Looking and reading through Andrew Goodwin's theories on making a music video I decided to test how many could be applied across the field. I used Good Charlotte's song 'The River'

1. Andrew Goodwin’s theory relating to
making a music video.
Relating to
Good Charlotte’s – ‘The River’

2.  Goodwin says that with different genres there are specific
aspects that help represent the genre of the band and
the song.
 Good Charlotte’s – ‘The River’; is a rock song,
conventions that normally link with this genre are;
-Bright Colours
-Life Themes
-Band Performance
-Direct Address
-Narrative

3. These lyrics link to the video literally as
‘The shadow of the band are in the shadows and pictures
L.A’ of L.A float in the background. The context
links to the band members lives and the
song narrative.
‘you’re gonna grow ‘Underneath these lights’ is literally
up fast underneath performed, and relates to Matt Sanders
these lights’ the singer who is from a family where
he had to grow up in L.A in he papers
before his career took off, As some
children have to in L.A.
‘Baptised in the
The song throughout has religious
river, I see the
connotations and during the
vision of a life and
beginning of the chorus the band are
I want to be
singing in a dried up river bed in the
delivered’
centre of L.A. Context is involved
with the history that the poor were
baptised in rivers rather than church.

4. At the fast paced beginning verse, the drum
beat speeds up and as this happens
simultaneously five screens flash up similar
but varied images. They speed through like
a flip book of photographs and slow as the
chorus comes in.
In the bridge of the song there is a long note
where the only instrument playing is the
guitar this low note holds and all of the
lighting dips on the band and there is a dull
plain screen light behind.
The heightening of the song is juxtaposed
by the lead singer (Joel Madden) stopping
all actions and entering a praying position.
The visual coupled with the music almost
creates an ominous feeling like church
music.

5. Throughout the whole video there are repetitive shots of the duel lead singers (Joel
Madden and Matt Sanders) as each of their verses begin so do the close ups of
them on the dark podiums. The rest of the band members have varying shots most
have one or two close-up shots with the majority being medium to long range shots.
The two locations switch between a dark room where the artists are on podiums
through to a dried up riverbed which uses a long shot of the band to create a
diegesis for the video.

6. Throughout Good Charlotte’s music videos there
is always an element of dark lighting. I believe this
highlights the band members themselves and in
turn helps them to promote the clothes which they
wear (a brand designed by the twin members Joel
and Benji Madden) I think that this could be a
subtle way to advertise what they are wearing and
draw the audiences attention to them specifically. Good Charlotte – ‘The Anthem’
Good Charlotte – ‘Lifestyles Of The Good Charlotte – ‘Girls And Boys’
Rich And The Famous’

7. Looking at most of Good Charlotte’s videos, with the genre punk rock, I
noticed that direct address was frequently used in some parts of the song.
This is used because it is appropriate to the genre and gives a certain
atmosphere that the band would want to create. With this in mind when
looking particularly at the video ‘The River’ the lead singer looks at the
camera a few times, however because it is not a regular direct address this
almost creates the feeling that when their is an interaction it conveys and
enhances the meaning of the lyrics and video.

8. Whilst looking into internal references I
found that with the pop-punk-rock culture
the artists often relate themselves to
other acts specifically with Good
Charlotte and ‘The River’ the bad has
teamed up with two members of another
hard rock band Avenged Sevenfold this
helps present them to a wider rock
audience. The band promote themselves
on having siblings within and specifically
twins. In one of their songs ‘Lifestyles Of
The Rich And Famous’ there are
references to various contextual people at
the time such as the trial of OJ Simpson
and politicians that have made headlines
through crime.