RESEARCH: Andrew Goodwin's Theory

Andrew Goodwin believes that pop videos do not match and work with a traditional narrative structure like the one you would find in a TV drama. He feels that pop videos are built around the songs and so does not pose the traditional narrative structure of normality, problem and in the end a resolution. He also feels that the pop video uses the singer both as a narrator and as a character, thus approaching the narrative from a different angle compared to films or novels.  In pop videos, it is also common that the singer in the video often looks directly at the camera; this is seen as an extension of the performance as it is trying to involve the viewer at home with the performance. The singer does this when he/she is narrating the song and usually does not give eye contact with the camera when they are playing as a character.

Andrew Goodwin feels that pop videos rely on repetition where often the video repeats images in the way the song repeats choruses or certain lines from the song. This has put the expectation on pop music videos that we as the audience expect to see; the repetition of certain choruses or base tracks in the video make the genre familiar to what we know we would find in a pop video. He also mentions that pop songs have a form of closure and ending. He notes that the song the music video is based on builds to a climax or constant repetition before having an ending in which it usually "fades away".

Here are the 3 main points Goodwin outlines as the three main types of videos you are very likely to identify: 

• ILLUSTRATION - This is where the video tells the story of the lyrics through images on screen. An example of this is Giggs, Look Over Your Shoulder. The music video itself tells the story to the audience through the use of narration and visual examples. You wouldn't even need to hear the song to get a glimpse or understanding of what the video is trying to imply. The music video tells the story to the lyrics as it is.

• AMPLIFICATION - This occurs when the videos introduce/create new meanings that do not contradict with the lyrics, but instead add layers of meaning to the lyrics, thus ‘amplifying’ them. A great example of this is Kate Mcgill, Replaced. Here a man wakes up from a coma in hospital. The lyrics do not exactly match what the video is showing, but still amplifies the meaning. An example is when the song says, "its just too much". Here the actor on screen is finding it difficult to walk when he gets out of bed. The whole songs does this throughout giving a different meaning to what she is saying compared to what we are seeing on screen.

• DISJUNCTURE - This is where there is little or no connection between the lyrics or video or when the video contradicts the lyrics. A good example here is Lily Allen, Not Fair. Here the video has nothing to do with the lyrics. Instead, the video only shows the artist herself performing to an audience. She just narrates the story rather than showing it or showing any meaning behind the lyrics. Hasn't got anything really to do with the song.