Andrew Goodwin - Key Features of Music Videos

Andrew Goodwin has identified the following features of music videos:

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g. stage performance in metal video, dance routine for girl/boy band).

2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals (either contradicting, illustrative or amplifying).

3. There is a relationship between music and visuals (either contradicting, illustrative or amplifying).

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

5. There is frequently reference to the notion of looking (screens within screens)and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

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

It is also worth considering: Whether the music video is narrative-based, performance- based or concept- based and how each element is used in it.

I have used this structure in order to identify key features within music video in my textual analyses.