Videos are typically really positive, bright and fast paced
which helps make it appeal to the younger audience
-Bright and multi-coloured settings and lighting.
-The camera pans and zooms to catch the movement and emotion of the artist.
-Close ups of the artist are used to show the happy emotions.
-Artists or bands perform in some way usually by actually lip syncing the words
of the song.
-There is usually a dance sequence which illustrates some of the lyrics.
-There are not usually any instruments present as not many pop bands actually
play their own instruments.
-Very stylised – there are often many costume changes throughout the video.
Indie
There is often a mixture of narrative and performance and
sometimes the whole band performs and other times just the main vocalist sings.
When Indie music videos do have a narrative they are often quite symbolic and
do not literally follow the lyrics.
-There is a variety of close ups to show the main artist singing and other band
mates performing as well as wide shots of the whole band.
-The colour of the video changes depending on the lyrics of the song and the
tempo of the music it can be bright, dark and sometimes black and white.
-Special effects are sometimes used.
-Editing is usually quite fast paced depending on the music.
-The band wears casual clothing.
Rock/ Metal:
The lighting and the setting is often very dark
giving the video a mysterious, scary and edgy tone.
-The band usually performs in the video. The performance is often very dark and
scary and the artists are usually dressed in black, with multiple piercings and
dark make up on their faces adding to the scary stereotypical Rock/Metal look.
-Sometimes there is a narrative which will reflect the dark melancholy tone of
the music and the lyrics.
-There is a variety of close ups to show the main artist singing and other band
mates performing as well as wide shots of the whole band.
-Special effects are sometimes used.
-Editing is fast paced reflecting the hard, loud and fast music
Andrew Goodwin's
theory of Music videos Key Points;
1 - Relationship between the lyrics and the
visuals. - Themes, miss-en-scene and events of the video
match with lyrics of the song, to help to portray the message of the song.
2 - Relationship between the music and the
visuals.
- The cuts and edits of the video are in sync
with the rhythm and beat of the song matching cuts or effects to specific drum
beats or notes.
3 - Music videos have genre characteristics
- Certain features are expected out of a video
depending on the genre of the music, for example a girl bands/artists are
expected to have dancers and close ups of the singers, whilst a Indi band are
expected to have performance shots ofthe band and cut to a fast beat.
4 - Often due to the demands of the record
label, artists videos will include many close ups of the artist and will often
develop motifs that recur across multiple videos
- This allows the record label to promote a set
image for the band, which will help target audiences empathise with the band.
5 - Emphasis on 'looking'
- The 'male gaze' is often used to attract a
male audience. The male gaze is a focus on presenting things that appeal to
men. This often means a voyeuristic view of, and an objectification, of women.
The emphasis on looking also includes the artist looking directly into the
camera helping the audience connect with the artist.
6 - Intertexual references.
- Music videos reference other forms of media,
most commonly film, but can also be television and other music videos.
Eminem - When I'm Gone
This is a worthy example of how Goodwin's theory can be used
to analyse music videos. He says that a lyrics and music can illustrate,
amplify or contradict the music video.
1:18 (illustration) the lyric is “give an arm for" then
Eminem shows his arm which has a tattoo of his daughter Hayley, which displays his
love for his daughter, how much she means to him and how much would give up for
his daughter.
1.33- The connection between the daughter and protagonist
which is described in the lyrics is shown in the narrative of the video. It
shows how their connection has become stretched due to Hayley's mum being gone
(perhaps due to rehab) and Eminem having to go on planes to perform to his
fans.
1.46 "This song ain't gonna write itself" there is
a close up of the paper where the lyrics literally write themselves, in other
words the video contradicts the lyrics. This could indicate that he could give
up more of his career time (writing lyrics) to spend time with Hayley
2.49, "She's piling boxes in front of the door trying
to block it" the video exemplifies the lyrics again where Hayley puts
boxes in front of the door. You could see small bits of light coming out of cracks
and holes of the wall that Hayley's made. The light in this aspect represents Eminem’s
stardom and the door is the road to the limelight. This means that Eminem has
to leave his daughter in order of keeping his fame and career
3.15, "Just as I walk out my bedroom door it turns to
stage, they're gone, the spotlight is on". The video once again goes along
with what the lyrics says, to a very accurate extent. This means that he is on
stage pretty much whenever he steps outside the reservation of his own
house.
4.52, Eminem has just seen his daughter in the crowd and has
realized that he is in the wrong. Hayley lip sings along to the lyrics Eminem
is rapping to, illustrating that it is Hayley speaking. The line "They're
throwing roses at my feet", is shown in the video, which signifies how
literal the lyrics are showing his life. Eminem is now wearing just a cap and a
jacket, he looks into a mirror and see's himself wearing the suit in the
reflection. He punches mirror, shattering it, whilst you hear a gunshot,
illustrating that he is leaving the rapping part of his life behind him.
The way that the video here can be analysed by Goodwin's theory is that the
video illustrates most of the song. The video shows the tough life Eminem has
to choose from between his career, fame, money and attention or his family
life, which is shown through the character of Hayley
This solution gives people a choice of compensation for the
inadequacies in their own lives.
An example of this solution being put to use would be if we
tried to do an Anti-Smoking campaign into this: there would be clear motives
that we could offer based on the Dyers solution, e.g. gain money, understand
the facts, gain energy, and join a quiet club.
