Research into goodwins music video theory

Goodwins theory is essential to consider when looking at how to make a successful music video, it consists of seven parts which are evident within the majority of successful music videos, this theory helps artists decide what needs to be included to make their video successful and help publicise their song and therefore themselves as artists, creating a wider audience




In Michael Jacksons 'thriller' there are many conventions of the 'pop' genre, for example there is constant dancing throughout Michael Jackson singing, by the artist himself, it also usually involves a female that he is trying to seduce, finally it has background dancers, all choreographed to dance in time from 8:28, this represents the artist as extremely professional and shows he puts a lot of work into his music, it also allows the audience to link it with a certain genre, helping them instantly know if they want to listen to the song and if they will enjoy it and the artists other work, also it allows the audience to follow the narrative easier as it is more organised and isn't confusing for the audience, this is conventional of the dance genre as the whole genre is based around performance and therefore it would be common for the artist to create a routine for the video which fans would be encouraged to copy.



In Michael Jacksons 'thriller' the visuals and lyrics closely relate to each other, for example when the song quotes "creatures crawl in search of blood" at 6:38 linking into the visuals of the zombies as they first get out of their graves on screen, this is also showing the care the artist puts into his work and makes sure that it all links and makes sense for the audience, making it overall, more enjoyable and therefore more successful as a whole, this allows the audience to link the song to the music video easier and memorise it easier, making it more likely to be successful and memorable, the narrative is a lot easier to follow for the audience as the lyrics are almost telling the story, it is conventional in the genre as it allows the audience to follow the narrative and makes the lyrics understandable, a relationship is created with the audience as they become fearful of the situation and see the artist as super human, meaning he stands out from other usual artists.



There is also a relationship between the music and visuals, the dancers move in time with the beat, changing each move in time with the beat or a new verse from 8:28, this allows the video and music to be linked together, making it easier to memorise for the audience and therefore gives the song more chance of succeeding, along with the artist getting more publicity and becoming popular, representing him as an organised, professional artist, also it shows the artist is organised and cares for his work, trying to make it look as neat and tidy as possible, making for an enjoyable experience for the audience, this is conventional as artists want their dancers to be in time with them to look professional and create a routine that everyone can follow.



In Michael Jacksons 'thriller' there are multiple close up shots of the artist (Michael Jackson), throughout, when he is watching the film at 3:50, when he is starring in the film, when he is walking down the street, and when he is a zombie, all these close ups represent the artist as vain but confident in his appearance, this allows the audience to memorise the face/recognise him from previous music videos, this helps promote the artist and his song, by showing the audience his face in a lot of detail he can become recognisable to a wider audience and therefore will promote his future songs as well as his current one and just himself as an artist, making him have more chance of success, this is usually insisted of by the record label to try to 'sell' the artists face, if they recognise his face in videos they will be more likely to watch future music videos with him in, again helping future success and popularity, this is conventional as artists/record labels feel that the artist needs to make sure they are associated with their work and the audience can recognise the artist.



Another part of goodwins theory is that the artist will have recognisable motifs or iconography throughout their work, for Michael Jackson his sharp dancing and flamboyant clothing was a common part of his videos, he does this at 4:44 making him recognisable for the audience, this is helpful for the promotion of his songs and himself as an artist, helping him become more successful as he stands out and doesn't blend in with the other artists, this increases his chances of becoming a big success as it individualises him and makes people like him and become fans of his music, these characteristics become associated with him and become a huge part of his music/music videos, giving him something that can differentiate himself from other artists, this is conventional of artists as they need something that will make them stand out from other similar artists and get them a wider audience and gives them a trait other artists cannot copy, helping represent him as an important and successful artist, also it allows the audience to associate these things with him and build a relationship with him as if they know him on a personal level.




The women are both fairly covered up (0:53 and 4:48), although there is a clear sexual desire on Michael Jacksons end but the woman are not voyeuristic, this helps the audience focus on the artist himself, keeping the attention away from the others and making him the main person, this will help the audience memorise his face, and therefore make him more successful and gain him a wide group of fans, also it represents the artist as talented and proves he doesn't need half naked woman to publicise his song, and that he is actually really talented and makes the audience appreciate the artist for his singing purely and not need woman to attract an audience, this is subversive of the genre as they often use sex to sell music and not use their true talent of singing to its full advantage.

The final point is that there will be references to film or television, this is done at the very beginning, Michael Jackson is watching a film in a cinema whilst on a date at 3:42, this allows the audience to almost relate to the song as it is showing everyday things and is not showing unachievable success like in some other artists videos, this helps the artist build a relationship with the audience and therefore get more fans and become more successful, as it represents him as more down to earth and is not a figure in which it would be impossible to mimic which makes him more likeable .



