music videos analysis and theories

Goodwin's theory is based around the idea that music videos should create a link between the music and the visuals Goodwin explains that this can be done in multiple ways through different styles, firstly there's the different types of links that can be made between the visuals and the music, the most common of these is for the visuals to match what the lyrics of the song are about though this can also be done by having them match the songs tone for example if the songs lyrics are about positive things or feelings then the video may use bright and colourful visuals similarly if the lyrics are focused on sad emotions the visuals would be dark and gloomy to match. as stated earlier this can also be applied to the songs rhythem and tone in addition to the lyrics, for example if the song has a quick beat then the visuals should be quick moving usually involving multiple quick takes whereas a song with a slower ryhthem would use fewer takes but each one used would drawn out and slow paced to match the beat. aditionally there is opositinal links which is esstenitally having the visuals oppose the music rather than match it. finally the visuals can also be linked to the music through a method called amplification which uses the visuals to add more meaning to what can be heard, music can be amplified by showing the band playing it and a narrative can be shown alongside the lyrics to give them more meaning and thus impact different types of videos can be narrative (portraying a story) performance (showing the song being preformed in a way) or conceptual (uses related visuals in a way that isnt the other two) vernalisis theory is based around 4 key concepts which are used in the making of a music video which are narrative editing camera movement diegesis the music video for under pressure is what would fall into the abstract catagory of music videos, at a glance this videos visual have next to no relation to the song, there is no aspect of a proformance or even a narrative in this video. the visuals of this video link heavily to the message of the song, the lyrics of the song are about mental health more specifically how it's a wide issue that is effecting thousands everyday yet nobody talks about it. the video is entirely made up of stock footage shich is used to cenvey the songs themes, the video features various crowds of people to represent the mass public and intercuts them with quick cuts of black and white footage which includes the horror film nosfaratu, these cuts represent the inner human mind and the spiratic nature of them show how the human mind can be, the footage of distrcuction being played also enforces the songs message that thousands of people are suffering from distructive mental health issues. this video visualises mental health and through its footage portrays the message that we are not all alone which makes the video successful as that is the message of the song itself This is an example of a narrative music video that creates a narrative in releation to the song and uses that as the focus of the video, these kind of videos use the narrative to visualise meaning in places that the lyrics and music wouldn't have originally done. whats unique about this video is it is both a live action and animated video which the narritive uses to its advantage to create a sense of fantasy. the plot focuses on a lonley woman who is focused on the fantasy world of her comic to the point that she ends up living in that world litterally, she falls in love with the comics protaganist and eventually brings him back to the real world with her. this narrative contains themes of love and escapism so by using it the video will link these themes to the song and create an accosiation, the songs lyrics themselves are about being sad but learning life is ok and being happy again so the narrative of somone trying to escape into fantasty only to come back to reality and be happy fits with this theme. the video also enhances the music and lyrics through performance aspects, band appears in the comic world and also swithces between live action and animation just like the characters and the male lead is singing the lyrics of song which creates a greater tie between the video and song as if the character has specically made it for the woman in the video. fianally the animated style being blended with reality makes this video visually appealing which helps capture the attentyion of the viewers and helps the video stand out from others and be memorable this video mainly focuses on the performance type of music video. the lyrics of the song focus on love and commitment, so in the video the singer mainly looks directly into the camera in order to build a connection between us and the signer by casuing the audience to make eye contact with him, the bright and vibrant visuals envoke the tone of the song. this video is edited so that it seems like the singer is seemlessly singing the song from shot to shot despite location and outfit changes, this editing would have required the singer to lipsync the full song multiple times from different angels and locations but the editing here makes them blend seamlously this video is a great example of a performance video that uses the footage to enhance the music. the lights and camera movement are matched to the beat of the song with quick movments for the fast paced lyrics, this is a prime example of goodwins theory in practise. the way the lights flicker in tune with the beat is a great way to amplify the music and im a fan of how each instrument has its own lighting pattern VERNALLIS, CAROL. “Telling and Not Telling.” Experiencing Music Video: Aesthetics and Cultural Context, Columbia University Press, 2004, pp. 3–26. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7312/vern11798.5. Accessed 20 May 2022. VERNALLIS, CAROL. “Editing.” Experiencing Music Video: Aesthetics and Cultural Context, Columbia University Press, 2004, pp. 27–53. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7312/vern11798.6. Accessed 20 May 2022. GOODWIN, ANDREW. “A Musicology of the Image.” Dancing in the Distraction Factory: Music Television and Popular Culture, NED-New edition, University of Minnesota Press, 1992, pp. 49–71. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5749/j.ctttt473.8. Accessed 20 May 2022. GOODWIN, ANDREW. “Aesthetics and Politics in Music Television Postmodernism Reconsidered.” Dancing in the Distraction Factory: Music Television and Popular Culture, NED-New edition, University of Minnesota Press, 1992, pp. 156–80. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5749/j.ctttt473.12. Accessed 20 May 2022. GOODWIN, ANDREW. “The Structure of Music Video Rethinking Narrative Analysis.” Dancing in the Distraction Factory: Music Television and Popular Culture, NED-New edition, University of Minnesota Press, 1992, pp. 72–97. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5749/j.ctttt473.9. Accessed 20 May 2022.