Analysis of Music Video Using Goodwin's Theory

It's Time - Imagine Dragons

Feature 1 - Music video demonstrates genre characteristics - The genre of the band Imagine Dragons is Indie Rock, this genre of music usually produces music videos which are quite empowering is most music in this genre is rock but is normally quite up beat and feel good. Despite the overall theme of the video being quite empowering and uplifting, the fact that the video throughout has a very dark overall means that the video is partly going against the stereotypical feel of a video in this genre.

Feature 2 - There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals -

'And now it's time to build from the bottom of the pit' - When this lyric is being sung the band are seen to be walking out of what seems to be a wreckage or pit.

'The path to heaven runs through miles of clouded hell' - When this line if sung the band are seen to be walking towards a cloudy dark landscape.

These links between lyrics and visuals help the audience gain a better understanding of the meaning behind the video and help them build a connection between the video and lyrics.

Feature 3 - There is a relationship between music and visuals -

When the lead singer sings the line 'Never changing who I am' he punches his chest in time to the beat of the music. Also for the majority of the video, the cuts only happen on a beat of the music, doing this helps with the continuity of the video and helps it flow better.

 

Feature 4 - Record label demands close ups - Throughout the video there is a frequent us of close ups on the male lead singer in the band, doing this helps the audience get a better understanding of who the lead singer is, but also put empathises on the performance part of the video. The record label require close up as it helps the band and mainly the lead singer or front man of the band to get more public exposure, meaning his is more easily recognisable to the public. The lead singer being more recognisable will lead to things like posters and t-shirt being sold as there will be more interest in the public about him.

 

Feature 5 - Regular mention of how people look & voyeuristic treatment of women - There is minimal reference to the way people look in this video and minimal reference to women, however towards the end of the video, there is a female who is suspended in mid-air, as she is dressed in what seems to be just a t-shirt and a jacket, some would say that she looks vulnerable and has been made to look like an object of desire for the other men in the video.

Feature 6 - Intertextual references - Intertextual references are present when other forms of media can be found in a music video, if intertexutal references where present in this video there would be something along the lines of clips or characters from a film or programme the song has featured in, but because this is present in the video, there are no intertexual reference present in this video.