Analysing Goodwin's theory has allowed me to fully understand the concept of each point and understand how artists use it and why, this means I now fully understand how I will include each point into my own music video and how it will help improve my music video as a whole, I would like to include as many points as possible, although I feel the key parts to include of Goodwin's theory are close ups of the artist, allowing the audience to recognise their face and therefore publicise the artist, also I think the music and visuals and then the lyrics and visuals should match, allowing for the music video to seem well organised and tidy, promoting the artist in a good light, making it appear they really focus and care for their work, this will make the audience appreciate the artists work and really see their talent

Research into television music channels

The purpose of television music channels are to promote a music video, showing a video which you may not see unless you are watching the show, allowing artists to promote themselves and their music, advertising to a wider audience and therefore gaining more fans which can, in effect, give them more success in there music and future music

MTV

Target audience for MTV is 13-21 year olds, this is proven by the planned schedule for today, for example at 10:45 they have two maroon 5 songs planned, back to back, maroon 5 have been a bit hit recently and have had lots of success, specifically in this age group,  as well as tinie tempah who is a well known name within people between 13-21, finally they have the 'top 20 biggest dance hits', a genre for people between this age group that has huge success and is constantly listened to by this age group. Five artists that are popular within the MTV schedule are Maroon 5, Ellie Goulding, Jason Derulo, Wiz Khalifa and David Guetta, they always play chart music as it is requested by their audience as they want to listen to big artists and see their up and coming videos, engaging the audience and drawing in a wider audience and making the channel more successful. The owner of MTV is Viacom Media Networks, this company also own Comedy central, Nickelodeon and VH1, another music channel, the benefits of being owned by a big company like this is that MTV can be advertised on multiple channels, creating a wider audience, especially since the other channels owned serve different purposes (E.G- Comedy central is for comedy fans). 

The MTV logo appeals to the target audience, the M is bold and simple, appealing to those that just want a simple channel in which they can sit down and listen to music, the 'TV' however appeals to those of a younger age, the graffiti style writing emphasises that they also show rap music, etc, appealing to those that enjoy this genre, the black and white is also another way of showing that it is plain and simple, also it allows the logo to be snuck into the corner of the screen and not distract the audience from the actual music video itself, but being noticeable enough to allow the audience to keep in their mind that they are watching MTV, making sure that they come back in the future due to knowing what channel .

AKA

The target audience for AKA is around the age of 16-21, the age barrier is slightly higher as the content for the genres played (grime/urban/hip-hop) are more explicit and are not suitable for younger audiences. The station has things such as 'throwback hip-hop jams', 'grime kings' and the 'official AKA rap and grime chart' scheduled for today, showing the types of music genre it tends to stick to as their audience enjoy this, which is the reason they watch this channel. Artists that are popular on this channel are Kid Ink, JME,  Fetty Wap, Chris Brown, Lil' Wayne  and Big Sean, these are well known artists within the community of fans of the genres played on this channel. AKA is owned by All Around The World Productions Limited, this company own the channels 'Clubland TV' as well as 'Summer hits', this allows the channel to be advertised to fans of different genres, possibly changing them into a fan of grime, etc as well as the previous genre, creating a wider fan base/ drawing in a wider audience and therefore making the channel more successful.

The AKA logo is bold and stands out to the audience, making it extremely noticeable, the man in red, leaning against the 'A' represents the rap side, the man seems 'cool' showing the station in a trendy way, this draws in the correct audience and allows the channel to seem trendy and in time with current affairs/music, allowing the audience to be drawn into it.

Kiss

The target audience for kiss is a mix, it has a mixture of newly released songs and slightly older songs of all genres, widening the target audience, they play urban, RnB, hip hop and electronic dance music, this channel is unlikely to play songs with explicit material, on the schedule for today they have songs such as 'house every weekend' and tinie tempah - 'not letting go' which are different genres, showing the mixture of music they play, popular artists on this channel vary from the likes of Rhianna, to artists such as Calvin Harris. Kiss is owned by Bauer radio, this company also own Kerrang and the hits radio, this allows for the channel to be advertised on different stations, increasing their audience and making them more popular to fans of different, particular genres.

The Kiss logo is plain and simple, showing the audience that it is straightforward and will deliver good music with no fuss and with ease, it also makes the name of the channel clear so that it sticks in the audiences mind, therefore making it easier to grow as a channel and gain more fans and become wider renounced.

