Goodwin's Music Video Analysis

Andrew Goodwin, Dancing in the Distraction Factory (Routledge, 1992)
Goodwin identifies a number of key features, which distinguish the music video as a form:

1. Particular music genres may have their own music video style and iconography (e.g. stage performance in metal video, dance routine for boy/girl band).

2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals
(with visuals either illustrating, amplifying, contradicting the lyrics).

3. There is a relationship between music and visuals
(with visuals either illustrating, amplifying, contradicting the music).

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 (or star iconography) which recur across their work (and over time becomes part of their star image)

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

6. There is often intertextual reference (to films, tv programmes, other music videos etc). 

This research I carried out in class will be beneficial when it comes to creating my music video, as now i know from Goodwin's point of view what features I need to include in my video in order for it to be recognised as a music video in form. However this is only one theorists point of view so I will take into consideration of the suggests of conventions from a variety of different theorists.