Goodwins Theory

During 1992 Andrew Goodwin wrote a book which held 7 different aspects of theories of music video audiences. First and foremost, Goodwin believes that music videos demonstrate certain genre characteristics e.g. dance routines girl/boybands with girls looking good and bling for gangsters in rap videos. Dr Dre or Ice Cude are prime examples of 'throwing' signs in early hip hop videos. Further examples Jay Z and Kayne West Otis. Where they have flashy jewelery, cars and low angles to show their dominance of the camera. Each artist has a particular demographic they will appeal too and therefore, cater their music video to suit their target audience. Kayne does this with new cars and money attracting his young audience of boys and girls.

Secondly, Goodwin believes there is a strong relationship between lyrics and visuals. They are often seen as illustrative but could amplify or choose to contradict lyrics in some cases. Within all of the lights bright strobe lights are actually used visually as well so the two combined show the corresponding relationship between both the visuals and the lyrics of the song.

Number three on Goodwins Theories is that there is a relationship between the music and visuals.Often illustrative but can also contradict the music. As you can see from the lyrics turn up the lights and the upbeat music used in this piece the relationship between both the music and what you can see visually match up perfectly. 

The fourth point is that there will be high demands of close ups of the artists from the record label to promote the label itself. This is a marketing technique used to spread the artist to wider platforms as well as getting the record label more recognition through the artists fan base. The more famous the artist becomes, the more value they have on their heads for the label. E.g Beyonce.

Goodwin also thought that artists may begin to develop motifs or iconography that recur across their work. This visual style for Alicia Keys is her piano as it is frequently shot in her music videos. A visual style that is continuously weird and wacky is Lady Ga Ga who dresses up in meat and Sia who decides to cover her face consistently so we cannot see her. 

The sixth point Goodwin included in his theory was the frequent references to notion of pleasure from looking at the female body. A good example of this is Arianna Grande who is seen as good looking through the media especially alongside Miley Cyrus have transformed from kids channels into far more sexualised females from the way they choose to dress and promote themselves through their music videos especially through minimal clothing and leather patent body-con outfits etc.

Finally, there are after inter textual references that are mostly connected to film, television and culture. Goodwins Theory will help when it comes to making my own music video as i will be able to now see examples of where frequent reference to props may need to be used in my own film like they have been in others. Certification and gratification will also need consideration as indecent explicit images and language may not suit my target audience so would need to reconsider my choice of imagery in my music video.