ANDREW GOODWINS’

MUSIC VIDEO THEORIES

BY JORDAN DAVIS

MUSIC VIDEOS OFTEN INCLUDE TYPICAL ELEMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH IT’S GENRE• THIS REFERS TO THE IDEA THAT EACH GENRE HAS ITS OWN CLICHÉS THAT

ARE COMMONLY SEEN IN ITS MUSIC VIDEOS. FOR EXAMPLE ROCK MUSIC VIDEOS TEND TO SHOW A STAGE PERFORMANCE. THIS IS SEEN THROUGHOUT A LOT OF DIFFERENT ROCK MUSIC VIDEOS AS ITS ASSOCIATED WITH ROCK. ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS DANCE ROUTINES WITHIN IN SONGS BY GIRL/ BOY BANDS.

THE NOTION OF LOOKING AND VOYEURISTIC TREATMENT OF THE FEMALE BODY• THE NATION OF LOOKING REFERS TO MEN AND WOMEN BEING MADE TO

LOOK SEDUCTIVE WITHIN MUSIC VIDEOS, THIS CAN BE DEMONSTRATED WITH THE USE OF PROPS OR EVEN EYE CONTACT WITH THE CAMERA. MIRRORS, GLASSES, AND TV SCREENS ARE GOOD EXAMPLES OF SUCH PROPS. • VOYEURISM IS WIDELY USED IN THE INDUSTRY TO SELL THE PRODUCT USING

SEX APPEAL. AN EXAMPLE OF THIS WOULD BE MILEY CYRUS’ SONG WRECKING BALL AS IT CONTAINS LOTS OF PROVOCATIVE SHOTS AND ACTIONS REFERENCE SEXUAL ACTS. THIS IS OFTEN SEEN WITH FEMALE SINGERS AND BANDS, NOT SO MUCH MALES. VOYEURISM IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE ONE SIDED.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SONG AND THE VISUALS

• ILLUSTRATIVE : CERTAIN IMAGERY IS USED TO DISPLAY THE MEANING OF THE LYRICS. • DISJUNCTURE: THIS IS WHERE THE LYRICS OF THE SONG AND THE VIDEO

IGNORE EACH OTHER AND DISPLAY NO CONNECTION WHAT SO EVER.• AMPLIFICATION: THIS IS WHERE ONE WORD FROM THE LYRICS IS TAKEN AND

REFERENCED THROUGHOUT THE VIDEO.

RECORD LABELS DEMANDS• ARTISTS ARE ASSIGNED TO RECORD LABELS AND THESE LABELS TEND TO

HAVE CERTAIN DEMANDS. THIS IS OFTEN DISPLAYED IN A VISUAL STYLE THAT REOCCURS THROUGHOUT THE ARTISTS WORK. FOR EXAMPLE LADY GAGA WITH HER WEIRD COSTUMES AND ANOTHER IS SIA WITH HER BIG WIG.

INTERTEXTUAL REFERENCES.

• THIS IS WHERE ONE MEDIA REFERENCES ANOTHER WITHIN IT. FOR EXAMPLE A LOT OF SONGS ARE USED WITHIN MOVIES OR WRITTEN PURELY FOR MOVIES. BECAUSE OF THIS THE MUSIC VIDEOS TEND TO CONTAIN REFERENCES TO THE FILMS, IT CAN BE SUBTLE OF IT CAN EVEN CONTAIN ACTUAL CLIPS FROM THE SONG.