Monday, 27 September 2010

Summary of the Andrew Goodwin Theory

Andrew Goodwin feels that traditional narrative analyses doesn't really apply to pop videos. The reasons for the different narrative structures are as follows:

- Pop videos are built around songs - and often songs don't pose traditional narrative structures.
- Pop videos use the singer both as a narrator and as a character.
- The singer often looks directly at the camera: this is an extension of performance and trying to involve the viewer at home with the performance.

Often pop videos are based on a high amount of repetition. Images in the video are repeated frequently, the way the song is structured - rhythm are formed in a certain way for the viewer to become familiar with the genre.

However, some videos are different. The visualisation of a song may go beyond the original meaning. Some videos are constructed in a certain way to make the viewer want to watch it continuously. According to Goodwin it can be said that there are three types of relations between songs and videos:

- Illustration: this is where the video tells the story of the lyric. Dance is often use to express feelings or emotion in a song
- Amplification: this occurs when the videos introduce new meanings that dont contradict with the lyrics, but add meaning. 
- Disjuncture: this means there is limited connection between the lyrics and the video itself.

Overall pop videos have easily recognisable elements. A feature could be the way mostly women are represented as a object of male desire. However, artists such as Beyonce present themselves for males to look at although there is a difference they tend to look back at the viewers and seem to be passive.

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