Music videos use various techniques to engage audiences. Andrew Goodwin identified 5 key aspects audiences look for: narrative/performance; technical aspects; relation of visuals to song; star image; and thought beats. Technical aspects like camera work, editing, lighting, and mise-en-scene are important to set mood and match the song. Different shots and editing styles are used effectively in analyzed music videos. Mise-en-scene elements like costumes, lighting, and settings are carefully chosen to relate to lyrics and genre. Together these techniques aim to attract target audiences and increase a star's image.

1. Textual Analysis
Things that I have learnt from the
music video I have previously
analysed
“What’s My Name”
“Unfaithful”
“Just The Way You Are”
By: Shahroz Ahmed

2. Andrew Goodwin’s Theory
Andrew Goodwin has identified 5 key aspects that we
as a audience look out for
• Narrative and performance
• Technical aspects of Music video
• Relation of visuals to song
• The star image
• Thought beats – seeing the sound in your head

3. Narrative and performance
• Goodwin says that we tend to make up our own idea
of the messages being sent in a song from a basic
understanding of what it may actually be about.
• Goodwin explains that music videos should ignore
common narrative. It is significant in their role of
advertising.
• The artist acting as both the narrative and participant
helps to increase the authenticity. However, lip sync
remains the heart of music videos. It is the artists
interest to make the audience believe that its real.

4. Technical aspects of Music Video
• Technical aspects hold the music video together (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 the mood and emphasise
key/dramatic moments which adds extra effect.
• Mise-en-scene, the setting is very important, it needs to look
realistic and authentic in order to attain professionalism.
• Beats, the cuts and beats go with the rhythm to make it
entertaining. Music that has a catchy rhythm will attract the
audience more towards it.

5. Relation of visuals to song
There are three ways in videos that are used to promote a song:
Music videos can
use a set of This is similar to
images to repeatability, mea
illustrate the ning and effects
meaning of lyrics are manipulated
& genre, the most and constantly
common reinforced and
shown through
the video and
drummed into our
vision.
This is where the music of the song is completely ignored.

6. The star image
Star image is a vital aspect of music videos.
Artists want to obviously look unique in
order to stay current and for audiences
to remember them e.g. Rihanna’s
Barbadian dancing is now her star image
and everyone is familiar with it.
The star image develops overtime
and plays a big role in the production
of process of music videos.

7. Target audience
• Target audience is very important for artists, considering
who they want their music videos to be watched by and who
it targets .
• Our video is the genre of indie rock and our target audience
is people in their late teens and early 20’s – so to attract this
age group, our video had to have some young, influential
images to do with the song and it also had to have some
performance involved.
• The gender split for our music video is about 60%- 40% boys
to girls. The reason being is because an indie rock group may
traditionally attract more boys than girls.
• The area in which people live in may be a factor on who
prefers it.

8. What have I learnt about Camera
Camera work plays a vital role in any music video.
In the music video, “What's my name” the shots have been used very methodically, there is
a range of shots shown in video, the key ones are the establishing shot – to show where
the music video is taking place, Medium shot – showing Rihanna’s Barbadian dancing
on the streets of New York and an over-the-shoulder shot – showing the intimacy
between Rihanna and Drake. The way these shots are used makes the audience feel
that they can relate to the music video and they help show the key generic codes e.g. in
the over-the-shoulder shot Rihanna’s flashy ring is emphasised. The fast moving shots
suit the atmosphere as it has took place in New York.
In the music video ,“Unfaithful” the shots used are connected with the music, as the music
starts speeding up there is an increase of the use of shots, this is effective to the
audience as its more interesting. The video is a narrative and that affects the shots as
there needs to be a fixed amount of shots because the audience needs to understand
the story in the song as well as the lyrics.
In the music video, “Just the way you are”, the camera work is really important as the
visuals match up with the lyrics very well. Some of the shots used were close-ups to
Bruno Mars face to capture his facial expressions and also to make the audience feel as
if he’s singing those words to the actress.

9. What have I learnt about Editing
Editing also plays a huge part in music videos as its very important for the music video to be
realistic in front of the audience.
In the music video “What’s my name” there is a rare use of editing, which might be a
reason why its very successful within the audience as its all authentic. However, there is
a use of eye-line match when Rihanna enters the supermarket and Drake looks at her,
we can see from where Drake is looking at to what he appears to be looking at
(Rihanna). In the same scene, there is a reaction shot where Drake responds to Rihanna
when they interact.
In the music video, “Unfaithful”, there is a number of frequent cuts, shown to increase the
tension for the viewer because of so much action taking place in the video. There is also
a use of dissolve, when there is two images visible at the same time.
In the music video, “Just the way you are”, there are not many frequent cuts and most of
the camera shots are medium or zoomed into the faces of the characters to show their
facial expressions. They also edited the video by using fast motion when Bruno Mars is
making images out of media tape from the cassette to save time.

10. Mise En Scene
The use of mise en scene in the music videos is very important as the use of lighting , props
and setting makes a difference to the audience whether it may be well suited to the
genre of the song or not.
In the music video, “What’s my name”, the lighting used is well suited as its calm and soft
matching with the atmosphere. The costumes used link with the genre as what Rihanna
is wearing is very casual and Drake’s costume is quite laid back as well. Its set in the city
which once again links with the genre very well.
In the music video, “Unfaithful”, there is two types of lighting used one is where she is in a
complicated situation and the lighting is very dull matching with the atmosphere and
the other lighting is calm and relaxing where there are shots being shown of her being
with her man and having a good time. The costumes are very appropriate for the genre
as they match with it. The setting is in a theatre and a restaurant both explaining the
narrative of the video.
In the music video, “Just the way you are”, the mise en scene is cleverly linked to the lyrics
of the song. E.g. when he sings “Because you’re amazing just the way you are”, the
actress is shown wearing clothes that would be considered lazy and she isn’t dressed
up. The lighting is placed behind each person through the windows as if it’s the sun
shining through into the building; this helps to set a happy mood on the set.