Andrew Godwin
Andrew Godwin feels that traditional narratives does not apply to pop videos. The reason why Andrew Godwin feels that way is because pop videos are not trying to approach narratives the way novels and films approach it.
The reasons for the different narrative structures are as follows:
1. Pop videos are just built around songs and often songs do not pose traditional spnarrative structures (normality-problem-resolution)
2. Pop videos use the singer for both the narrator and as a character
3. The singer often looks directly into the camera - this is an extension of (music-hall) performance and trying to invoke the viewer at home with the performance.
Pop videos rely on repetion. Often the video repeats images in the way the song repeats choruses or lines. Also the repetion in songs of parts or rhythm of other songs (intertexuality) means that we become familiar with the genre and have certain expectations. The video would be played on TV, the song would also be played on the radio which then leads to when adverts are played they may use the song to get people familiar with the song through repetion.
Pop songs and their videos do have a form of closure and ending. The 3 minute single that the video is based on must end and this often reflected in the structure of the music - it builds to a climax or to a constant repetion before fading away.
The visualisation of a song may go beyond the original meaning. Sometimes the video provides a visual pleasure that encourages repeated viewing which therefore promotes the music. Somimes the video might be promoting other other commodities such as films. Therefore it is said that there are three types of relations between songs and videos: illustration, amplification and disjuncture.
1. Illustration - This is where the video tells the story of the lyric "pop don't preach" for example. Dance songs often use this to express the feeling / moods.
2. Amplification - Occurs when the video introduce new meanings that don't contradict with the lyrics but adds layers of meaning.
3. Disjuncture - This is where there is little connection between the lyric and video or where the video contradicts the lyric. Michael Jackson "Man in the Mirror" is an example of dusjuncture. The song is about self realisation but the videos is full of radical world events.
Illustration - Disclosure ft Sam Smith, Latch
Amplification - Coldplay, Yellow
Dusjuncture - Bizzare Inc ft Angie Brown, I'm gonna get you
Pop videos often have recognisable feature like:
- Women are presented as objects of a males desire. This is particularly true of heavy metal and hip hop videos.
- Women such as Beyonce and Madonna deliberately present themselves for males to look.
Lastly videos that are songs written for films often incorporate images from the film into the video - like Celine Dion My heart will go on.
