Andrew Goodwin identified 7 key ideas that we should look for to identify:

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g. stage performance in metal video, dance routine for boy/ girl band.)

2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. (Either illustrative, amplifying and contradicting.)

3. There is a relationship between music and visuals. (Either illustrative, amplifying and contradicting.)

4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work ( a visual style.)

5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screen, telescopes, etc. ) and particularly voyeuristic (sexual) treatment of the female body.

6. There is often intertextual reference (to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc.)

7. Whether the video is primarily performance based, narrative based or concept based and how elements of each is used in it.

Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g. stage performance in metal video, dance routine for boy/ girl band.

• Genre characteristics:• Goodwin’s theory states that each genre has particular characteristics that help

make it a genre. One of the main characteristics of the indie genre is that the artist has a performance element in their video. The long shot of the band on right highlights their performance element within their music video. The long shot establishes the members of the group and their instruments.

• Another key feature of the indie genre is that is very independent from mainstream music hence the term “indie”. In the song “Away From Here” the band is very independent from mainstream music because their clothes, image, music video and location of the music video are not in touch with mainstream music. For example the medium shot of two band members on right shows them wearing black sports jackets with a t-shirt underneath. Mainstream music is very image orientated and most mainstream videos contain the band members showing some skin however “The Enemy” have clearly rejected mainstream music in order to be more unique in their delivery of the song.

Genre conventionsThese are depicted as the certain traits associated with a particular music genre. For example a Rock video you would expect traditionally to have the performance of a live band. Typical rap videos you would expect them to have the following characteristics as a necessity; Jewelry, hoods, urban clothing, drugs, wealth/money, cars women and a narrative based story. A trait of many rap hip hop music is to perceive the artists as if he is living this actual life of what is really fake but made out as if it’s a reality. For e.g. women, cars, mansions, guns, dangerous dogs and jewelry is that iconic that traditionally everyone aspires to be however reality suggests this may not be the case as it is an admiration in a world where traditionally teenagers are hoping to be one day emulating big time rap stars such as Dr Dre, DMX, Ice Cube and 2 PAC.

1. Music Videos Demonstrate Genre Characteristics

Sartorial codes- the hair and clothing of the boy and girl are typically ‘indie.’ The skinny jeans they are both wearing are typical attire for the genre, as is the retro shirt the boy is wearing and the ‘love my bones’ slogan tshirt the girl later wears

Mise-en-scene- social realism of urban street setting and a small, cluttered dining room typical of indie genre

Genre CharacteristicsThe key characteristic of the Indie genre is a performance element in the music video. In “America” by Razorlight, the first few shots of the music video immediately introduce a performance element where a member is playing the guitar. The medium shot of the band member playing the guitar introduces the audience to the settings, members and instruments. Another characteristic of the genre is it’s independent from mainstream culture. For example the location of the music video seems to in a isolation venue, possibly underground which further highlights their rejection of mainstream culture. Popular underground music venues emerged in America and elsewhere in the 1980s and 1990s. Another characteristic of the Indie genre is the “Do-it- yourself” ethic whereby band members play their own instruments on their own terms and in their own location. All these characteristics are demonstrated in the music video.

There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. (Either illustrative, amplifying and contradicting.)

• There is a very strong illustrative relationship between the lyrics and visuals in the song. For example in the opening the lead singer sings “I'm so sick, sick, sick and tired Of working just to be retired” followed by a medium shot of an elderly couple sitting at the dinner table. The lead singer then sings “I don't want your company car” followed by another medium long shot of a woman washing a posh car and so on. There are also continuous references to various methods of travel the band can use to get “away from here” followed by close ups and medium shots of various transport methods. They do not specify what “here” is but the audience may assume that “here” could mean their daily routine lives from which they cannot derive any enjoyment

• According to Goodwin, the lyrics of the song and the actual video footage should share some relationship. This is evident in the video. During the song, the words “Love is a bird, She needs to fly, let all the hurt inside of you die”, is clearly illustrated. This can be seen in the shot below.

Goodwin is correct when he claims that the lyrics of the song are featured. This allows the audience to feel captivated and actually feel engrossed in the song, rather than just passively watching it. This conveys the mood of the song, which is cold and frozen coincidentally.

• Goodwin also claims that there should be a relationship between the music itself and the video. This is evident in the editing. For example, when the first drum beat sounds, the video cuts to a different shot

• The mood of the music is also conveyed through the video itself. The title of the song is “frozen”. Therefore, it would be wise for the video to lack colour, which again, accompanies the lyrics. This gives even greater emphasis on the mood of the song.

The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work ( a visual style.)

