Andrew Goodwin's Theory

Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics

A typical rock music video tends to include a stage performance with the members of the band using their instruments and lip syncing along with the song. They usually consist of darker colours such as black and red and have a serious but expressive tone to them that energises the viewer due to their enthusiasm whilst performing. The camera is rarely ever static and a range of editing techniques are used to keep the video looking interesting and hold the interest of whoever watches it. A range of angles and shots of the same scene are often used to show a variation to keep the audience interested and not find the same setting tedious.

For example: Green Day - American Idiot



Pop music videos generally consist of bright colours conveying a positive and uplifting attitude which appeals to a younger audience. The artist is expressive in their performance and often uses direct address to engage the audiences attention towards them, allowing the video to seem personal to the viewer. They usually include images of parties or love and 'living in the moment' with no regrets or responsibilities to hold you back. They try to encourage that it's good to stand out, yet fitting in and conforming to mainstream stereotypes of what is considered the norm is also important and that life should be about having fun.

For example: Miley Cyrus - Party In The USA



Rap music videos stereotypically include the artist wearing a lot of gold jewelry or 'bling', driving expensive cars whilst showing off their wealth to the audience by not seeming to view money as an issue in their lives. Women are often objectified in a way to connote their value in these videos is to look appealing for the benefit of the men. This genre of music video tends to have themes of sex, alcohol, drugs or violence and at least one of these elements would be seen within a rap music video.

For example: Wiz Khalifa - Black And Yellow

There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals

Some music videos use visual elements to represent the lyrics of the song which can often help portray the meaning of the music or encourage the audience to pay more attention to the lyrics rather than the visual aspects of the video. This can be done through the use of special effects, mise-en-scene and other themes to match the words to the images the audience is seeing. It is usually done to be noticed by the audience so they can understand the connection between the music and the video.

For example: Keane - Everybody's Changing


This video shows the members of the band changing into different people when the title of the song is 'Everybody's Changing'. This is a performance video but is made more interesting to the viewer by having other elements to the song rather than focusing on the visuals of the band.

There is a relationship between music and visuals

Music videos are in sync with the rhythm of the song and cuts and editing effects used often match the beats of the drums or notes. This is done to make the video seem natural and connected to the song. If the video included cuts or transitions out of sync to the music then it may disorientate the viewer or make it seem unappealing to watch. Faster songs usually have videos that move much faster in order to keep up with the pace of the song and slow songs tend to have slower paced and smoother transitions to represent the music.

For example: Two Door Cinema Club - I Can Talk


At the very start of the song, there is a cut matched with each sound and when the music starts the camera and lighting moves in a fast pace which accurately represents the speed of the song. This is done to keep the sound and visuals at the same pace so they suit each other and appeal to the audience.

The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style)

A record label tends to have certain demands which often include having to obtain a visual style so some music videos promote a set of images for the band or artist which makes them recognisable. This provides them with their own star image to be identified from. If an artist/band has a consistent style it makes it easier for the audience to relate to and admire them as they aren't constantly changing their image.

For example: Lady Gaga - Bad Romance


Lady Gaga's quirky style is consistent throughout her music videos which creates her own star image. She has developed the motif of one hand covering her eye, triangles and wearing shocking, never seen before outfits to attract huge amounts of attention of the press which increases her popularity and allows her to be easily identified.

There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment for the female body

Voyeurism is defined as the practice of gaining sexual pleasure from watching others when they are naked or engaged in sexual activity. Many music videos use this technique to lure more viewers to watch their music video by dressing the members of the group, band or the artist in provocative clothing, using direct address to connect them and their actions to the viewer and using expressions, props or body language to reinforce the connotations around the suggestive aspects of the video. This is done to appeal to a female audience as the artist would pose as role models for them but is ultimately used to attract male audiences through male gaze which would extend the target audience of the artist.

For example: Little Mix - Touch


The members of this group are maintaining eye contact with the cameras for the majority of the video and are wearing revealing or suggestive outfits. They are made up and surrounded by men to convey the idea that they are desirable which appeals to the viewers of this video. There is a lot of emphasis on the female body and the audience is positioned to look upon it in a sexual manner due to the mise-en-scene and camera angles used.

There is often intertextual reference (to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc) which can contribute to the postmodernism of music videos

Some music videos take references from other sorts of media such as films or TV to promote it and attract members of the audience who like these other forms of media. This benefits the record label and the industry owning the media and it extends the target audience by spreading its marketing strategies across other means of advertising. It would feel almost like an in-joke to the viewers watching the content if they understand the references the video is making.

For example: Foo Fighters - Everlong

 This video references the film 'Evil Dead' which appeals to the fans of this film and makes the video seem more personal to people who like Foo Fighters and the film.