T2 : : Understanding the styles and conventions of music videos - Part 1

In 1992 Andrew Goodwin identified 6 features of music videos, in Dancing in the Distraction Factory. The 6 conventions were:

1) Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (eg stage performance in metal video, dance routine for boy/girl band). For instance, Rage Against the Machine vs. Girls Aloud/Sugarbabes .


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

- A good example of this at work would be in Tenacious Ds "Tribute" where the song is literally narrating the videos story and illustrates the lyrics throughout.


- An example of a contradictory video would be shoot the runner by Kasabian, the song itself has very little meaning to the visuals.


- An example for an amplified video, Miley Cyrus's wrecking ball amplifies the idea that she is angry and repeats the act of destroying stuff instead of showing her arguing with the person she broke up with.


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

- This is an example of illustrative editing, as the editing is relatively quick for the genre, but speeds up when Nelly Furtado hits the chorus.


- This is an example of contradictive editing. Although it does have some points that the editing follows the music, but enough that don't to be called contradictive


- Nirvana "Smells like teen spirit" is an example of an amplified music video as the visuals match the anger of the song and edits around 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 which recur across their work (a visual style).

- Lady Gaga has developed an image and reputation for dressing and acting peculiar, as can be seen in her videos and album art.


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

- This song/Video show how the companies objectify women to catch the attention of male audiences.


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

- Many artists/bands that have their music used in films use a video to help promote themselves and the film by making references to the film in the music video. This can be seen from Linkin Parks video for New Divide, which makes reference to the Transformer films for which they are well known for having done parts of the soundtrack for.


- Eminem's video for survival has content from the latest Call of Duty game, and this song was used to advertise the game.