Demands of the record label…Goodwin’s theory highlights the fact that in order to meet the demands of the record label close up shots need to be used in order to introduce the band to the audience. For example a medium close up shot of the lead singer is used to introduce him as the lead singer. A medium shot is used to introduce the drummer of the band and a medium shot is also used to introduce the band’s keyboardist in the music video. The record label also demands that the band have their own image therefore most of the band members have adored a typically indie style- floppy hair with side fringes, casual laid-back clothes. The exception to this style is the member who is playing the keyboard in the video.

5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking and

particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body

Though these shots of the girl from the opening sequence can be applied to the rule and make her appear innocent, we also subverted it by making her a predator, also including voyeuristic shots of the boy e.g. this long-shot of him from the girl’s perspective, as she enters the room to push him into the cupboard

• This music video has explicit sexual undertones. The personification of women conforms to both Goodwin’s theory and that of Laura Mulvey. Women are largely blacked-out and their silhouettes are only on display. This is sexual as it outlines their body, as if they are totally naked.

• As Goodwin states, the use of various props allow the richness of the genre of music to be conveyed throughout the video. The video features motorbikes and expensive clothes which may symbolise wealth and affluence. There is no bling in this video but it would seem the way the characters are dressed and painted, it suggests wealth.

Notions of Looking

Notion of looking and voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

There is no voyeuristic treatment of the female body present in the video. As highlighted before, the inclusion of this element would prove disastrous for the band as it may alienate their female fan base. There is a notion of looking present in the music video. For example a screen within the screen is used to portray the various images of America and when the lead singer asks “How does it feel?” the screen is used again but this time with the band members directly in front who are holding signs which demonstrate how they feel.

Notion of looking and voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

There is no voyeuristic treatment of the female body present in the video. As highlighted before, the inclusion of this element would prove disastrous for the band as it may alienate their female fan base. There is a notion of looking present in the music video. For example a screen within the screen is used to portray the various images of America and when the lead singer asks “How does it feel?” the screen is used again but this time with the band members directly in front who are holding signs which demonstrate how they feel.

There is often intertextual reference (to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc.)

• There are intertextual references within the music video. For example there are various clips from other sources and video recordings that make up the bulk of the video. For example the clips of the planes taking off or flying in the air have probably been taken from TV programme archives. Also, the brief video clip of someone having an argument at the club may be from the band’s personal video archives, or again they may be from TV programme archives. The band may have used these clips in order to illustrate the song’s lyrics. For example the airplane is the mode of transport they may use if they want to “get away from here” or the argument in the club may have been used to demonstrate an intense situation that makes people want to “get away from here”.

Intertextual references

There are no intertextual references in the music video. This could mainly be due to the fact that the band may want the audience to completely focus on their song, music video and image and not something else.

• As well as being part of the genre characteristics narrative is also its own category with in Goodwin's theory. The narrative allows the music to come to life, like a story. It connects all the dots with in the categories that Goodwin identified. Narrative can either be fragmented . This is typical of some rap/hip hop videos which have a narrative but not as much to the extent of which is associated with R&B for instance. For e.g. ice cube pictured with lyric and visuals with the voice over effect. I quote “Had to stop at a red light not a jacker insight”. Furthermore “Cause just yesterday them fools tried to blast me saw the police and they rolled right past me” emphasizing a rappers every day life highlighting his day with events such as running away from the police hooking up with friends, smoking chronic… playing basketball etc.

Whether the video is primarily performance based, narrative based or concept based and how elements of each is used in it.

• True to the commercial r n b music video, choreographed dance routines are featured. Goodwin claims that this adds to the characters star persona and enhances the stage performance. In many videos of this genre, dance routines are common.

• Further to this, various close up shots are used again to enhance the characters’ star persona. For example, Lady GaGa in Pokerface has many close up shots to emphasise her face make up. This is common in many of today's music videos. In this video neyo has many face shots whilst maintaining eye-contact with the audience.

• The beginning of the video starts with Usher’s interlude in which he is talking on the phone. High key lighting has been used. This plays a larger part once the audience watches further into the music video. Soon enough, the lighting changes from high key to low key.

• The video becomes a lot darker and more intimate. The fact it is so light in the beginning is possibly because the status quo had not changed. After the phone call however this changes. Lighting could be suggestive of the protagonists, Usher’s, mood. Where at the beginning he was content. Now he has a secret. Something he has to get off his chest, so the music video follows his mood.

• To match the lighting is his clothing. From the images above it is very clear to see that in the first image, his clothing is very light, and bright and generally a lot more happier. In the second image it is darker, and more dismal. Clothing is suggestive for the way the audience feels, where in the first image the audience themselves feel a lot more calm, a lot more happier. Where as watching Usher in his darker clothing, it reflects on the audience, viewing becomes a lot more intense.