Research for Music Video: ANDREW GOODWIN'S.

Andrew Goodwin published a book called 'Dancing in the Distraction Factory' (1993.) He talks about his opinion that pop music videos do not necessarily have traditional narrative analysis, this is because narrative is approached in a different way so the videos are structured around the song instead. There is also a sense of repetition in music videos; like the repetition of the chorus or lyric. We become familiar with the genre through intertextuality, we learn the lyrics due to the constant repeats of parts of the song. Also the amount of times the song is played (on TV, TV tie-in, radio, and commercials) making the song very familiar to the audience - the function of promoting the artist.


There are three types of relation between the song and it's video:

Illustration

It says it all in the name, to illustrate is to tell. Illustration in in a music video is where the video tells the story of of the lyric(s) - Dance can also be used to express the feelings, moods and atmosphere of the song. A good example is The Man That Can't Be Moved by The Script.

The video is literally filmed to what the lyrics are being sung, about a man who...erm well, can't be moved!

(Oh yes, another PEFECT example of illustration is Friday by Rebecca Black. I will not post up her music video, trust me, im doing you a favour. I just wanted to let you know that she sings everything shes doing and thinking or whatever and her video does exactly that as well.)

Amplification


Amplification is where the video brings new meanings to the song that does not contradict to the lyrics, but can add layers of meaning to it.
Im yours by Jason Mraz is an example of amplification.
There have been many different interpretations of what the song actually means, it could be about his love for a girl, or love for the world or even God. His lyrics are deep meaning and metaphorical as well, he could refer to anyone and mean anything!

The video does not go by everything that Jason sings, the video is about him taking a vacation to somewhere beautiful. Chilling and all laid back; he experiences beautiful things (like jumping off a waterfall). However because he is in paradise the songs could be adding a new layer to his lyrics that life is too beautiful and short to waste - his facial expressions (like his sudden smiles) is like an 'in the moment' type of feeling, he's appreciating the surroundings and could really be saying in his lyrics, "(hey world)...IM YOURS!"

Disjuncture


Very little connection between the lyrics and the video, it is completely random! Also where the video asserts the opposite meaning to the lyrics. 


Lady Gaga's You and I. 

‘You and I’ is about love, reminiscing on the good times in the relationship Lady Gaga had with her ex boyfriend. Tells the story of a simple girl still in love. HOWEVER, the video is a bit too bizarrely random to be telling a story about her love. The video mainly just promotes her fashion and weirdness with her very imaginative use of props and acting.

She is a mermaid at one point then electrocuted on the next, then some scenes of her dancing which by the way, the choreography does not fit in with the love and sweetness of the lyrics (but does fit with the rhythm and pace.)

The song is written and sung with soul and is combined with another one of Gaga’s odd, out of place, new dimensional video.