Magic

Magic has a mix of all genres, old and new releases, allowing it to have a huge audience although it puts fans of particular genres off, but overall draws in massive audiences, this channel does not play songs with explicit material however, due to the large audience it could cause offence. On the schedule there are artists such as take that and ed sheeran, showing the variety of music played. Magic is owned by Bauer radio and this means that it can be advertised on channels such as kiss and kerrang, widening the audience it plays music to, fans of all genres can listen to this radio/channel as it has lots of genres, pleasing all listeners.

The magic logo links up, showing the order it has and that it is very organised, the colours blue and yellow are mixed, showing the variety of songs played on the channel as well, the word 'magic' is clear, making the station stick in the audiences head, making it easier to become wider renounced and grow as a channel due to the memorable name, therefore becoming more successful as a channel.

Absolute

Absolute radio focuses on older music, its target audience are 30+ and plays songs from the older era, the channel would also not allow explicit music to be played, although this is a lot rarer anyway within the music this channel would play, on their schedule are things such as 'classic rock party' and 'foo fighters', the rock genre is slightly outdated nowadays and the foo fighters are for the older generation, this shows the audience it is aimed at and aims to attract and please, absolute is also owned by Bauer radio, this company own magic and planet rock, allowing this channel to be shown to younger and wider audiences, trying to draw them in to this type of music and channel.

The absolute radio logo features a fast forward button, showing it is ahead of other stations and the one you should listen too, the bold 'absolute radio' on a white background makes it clear and makes it stand out, locking it into the audiences head.

MTV have broken into different channels for each genre to please listeners of all tastes, there is a big chance of them losing fans if all music is played on one channel as there will be lots of music different people wont like and others they will, therefore they could lose viewers to stations that play particular music genres. Music channels allow for music videos to be shown, this can help advertise a song which would not be listened to usually, increasing the importance of music videos, to help artists songs be put out there and advertised, there are multiple channels which appeal to fans of different genres, it allows fans to listen to their favourite genre and not have to go through multiple genres from different songs, therefore they can cater for a much wider audience as they can give every genre fan exactly what they want without the audience having to wait for a song of their preferred genre to come on, I have learnt how important music videos are for the success of a song and that it is key to be a part if a large company to become a successful radio station/music channel, as you need to be advertised on different platforms.

The schedule sticks to the genre of the channel, therefore the audience will always be listening to preferable music and the schedule doesn't show too much, just that it sticks to the genre promised and will draw in the correct target audience, therefore making success easier for the channel.

                                                                                                                                        
                        

History of a music video

Music videos development first began in 1894 when Edward.B.Marks and Joe Stern hired an electrician named George Thomas and multiple performers to promote their song 'The little lost child' they used a 'magic lantern' which is an image projector to make a series of still images appear on the screen in tune with the live performance of the song. In 1926 many short musical films were created, then vita phone shorts were created (and produced by warner bros) which featured many bands, vocalists and artists. The early 1930s featured popular musicians performing their songs on camera in live action segments, films based around music were a key factor in the development of music videos, many music videos has been modelled off of classic hollywood films such as 'bad' by Michael Jackson, which used the certain style of fighting from west side story, the first music clip was supposedly 'strangers in paradise' by Tony Bennett, the second was a much more famous 'jailhouse rock' by Elvis Presley. The Australian shows 'countdown' and 'sounds' were both key in the development of music videos and popularising them, both shows premiered in 1974, then top of the pops started in the late 1970s, in 1981 MTV aired, their first video was 'video killed the radio star', then in 1983 the most successful and influential music video was released, Michael Jackson's 'thriller' was released, a fourteen minute video costing $800,000 US dollars directed by John Landis created a new standard for music videos. In 2005 the most commonly used way of consuming videos now was released, youtube was created and music videos were uploaded to this website, allowing a wider audience to see the video at anytime, they could also determine how popular the song/video was by the view count, the most viewed video being, 'gangnam style' by psy which received over 2 million views.

There are many ways people can consume music videos now, youtube being the most common along with MTV and other music channels. Consumption is much more digital based nowadays, as you can tell by the way videos are judged on view counts on youtube to see how successful it was, every artist uploads their video to youtube as one of the first things they do, it is a key part of a successful song and video. Budgets for music videos have increased as the years have gone on, as music videos become more and more important in the success of a song, the budget has been increased, allowing for special effects and new technology to be used, the most expensive video is currently Michael and Janet Jacksons 'Scream', costing $7,000,000, a huge amount for a music video and has been the most expensive for 20 years, ever since it was made. The intorduction and improvement of smart phones have allowed for consumption to be easier than ever, a few taps and you are on the music video of any desired song by any artist, it is extremely easy to access music videos which is why it is so important to make a successful one. Multiple genres have been introduced in recent years, such as grime, also many genres have changed, the majority of genres are much more based on sexual attraction and that is how the majority of artists sell their music.

