Chris Cunningham, Michael Gondry

Goodwin’s theory

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics. (e.g. stage performance in metal video, dance routine for boy/girl groups)
2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. (either illustrative, amplifying or contracting)
3. There is a relationship between music and visuals. (either illustrative, amplifying or contracting)
4. 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. (a visual style)
5. There is frequency reference to notion of looking (e.g. screens within screens, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
6. There is often intersexual reference. (to films, TV, programs, other music videos etc)
7. Whether the video is primarily performance based narrative based or concept based and how elements of each are used in it.

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Director Chris Cunningham's work in music video, commercial, and video art are well known and loved. Cunningham first made a name for himself in the early 90's in the art departments of major motion pictures, designing robots and creatures for Clive Barker and David Fincher. His work on Judge Dredd propelled him, in 1995, to work with the late Stanley Kubrick on his then-unfinished project A.I. These are some of the videos Chris directed:

Aphex Twins- Come to Daddy




Madonna- Frozen




Aphex Twins- Come to Daddy
This song is a narrative based video because it tells a story about a dog doing a wee on a junk TV and unwillingly created a monster with children. It’s very gloomy and dark to represent the monster that is created or it could represent the artist’s emotions. This is a very interesting video because of how unrealistic the video is, the lighting and the different camera shots, close ups of the ‘children’ and the twin shots of the monster and the old woman. There are also some close ups of the monster while it’s still in the TV which makes the video not suitable for minors. There’s a link between the visuals and the lyrics because the artist repeats the words “come to daddy” and the monster is represented as the daddy with his ‘children’.

Madonna- Frozen
This song is a performance based song because it’s just singing and there’s no narrative or concept. This video is filmed in one location with the artist wearing pure black and the background is dark, this makes the song dull and its gets boring for the audience after a while. There is not sexual reference in the song because she’s completely covered up. Every so often the artist transforms into a animal and flies/runs away, which could mean a sense of freedom which could be link to the title, frozen, so she could be stuck there and her turning into a animal is her getting away, becoming unfrozen. That’s the only link between the lyrics and visuals. There’s a link to the music and visuals because it’s a very calm and peaceful video which suits the slow rhythm. In conclusion this video can get boring, so she should have used different locations and maybe a little more colour.




Michel Gondry was born and raised in Versailles, France. Now in his early forties, his repertoire is astounding. He has scripted inspiring imagery in the form of commercials, music videos, shorts, feature films, and other media. He is partially credited with reviving the music-video format in the 1990's. He has been named a genius by too many people to count. Here are two of the video he has directed:

The white stripes – The hardest button to button




Kylie Minogue – Come into my world
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQCirTog0cs&ob=av2e


Kylie Minogue- Come Into My World
This is a performance based video because there no storyline and the songs not sending an idea, the video is just composed of singing. This is a very repetitive music video that becomes boring after a while because it’s just Kylie walking down a street, but after she goes round once there’s another image of her added, it ends up with 4 images of her walking down the same street. She is walking down the street with shopping bags in casual clothes, with day to day things happening around her, so she blends in because she’s normal. There is a small relationship between lyrics and visuals as she repeats the words “come into my world” and in the video she walks around doing her daily routine like it’s her life, other than that there is no relationship. Also there is no sexual reference as she’s wearing casual clothes and walking down a street. There are no close ups only mid shots and long shots, also though out the video its one continuous panning shot to follow the artist. In conclusion this video can get boring after a while making the audience loose interest because of the repetitiveness.

The White Strips- The Hardest to Button
This video is performance based because the artist is playing instruments while singing, there is
no storyline and there’s no idea being sent. This music videos is like Kylie Minogue Come into my World because of the repetitiveness, but they move every time there’s a beat from the drum so they slowly moved round the town/city in time with the rhythm. As they move a red empty instrument is left behind which could be linked to the artist emotions. There’s a link between the music and the visuals because the instruments move to the beat, but on the other hand there’s no link between the lyrics and visuals.

I dont think i will be using any of the conventions Michael Gondry or Chris Cunninghams videos because they dont suit the lyrics or the genre of my chosen song.