Andrew Goodwin Theory

In 1992 Andrew Goodwin published a book called 'Dancing in the Distraction Factory' after years of research into music videos.

He came up with a number of codes and conventions for music videos.

1.  All music videos demonstrate certain genre characteristics: 

                    stage performance - rock/metal

(Coldplay - Fix You)

              dance routines - girl/boybands

(Little Mix - Move)

(Ffith Harmony - Bo$$)

                   throwin' signs, expensive cars  - early R&B and rap

(Flo Rida - GDFR)

(Nicki Minaj - Only ft. Drake, Lil Wayne, Chris Brown)

2. Always a relationship between lyrics and visual - illustrate but could contradict

                                                         (Jessie J - Price Tag)

This music video for Jessie J's song 'Price Tag' I would say is a relationship between lyrics and visual. It is not literal but there are moments within the visual that it matches to the lyrics of the song. For example, when Jessie J sings "it's not about the money, money, money" she is standing underneath a tree with money as its leaves.




3. There is a relationship between music and visuals - illustrate the music or contradict

                                           (The Black Eyed Peas - Where Is The Love?)

In this music video of the Black Eyed Peas song 'Where Is The Love?' it contradicts what the lyrics are saying. The song is talking about where is the love in this world and the visual is bad things that are happening to people.





4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close-ups of the artist

(Britney Spears)

 (Britney Spears - Stronger)

5. The artist may develop motifs or iconography that recur across their work (visual style)

                                                                      (JLS)
JLS is an example of iconography because in their music videos they have a running iconography of having their shirts off in their music videos.

6. A frequent reference to the notion of 'looking' (screens within screens) (the pleasure through looking at female body)

                                                  (Rihanna - What's My Name?)

In this music video of Rihanna's song 'what's my name?' there is a clear idea of 'Drake' having pleasure of looking at the female body.



7. A lot of intertextual references - film, TV, popular culture

                                                  (Michael Jackson - Beat It)


Michael Jackson's music video for Beat It is influenced by West Side Story.



                                            (Lady Gaga - Telephone ft. Beyoncé)

Lady Gaga and Beyoncé's music video for Telephone has references of the films 'Kill Bill' and 'Thelma and Louise'.