MEDIA THEORIES
GOODWIN'S THEORY
Music videos more often than not tend to include a demonstration of typical genre characteristics. For example: a video of a stage performance is typical for a metal video, a dance routine typical for a boy/girl band and bikini clad woman by a pool and flashy sports cars in a rap video. Music videos can also link to film genres, this is known as intertextuality. e.g. many heavy rock songs are influenced by horror films.
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Godwin’s theory states that there are 5 key aspects to a music video:
Thought through beat (seeing what they mean or represent in your head)
The first step of this process is to analyse the music structure understanding the chorus and verses. Then the second step (main voice of the song), the voice of the artist would be very unique compared to others and will give the person a form of identification that can be related to the star image or singer. The third step would be the story of an artist which he is trying to tell within his song. It can establish him as a story teller. And the music video can aid this by showing us the video through the vocals of the song.
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Relation between the music and visuals
There are three ways visuals are used to promote a song :
Illustrate- music videos use certain images & shots to illustrate/explain the meaning of lyrics to their song and the genre.
Disjuncture- Is this situation , the meaning of the song is completely ignored in the music video.
Amplify repeatability- This is when the images and camera shots are manipulated and shown repeatedly through out the music video and is drummed into our vision.
Narrative and performance of the song
Andrew Goodwin believed that it was important for an artist to be involved in the music video by performing or acting out a role as the main character or singer. It helps to make the song look more realistic and also giving the audience a special connecting and good understanding of the song. A good example of this is the song ROAR by Katy Perry. She is the main actor in the song an also the singer. This helps the video by making the song and video look more realistic and this also helps to engage the audience as they are familiar with the person featuring in the video.
Star Image (protagonist), lots of camera shots making him/her the centre of attention.
Goodwin referred to the star image a as a very vital aspect of a music video, they making the music video look more appealing to the audiences and bring a unique style to the video in the way he is portrayed. The start image is always very unique in the way he presents himself, the costume, moves and appearance. This help to promote the artist/star’s image in public and also helps to promote the video and helps to build a public reputation.
Technical aspect of a music video
Andrew says that the technical aspect helps to hold the music video together through the use of Mise-en-Scene, Special effects sound and editing . Lightening and colour helps to set the mood for the music video and create emphasis on significant parts of the song to create a dramatic effect and thrill the audience. Mise-en-Scene is also very vital to the production of the music video, it can help the artist gain authentication and also make his work appear more professional. The beats of the song are also very useful as they can help to create effective cuts that go with the rhythm of the song to make the music video look more entertaining.
HEBDIGE'S THEORY
Hebdige Theory
- Studies British youth subcultures (Late 1970’s)
- Focused on the reality of youth cultures.
- Subcultures = Youths to express themselves and to challenge hegemony (Mostly through style)
Representation of youth
Hebdige argues that the representation of youths is VERY limited ïƒ Either shown as Trouble or fun there is no inbetween. ïƒ Suggest media representation of youths in NOT REALITY.
The role of media representations in society
ïƒ By looking at this theory we are able to see that the media in society tends to ignore the good and the hard working and focuses on the fun and the trouble. This therefore makes adults believe that all Youths behave in this manner.
Effects of these representations ïƒ
Therefore this would effect the representation of youths dramatically. Due to them either being shown in two different ways of being trouble or having fun in the media it suggest that we never get to see the good and hard working teens of society who just fade into the background (Being seen by the media as boring)
Dick Hebdige's Subculture is a structuralist approach to understanding the styles of Britain's youth cultures. Hebdige argues that style, through the subversion of common objects, allows Britain's subcultures to symbolically separate themselves from the mass culture to which they belong. By defining this separate system of symbols, these subcultures challenge tradition, denying the context of the mass culture. In this way, otherwise powerless teenagers can be transformed into the socially significant punk rockers.
He discusses the idea of subcultures as cultural noise, representing an interference in the mass culture. This noise suggests a blockage, an area where society has failed to address the needs of certain individuals. Style is the manner in which these needs are subversively articulated.
Music is not presumed to fit into particular systems that divert dominant social forces but is instead situated in the interactions that typify the ordinary, routine and mundane circumstances of young people’s everyday experiences.
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The notion of subcultural resistance in particular remains rife in studies of rock, pop and fan cultures where a bias towards very intense and emotional consumer practices, partly inspired by concept of homology, continues to uncritically receive currency.
The mods, rockers, punks, hippies, hip hop/urban/rappers, emo, indie, hardcore, glam rockers and goths are some examples of music based subcultures. Characteristically, members prided themselves on their musical taste, often dressing to affiliate themselves with similar members, yet also maintaining a sense of individualism within this music subculture. As the Internet dispersed throughout mainstream subculture in the 1990s, so to did the establishment of musical subcultures online, allowing members to communicate freely with one another.
USES AND GRATIFICATIONS THEORY
Blumler and Katz’s theory suggests that we choose to watch certain programmes because it satisfies a need – we USE a programme to GRATIFY or please ourselves.
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They identified four main uses and gratifications:​
Entertainment and diversion – taking you away from your own problems and your own world for a while (escapism)
In this case the song chosen by the listener, will be more fun and upbeat, as lyrics will have nothing to the with normal life. This will allow them to escape from everyday reality in order to forget all problems and stress that they are facing, and are associate with life.
Which means that audience choose music videos that make them feel good (gratification) e.g. Pop or R&B, or that give them specific information that they can associate with (uses) e.g. Hip Hop or Rap.
Surveillance and information – helping you to get knowledge about the world and how it works.
This use can be attached to hip hop and rap music, because this type of genre mostly informs us about the real life issues that surround us, which can be informative for the audience.
Personal identity – comparing yourself to the characters in the narrative – what would you do in that situation. How would you behave? Would you be brave? As foolhardy?
This means that when listener plays a specific song, the lyrics have deeper meaning to them, which could suggets that something may have happened in their life, which enables them to reflect upon themselves and feeling a sense of belonging within the lyrics.
Personal companionship – getting involved with the characters as if they are real, wanting to find out what happens in their lives; also having something to talk about with other people – ‘did you see that last night …’ conversations.
This can be linked to pop songs, which allow users to find appropriate music depending on the mood they are in. For example, if person wants to dance, the chosen song will be different from the song chosen by an individual who would like to relax and feel a sense of peacfulness.
Uses and gratifications theory can be seen in cases such as personal music selection.
We select music not only to fit a particular mood but also in attempts to show empowerment or other socially conscience motives.
There are many different types of music and we choose from them to fulfil a particular need.
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Media Effects
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Social situations can produce tensions and conflicts, leading to pressure for their easement through the consumption of media.
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Social situations can create an awareness of problems that demand attention, information about which may be sought in the media.