Applying Goodwin's Theory

Andrew Goodwin demonstrated the six characteristics that music video normally display:

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics, for example, there would be stage performance in metal videos where as in pop video for a boy/girl band there would be dance routines. 
2. There is a relationship between lyrics and the visuals. They lyrics either illustrate, amplify or contradict the visuals.
3. This is also the case with between the music and the visuals. 
4. Due to the demands of the record label needing to make money there are a lot of close ups in the video of the artist and there is always attention on them. The artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style); and example is Lady Gaga, in her videos you expect to see a lot of bizarre costumes. 
5. Another characteristic is voyeurism which refers to the frequent notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes etc) and also the male gaze where there is voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
6. The final characteristic involves intertextuality, meaning that there are references made to films, tv programmes or other music videos.

A music video that follows the key characteristics of Goodwin's theory is Drakes video. The video 'Hold on, we're going home' shows the relationship between the lyrics and visuals by using a narrative in the video.The video is about a relationship where Drakes wife is kidnapped and he has to rescue her, this relates to the lyrics literally as he needs to rescue her and it shows she is innocent. According to Goodwin's theory the lyrics illustrate the visuals as there is a story goes with the lyrics, but is amplified more to make the video more interesting (use of jilted lover). This can also be applied to Goodwin's theory as he said that there is a relationship between the music and the visuals, he said they would either illustrate, amplify or contradict. In this case it illustrates as the song is slow at times which is when the love between the couple are shown and at times the video is slowed down even though there are action scenes going on, which is done to make it seem more dramatic.(5:12) It is also illustrated when the beat speeds up because then the video is made more fast beat.
Goodwin's theory applies to this video because he talked about the record label having to meet demands. Because Drake is a solo artist there are a lot of close ups used to show the audience that it is his video, this is highlighted more as they show others in the video but when on him the view is more clear and the screen time is longer as well. This is all done to help the label sell the artist.

Another technique used to help sell the artist is involving other famous people, in this instance A$AP is used and another famous actor is used.
Voyeurism occurs in this video, the male gaze is used to show the body of his girlfriend (the camera travels up her body whilst she is in her underwear), this makes the audience admire Drake as he is with a 'perfect' woman, also adds pleasure for the audience.




From this theory we know that there are certain codes and conventions we need to make evident to indicate we are creating a video within the pop genre. For example we will add dance routines.Also from this we know that there needs to be a relationship between the visuals and the lyrics, for our chosen song I think it will be appropriate for us to use the lyrics to illustrate ('Love Me Again'). Close ups is another feature we will use a lot in our video, to show the artist and to promote him.