Andrew Goodwin believes that pop videos approach narrative from a different angle to novels and films and has identified a number of key features which distinguish the pop music video.
There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals, with the visuals illustrating, amplifying or contradicting (DISJUNCTURE) the lyrics. He says that pop music videos are often constructed by the link between the visuals and the song plus the artist. Relationships are built between these in the video, and the close-ups of the artists gives them the representation and publicity they require. Voyeurism is used to increase the video’s attractiveness, particularly to males. Intertextual references, either to other music videos or to films and TV texts, these provide further gratification and pleasure for the viewers/fans.
Notions of looking- Most of the time we see the artist looking directly in the camera, there eyes focused on us. Its like there are talking directly to us, artist having a personal connection with the audience.
Notions of looking- Most of the time we see the artist looking directly in the camera, there eyes focused on us. Its like there are talking directly to us, artist having a personal connection with the audience.
Visual and promotion- Sometimes pop video provides a visual pleasure that encourages repeated viewing which promotes the song while other times the video to the song can be used to promote other commodities e.g. movies, adverts, etc.
These are examples of videos that show illustration, amplification and disjuncture.
The video to crazy for you fits this category because it tells the story of the lyrics. She (Madonna) sings a song which is about being in love. The characters in the video illustrate this. The video to this song has been taken from a film this links back to Andrew Goodwin’s theory the video promotes another commodity which is a film (Vision Quest). Madonna plays the role of a narrator and participant in this video. She’s the singer in the bar. The video imitates exactly what the lyrics say with the two characters expressing how they feel towards each other either by the way they look at each other or by kissing and so on.
This video is a perfect example of disjuncture the artist in the video acts as the narrator as well as the participant. The R&B song is about meeting a guy on her night out that she fancies and wants to have a lot of fun with. However the video follows a nonliner structure and does not link to the lyrics. The video involves just herself in a room with various color of lights reflected on her while she sings and dance.
The Mise en scene is very upbeat, sexy, fun loving and bright throughout the video. Bright lights, sexy facial expressions and lots of energy from the solo artist emphasize the message in the lyrics.
Coldplay - Fix You @ Yahoo! Video
Amplification
Coldplay-fix you
This video adds more meaning to the lyrics without contradicting it. How does it do this? Well it starts off with the artist who plays the role of the participant, narrator and observer sitting down on a pavement then he starts walking, looking very depressed singing about not being able to succeed in anything and everything you do. The feel of the video from the start right through to the middle is very aimless, hopeless and depressed. The main artist wanders around the streets of London at night aimlessly, observing what happening around him dressed all in black looking fed up of life. The feel of the video from the middle right through to the end is very upbeat, loud, bright, fun. I feel this half of the video really amplifies the lyrics in the song. The video follows a linear structure which starts off very negative but progresses to a positive ending. This is how the video adds more meaning to the lyrics. ‘I will try to fix you’
No comments:
Post a Comment