6 Features of Music Videos

Andrew Goodwin identified six different features of a music video that characterise the product:

Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics  - this theorises that there are repetitive patterns in the music video content of different genres (eg. aspects of stage performanc and excerpts of footage from live concerts in rock music videos)

There is a correlation between the music and the visuals (the tone and atmosphere of the visuals is reflective of the music) - an example of this may be the visuals in a music video becoming more chaotic as the music becomes faster or more upbeat.

The demands of the record label include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the need/want for an artist to develop motifs and build thier own creative style to be associated with - This is a marketing technique where an artists music video has a definitive focus on them as the star in order to create a strong brand and popularity surrounding them. Music videos like this are usually very centered around the upkeep of the artists star image (eg. the 'bad boy' or 'girl next door')

There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals - this is where the is a visual connection between the content of the video and the lyrics of the song. This portrayal can be presented through disconjuncture, illustration or amplication. 

There is frequent reference to notion of  voyeuristic treatment toward  the female body - this type of reference is usually used more commonly by female artists and often involves the hpersexualisation of the female form.

Inclusion of intertextual references to other films, TV programmes, music videos, etc - music videos often make reference to other media in subtle ways; they may choose parody other media or take a more pastiche approach to the references.

Through comparing my current knowledge of music videos to these features I would say that there is definitley some truth in Goodwin's theory but the ideas are also slightly out-dated. This theory was published in Goodwin's book 'Dancing in the Distraction Factory' in 1992 and the massive steps in technological advances that have been made since then, in terms of media, has had a huge impact on how music videos are created and viewed and has allowed artists to take more creative risks with the content they put out. As a result of this there is no longer a cookie cutter mould that all music videos conform to.