Andrew Goodwin's Features of a Music Video

Andrew Goodwin (Dancing in the Distraction Factory, 1992) identified and then outlined six key features that are generally contained within music videos, that are:

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g. dance routine for girl/boy pop group, violence in rap songs and stage performance in punk rock bands).

2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. Lyrics can be linked/ represented to visual images. (Either amplifying, contradicting, illustrative)

3. There is a relationship between music and visuals. E.g. the beat, rhythm, tone of the song shows links with visual imagery. (Either amplifying, contradicting, illustrative)

4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups and shots or the artist/band for recognition and promotion. The artist/ band may then develop motifs (a visual style) that can be seen throughout all their work.

5. There is frequently reference to the notion of looking (mirrors, screens within screens, stages etc.); and voyeuristic treatment of the female body, particularly in boy bands and rap artist's music videos.

6. Often, but not always, there are intertextual references contained within music videos. (Relating to films, TV programmes or other music videos etc.)

I will use the points from this theory as a basis for each textual analysis I produce.