Research into Goodwin's theory - Miss Georgiou

Andrew Goodwin's music video theory consisted of 7 elements that are evident in music videos

1. Music  videos demonstrate genre characteristics 
2. There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals 
3. There is a link between the music and the visuals 
4. The demands of the record label will include the need of lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work. 
5. There is frequently reference to the notion of looking and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body
6. There is often inter textual reference 
7. The video will either be narrative, performance or concept based. 

When applying these to a music video, it is clear to see that these features of Goodwin's theory are vital in attracting the audience to watch the video, and also to strengthen the link between the audience and the artist or group. The song I will be analysing is the man who can't be moved by the script. The song includes all 7 of Goodwin's elements and it is the combination of these which makes up this successful music video.

Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics 

The script are from the pop rock genre. This means that certain conventional elements of this genre will be evident in the music video. The characteristics of the pop rock genre are as follows. Pop rock is a genre that mixes catchy pop lyrics with rock based instrumentation. The characteristics are: They appeal to a general audience, rather than to a sub-culture. They emphasise craftsmanship, recording, production, technology and live performances. They reflect existing trends rather than develop. It is based on dancing and uses dance-orientated beats and rhythms. Pop rock songs usually have a noticeable rhythmic element and the structure is very traditional. The appearance of the artist is one that comes across as quite neutral, with the dark jacket and jeans and a plain t shirt. The effect of all of this is that it puts the artist across as a very ordinary person, and demonstrates the genre characteristics of pop rock by not directly appealing to a specific target audience, as he instead is able to attract a much wider less specific audience. The frequent shots of the group performing, conventionally puts the emphasis on performance, whilst the noticeable catchiness and easy to remember lyrics attract the audience further. Although the song may not be overly dance orientated, it portrays enough genre characteristics to say that it is a largely conventional song, and one that successful submerges the audience into the video and attracts them towards the songs.

There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals 

From the outset and throughout it is clear that there is a distinct relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. The first lyrics heard are "going back to the corner where I first saw you," which is partnered with images of the artist walking along a street to the corner of the road. This is successful in further engaging the audience by bringing the lyrics to life, through their partnership with the actual video itself. Throughout the song, the narrative of the man who has lost a girlfriend or wife, is constantly referred to by the content of the video, repeatedly showing the artist on streets and road corners. Also when the artist says "policeman says, son you can't stay here" there is a clip of a police woman shown driving past and stopping in her car. This again makes the lyrics more life like and provides a greater deal of escapism, whilst also giving the words more meaning.

There is a link between the music and the visuals 

The link between the music and the visuals is something evident throughout the video also. I feel like this was primarily achieved through the timing of shots used. The plucky, reasonably fast paced instrumental at the beginning of the song is partnered with a quick timing of shots showing a variety of different angles, whilst tracking the artist walking. The effect of this is that the timing of the music matches the changing shots and links them together. Similarly to the lyrics and the visuals matching, the matching music and visuals provides a greater sense of engagement for the audience and again builds on that feel of escapism. It makes the video more entertaining and conventionally to rock pop this puts an emphasis on the production of the video.

The demands of the record label will include the need of lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work. 

The script are a male orientated band, and therefore there is demand from a female audience who may find the group attractive. Due to this the record label need to include numerous close ups to satisfy this audience. In many Script songs this motif of them being an attractive band is aided through these camera shots. In the video above there is further evidence to support this, as in the performance parts of the video which show the band playing their instruments, there are numerous close ups on each member of the band. This can familiarise the audience with the artists and encourage them to listen to more songs, but can also personalise the feel of the video by making the audience closer with the group members. The other effect of this, particularly in the acting scenes, can be to show emotion, particularly in this narrative. This can also exhibit the artists other talent of acting, therefore again increasing his popularity. In the performance scenes the close ups can show them to be passionate about their music through their facial expressions and give them a professional image.

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

This element of Goodwin's theory can not be seen in this video. The narrative of the video does not really offer the opportunity for the camera angles to portray the female body voyeuristically and therefore there are no examples of it. However, in many other videos I analysed, particularly from the rap genre, there are numerous examples. Rappers like Pit bull and Kanye West, use this technique in order to satisfy a largely male audience. The use of portraying woman like this can also be seen as the artist trying to provide an insight into their own life, showing their fans that they are able to have these woman and that lifestyle.

There is often inter textual reference 

The inter textual references in the video were subtle but there are some evident. The relationship between the character and the texts around him was an interesting one. The posters and billboards surrounding the artist say things like "Happy Birthday!" and send messages and advertisements to the people in the street. The billboards all seemingly use positive language and are portraying a positive message. The effect of this is that the advertisements and texts surrounded the artist provide a contrast to his mood and situation in the narrative. This can create a sense of empathy between the audience and the artist and further their relationship.

The video will either be narrative, performance or concept based.

This video is in fact one that goes against this element of Goodwin's theory, as there are elements of narrative and performance in the video. The frequent shots of the band playing show the performance, whilst the remainder follows the narrative of the man after his break up. The effect of both of these being used together means that it can be seen as more engaging than a regular video which may only include one of the three elements listed.