What is a music video?

A music video is a clip used to go with a song, it tells a story of a character or even lets you buy into the artists lifestyle as well as help understand a song, it also promotes the song to a wider audience and shows different generic conventions of that genre of music. The first style of video is performance, this is focused on dancing and singing by the artist and is used stereotypically for genres such as RnB, the second style is narrative in which the audience are told a visual story which relates to the lyrics within the song and allows the audience to understand the point of the lyrics and what their true meanings are, it is almost narrated by the lyrics of the song, the third is concept, this is when the artist tries to sell the audience a certain idea or show off their glamorous life style to the audience to show how successful they are and become desired by the audience and the artist becomes an idol and role model in the public eye, this is usually seen in the rap genre, conventions of the RnB genre involve showing off their money by having lots of alcohol around them (usually in a party setting) and they have lots of women around them (presented in a voyeuristic way) as well as showing off expensive clothing/accessories and cars, making the audience envy the artist and want to be like them, making them seem like role models.

R.Kelly - Ignition remix, this belongs to R&B, the purpose of this video is to promote the artist and his lifestyle, appealing to those of a younger audience as it is the glamorous lifestyle they want to have and dream to grow up like this artist, which is the reason it is so easy for these artists to become influential role models, as young people are much more impressionable in comparison to other target audiences, the style of this video is concept, as the artist is selling an ideology of money, women, alcohol, expensive clothing, accessories, cars and partying, this allows the artist to sell their way of living to their audience, the audience then idolise the artist and the artist can build a fanbase, allow for longevity of success and lets the artist build a career. It is also performance as there is dancing and singing throughout by the artist himself and others around him, this allows the artist to show their talent to the audience and lets the audience truly appreciate the artists work and see their ability. Micro elements are used within the video, for example, for camera shots such as the low angle shot are used within the video, this shows that the artist is important and a key figure to be focused on within the video, allowing the audience to build a relationship with the artist. Editing styles such as transitions between shots, allowing the scenes to change smoothly, this allows the audience to stay engaged within the video and stay focused on it, allowing them to enjoy the video, finally, the use of MES is done through setting, a club scene is used to show the lifestyle the artist has and make the audience envious of how they live, therefore the audience look up to them and therefore build a relationship with the artist, helping them gain a fanbase and have a long, successful career. The conventions of R&B that are seen in this video are the flashy clothes and jewellery, such as the expensive jacket and gold chain worn by R.Kelly whilst singing in the club, this follows the conventions of the R&B genre as it is commonly seen that artists wear flashy clothes and jewellery, this appeals to the audience as it creates a dream for the audience in which they wish they could be like the artist also expensive cars are seen to be used on the way to the club, a limo, which represents him as having lots of money to spend, also the women wear revealing clothing, making it have a sexual feel about it (voyeuristic), this follows conventions of the genre as women are often sexualised to draw in male attention toward the video, this helps them engage into the video and enjoy it more, making the artists success more likely. Finally the setting is a club which is extremely conventional and therefore follows conventions for mens r&b songs, this is linked with partying and fun,therefore the audience want this lifestyle and idolise the artist for living their dream, helping the artist gain a fanbase and have a long successful career. These things appeal to younger audiences who dream of a life style of alcohol, women, expensive clothing and cars and constant partying, helping them dream of this lifestyle, making it seem achievable, which the audience enjoy, this also makes them take a liking toward the artist as they believe they have things in common with them, the audience feel the artist has the same aspirations as them and possibly could have had the same lifestyle as them before they made it, making it seem more realistic as a dream for the audience and therefore makes the artist seem more down to earth and relatable.

I have learnt from this video that artists cater their video toward their target audience to create a successful song and the video helps promote them as artists to certain groups of people, music videos are extremely effective and can be the difference between a successful song or a flop, for example psys 'gangnam style' would be nowhere near as successful without the video and has helped him become a well known artist around the world, I think that R&B would be a good genre to use as it is easier to create conventions within the video and there are plenty of songs to choose from which would allow us to do this, music videos in the R&B genre tend to show off desirable items and dreams of the audience to sell their music and make it seem like the music is catered toward their dream making it more personal and relatable, even though it is completely unrealistic, music videos are extremely effective and allow an artist to sell themselves as a product, helping them sell current and future songs as well as help the audience understand the lyrics within the song, I will consider the R&B genre as a possibility due to the endless amount of inspiration and the easy conventions to create, also I will consider using concept as a style due to it showing simply the dreams of their audience and making it seem realistic and attainable to the audience.