The document discusses several key theories related to music videos: - Andrew Goodwin analyzed 5 aspects audiences look for in music videos: narrative & performance, thought beats, relationship between visuals and song, technical aspects, and star image. - Claude Levi-Strauss' theory of binary opposites explains how understanding words is based on their antonyms. - Laura Mulvey's theory of the "male gaze" argues that audiences view characters from a heterosexual male perspective, objectifying women and making them passive while men are active. - Examples are given of how these theories have been applied or exemplified in various music videos.

1. Theorists
&
Theories
By Ciara Ferreira

2. Andrew Goodwin
– Analysed 5 key aspects to music
videos that audiences look for:
– Narrative & Performance
– Thought beats
– Relationship between visuals and
song
– Technical Aspects of a music video
– Star image

3. Narrative & Performance
– Music videos don’t tell the full story.
– The audience only get the gist of the meaning of the song.
– Up to the audience to make up their own idea.
– Goodwin believes that music videos should ignore the common narrative.
– By having the artist act as a character in the narrative of the song, keeps to generic
narrative, but by lip syncing the lyrics and by mimicking actions within the lyrics, it
challenges common narrative.
– By having the artist act and sing in the music video, it engages the audience as it
seems more realistic.

4. Example
An example of a music video
with a story, is Taylor Swift’s
‘Teardrops on my guitar’ as
the song is about her love for
her friend.

5. Thought Beats
– Step 1: Look at the music, and look at structure of the song, e.g. chorus/ verse
– Step 2: Voice of the song; the artists voice is unique and expresses their identity.
This makes it different to other artists and their songs. Roland Barthes theory of
Grain of the Voice sees the voice of the artist as a expressive instrument, a key
element of making the song and so therefore the audience can make
associations of their own.
– Step 3: The music video is a story, the artist the storyteller and the audience,
the listeners. The video aids the audience by showing the lyrics through the
song. The music video is a two way device.

6. Examples
An example, where the
song shows the beat of the
song, is The Chemical
Brothers music video of
‘star guitar’ which depicts
when different
instruments are added to
the song. The audience
can visualise the song.

7. Relationship between visuals
and song
– There are 3 ways visuals are used to promote a song.
– Illustrate
– Music videos use shots/images to convey the meaning of their lyrics to their song and their
genre.
– Amplify
– This is when shots and images are repeated throughout the video, so that they are drummed
into our vison.
– Disjuncture
– The meaning of the song is completely ignored.

8. Example
In Jessie J’s Price Tag video, the visuals
link to the lyrics in the video, an example
would be when she sings ‘ okay, coconut
man’ and a coconut man then appears on
her hand. This illustrates the lyrics in the
song.
In Miley Cyrus’ ‘Wrecking ball’, the music
video amplifies the song. As the lyrics are
exaggerated with the visuals on screen.

9. Technical Aspects of a Music
Video
– Technical aspects of the music video such as mise-en scene, camera work,
movements, angles, sound and special effects hold the video together
– Lighting and colour create a mood for the music video, and also emphasise key parts
to create dramatic effect
– Mise-en scene are vital in the production of a music video, and helps create
authenticity and makes the video look professional
– Beats; the music can be cut to the beat or rhythm of the song to make the video
more entertaining.

10. Star Image
– The star/ artist is a vital part to the music video
– It makes an audience want to watch the video as it has a star appeal, this is
because it promotes their ‘brand’, while also creating a reputation for
themselves

11. Example
– Beyoncé, is a singer whose
audience watch her videos not
just because of the song but for
Beyoncé herself. The popularity
of her videos is due to her fame
and her popularity as a person
from the public. Some of her
audience even describe her as
‘Queen’.

12. Claude Levi-Strauss
– ‘Binary Opposites’
– The audiences understanding of the
word ‘villain’ is based on the
antonym of the word, ‘hero’.
– Examples:
– Good vs. bad
– Black vs. white
– Slow vs. fast
– Up vs. down
– Rich vs. poor

13. Example of Binary opposition

14. – Critics argue that although there are opposites, everything also has a medium
– E.g. gay vs. straight and the medium is bisexual
– However, binary oppositions are known to cause balance in the world. As without
them, the world would be unbalanced

15. Laura Mulvey
– What is the ‘gaze’?
– How an audience views the
people presented
– Laura Mulvey created the
term ‘male gaze’ in 1975.
– She believes that the
audience ‘view’ characters
from the view of a
heterosexual male.
– This means the audience is
always objectifying women.

16. Male Gaze
– Mulvey believes that men are ‘active’ while women are ‘passive’. To look is seen
as active.
– The male moves the narrative on, while woman are seen as stimulating and so
therefore slow the narrative down.
– The lead role is normally a male and lead roles for women are scarce as they are side-lined.
This is also true in the production of films, TV series and music videos.
– Women, if given a lead role are: frightened, vulnerable, objectified, to aid a
male character.

17. Modern Male Gaze
– Recently, due to the rise of feminism, women are fighting back!
– Some, although still objectified, are more driven, confident and able.
– Form of the gaze:
– The spectators gaze: the directors view.
– The Intra-diegetic gaze: the characters gaze on other characters or objects
– The Extra-diegetic gaze: the character breaks the fourth wall and looks into camera.
– The camera gaze: the editors view
– The editorial gaze: emphasised a textual aspect like the cropping and caption, which
direct the viewers to that particular character.

18. Examples of the Male Gaze
– Robin Thicke’s Music video ‘Blurred
lines’ causes lots of controversy
when released in 2013.
– The explicit version shows the
women naked while the men sing
the song, the woman are objectified
by being naked and are shown as
only being there for the sexual
pleasure of men. It was called a
‘rape song’, and creates a worrying
view on sex and consent.

19. Examples of Male Gaze