This document discusses several common characteristics and techniques used in music videos. It notes that music videos often represent typical genre characteristics through elements like dance routines for boy bands or bikini-clad women in rap videos. Music videos also frequently reference voyeurism and the objectification of the female body through props like mirrors and cameras. Additionally, the relationship between the music and visuals can be illustrative, amplifying, or contradictory, and record labels often demand that videos include close-ups of the artist and a recurring visual style.

1. Jordan Weeks

2. 1. Music videos more often than not tend to include a
demonstration of typical genre characteristics
For example: a video of a stage performance is typical
for a metal video, a dance routine typical for a
boy/girl band and bikini clad women by a pool and
flashy sports cars in a rap video
Music videos can also link to film
genres, this is know as intertextuality.
e.g. Many heavy rock songs are influenced by horror
films

3. 2. There are frequent references to the notion of looking and
the voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
The notion of looking includes men or women being portrayed
seductively or if there is eye contact with the camera. The
notion of looking can also be referenced by the use of props.
e.g. Mirrors, television screens, cameras, telescopes, binoculars
and magnifying glasses are all references to, these are
commonly used.
Voyeurism is widely used to sell the artist‟s music through sex
appeal, a recent example being Miley Cyrus. Voyeurism today
is only shown at one angle. You do not see a male doing
that, only women.

4. 3. There is a succinct relationship between
music and visuals.
e.g. either illustrative, amplifying,
contradicting
this can be seen in killer/papa was a rolling by
George Michael

5. 4. The record label which the artist is assigned to
tends to have certain demands. They often include
the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the
artist will have a visual style which recurs across their
work.
e.g. An example of a visual style could be Lady Gaga
as she is always wearing quirky clothes
The “4th wall” is broken near always when the video is
a performance. This is direct address and seem like
they are singing to us.

6. 5. There is often intertextual references (to films, tv
programmes, other music videos etc.) Audiences
enjoy knowing the „in joke‟.
e.g. Destiny‟s Child doing Independent Women
referencing Charlie‟s Angels
Will Smith doing Men in Black for the film Men in
Black
Intertextuality in The Wombats video for
My Circuitboard City referencing a video
game.