repeatedly throughout the music video, with some manipulated and edited, so that the effects and meaning is constantly shown.

Disjuncture; this is where the music video has no relevance to the lyrics and the meaning of the song, so it is completely ignored.

NARRATIVE AND PERFORMANCE

Goodwin believes that common narrative should be ignored when making a music video. This is because music videos should include repetition of the narrative and performance so that the audience will not lose interest in the video as it will be easy to follow. Lip syncing and mimed actions will always be the most important aspect of music videos, but the authenticity of the music video will be kept if the artists remain as narrators and participate in the story.

TECHNICAL ASPECT OF MUSIC VIDEOThe technical aspects of music videos are:

camera work and movement, camera angle, Mise-en-scene, editing, sound, and special effects. These are all of the factors in which create the structure of a successful music video.

Camera: involved speed and camera movement are essential in production, and cutting and editing are most important to create the right atmosphere for the music video.

Lighting and colour: this helps to se the mood for the music video, and to create emphasis on different parts of the song. It can be used for dramatic effect, and also to excite the audience.

Mise-en-scene: This help to gain authentication in a music video, sticking to the situation/time period set. It helps to make the artists work seem more professional.

The beat of a song is often vital in music video as shots are put into a series in which the cut of a shot to the next is done on the beat of the song.

STAR IMAGE

Star image is seen as the most vital aspect of music video by Goodwin. The star image, or, protagonist is often the lead vocalist or singer who offer a unique style to the audience, and they are make to look more appealing and desirable to the audience.

The star image is always kept as centre of attention, whether it is through the narrative, appearance, costume or staging in the music video.

This is mainly for advertising purposes as it will help to promote the artists desirable lifestyle and creates a public reputation for the artist.