Research: Summary of Andrew Goodwin's theory on music videos

Andrew Goodwin believes that the concept of narratives do not apply to music videos as they are generally approached from an angle that differs to that of novels or films. There are several possible motives to support Goodwin's theory:

1. Songs do not normally adopt narrative structures
2. Music videos often use the performer/artist as the main character and the narrator
3. The artist draws the audience in and makes them feel somewhat involved by making eye contact with the camera

Repetition plays a major role within music videos. This is in contrast to the majority of films and novels, which rely on a more linear narrative which follows certain conventions. The repetition of several images that is witnessed in most music videos are closely related to the way verses and choruses in songs are repeated. Expectations are then established as a result of this repetition in terms of viewing other music videos which fall within the same or similar genre of music.

It is suggested that there are three different types of relations between songs and the accompanied music video: illustration, amplification, and disjuncture.

1. Illustration: The video visually provides the story of the lyrics of the song. I have included 'Chiddy Bang - Opposite of Adults' as an example. It clearly illustrates the lyrics in the song throughout, and there is dance to express the moods being projected by the song itself.
               


2. Amplification: The basis of the video is to introduce new definitions to accompany the song, without going against the original lyrics, but add several layers of meaning which closely relate back to the lyrics. A good example of this would be Drake's singe 'Started From The Bottom' video. Some parts of the video are illustrations of the lyrics, but there are some visuals which may not be seen as directly relating to the lyrics, however, agree with the concept of the song itself.
               


3. Disjuncture: This is where there is little to no connection between the lyrics and the visuals that accompany the song. Chris Malinchak's 'So Good To Me' video is in no way related to the lyrics within the song. It shows a young girl supposedly searching for a lost pet, and this isn't in relation to what is being expressed in the lyrics.