This is my research on the theorist Andrew Goodwin.

1. Oliver Booth 15/06/17
Andrew Goodwin (1992)
 A media theorist who wrote a book called ‘Dancing in the Distraction Factory’.
 In this, he suggests there are:
- 6 key features of a music video
- 5 ways to analyse a music video
Goodwin’s 6 features of a music video:
1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics
- Certain features are expected out of a video depending on the genre of
the music, for example, a girl bands/ artists are expected to have dancers
and close ups of the singers
2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented
with images.
3. There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere
of the visual reflects that of the music.
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 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 reference (to films, TV programmes, other music
videos etc).
Goodwin’s How to analyse music videos
 Thought beats – Where you ‘see’ in the sound
- Step 1 = structure of the song
- Step 2 = the voice of the song
- Step 3 = artists mode of address
 Narrative and performance
- Songs fail to give us the complete narrative.
- We only tend to get a gist of the meaning of the song and then tend to
make up our own idea of what is being told – A negotiated view of the
text.
- Goodwin explains that music videos should ignore common narrative. It is
important in their role of advertising.
- Music videos should have coherent repeatability.

2. Oliver Booth 15/06/17
- The artist acting as both mirror & participant helps to increase the
authenticity however the lip sync and other mimed actions remains the
heart of music videos.
- The audience need to believe this is real.
 The star image
- The star image is another vital aspect of music videos.
- 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.
- How is the ‘star’ represented?
 Relation of visuals to song
- There are 3 ways in which music videos work to promote a song;
1. Illustrate – Music videos can use a set of images to illustrate the meaning of
lyrics & genre.
2. Amplify – This is similar to repeatability. Meanings and effects are
manipulated and constantly shown through the video and drummed into our
vision.
3. Disjuncture – This is where the meaning of the song is completely ignored.
 Technical aspects of a music video
- Technical aspects hold the music together through the use of camera
work, movement, angle, mise-en-scene, editing, sound and special effects.
Speed, camera movement, editing, cutting and post production are all
forms of use of camera.
- Lighting and colour helps set moods and emphasise key movements of the
song for dramatic effect.
- Mise-en-scene, the setting of music videos 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.