Research: Andrew Goodwin theory (Dancing in the Distraction)

Goodwins main theory was that music videos follow very different narratives to novels and films. This is because their primary creation is to draw in the audience in a 3 minute time period.

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

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

• There is a relationship between music and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

• 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).

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

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

I tend to watch music videos that don't conform to Goodwins theory, not because I hate Andrew Goodwin but because the genres i listen to aren't the ones that he was talking about. I've deciden to attach two videos, one that conforms and one that has very few relations (apart from the relationship between audio and visuals).