GOODWIN’S THEORY

PARAMORE – THE ONLY EXCEPTION

SIX FEATURES OF A MUSIC VIDEO

1) There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals2) There is a relationship between music and visuals, this can either be:     * Illustrate - The music represents the visuals     * Amplify - The visuals enhance the meaning of the music     * Disjuncture - The visuals completely contradict the music 3) Music videos demonstrate different genre characteristics4) The record label demands certain qualities E.g. Close ups of the performer5) Reference to the notion of looking E.g. Voyeuristic treatment of the female body6) Intertextual references E.g. Films, Books or Television

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LYRICS AND VISUALSThis video is mainly narrative based with only a few shots of the band performing.because of the story based nature of this video and the fact that the visuals revealunderlying meanings, there are not many direct matches with the lyrics howeverIn a few places the lyrics do match with visuals on screen.

• “I saw my daddy” matched with a close two person shot of the main singer hugging her father

• “You are” matched with a low level panning shot that is moving over a floor filled with valentines cards. One of which says “You”.

“My Daddy” “You are”

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MUSIC AND VISUALS

The visuals in this video amplify the underlying message that is being portrayed.The idea of walking through different rooms and stages of your life amplifies theConceptual ideas of breaking up and going back in time. The visuals show differentTypes of love, from family love with her father, meeting different men on dates andThe lasting and troubled love with her current partner who appears throughout theVideo. These visuals are redundant because we as an audience know that she is Going to return to her partner and realise that she has missed him.

GENRE CHARACTERISTICS

The genre of Paramore’s music is indie/rock.Genre characteristics for this type of music Include shots of the band and main singerPerforming, this can be seen in the screenShot to the right, where the main band arePlaying instruments and performing on a redCurtain backdrop, connoting the idea ofStage/drama and suggesting a sense of entropy.

Another genre characteristic for indie/rockMusic is the correct use of lighting.This can be seen in the screen shot to theRight, where we see the use of high key Lighting, which gives a glowing effect to theScene, connoting star quality.

RECORD LABEL DEMANDS

Demands from the record label, include the needFor artist screen time. To show this, the record Label have decided that most of the shots in the Video will be close ups of the main singer,For example the one to the right, which shows Hayley lying on a bed of valentine cards. The Lighting is ambient to create a soft focus on her faceAnd skin, making her looking glamorous and prettyBut at the same her clothing suggests she is edgy,unlike other mainstream stars.

The shot below shows Hayley to be an unusualCharacter through the use of mise-en-scene. TheColour of her clothing contrasts with the whiteDress of others sat around her, perhaps suggestingA melancholy mood or a sense of unhappiness.These features suggest that the record label want to Promote her as an alternative mainstream star andSomeone who their target audience (indie/rock fans And teenagers) to relate to.

REFERENCE TO THE NOTION OF LOOKING

Throughout the video we follow the main Singer walking in and out of different rooms, whichStand for the different stages of her life. We noticeA reference to the notion of looking when we seeHer staring back at us through a mirror. This addsTo the emotional undercurrent of the video by Showing her lonely and sad eyes staring at a Picture of her parents in love.

The colours surrounding the singer are toned down And subtle, this makes her stand out from the Scene and could suggest that she is the different/Difficult one, especially when we compare the Love of her parents with the struggling love sheHas with her partner in the narrative.

INTERTEXTUAL REFERENCES

There are not many obvious intertextual references within this video as it hasBeen produced from an original concept. However the idea of walking throughA ‘passage of time’ can also be seen in the film Notting Hill, where the mainCharacter (played by Hugh Grant) walks through 4 different seasons in a streetMarket to show the passage of time in a year. This relates to Paramore’s ‘The Only Exception’ through the theme of love. Both characters are walking awayFrom their relationship problems and debating whether they miss the one theyAre with.

The Only Exception Notting Hill