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2. About Andrew Godwin
• Andrew Godwin is currently a
professor in cultural studies at
the University of San Francisco
• He is also the author of a well
known book on Music
Television and Cultural Theory
called ‘Dancing in Distraction
Factory: Music Television and
Popular Culture’ made in 1992
• His main interest are Media
Aesthetics, critical theory and
popular music.
• He has published a vast
amount of articles on media
and cultural theory
• Lastly, Goodwin is a significant
theorist for music videos.

3. His theory on music videos is made up
of 6 key features which consist of:
1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics for
example stage performance in metal videos and dance
routines for boy/girl bands
2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals that
either illustrate, amplify or contradict
3. There is a relationship between the music and visuals.
4. The demands of the record label will include the need for
lots of close ups of the artists which may make the artist
develop motifs which reoccur across their work (a visual
style) that makes them identifiable.
5. Commonly, there will be references to notions of looking:
screens within screens, mirrors, cameras and particularly
voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
6. There is often intertextual reference to TV programmes,
films and other music videos.

4. DO A PICTURE FOR EVERY
SINGLE RULE
• http://prezi.com/jz5s02mb5a5s/music-video-th

5. According to Andrew Goodwin, we as the
audience analyse music videos in
five particular ways.
1. Thought Beats – Seeing the sound in
your Head
2. Narrative and Performance
3. The Star Image
4. Relation of Visuals to Song
5. Technical Aspects of Music Video

6. Music Videos demonstrate Genre
Characteristics
In Hip-Hop videos, the style of video tends to be
thematic because it takes the themes of a song and
makes a video out of it. In this video, the theme is
based on ‘ Goldiggers’ who Kanye West and Jamie
Foxx rap and sing about. Rather than following a
storyline, hip-hop music videos follow the genre
and are very iconic.
A common generic convention in hip-hop videos is the
use of close ups, long shots and establishing shots. The
effect of this, is to draw the audience’s focus on the main
artists (who they will become familiar with) as well as
everything that is going on in the video. The use of close
ups are also used to draw attention to the artist’s
expensive jewellery and other recognised brands that
they wear.
As well as the artist being shown in the
video, it is conventional of a hip-hop video
to feature other artists that may either
sing in the video or appear amongst other
people within the video. In this video,
Jamie Foxx is shown singing in the video
whereas John Legend is shown being
seduced by one of the attractive women in
the video.

7. Relationship between In this music video, the relationship between the lyrics and the
visuals are very clear. According to Goodwin, there is three
Lyrics and Visuals ways in which music videos work to promote a song which
consists of Illustrate, amplify and disjuncture. In this music
video, the relation of visuals to the song is amplified which is
similar to repeatability. The meaning and effects are
manipulated and constantly shown through the video. This is
the reason as to why there is fast editing between Kanye West
and Jamie Foxx singing/rapping the lyrics and the women who
are shown as ‘Goldiggers’ because it signifies to the audience
the main meaning of the video and the relationship between the
lyrics and the song. As the visuals become drummed into our
vision, the audience become repeatedly aware of the lyrics and
the meaning and overall, the message that the artist and
director are trying to promote.
“Oh she's a gold digger way over town, That dig's on me” is the
lyrics for the visual shown. This firstly implies to the audience that
the girl in the video is a ‘Golddigger. This is made clear through the
close up shot of her whereby she appears to be well looked after.
Her make up is very immaculate which suggests that she uses
quality expensive products and her hair is in rollers that is likely to
have been done by the hairdressers. This idea of this is
emphasised by her touching her hair. In the second shot her
shoulders appears in the frame (almost as if she is holding the
camera) showing her pearls that immediately imply some type of
wealth. The way in which her eyes seductively looks into the
camera portrays two meanings. One of which could portray her as
a sexy seductive woman and another that could relate to the lyrics
whereby as a ‘Goldigger’ she digs on Jamie Foxx despite living way
over time meaning she uses him for money majority over the time
even though she lives so far away. By using an eye level shot, it
creates a type of engagement between the audience and the female.

