Music Theories

Andrew Goodwin's theory of music

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics, for example the stage performance inn rock videos.
2. There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals.
3. There is a relationship between the music and the visuals.
4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist  may develop motifs which will occur across their work.
5. There is frequently reference to the notion of looking and particularly looking at the female body. 
6. There is often inter textual reference to films, T.V. programmes, other music videos etc.  

Laura Mulvey's theory of music 

Mulvey looked at the visual pleasures and narrative cinema (Feminist film theory and audience)

Mulvey believes that the cinema reflects society and therefore cinema also reflects the patriarchal society. Mulvey's theory tries find out how a patriarchal society manifests itself in society.

Erotic Desire 

Mulvey argues that women have two roles in music videos:

1. They act as an object of erotic desire for the characters.
2. They also act as an object of erotic desire for us the audience.

The 'Gaze'

Mulvey says the 'gaze' of the camera is the 'gaze' of a male. When the 'gaze' is active the female audience become passive, within narrative male characters always direct their 'gaze' to women. 

The audience is made to identify with the male gaze because the camera films from the optical, as well as libidinal point of view of the male character.

There are three levels of the cinematic 'gaze':

1. Camera
2. Character 
3. Spectator - that objectifies the female character