Andrew Goodwin - Key Conventions

Andrew Goodwin

Key Conventions

Andrew Goodwin’s 6 Features of Music Videos

In his book Dancing in the Distraction Factory, Andrew Goodwin points out characteristics and features that can be found in music videos. Below is the six characteristics he believed to be conventions of the music video genre.

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).

Andrew Goodwin suggests that pop videos can be to reinforce a brand image. An example of this is Katy Perry who I will be doing a separate blog post about later. She promotes her image as an 'ideal older sister' to her young targeted female audience. She serves as a positive role model and this is reflected in many of her songs. Andrew Goodwin recognised that there is a special relationship between the music and the visuals in a music video. He touched upon how the beat used in a song will determine the pace of the editing of the song. If we take this concept into Michael Jackson's song "Beat It", the pace of the song in the beginning is quite slow but as the dancing begins, the pace of the editing picks up. This is to reflect the song as it would be very unusual for a slow song to have fast-paced editing as it would not allow the person who is watching the video to distinguish a relationship between the song and the video. In addition Goodwin also noted that in most pop videos there will often be a lot of close ups of the performing star/band as the record label will try to identify motifs which will reoccur during the performances. If we look at Michael Jackson, he was often depicted and imitated by wearing a white glove. This promoted his singles and also increased his popularity.

Dance routines have a major impact on the success of a music video. This is evident through the song 'Gangnam Style' by Psy. I actually didn't actually know the song myself, till I one day saw a good friend of mine doing it on the road and thought to myself "what on earth is he doing". This music video achieved a record and mind blowing views of over 1 billion on YouTube and topped the charts in the UK even though the lyrics are Korean. This is because of the recognisable dance routine in the video.