In his book Dancing in the Distraction Factory (1992) Andrew Goodwin points out 6 characteristics and features that can be found in 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).
2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images. (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
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).
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 (a visual style).
5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, mirrors, stages, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
6. There are often intertextual reference (to films, tv programmes, other music videos etc).
(From Andrew Goodwin, DANCING IN THE DISTRACTION FACTORY, 1992.)
The UK Music Video Awards is an annual celebration of creativity, technical excellence and innovation in music video and moving image for music.
I have chosen 5 videos which won awards in the 2015 'budget' categories as, whilst having substantially larger budgets than you will have, these videos were not made with the multi-million pound budgets available to some artists.
You will be asked to choose one of these videos to analyse in relation to Goodwin's 6 Features Of Music Videos.
Best pop video – budget
aquilo - losing you
director: eoin glaister
Best rock/indie video – budget
naïve new beaters - run away
director: roman chasseing
Best dance video – budget
lorn - acid rain
director: r11
Best alternative video – budget
son lux - change is everything
director: nathan Johnson
Best urban video – budget
dels - burning beaches
director: us
Research Task
Produce a post with the same title as this one.
Choose one of the music videos above (they are embedded in other posts on my blog) and embed the music video into the post.
Copy and paste Andrew Goodwin's 6 Features Of Music Videos from the start of this post - the bits you need to copy and paste are in this colour.
Apply each of these 6 features to the music video you have chosen. What evidence do you find in the music video to either support or contradict Goodwin's thoughts?
In order to help you I have provided prompt questions for each of Goodwin's 6 features of music videos below:
1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics. (e.g. stage performance in metal videos, dance routine for boy/girl band, aspiration in Hip Hop).
What is the genre of the music video you have been allocated?
What are the associations with this genre of music generally?
Does this music video reinforce the expectations of this genre?
2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images. (either illustration, amplification or contradiction).
Describe the content of the music video - what happens?
What is the relationship between the lyrics and the visuals? Is this a music video
which illustrates, amplifies or contradicts the lyrics?
3. There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music. (either illustration, amplification or contradiction).
What is the relationship between the music and the visuals?
Does the pace of the editing reflect the pace of the music? What kind of atmosphere is
created through the visuals and is this in keeping with the tone of the music?
Is there any lip-syncing used? How much? For which sections of the lyrics? Why?
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 (a visual style).
How is the artist promoted through the use of the camera in this music video?
How much screen time does the artist have?
What types of shots are used when the artist is on screen and what purpose does this
serve?
5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, mirrors, stages, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
Is there any evidence of 'looking' as described above? What purpose do you think this
serves?
6. There are often intertextual reference (to films, tv programmes, other music videos etc).
Are there any references, either direct or indirect, made to other media texts?
Are there any sections or elements of the music video which remind you of other
media texts or of other artists?
