Narrative/Audience/Genre Theory's

Many artists apply Goodwin's Theory and Intertexuality to their music videos to help them promote their music.

Goodwin's Theory has 8 main Principles:

1. Links between Lyrics and Visuals
2. Links between Music andVisuals
3. Meeting the Genre Characteristics
4. Intertexual references
5. Notions of Looking
6. Voyeurism (direct/indirect adress, mirrors, screens etc.)
7. Demands of the record label, so how the artist is represented
8. Whether it is a Performance based, narrative based or concept based music video.

• Steve Archer states that ' Often music videos will cut between a narrative and performance of the song by the band.'
• Concept based music videos are often playing with the idea of the forms and conventions of a music video and they are often more abstract and artistic.
• Narrative Music videos can also be fragmentary, where you see sections of the story faded into the music video.

Example's of artists music videos and how they have used Goodwins principles to promote their music:

Florence and the Machiene - Dog Days Are Over

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGrx6etMl0w

This video is Narrative Based and it has been made extremely well as we follow the story well. It is also very artistic and abstract so it also contains some conventions of a concept music video. The video really shows us what her music is all about. It shows us that her music is extremely original and personal. It also shows the quirky side to her. It feels like you are in a dream whilst watching the video and this again reflects what her music is all
about.
By her having a blindfold on it also makes us think whether it is a dream. With the video being set in a forest it puts emphasis on how original she is and how different she is compared to the mainstream ‘pop’ music. The other people in the video are dressed as clowns and this is a bit odd but fits in with the quirky and different nature of Florence and the song. Later on in the video we see her singing with the rest of the picture faded out so that we just see Florence with a direct address, and this is good as she comes out of the different and odd singer and fits into the mainstream stereotype artist. This is good as she can appeal to many different types of musical audience. She meets the genre characteristics as she has made her video quirky and different to fit her music. Her record label have also made it personal to her and this is why it works as she is able to be herself in her video rather than having to act as someone different.

Scouting For Girls - Famous

This video is Performance based and it fits perfectly into the mainstream ‘pop’ market. This is because the video fits in perfectly with the song and follows the song throughout using lyrics to visuals; also we see all the bang members and the lead singer Roy sing throughout the song using direct address. This is good as the audience will feel like singing along to the song, which is what they want so that we go out and buy the song. As they are playing it almost feels that we are having our own private gig as they are playing as if they would be at a show. But at the same time they are being filmed by a camera and we see it on a TV screen and therefore it relates to the title of the song. Voyeurism is used a lot after this as we are made to look at something appealing, as we then see a series of TV screens with Roy’s face on and the other band members and this again relates to the title of the song and the lyrics. Again the band have made their music video without much help from their label as they have been themselves and had some fun and therefore do not make the video look fake and cheesy ‘pop’ music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0mQ0MvyP-c&ob=av2n

Cheryl Cole - Fight For This Love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4umc87T5UMs&ob=av2ev2e

This video is also performance based, but it also uses narrative conventions and links intertexuality with the fashion industry, bythe many types of clothes that she wears.It has emphasis on Cheryl herself, this may be because her music is not to everyone’s taste and therefore has to rely on herself selling the music, the first image we see is her and the last image we see is he using direct addresses each time. In the video she uses her dancing skills to relate to the lyrics in the song. Her dance movement are definitely related to the word ‘fight’. The first room is white and this is good as we can clearly see her. We then move to see her dressed in black and red and this can symbolise love and I suppose the black could be fighting or sadness. There are words over the walls behind her of the lyrics and this is followed through to the next scene where nearly the whole chorus is over the wall, this puts emphasis onto the idea of linking lyrics and music to visuals and it works brilliantly. But we also see her dressed in something that has spikes coming out of it and this therefore shows the fighting side of the song. Her next outfit of a military uniform, and then therefore reinforces the whole theme of fighting. Another outfit shows the tiger print and again shows the theme of fighting! Overall this video has used the help of lots of voyeurism for the audience to understand the song and who Cheryl is. The Record label have obviously helped her with her image etc. as she has stepped away from the pretty preppy girl that she was in girls aloud and I think this is a good as it has opened her up to a bigger audience.


Robert Palmer - Addicted to Love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcATvu5f9vE&ob=av2e

This video has the same sort of conventions as Cheryl Cole's Video, this is because it links intertexuality with Fashion. Whereas he has used a soild performance based video, but use models to perfom with him. They are dressed simply and look how fashion models would have of looked at that time. The background mise en scene is very simple, but it also fits in with the girls outfits as they look very mysterious with the fiery backdrop.


There is not many different shots in the video, there is a few close up shots of the girls and robert, but it is mainly the shot as above. I think this works as it makes an impact.

Shania Twain - Man I Feel Like A Woman

She has copied Robert Palmer's idea of using fashion and instead of using women models she has used Male Models to perform along side her. She again has used very simple camera shots and angle with only a few close up's and mainly uses the same shot as to the picture ----->

She as well was very successfull with this song and this was due to how well thought out the video was. Also they knew the concept worked as it did for Robert and therefore they knew it would sell the song well.

Ok Go - Here It Goes Again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTAAsCNK7RA&ob=av2e

This Music video is concept based and is extremely simple and different to any other music video that I have seen. The band have decided to make their own music video by only using one video recorder. The band are seen on treadmills and they have made a routein up where they almost dance on them. This is very unique and odd. But this is what suits the band, the band were very succesfull after making this song and video as their original audience and new audience liked it being outside of the mainstream music videos and therefore they liked it as they obviously wanted something different.