A2 Media

2. • Published book “Dancing in the Distraction
Factory” in 1992
• In this book he made many notable
observations about music videos

3. According to Goodwin music videos will
often contain genre characteristics
through iconography. This is done to set
up expectations and to communicate
meanings.
The images above are from two different genres, country and rap. The rap images contain
clear rap characteristics such as the heavy bling and tank tops, another convention shown is
the top left image in which Wiz is rapping to the camera which is using a low angle shot.
The images on the right are from a country video and feature the conventions of showing
the band (or artist) performing the song and also features many close ups of the instruments
being played.

4. Goodwin said that the structure and tempo of the song are represented visually
throughout music videos. This is usually done through pace of editing and through
cutting the video to the beat.
The artists voice must also represent the artists voice, brand and identity.
Its said that an artists
voice can be used as a
trademark and in most
videos the star image
will happen with the
artist on
screen/singing.

5. In his book, Goodwin says that music videos have two main
purposes. To tell the story and to advertise the song and
artist.
Goodwin says that a key thing that music videos need to
have is repeatability. They need to be something that an
audience will want to watch multiple times without getting
bored.
According to Goodwin a music video in which the artist acts
as both the narrator and a participant within the videos are
the most authentic and successful.
Lip-syncing and miming are the key parts of a music video.
The audience needs to believe these are real. Without this
belief in the artists performance a music video cannot be
truly successful.

6. Goodwin says that there are three ways in which a the visuals of a music video to
promote the song. The three methods are: Disjuncture, Amplify and Illustrate.
Disjuncture = The
meaning and message of
the song doesn’t relate or
match the visuals of the
song.
Amplify – The meaning of
a song is exaggerated
through the on screen
visuals.
Illustrate – The meaning
of a song is clearly
demonstrated through
the use of visuals

7. To do this music videos often
contain a proliferation of money
shots. These are shots of the
artist that emphasise their
image/style to make them more
appealing and memorable for the
audience.
A music videos main purpose is to promote the
artist/band. The music video is meant to increase
the artists reputation and also the sales of their
music.
During the creation and production of a video the
artist is usually made to be the focal point of the
video so that they are promoted effectively.

8. Voyeurism is a feature of many music
videos across a number of genres. It is
especially present in the representation
of female artists/characters within
music videos.
It is also present within terms of
“looking” within the world of the video
such as:
- Screens within the world
- Eyes
- Mirrors
- Cameras
- Close-ups

9. The technical codes of: camerawork (angle and movement); lighting; editing ;as wells as
visual effects all work together within music videos to create meaning.
The atmosphere, mood and tone can be reflected in a music video via the use of editing
speed, colour and the transitions between shots. The setting of a music video is often
used as well as to communicate the meaning of the video. This is why the setting has to
be engaging/believable for the audience so that the video feels authentic.
Within music videos the editing often follows the rhythm and tempo of the song so that
the video flows smoothly and keeps the audience engaged. This is called “cutting to the
beat” which links to Goodwin's idea of thought beats.

10. Intertextuality often features within music videos. There are often
references to videos, films, TV texts and/or references to pop culture. The
reason for this is to engage the audience as when the audience recognises
some intertextuality they enjoy the video more.