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Andrew Goodwin's Music Video Theory:

Andrew Goodwin is a media theorist, and his book 'Dancing in the distraction factory' highlights his theory that is applicable to all music videos.

 

 

Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics.

Usually musicians will make music videos that fit in with their genre of music video, boybands and young female artists will almost definetly have a dance section and metal rockers will most definetly not (imagine that, it would confuse the world!)

These theories are:

  • There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images.(either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

  • There are often intertextual reference (to films, tv programmes, other music videos etc).

  • There is frequently reference to notion of looking and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body. If it's a female artist this technique will be helpfull in selling the artist. This theory also links to the demands of the record lable as its's their job to first 'sell' their artist to the world.

  • The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style).

  • There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music.(either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

Maddie Ziegler in 'Big Girls Don't Cry' music video

Maddie Ziegler in 'Chandelier' music video 

Maddie Ziegler in 'Elastic Heart' music video

These are Sia's first music videos for her new album '1000 Forms of Fear' in 2014. She has been a famous musician and music writer for years but had dissapeared from the front pge for over about 4 years.

 

For her return to the music world as a solo artist she focused her music videos around this child dancer, Maddie Ziegler. Maddie became a motif of Sia's music videos and the 'short blond hair' is a trademark for '1000 Forms of Fear'. This is an artist choice from her behalf but I doubt that her record label aren't happy with it! This motif has given both Sia and Maddie lots of attention and it's a great way to create an image of something or some one in this case.

This music video by All Time Low is very amusing in the way that they referrence many products, people and other things blaintly!

 

They make fun of Lady Gaga, Katie Perry but mainly music managers and they way the music industry is run. 

 

The visuals don't nesseserally match their lyrics but the editing and narrative are both fast and creative which fits the sound of the band perfectly!

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