GOODWIN’S

THEORY

Hannah Short

The Theory Andrew Goodwin developed a set of rules that music

videos follow. There are 6 rules in total and all can be applied to every

music video in some way.

The Rules1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics.

2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals.

3. There is a relationship between music and visuals.

4. Demands of the industry require close-ups of the artists and their particular motifs in the video.

5. There is frequent reference to the notion of looking and the particular voyeuristic treatment of the human body (mainly females).

6. There is often intertextual reference within the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=2bqAdwRHxrc&feature=endscreen

I have chosen to apply Goodwin’s Theory to the music video by Disturbed. The track this video is for is called ‘Prayer’.

Disturbed use the same icon on many of their videos (particularly ‘Land of Confusion’ where there is a narrative for the icon) this is the motif that this band use.

The icon used is a man with glowing eyes and a demonic smile which fits in with the demonic nature of the genre. ------------------>

Rule 1: Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics.

Flames and dark clothes are a main characteristic of the Metal genre. This screenshot shows both of these.

Piercings and long hair are often the style of many members of the audience and also the band members.

Stern, angry, guarded or annoyed expressions are usually worn by band members in their videos because it gives them an air of not being affected by anything that could be going on around them and pushes away any doubts of them being insecure, in other words they do not need help from anybody.

Electric guitars and drums are associated with the genre as most of the music heard is created by these instruments and so showing them fits with the music.

Rule 2: There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals.

‘Heaven just isn’t hard enough’ the song is about praying and the suffering of people and the fact that Heaven isn’t helping them, so a shot of a vicar and a Bible is repeatedly shown in a destroyed town to accentuate the lyrics about Heaven.

‘Living my life’s not hard enough’ the image to represent this is of a Prostitute who has a hard life of having to sell her body to survive, in this pose she is shown to be depressed, to show her life is hard.

‘Take everything away’ is paired with a man whom has nothing, he is homeless and lonely, he, like the Prostitute, looks depressed and has an obviously hard life.

‘Another nightmare about to come true’ is sung before the audience see a young girl running out into the road in front of a car, the driver then crashes and dies.

‘Return to me. Return to me. Return to me’ is repeated as all of the singer’s band mates return to life after dying in different ways.

Rule 3: There is a relationship between music and visuals.

At the beginning of the song there is a distant and blurred sound which matches the bright shimmering light seen in the background.

On the seventh beat of the guitar the images change to another shot which introduces the narrative, this is repeated around 14 times before the lyrics start and the focus is on the singer.

The ‘seventh beat sequence’ is repeated from the time 0.06 to 0.45, after this time the beat of the music changes. The narrative continues but frequent shots of the singer are played in between.

Light engulfs the singer as he prolongs the word ‘pray’ and the music is very fast paced through this moment and matches the scene.

On a strong beat of the drums a flock of birds fly out from a roof top, and then strong strums on the guitar match the shakes of the camera as the buildings break apart.

Rule 4: Demands of the industry require close-ups of the artists and their particular motifs in the video.

The beginning of the video includes many images of the singer before the storyline is introduced.

Right at the start of the video during the faded music the only person in the shot is the lead singer.

The second shot in the video is the singer’s face in profile to help fans identify whom the song is by.

A quick shot is used to give the singer identity and style because it shows his dress sense, this style is shown throughout the video by the other members of the band who are wearing similar styled clothes.

The other band members are introduced into the narrative one by one, this prevents the audience from thinking that the singer is the only member of the band featured and that he is gaining more popularity by taking over the video.

Near the end of the video there is band performance where each member gets a shot of them playing their instrument alone as well as being seen cooperating together as the band they are, this further proves that no member is being singled out.

Rule 5: There is frequent reference to the notion of looking and the particular voyeuristic treatment of the human body (mainly females).

The singer is looking out at the scene which the audience cannot see, as if he is studying what is happening around him.

The singer looks at the vicar and then the audience as if he is scorning the priest and religion or the values of heaven.

There is a voyeuristic treatment of two women in the video which is part of the storyline as the are prostitutes and have not only been put in for the male audience.

The vicar is looking out at the light in the sky and shows an expression of fear. This follows the notion of looking along with many other people looking out at what the audience cannot see.

Rule 6: There is often intertextual reference within the video.

In many films there is a vicar or priest preaching about the end of the world and how if you restore your faith in God you will be saved, this video shows a preaching vicar.

The religious symbols on the wall in the background are the religions of the band members and are used in different videos of theirs.

This screenshot shows the part of the video which marks the start of the buildings crumbling, the particular style of birds flying out from the top of buildings can be found in many films, such as when the planes fly out from the top of the buildings in ‘Avatar’.

Band footage with a background of debris from buildings can also be seen in a music video by Black Veil Brides, the track is called ‘Fallen Angels’ and although it was made after ‘Prayer’ (Disturbed) it is an example of what has been used before.