Research into Andrew Goodwin`s Theory-Miss Georgiou

Andrew Goodwin`s Theory
25/06/2014
Vasil Nikolov

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qObzgUfCl28

Andrew Goodwin's Theory is an important theory in the music video world as it gives the world, the pillars of what a music video should consist.

Firstly, Goodwin's Theory suggests that the video often tends to include a demonstration of typical genre characteristics. This can be seen by the picture on the left which shows the mainly performance based video of the song "Ruby" by the "Keiser Chiefs". As the band is a indie rock it is conventional for the song to be mainly performance based (Both singing or playing on a instrument). However it is also conventional for a indie rock band to give the message of being isolated from the world. Here we can see that as the band is preforming in a dusty desert where they are isolated from the world (Or at least until a small city is constructed around them). This way the group is giving a message to their audience that they like to be alone but they can't as they are quickly surrounded by society. 

Goodwin's second theory is that the video is synchronised together with the performance. The picture left of the text is the evidence that shows the lead singer singing at the same time as the lyrics are playing, which suggests that the visuals are linked with the music. This suggests to the audience that the band is playing the actual song at the time of the recording (Although they might pretend to be performing as the special effects surrounding them will not allow them to actually preform).

The picture also supports the 7th part of Goodwin's theory which is that the video is either Narrative based (IF there is a story that links with the song), Concept based (What the song is trying to tell the audience) or Performance based (The visuals mainly show the group performing with instruments or vocally). In "Ruby"'s case, the song is mainly performance based as over the entire song the band is playing and a town that is built is surrounding them. However, the song is also slightly (40%) concept based as the main vocalist is trying to inform the audience what they should be careful with the signals given to them by their crush as it can be painful if they misinterpreted them. Thus "Ruby" reinforces and strengthens Goodwin's theory.

The third part of Goodwin's theory suggests that there is a link between the music and the visuals. This is trying to imply that while there is a certain instrument playing the video should show the same instrument being played. This can be seen in "Ruby" as in the scene on the left while the guitarist was playing on his guitar, the audience could hear a guitar being played in the music. Thus the theory is reinforced and proven from the song.

The top and bottom picture taken from the video support Goodwin's 4th part of his theory. The 4th part suggests that the video should show a demand for the close ups of labels used by the artist and the equipment he is wearing or using. In "Ruby's" case the video shows a close up on the drummer's "Van" trainers and a drum nut from a "Gibraltar" drum kit. This should give the audience information of what their idols wear or use and make them (The audience) want to buy the clothing/equipment that they are using. Thus this part of his theory is both proven and strengthened by the images taken from the music video above.

Goodwin's nearly last point (Point number 6 due to the bigger usage of photographs as evidence of the explained concept) is that there is always intertextual refrences in a video clip in order to promote the band thatis performing the song. During the next 4 pictures the audience can see several parts from the lyrics where they clash with the buillboards of Oxford Circus. This has been used to sudgest that the buillboards are promoting the lyrics of the song and thus promoting the group. Due to the high amount of tourists visiting London (Allegedly 16 million per anum) for these famous buillboards (that have been shut off once during the 2nd WW), they have become a refference in society as a famous place to advertise and include in films based in London. Thus the builboards can be counted as a intertextual refference and can be included as proof that suports Goodwin`s theory.

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In this picture comes the second part of the below explained segment of Goodwin's theory which is that there are always voyeuristic shots that objectify women as being a sexual object. However, as "Ruby" is giving a different  opinion to what women are it was hard to find a scene where women could be objectified...until the one on the left showed where at the bottom right corner of the screen a small neon sign that says "Withney's drive". This suggests that the bar might be a strip club which is sort of objectifying women as being a toy for the male sex.

In these two pictures, the audience becomes a witness of the frequent notion of looking. This part of Goodwin's theory states that in a video the audience frequently become a witness of an event that is created in the world that the performer has created. In "Ruby's"case the audience see at one point a gramophone stopping to play and a fan of the group putting it back on. This is used to both promote the group as the audience can see a poster of the group and also to suggest that they have seen the dream of the fan as he wakes up from his couch and goes to turn it back on. This part of the theory also suggests that there are voyeuristic shots in a video in order to portray women as a sexual object.