ANDREW GOODWIN’S THEORY OF MUSIC VIDEOS

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics.

e.g. Stage performance in metal videos, dance routine for boy/girl band, aspiration in Hip Hop.

This sticks to the typical pop video conventions such as a typical dance routine.

2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images.

(either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

The lyrics ‘Baby you're a firework,come on let your colours burst’ are followed by an image of fireworks bursting out of her body.

3. There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music.

(either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting)

The music is of a upbeat, happy tone, so the pop video is shot in a party environment.

4. 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.

These include CU’s of the star’s face, iconography of band image, visual trademarks and motifs.

Katy Perry has a visual style which is her unique dress sense, which reoccurs in all of her music videos.

5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking.(screens within screens, mirrors, stages, telescopes

etc)

This image shows voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

6. There are often intertextual reference to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc.

This image resembles the opening to a film with the use of headings.