6 Features of Music Videos and 5 Ways to Analyse Them

1. Andrew Goodwin (1992)
A media theorist who wrote the book called Dancing in the Distraction Factory
In the book, he suggests that there are:
 6 Key features of a music video
 5 ways to analyse a music video
6 Features:
1 - Genre Characteristics –Location,Costume,Tempo,Atmosphere
2 - Relationshipsbetweenlyricsandvisuals
2 - RelationshipsbetweenMusicandVisuals
3 – Oftenintertextual referencestofilms,tvandothermusicvideos.
4 - Demands of the recordlabel.Lotsof close upsof artist etc.May develop reoccurring
motifsintheirvideos
5 – Reference tolooking.Ideaof invideoartistlookingatthemselvesinthe mirrorand
singingoronstage and audience forcedtolookatthem. E.g Starskyand Hutch and Beastie
BoysSabotage.
6 – Intertextual Referencestootherareas.E.gKaty PerrybeingTarzanin Roar.
5 Ways to analyse:
Thought beats – ‘Seeing’ the song
The voice of the star. Usuallyveryunique andcanformidentificationortrademarks thatworkswell
withthe star. Artist’s mode of address.Songscanbe seenasstoriesandthe artist storytellermaking
the musicvideoa two way communicationdevice –themtellingusastoryand we listening.
Narrative and performance.
Songsfail to give usthe complete story.We onlytend toget a gistof the meaningof the song.Tend
to make up our ownideaof what’sbeingtold.Shouldignore commonnarrativeImportantto
advertise aswell.Theyshouldhave coherentrepeatability.N andPworkhand inhand andmake it
easierforthe audience towatchoverwithoutlosinginterest.Artistcanact as bothnarrator and
participant.Audience needtobelieve itisreal. Radiohead –The Gist
Star Image
It isanothervital aspectof musicvideo.‘Metanarrative’(whichisa big storythat describes the
developmentof the start overtime) hasa bigpart in the playof the musicvideoproduction.‘Take
That’ isa greatexample of whotheirvideosshow theirjourneyandchange. How isthe ‘Star’
represented?Foe example GaryBarloworChrisMartin is a goodexample because theyare known
but notnecessarilyothermembers.
Relation of visuals to the song – Important Goodwin Point
Illustrate,amplifyorcause disjuncture.MeansShow something,make itbiggerorbetter,ignore the
meaningcompletely.
Technical Aspects
Camerawork,movement,angle,mise-en-scene,soundandspecial effects.Lightingandcolourhelps
setmoodand emphasise keymovements.