Goodwin's Theory: Last All Night

We can apply Goodwin's theory to the genre of music videos that I will be researching for my coursework. The first video I am going to look at is Oliver Heldens - Last All Night. This is a perfect example of how Goodwin's theory can relate to any music video.

Do the lyrics match the visuals?
In this music video it is safe to say that the visuals match the lyrics that are being sung. But the music video takes the lyrics and creates a piece that is very out of the ordinary whilst still sticking to the overall message of the song. This allows the artist to create an interesting piece that is engaging and entertaining, gaining fans.

In this scene we see two scientists who are creating a serum, using the science apparatus. While this shot is on screen the performer sings the line "the lights are low." here we can clearly see that the laboratory is dimly lit, creating a mysterious and eerie atmosphere. This is also the first lyric of the song so it sets the tone for the rest of the music video.



The lyric that is sung over this scene is "when you look into my eyes" this is definitely a visual representation of the lyric as the actor is holding the camera in is staring straight into camera. Although this is not the artist Oliver Heldens himself it still evokes a sense of Intimacy as its like he is personally handling our view point on the narrative.


Does the music match the visuals?
This song fits in with the music style of House, a common genre of Oliver Heldens music. The music has a slow build up which is visually presented through the build up of the two scientists trying to figure out the correct formula for the serum. Once the main scientist has figured it out and has gained some sort of power the music goes into the chorus and the bass kicks in. This is then visually presented through the scientist, who is clearly quite old, performing tasks that a normal elderly person would not be able to do such as break dance, weight lift and run extremely fast on a treadmill.

Are there any elements of Voyeurism?
we can argue that one of the scenes in the music video shows elements of sexuality and voyeurism as there are several women lined up outside of a room. It is assumed that they are lined up to have intercourse with the scientist as they come out of the room one by one looking rough and messed up.

We can see elements of voyeurism as the women in the scene have some revealing clothes. The women are placed there to be 'sex objects' in a way. This could be seen as voyeuristic as they are the only women in the music video, portrayed as objects to be played with.

Other than this there are no other elements of voyeurism in the music video.


Are there any intertextual references?
In this music video there does not seem to be any intertextual references to other media texts, but we can see a common trope in sci-fi where the 'weaker' character goes through a science related accident and gains super human abilities and powers.

Are there any noticeable elements of the genre in the music video?
 Typically, in alot of house music videos you will see movement and performance. There are alot of dance sequences as the track is upbeat and made for clubs and parties. This music video is no exception as it includes some dance moves from the older scientist.

Here we can see that the older scientist is now dancing in an open hall with a boombox on the floor playing what we assume is the song we are listening to 'Last All Night' these types of dance scenes are definitely an element of house music as they keep the viewers entertained and give them some ideas for what moves to use at the club. A lot of artists will actually make up a dance for their music video to gain more popularity and keep the song and video on everyone's lips.

Goodwin's Theory: Latch

We can apply Goodwin's theory to the genre of music videos that I will be researching for my coursework. The first video I am going to look at is Disclosures - Latch. This is a perfect example of how Goodwin's theory can relate to any music video.

Do the lyrics match the visuals?
In Disclosure's - Latch, there are several examples of the visuals from the music video matching the lyrics of the song. The lyrics of the song are about couples, embracing eachother, in a state of love and affection. This is then reflected in the music video.

This high angle shot showing a man looking up at what is assumed to be his girlfriend shows up when Sam Smith sings the line "I think we're close enough" This is represented visually as the woman is on top of the man embracing him. Showing how close they are physically and romantically.


This next scene that follows of a close up of two women leaning in for a kiss appears when Sam Smith sings the line "I wanna lock in your love" This shot represents this line visually as the two women have their eyes locked in on each others eyes, embracing one another, showing a great amount of love and passion between the two.


Does the music match the visuals?
The music to that accompanies the lyrics to 'Latch' definitely matches the visuals of the music video. Before the chorus the music builds up with the verse. This shows a building emotion or tension that is going to lead to an explosion of passion. The music video illustrates this by having the actors slowly move towards their partner. As the chorus hits the couples begin to kiss, the beat of the song kicks up showing how the tension has been released and the emotion is now over flowing. As the chorus finishes, the music slows back down to a regular pace. The couples then stop kissing showing that they are moving back into a position of embrace rather than being connected with one another. The editing used in the video also parallels the song well as each shot is cut onto the beat of the song. Keeping at a regular pace that is easy to follow and is engaging.

Are there any elements of voyeurism?
The entire concept for the music video 'Latch' is based on the notions of looking and the idea of couples embracing one another no matter shape, size, colour or gender. The music video plays with sexuality in a way that is not distasteful. Close up's are used on the actors face and body parts to show a sense of intimacy. It also focuses on the fact that the actors are specifically looking at their boyfriend or girlfriend, emphasizing the notion of looking.

Are there any inter textual references?
There does not seem to be any intertextuality within the music video. This could be because the artist's, Disclosure, have a tendency to keep their videos unique, fitting of their own style.

Are there any noticeable elements of the genre in the music video?
The genre of the song is Deep House, which is the genre i will be doing for my coursework. I have researched typical elements of House music and found that many of the videos show regular people typically having fun and enjoying themselves. The setting is usually a club, or a place where the song would most likely be played, e.g - a bar or house party.

This is one of the first locations given to us in the music video. We can clearly see that it is set in some sort of bar or club. We can tell this by the party clothes and the bottle of alcohol. The colour of the shot is quite saturated and warm. This could have been used to demonstrate that love is in the air at the club. The small fairy lights in the background also add pops of vibrant colours to represent fun and excitement.

I have also discovered that quite a lot of house music videos include female actors shown in an innocent or sexualised manner. 'Latch' is no exception as this female actor takes her shirt off we get a wide shot showing off the back, behind and legs. The man in the shot is also staring at her body showing notions of looking and voyeurism.

What is Goodwin's Theory?

Goodwin's Theory

Goodwin's theory is based on 5 main principles that should be found in every music video of any genre. These are...

• Links between Lyrics and Visuals

This is the process of presenting the lyrics and meaning of the song visually within the music video using several techniques like camera, editing, mise-en-scene, lighting, costume and performance

• Links between Music and Visuals

This is similar to the point that lyrics and the visuals match but instead here, Goodwin states that the visuals should also match the music that accompanies. This is typically done through editing as we can edit to the beat of the music. This could also be done through performance and mise-en-scene since a song that has a sombre tone will not typically not have a happy music video.

• Genre Characteristics

The music video must be fitting of the genre. Like films, music genres have certain tropes and similarities that crop up in the music videos. For example many rap music videos will include elements of voyeurism, showing women in a sexual light. Or many EDM music videos will use montages to make it dynamic.

• Intertextual reference

Goodwin states that many music videos will include some kind of reference to another piece of media text. This acts as a sort of inside joke for the audience so that the artist can broaden their fan base and show that they have a knowledge of the media industry,

• Voyeurism/notions of looking 

One aspect of this theory is that there is a certain level of observation within the music video. For example many female artists play with sexuality to obtain the male viewer gaze. Another example for looking would be observing the performance through a camera or TV.

• Close ups

Nearly all music video record labels have certain demands that need to be met. This is done through self promotion of the artist using close ups on the face to evoke a sense of intimacy with the audience. Something that you cant get at a live concert.