Andrew Goodwin's Method of Analysing Music Videos

Andrew Goodwin's music video analysis


Andrew Goodwin writing in 'Dancing in the Distraction Factory' (Routledge 1992) describes the defining characteristics of music videos as:

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g stage performance in metal video, dance routine for boy/girl band). 
2. There is a relationship between the lyrics and visuals (either illustrative - 'acting out literally', amplifying - 'exaggerating the meaning', contradicting - 'going against the meaning, perhaps ironically or satirically?')
3. There is a relationship between music and visuals (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 are frequent references to the notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic/erotic treatment of the female body. [May depend on genre, and men are sometimes treated voyeuristically.]
6. There is often intertextual reference (to films, tv programmes, other music videos etc.)