Andrew Goodwin and Laura Mulvey Theories

Andrew Goodwin and Laura Mulvey’s Music Video Theories

Andrew Goodwin’s theory states that there are a number of features which distinguish the music video as a form. These are;

• A relationship between the lyrics and the visuals, with the visuals illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the lyrics

 -Illustrating; music videos use a mix of images to illustrate the meaning of lyrics and genre. This is the most common. E.g. in Beyonce’s ‘If I were a boy’, the video shows her behaving as a man would

 -Amplifying; alike to repeatability; meanings, effects and images are continuously shown throughout the video and driven into our vision. Like in Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ ‘Empire state of mind’, images of New York are constantly shown throughout the video

 -Contradicting; this is when the lyrics of the song are completely ignored within the music video. For example, in the band All Time Low’s video Coffee Shop Soundtrack, the band members are seen causing havoc in a steam room and a toilet, when in fact the lyrics are all about a woman who the lead singer once had an affair with.

 In my music video I think I will use the Illustrating point, as I am to film by the beach, relating to the song lyrics ‘I am lost at sea’ etc. Also I may use Amplifying, with many images of the beach or Ben himself to create meaning and so that when the audience sees a piece of the video, they will immediately know which song it is for, as it has been forced into their minds.

• A relationship between the music and the visuals, with the visuals illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the music

 -Illustrating; when the music changes in a way that is reflected in the music video. For example in Lady GaGa’s ‘Judas’ video, the part where the tension is building before the final chorus is silent apart from a low rumbling of music and water, and the lighting is very low as well so as to build up the tension

 -Amplifying; when the music is emphasises through visual means. Some music videos nowadays use techniques to emphasise the way the music is heard by showing it across the screen. E.g. the music video ‘Crazy’ by ‘Gnarls Barkley’ is done in the style of the Rorschach inkblot test, where animated inkblots danced and pulsed across the screen in time with the beat of the music, emphasizing the pulse of the music

 -Contradicting; where the video in no way relates to the music itself. This is seen in many music videos today, for example the video ‘Lego House’ by Ed Sheeran relates in no way to the music, only the lyrics.

 In my music video, I have decided to contradict the music when it comes to the visuals for the majority of the video, apart from when the tempo increases, I will increase the speed of the footage slightly so it fits with the beat more, and the same for when the music slows down, I will also decrease the speed of the visuals slightly.

• Genres are complex and diverse in terms of music video style and iconography

 -In a previous blog post I stated that within the different music genres there was often a list of codes and conventions associated with each. There are hundreds of less popular music genres, which shows just how varied the music category is. Sure enough, no two videos are the same, hundreds of thousands as there are. Therefore, the many music videos that are out there are incredibly diverse, with different iconography being used in each. Literally, ‘iconography’ means ‘image writing’, and there are many icons in music videos today. In fact, some artists have actually become icons themselves. For example, Lady GaGa’s iconography is her bizarre videos that break the mould, and she often has Great Dane dogs featuring in them. Madonna herself is an 8Os icon because of the style of music she would produce, which was very feminist-inspired and strong.

 In my music video, I have decided to stay within the Indie genre and not try to break the mould, as so many artists today are. I will try to create some iconography, by taking a still of something I have filmed for the music video and using it as the CD cover.

• 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

 -It is typically up to the record label how the artist is portrayed in the music video; which ever direction they go in is intended to sell the most records and therefore make them the most money. For example men are often represented in a sexual manner to appeal to women more. For women the same principal is often applied, to attract the male audience. This is important in the music business, as for example, women who are more inclined to listen to urban music (which often includes an element of naked flesh) may be drawn in more if there are men in RnB videos which are portrayed in a semi-naked fashion. E.g. in the music video ‘Countdown’ by RnB artist Flo Rida, the whole video is focused on the backsides of many attractive bikini-clad women who are ‘turning around’ to be ogled by the men in the video, and the male audience.

 In my music video, I shan’t be using sex appeal to draw in the female audience, I will be relying on the quality of the song and the video alone.

• There is frequently reference to notion of looking, and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body

 -The notion of looking is using the idea of gaze, and the way someone, or a group of people are represented. Techniques include screens within screens, telescopes, eyes, a looking glass, direct and indirect address. An example of using the notion of looking is in the music video ‘Can’t be Tamed’ by Miley Cyrus. In this video, Miley Cyrus is dressed as a giant black bird in a huge iron cage. The image of a cage is associated with wanted to see whatever is inside, and the fact that she is inside it instead of an actual animal links with the notion of looking. The video ‘Don’t feel like dancing’ by The Scissor Sisters includes many abstract images and visuals, including at one point, a large face in which the eyes are cut out, revealing only glowing purple sockets, into where the camera zooms, revealing the next part of the video. This is also a notion of looking. According to Goodwin, women are often presented as ‘objects’ in modern music videos. This is voyeuristic treatment of the female body, and is often portrayed through the medium of using demeaning shots, or presenting them in a, to quote Laura Mulvey; “whore” way.

  The only female I intend to use in my video is Lucy, who will act as a mystical, dream-like character who is inviting Ben to follow him through the streets and finally to the beach before she disappears. Because of the way I intend to portray her, there is no fear of her being seen in a sexual way, as women in the modern music videos are normally not ‘mysterious’ but very full on and  forward. I shall try to use notions of looking in the way that the camera will follow Ben’s gaze in order to emphasize something of particular meaning.

• There are often intertextuality references

 -Intertextuality is used in music videos to provide further gratification or pleasure to the audience. Also it shows that the producer has seen what ever they have referred to, which, when they see it, the audience can feel a sense of acknowledgement that they have made the link.

 In my music video I will make references to the 1980s film ‘Following’ in which a man follows a man follows strangers around a city. I will have Ben following Lucy around a city/town, which immediately links to this film.

Laura Mulvey’s music theory states that;

• One part of her ‘male gaze’ theory suggests that the camera/ audience always represents a heterosexual man’s view of objectifying women in music videos. The videos linger on the women and their curves, and events which occur to women are presented largely in the circumstance of a man’s reaction to these events. The female audience must then view the video from a male perspective first.
• The second part suggests that women are only represented in one of two ways;

-either a virginal innocent character

-or a sexy “whore”

In my music video I will contradict her theory, by not subjecting the female in my video to male scrutiny. She will be wearing normal, not-sexy clothes, and will be represented in a mystical, out-of-reach manner, not in an easy, “whore” fashion, as is expected by Laura Mulvey’s theory.