Andrew Goodwin Theory

In order to gain suitable ideas for our Electro-House music genre, i am going to use an existing Electro-House music video using the Andrew Goodwin Theory. This theory is a six point approach that analyses a music video in greater detail than a technical analysis.  Goodwin came up with this theory and is stated in his book 'Dancing In The Distraction Factory'.  The six points that Goodwin mentions are what he believes are the six different elements that should make up a music video.  These six points are as follows:

1. Iconography (Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics)
2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
3. There is a relationship between music and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style).
5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
6. There is often intertextual reference (to films, tv programmes, other music videos etc)

Iconography

The genre characteristics that i have mentioned in my music genre research was based on Electro House, the video of Kid Cudi- Day n Night reflects the genre in every aspect. The video is based on the use of Drugs, which is used in many house music video's. This video displays to the audience how the use of drugs makes the singer feel good about himself, this is conveyed by dancing girls wearing provocative outfits, and dancing sexually. The video uses many different bright colours, and the dancers wear bright colours e.g. pink , yellow and blue. 

Lyrics and Visuals

The lyrics of the song:   

Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh... 

[Kid Cudi:]
Day and night (what, what)
I toss and turn, I keep stressing my mind, mind (what, what)
I look for peace but see I don't attain (what, what)
What I need for keeps this silly game we play, play
Now look at this (what, what)
Madness to magnet keeps attracting me, me (what, what)
I try to run but see I'm not that fast (what, what)
I think I'm first but surely finish last, last

[Chorus:]
Cuz day and night
The lonely stoner seems to free his mind at night
He's all alone through the day and night
The lonely loner seems to free his mind at night (at, at, at night)
Day and night
The lonely stoner seems to free his mind at night
He's all alone, some things will never change (never change)
The lonely loner seems to free his mind at night (at, at, at night)

[Kid Cudi:]
Hold the phone (what, what)
The lonely stoner, mr. solo doe low (what, what)
He's on the move can't seem to shake the shade (what, what)
Within his dreams he see's the life he made, made
The pain is deep (what, what)
A silent sleeper you won't hear a peep, peep (what, what)
The girl he wants don't seem to want him to (what, what)
It seems the feelings that she had are through, through
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/k/kid_cudi/day_and_night.html ]
[Chorus:]
Cuz day and night
The lonely stoner seems to free his mind at night
He's all alone through the day and night
The lonely loner seems to free his mind at night (at, at, at night)
Day and night
The lonely stoner seems to free his mind at night
He's all alone, some things will never change (yeah) (never change)
The lonely loner seems to free his(yeah) mind at night (at, at, at night)

[Kid Cudi:]
Slow moe, (what, what)
When the temple slows up and creates that new, new (what, what)
He seems alive though he is feeling blue (what, what)
The sun is shining man he's super cool, cool
The lonely nights (what, what)
They fade away he slips into his white nikes (what, what)
He smokes a clip and then he's on the way (what, what)

There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

The relationship between the lyrics and visuals is illustrative because it relates to the lyrics in some aspects.  

I assume from the lyrics he had a girlfriend that he loved a lot and she left him. He talks about being a loner, and no one can relate to the pain he is feeling. He feels like a loner without her in his life.  "The pain is deep
A silent sleeper you won't hear a peep" All day long he only feels stress and pain and at night he finds the energy to smoke some weed to free his mind at night.

When he is 'stoned' this gets rid of his problems for the time being a relieves his pain.

He also talks about how he keeps attracting bad situations and girls – “Madness to magnet keeps attracting me, me, I try to run but see I’m not that fast”. He talks about how the girl that he likes doesn’t like him anymore and how he’s going through a tough time – “The girl he wants don’t seem to want him too, It seems the feelings that she had are through, through”. 

However, towards the end of the song it sounds as if he is picking himself up, and realising that he can start fresh. "He seems alive though he is feeling blue (what, what)
The sun is shining man he's super cool, cool".

The video is also contradicting as when he is singing negative lyrics about how he is feeling the video is portraying happiness. For example, when the lyrics say "the pain is deep" it shows the singer dancing with beautiful girls and having a good time.

There is a relationship between music and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

The song has a slow, mellow beat to it, which is amplified in the video with dancing girls and a performance. As the song begins it has a slow beat which is represented by the artist going into a room and coming out with smoke coming out of his mouth stimulating that he has smoked drugs. As the lyrics begin we also see a close-up of the artists face, illustrating the song. The girls dancing in the background are doing slow dance moves as he intorduces the song, and as it get towards the end and the beat comes in a performance is shown of the girls dancing sexually.
When the beat eventually drops and the chorus kicks in , the tone drops and there are jump cuts of the singer acting childlike playing with objects that he has found in the workplace, and a siren like noise begins and a police officer walks in to the shop, this is amplifying as she begins stripping and dancing to the beat of the song. The tempo of the song increases and cuts of her body are being focused on continously and the male singer watches in the background.
It seems that when the chorus begins and the song speeds up, dancing girls become noticeable to the audience to collaborate to the beat of the song.

The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style).

Throughout the video the director uses many close-up shots of the artist. Most of the close-up, concentrate on his wacky emotions when he is under the influence of drugs, and maybe could be a recurring motif for the singer. A person that entertains himself when taking drugs, however, this could have a bad effect on people watching the video as it can encourage people. This could be the record labels way of getting members of the publoic to remember who he is and how he has no morals or interest in what people think of him or his actions.

 

There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes,etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body. 

 

This music is completely voyeuristic, showing revealing provocative outfits of the female dancers. However, this fits in with the genre of the music video. The camera shows cuts of close-ups of sexual body parts of a woman dressed in a police officers outfit and also a woman dressed in shorts and visor chewing gum and blowing bubbles. The video also shows reference to notion of looking as the main singer is constantly watching the dancing girls. Most of the time the girls are looking directly into the camera creating a more initimate relationship with the audience. This is used to create an attractiveness towards the females for a male audience. 

There is often intertextual reference (to films, tv programmes, other music videos etc)

Another music video that has an intertextual relationship to this video would be George Michael- Outside. This is because both artists seem to mock the law by showing girl dancers dressed provocatively in police outfits because drug taking is illegal. However, both artists are showing the fantasies involved in taking drugs and the irresponsibilty of it. Both videos have a performance of dancers dressed sexually.