So for a point of reference in our research, we've been given a brief outline of 'Goodwin's six'. Goodwins six is a set of 'laws' pioneered by Andrew Goodwin and applying to music videos. So here are his six laws, and how they make a music video what it is.
1. 'Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics.' So a few examples of this a boyband/girlband like 'Boyzone' or 'Girls Aloud' are in the dance or hip-hop genre so you would expect them to perform a dance routine or have a certain urban style to their outfits. A perfect example of this is 'Sound of the Underground' by Girls Aloud. In this the girls wear urban, 'dance-y' outfits that young people can idenify with wearing. Also, they perform a dance routine throughout the entire song, reflecting their genre in the music video.
2. 'There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals'. So this is to reflect that a music video is not a seemingly meaningless promotional tool, in some instances it can be used to portray moral or a message though the visual perception in the music video. However, a link is often put between the lyrics and the actual images we are watching. For example Go:Audio's song 'made up stories' has a clear link between lyrics and visuals. The song is about a man witnessing his girlfriend kiss another man that progresses into something else before his eyes. This actually happens in the video and so we can identify with the singer/band more because we are being told the narrative from two angles; lyrics and visuals.
3. 'There is a relationship between music and visuals'. This can refer to shots being cut in time to the beat. So in Calvin Harrises video 'ready for the weekend' there are different shots in time to the music of the song. This often makes the audience member more involved in the song and more willing to dance or sing along. It is usually expected in dance, hip-hop or urban music videos, as this genre has the most upbeat music involved in it.
4. 'The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close-ups of the artists and the artists may develop motifs which recur across their work.' A perfect example of this is a song called 'Jump' by a very famous rock can called Van Halen. It is a performance video and features lots and lots of close-ups of the main vocalist, David Lee Roth. This was to promote him as a singer but also to promote the band. Lots of close ups also focus on the main guitarist Eddie Van Halen, as he is the nake sake of the band and one of the best guitarists in the rock industry.
5. 'There is frequently reference to the notion of 'looking' (screens within screens, telescopes etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.' In Lady Gaga's video 'telephone', she wears little or no clothes during the entire duration of the video. This displays voyeuristic tendencies and also doesn;t set a good example for young adults! A recurring motif that Lady Gaga uses is the use of strange costumes, for example she has glasses with smoking cigarettes on them. In her videos 'Paparazzi' and 'Born this way' she also wears bizarre clothing, displaying a recurring theme that audiences can relate to.
6. 'There is often intertextual reference (to films, tv programmes etc).' In Madonna's 'Material girl' she copies Marilyn Monroe's 'Diamonds are a girls best friend' by wearing the same clothes, having men giver her presents and having dancing waiters, all alike to Monroe's video. This gives something for the audience to relate to, as they can recognise that it was taken from Marilyn Monroes video. It also links the artist to another famous artist, displaying more than just an intertextual film reference.
More research to follow!
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