8. Relationship between Lyrics
and Visuals
“From what I heard she got a baby by Busta” is the lyric
for this visual that is made very clear to the obvious.
By placing the woman within a magazine cover with a
headline saying ‘Baby by Busta’ it simply implies that she
has had a baby with Busta Rhymes and is yet, a Goldigger
who is likely to hide this information from the man she
gets money from.
“If you sleeping with this girl then you better be payed; You know
why, It take too much to touch her” is the lyric for this video because
it simply shows how these so called ‘Golddiggers’ will appear if you
don’t pay them their money in which they feel they are entitled to for
there good deed. The result of this is evidently, a girl who wants
revenge which is made clear through the torch that she holds within
her hand. By the background being black which contrasts well with
the red/orange lighting from the torch, it connotes danger, hell and
evil. It also suggests the lengths that she will go to in order to find
him. Her stance (which appears like an action figure) and facial
expression also emphasises the idea of her seeking revenge.
“She got one of your kids got you for 18 years” is another clear
visual in relation to the lyric as it shows a boy who represents the
Goldigger’s son who she had with the guy she gets money from.
However, the mise-en-scene could suggest some type of negativity
because the young boy is shown dressed up in a devil costume.
This could imply that by having a hold on him for 18 years (due
to their son) she and the child has caused him great stress,
depression as the child has been almost like a demon child. This
displays a deeper meaning between the lyrics and visuals.

9. In regards to the lyrics and visuals and the relationship between the
two, Hype Williams who directed the video, promotes the song by
‘Illustration’ within the video. This means that the music video, uses a
set of images to illustrate the meaning of lyrics and the Hip-Hop genre.

10. Relationship between
the music and visuals
Throughout the video, there is a clear relationship
between the music and the visuals. The theme is based
on ‘Goldiggers’ which is made known to us by the first
visual that we see. However, the use of the word
‘beware’ suggests that these women are people to look
out for as they are of danger to men with money. As
these visuals appear on screen there is the sound of a
film rolling creating the idea of a show that would have
been viewed 10-20 years ago. After the acapella
introduction by Jamie Foxx whereby he sings about
Golddiggers, there is extremely fast editing that
matches the beat of the drum at the beginning of the
song. The effect of the beat being up tempo and
alarming creates a fun, lively ready-to-dance
atmosphere - almost as if its counting in the audience
to begin singing along or dancing. Within this part of
the video there are extreme close ups that focus on
breast, eyes, teeth, shoes, and a fade in of Kanye West
in the background. These group of shots portray every
aspect of women as your typical looking gold digger who
presents themselves in a nice way by wearing good
make up, expensive clothing and living up to her name
as a Goldigger.

12. The demands of the record label will include the
need for lots of close ups of the artist and the
artist motifs which reoccur across their work
In order for the audience to engage and have a relationship with the artist, close up shots are very
significant. Within this music video, there are various close ups and extreme close up shots of Kanye
West, Jamie Foxx - whilst they are singing/rapping – and other people within the video. By using
these shots it enables the audience to familiarise themselves with the artist, take note of what they are
saying through the movement of their lips as well what they are wearing. Within the video, Kanye West
does a particular head movement to the beat of the song alongside others and alone. However, he
repeatedly does it in the chorus whereby he sings ‘Broke Broke’ which is catchy and appealing phrase.
The effect of this is to engage the audience in to something simple by which they can recognise Kanye
West for within the video as well as if he does it in other videos. This is called the artist motif. The
artist motif not only makes the artist identifiable but can also create a connection between the viewer
and the artist as it enables the audience to do the movement with Kanye West in the chorus.

13. There is frequent reference to notion of looking

14. All through the music video, there is frequent
reference to notion of looking from both the
audience’s perspective and the artists. As the
artist, they look into the camera at direct
address to make it look as if they are
singing/performing to the viewer. This can
also be done to create a connection. From the
audience’s perspective, we look at all the
different ideas and people that the video
portrays to us. In particular, the voyeuristic
treatment of the female body which appeals to
men and gives us a deeper meaning behind
what is shown by the intimate behaviours
shown that would be usually of a private
nature.

15. There is often intertextual reference

16. The intertextual reference that is most
dominant, is the portrayal of women
sexually and seductively that occurs in
many music videos of a Hip-Hop genre. At
the beginning of this music video Hype
Williams has some reference to 90s TV
programmes that would begin with the film
rolling as background music and an
unbalanced camera showing the title of the
video, the creator and the director. It could
be said that the music video also begins in
a film like style.