Andrew Goodwin

Andrew Goodwin  - ‘Dancing in the Distraction Factory’

    Andrew Goodwin feels that traditional narrative analyses don’t really apply to Pop videos. He believes that Pop videos are instead built around songs and often songs do not pose traditional narrative structures.

    The Pop video uses the singer both as narrator and as character.

    The singer also often looks directly at the camera – this is an extension performance and means they are trying to involve the viewer at home with the performance.

    Pop videos rely on repetition – often repeating images similar to the way the song repeats choruses or lines.

It creates familiarity as certain rhythms from other songs become apparent boosting expectations. It also acts as a marketing tool as radio and television play makes it very familiar through repetition.

Pop songs and their videos do not have a form of closure or ending. The 3 minute single that the video is based on must end and this is often reflected in the structure of the music. It builds up to a climax or to a constant repetition before then fading away.

Some videos are autonomous from the music they spring from. The visualisation of a song may go beyond the original meaning. Sometimes the video provides a visual pleasure that encourages repeated viewing, which therefore promotes the music.

Sometimes the videos might be promoting over commodities such as films.

Therefore 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. (Pap don’t preach-Madonna)

R Kelly – Trapped in the closet  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFosUj6A22

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      Amplification – Occurs when the videos introduce new meanings that don’t contradict with the lyrics but add layers of meaning.

Tyga ft. Chris Richardson – Far away http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBIfffmQR-4

Song about breaking up with a girl and regretting it but video shows the breakup but becomes impossible to get back together as she dies in a car crash.

 Disjuncture – This is where there is little connection between lyrics and video, or where the video contradicts the lyrics. (Man in the Mirror – Michael Jackson)

Kanye West – Love lockdown - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZwMX6T5Jhk