Week 3 Task: Andrew Goodwin analysis

Snoop Dogg feat Justin Timberlake & Charlie Wilson - Signs

Andrew Goodwin, in Dancing in the Distraction Factory (1992, Routledge) has identified features of music videos, which can be seen in this video:

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (eg. stage performance in metal video, dance routine for girl band)

• It is clear that the genre of this song is rap/hip hop/r&b.
• We know this from the singing and rapping, but also visuals such as the dancing, fancy cars and scantily clad women and the general big budget video which are all signs of a hip hop video.
• Rappers often have videos showing off their wealth and from all the shots of money, cars, alcohol, groupies and the Las Vegas location, this video is no different.

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

Illustrative

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

Amplfiying, illustrative

 

4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of CUs of the artist (visual hooks) and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (visual style). These include CU of the star's face (money shots), iconography of the band image, visual trademarks/motifs.

• Justin Timberlake's dance moves and recognisable vocals are his trademark, which
• appear in practically all his videos. He dances a lot in this video, mainly alone which makes him stand out.
• Snoop Dogg often bops and has the 'swagger' and carefree attitude that has become his visual hook. We can see this a lot in the 'Signs' video.
• There are CUs of all three stars as they ware who the fans want to see. Even the producers, The Neptunes (Pharrell Willams and Chad Hugo) have been featured, showing the star power as they are famous as well.

(Pharrell & Chad)

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

• In the narrative, the artists tend to look at each other or other characters.
• In the performance, the artists are usually looking at the camera but do look everywhere at other characters as well.
• Looking into the camera creates an emotional connection between the singer/rapper and audience, eg. Justin Timberlake and the viewer.
• 
  

6. There is often intertextual reference to films, TV, other music etc.

• The video is set in Las Vegas, with the money as a key theme. The narrative focuses on a boxing match and the artists gambling.
• The song itself interpolates Cheryl Lynn's Got to Be Real and The Gap Band's Early in the Morning.