The music video for "Smooth Criminal" by Michael Jackson uses editing, choreography, costumes, and sounds to engage the audience. It cuts between scenes rhythmically and focuses on Jackson, highlighting his dancing skills. The 1930s gangster-style outfits and sounds of violence depict the song's narrative. Complex choreography and a surprising break in the music leave viewers wanting more.

1. Applying Goodwin’s ideas to (Smooth Criminal- Michael Jackson)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_D3VFfhvs4
Theory Description - effect on audience
1) THOUGHTBEATS
Editing of video matches the music or
sound effects
Speed & structure of video consider verse
and chorus
How does the video mirror the singer’s
voice?
How often does it cut back and forth to the
singer’s face and at what moments?
Editing of the video matches the music as per
percussion within the music it will cut to another
scene or movement of the artist. Man seen to be
shot then is edited to makes him disappear through
a brick wall leaving his shape on the wall.
During the verse, the speed of the video is much
slower making each scene appear for a longer time
however during the chorus the speed picked up as
there is much more that occurs with the artist and
the dancers surrounding him.
The video mirrors the artist’s voice as he is either lip
syncing on a stage or his iconic scream is in sync
with a burst of dust that he throws onto the dancers.
During the key lyrics ‘You’ve been hit by a smooth
criminal’ the artist is always the main four within the
video. Through the video there are a maximum of
two seconds per time another person is the only
focus, other times he is always seen within the shot.
2) NARRATIVE &PERFORMANCE
Narrative or visuals match the lyrics of the
song
The song title being smooth criminal, matches the
hostile and cautious looks by the people at the start
of the video as well as sound effects such as
shooting and fighting.
The costume worn by the dancers and the artist,
which consists of suit, fedora hats is the typical
1930s gangsters matching the lyrics ‘smooth
criminal’.
‘You’ve been hit by’ a person is seen laying on the
floor showing that he was attacked.
A woman is seen being slapped by a man followed
by the lyrics ‘Annie are you okay?’
3) STAR IMAGE
How much focus is on the artist(s)?
Highlighting physical attractiveness
(particularly in women) e.ge multiple close
ups of the main member/artist
Objectifying the artist(s)?
Do they have a trademark or key signifier?
Majority of the focus is on the artist. Starts with his
silhouette. Other characters are focused on for 2
seconds before it is focussed back onto the artist.
Females are seen in heels and are used either to
rescue them or in a sexual way for example the start
where there is a close up of a woman leg and the
camera pans up her body.
Dressed in a suit with a fedora hat, and does his
trademark dance moves within the video e.g. the
moonwalk.

2. 4) RELATION TO VISUALS TO SONG
What you see matches the music or sound
effects
Sound of a gunshot at the same time as one of the
dancers does a backflip giving the impression that
he was the one who had gotten shot. During a
fighting scene, we hear grunting of the man fighting
and he is thrown and we then hear glass shattering.
5) TECHNICAL CODES
Genres - different music genres have their
own specific C&C as well as shared ones
Camerawork and movement, lighting,
setting, costume, props, specific effects,
diegetic sounds
Genre- Pop, the video is a performance based video
as there is choreography throughout the song. This
song is for entertaining the viewers and is almost
like a short film as the music stops halfway where
we only hear diegetic sounds of a whine, screaming
of a woman and ‘shh’ to which the characters say
‘Annie are you okay’ then the music and dance
routine resumes. This leaves the viewers wanting
more to which they’ll be surprised as they would
have had the impression that it was over.
At the starts whilst other characters are seen for two
seconds the artist’s face is shadowed by his hat and
the camera pans around him showing he is the main
focus. All costume worn sets the time within the
video being the 20s - 30s. As the men wear suit,
fedora hats which is the typical gangster outfits
during that time. Many diegetic sounds are used
throughout the video such as screaming, gunshots,
grunting, punching, glass shattering showing the
chaos.
Summary: why would viewers watch the music video again? What does it offer?
Viewers would watch this video again as the choreography throughout the video keeps
them entertained. The creativity of the dance routine may make the viewers want the learn
the routine. In addition, its narrative makes the viewers want to watch it again as due to the
the many things going on at once, they viewer will have missed something the first time.