Andrew Goodwin and his Music Video Narrative Theory

Music Video Narrative

Andrew Goodwin’s three theories of narrative structure in music videos:

Illustration:

The illustration theory is when the lyrics of a song are directly acted out or shown in the music video. This is often used in pop music in which they have a high-performance element and large elements of choreography and dance. An example of a music video using the illustration theory is Beyoncé, If I Were A Boy. The narrative follows the life of the artist as if she were to live as a man often coinciding with the lyrics directly.

Amplification:

The amplification theory often finds a deeper meaning to the lyrics of the song and acting out or displaying them in the narrative. These music videos often have an artistic element. They often try to emphasise the lyrics instead of showing them directly. An example of this is Telephone by Lady Gaga, this video has a high-performance element but begins to form a narrative around the artist being imprisoned. This displays the artists belief of being trapped in a controlling relationship although the lyrics never say this directly as it is an upbeat pop song but a serious subject.

Disjuncture:

The disjuncture theory shows a completely unrelated narrative to the lyrics of the song. This is often used in indie/ alternative music videos to give light to a current social or moral debate. An example of a music video using the disjuncture theory is The 1975, A Change Of Heart. The lyrics of the song discusses emotionally the beginnings and demise of a relationship. Along with this in the video we see two clowns dancing at a fair ground.