Andrew Goodwin

His book dancing in the distraction factory Andrew Goodwin points out characteristics and features that can be found in music videos

1.       Music videos generate genre characteristics (Stage performance in metal bands, Dance routine for a girl/boy band, aspiration in hip hop)  

2.       There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals, The lyrics are represented with images (either illustrative, amplifying or contradiction)

3.       There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music (either illustrative, amplifying or contradiction)

4.       The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (A visual style)

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

6.       There are often intertextual references (to films, TV programmes, other music video etc.)

How to analyse music videos:

  Though beats –

-Where you ‘see’ in the sound (Looking at the music itself, what the song is saying to you and the way in which the artist addresses it)

2 Narrative and performance –

-Songs fail to give us the complete narratives, sometimes it is left for the audience to fill in the dots.

-Makes it easy for the audience to watch but without losing interest.

- Performance of the artist completes authenticity, people know it’s legitimate.

3.The star image-

-Meta narrative (which is a big story that describes the development of the star over time) has an important part to play in the music video production process

4.       Relations of visuals to song

- illustrate: music videos can use a set of images to illustrate the meaning of lyrics and genre, this is the most common.

-Disjuncture: the meaning of the song is completely ignored.

- Amplify: this is similar to repeatability. Meanings and effects are manipulated and constantly shown through the video and drummed into our vision

  Technical aspects of music videos –

- Hold the music video through the use of camera work, movement, angle, mise en scene, editing, sound and special effects.

 -Speed, camera movement, editing, post production.

- Lighting and colour, sets the mood and emphasises key movements of the song, mise en scene (setting of the music video is vital, it needs to look authentic to attain professionalism) -Beats (music videos use cuts to go with the beat or rhythm making the video more entertaining.)