Applying Music Theory

Theories:
Enigma Code:
 Refers to unexplained elements meaning it exists as an enigma. This is used to raise questions and demands an explanation.

Action Code:
Refers to plot events that imply further narrative action.

Todorov's Narrative:
He suggests that all narratives follow a 3 part structure - equilibrium, disrupting the equilibrium and the resolution at the end.

Claude Levi-Strauss Narrative:
Constant creation of opposites propels narrative. Narrative is only able to end on a resolution of a conflict. It can range from visual, soundtrack and conceptual.

Andrew Goodwin's Theory: 

Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g. stage performance in metal video, dance routine for boy/girl band)

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 their work (a visual style).

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

There is often intertextual references (to film, TV programmes, other music videos, etc.)

Michael Shore:

Michael Shore stated that music videos have recycled styles which is used repetitively.

Surface with substance means that there is more to the visuals than what the audience perceive.
Information overload means that there is too much on the scene to concentrate on.
Image and style scavengers means that that the style and image is followed, decadence which is the idea of a perfect, big and famous lifestyle that more pop promos use.
Immediate gratification so the audience immediately see what is going on and understand the promo.
Adolescent male fantasies which are when videos include adolescent male fantasies about sexual things, Speed, power, girls and wealth.
Clichéd imagery which is imagery that we would expect to see in a certain promo and soft core pornography which is things like half naked women in a music promo.
Michael shore created these criticisms because he felt that most modern music promos included these criticisms.

Steve Archer's Theory:
There needs to be a strong and coherent relationship between narrative and performance in the videos. Music videos will cut between a narrative and a performance of the song through the use of the band.

John Stewart's Theory:

• The music video has the aesthetics of a TV commercial, with lots of close-ups and lighting being used to focus on the star's face.
• Visual references comes from a range of sources, most frequently cinema, fashion and art photography.
• 'Incorporating, raiding and reconstructing' is essentially the essence of intertextuality, using something with which the audience may be familiar, to generate both nostalgic associations and new meanings 

Laura Mulveys Theory:

 

This is the idea that women are idolised by the men as a fantasy and are called 'sexual items.'

Sigmund Freud’s Theory

This is the idea that especially women in music videos are exploited sexually and looked at in this certain way without them even realising so the directors use them.

Music video: Radiohead - Just 

 

This music video includes Some of Michael Shore’s criticisms. It includes recycled styles because the conventions of rock are used throughout the video. It does not include surface without substance because it is a very simple music video, it doesn’t include a lot of detail. It does not include information overload because it has a strong narrative and doesn’t include some disjuncture conventions so is not very complicated. It includes style and image scavengers because there are constant images that are in this music promo that adhere to this style and therefore will pleasure the audience. This music promo does not include decadence as the band members appear to live in a typical apartment. This music video includes instant gratification because makes us realise what is happening almost straight away which is the bands performance and a subtitled looking TV show. This music video does not include male teenage fantasies, and it doesn’t include speed, power, girls and wealth due to the Mise-en-scene of the bands performance.

This music video follows the Enigma Code because during the whole video, the audience come across a number of factors that makes them ask a number of questions such as who is the man and why is he lying on the road. The most famous question is what he says at the end which leads to the end of the song but the audience are unable to hear it and there is no subtitles for it either so they question what he says that makes everyone lie on the ground in a weird shape.

The music video also follows John Stewards theory because there are a lot of close ups on the lead singers face so the audience can clearly view the product. However it doesn't always focus on the singer as it cuts too other band members and the narrative going on at the same time.

This music video follows Steve Archers theory of there being a strong coherent relationship between the performance and narrative in a music video. This is done by cutting from the lead singer and the band to the narrative at the end of the video as they look out the window onto the people lying down in the narrative so they look as puzzled as the audience and the other members of the public in the video.

 

The music video also follows action code because the videos narrative plot has implied further narrative action. Suspense is created at the end of the video as the viewer cannot see the true ending and is left thinking about what it implies.