Music Video Conventions - Andrew Goodwin

Andrew Goodwin wrote a book in 1992 called 'Dancing in the Distraction Factory' which explored the codes and conventions of the increasingly popular idea of the music video.
He states that a music video is made through a link between the visuals of the video, the song and the artist performing it.

Goodwin states 7 key points about his theory:

-Every music video follows codes and conventions which align with those in the music, e.g. a rock music video follows rock music conventions. These can be matching fashion (ripped jeans, dark colours etc) dancing (head banging) performance (live and not making eye contact with the camera) lighting (dark and dingy) and mise en scene (dirty and edgy).

This is shown in Bon Jovi's music video for "Livin' on a Prayer" as in rock, a common convention of music videos is to show the band playing the music to create the feeling that you're watching them live. This is clearly done in this music video where we see them rehearsing before the performance starts in black and white before moving into colour when the audience comes in, showing that they're complying with the conventions of the rock music video genre.

-Usually there's a relationship between the visuals and the lyrics which means that the lyrics of the song are represented with images in the video. However, these images can either illustrate the lyrics, amplify them, or contract them entirely to deliver a different message to audiences.

This is evident in Taylor Swift's "Blank Space" music video where she describes a love story which plays out for us visually onscreen. The lyrics describe an 'insane' girlfriend and this idea is amplified in the video where the artist is shown doing borderline psychotic acts after breaking up with her boyfriend such as destroying his clothes, slashing paintings of him and smashing up his car.

-There is a relationship between the visuals and the music which means the tone of the music is matched and reflected through the tone and atmosphere of the music video.

This is shown in Adele's music video for 'Hello' where the tone of the music is sad and gloomy which is reflected in the black and white colouring of the video as well as the mise en scene which includes dust and clutter which reflects the desperation she feels in the song to regain something old which she lost. There are also clear atmospheric devices used such as the shots done in the pouring rain which instantly connotes sadness.

-The demands of the record label will be clear in the music video as they have an element of control over the artist they sign which means they decide how the artist will be represented. The record label see the artist as a product which needs to be promoted so they need to create an image for them which they can sell to a target audience so this will effect how they're presented in the video. These demands may include things such as having frequent close-ups of the artist in the video and creating recognisable artist motifs which recur through all their future videos. Record labels like to use close-ups because they show emotions and help to create the feeling of a close, personal relationship between the artist and the audience, therefore helping to effectively sell the artist and make more money. This is especially evident with new artists where they are always in the music videos so fans can see them and begin to connect with them.

This is clear in One Direction's first original music video "What Makes You Beautiful" where each one of them has close-ups to camera to be 'introduced' and a clear image is being formed of the band - fun and youthful to appeal to their target audience which were mainly younger girls. Even the content of this music video is designed to fuel this representation of the band as they go on a trip to the beach and seem to just be messing about with each other in a 'youthful way'.

-Artist iconography ensures that an artist always looks the same throughout their videos, creating a unique, recognisable image that remains current and helps build the artist's star factor. The star factor image will increase the more popular the artist becomes, becoming itself a part in the production of the music videos and artist performances. Ultimately, this raises the artist almost above human status by making them an icon that can be looked up to and admired by fans.

Madonna became an icon in the eighties for challenging conventions regarding sexuality, gender and religion and being the queen of reinvention. In her 'Vogue' music video she adapts different personas ranging from conservative to very erotic, embodying her iconic reputation for changing the rules of the business.

-The notion of looking is whether the artist looks directly at the camera of off to the side, avoiding eye contact with the audience. When the artist looks at the camera it is like they are talking directly to you, therefore making the video feel more personal. However, this also creates voyeurism because the direct eye contact creates an intimacy with the audience. Goodwin also states that females will often be objectified in music videos through a combination of camera angles and editing which focuses on fragmented body shots which emphasises the sexuality of the artist. This increases the video's attractiveness, especially to men, which makes it successful in helping to sell the artist's music.
Generally, the music video has to look interesting and entertaining to grab an audience's attention as it is essentially a marketing device designed to increase sales of the song. People will often even see the music video without the actual song such as in restaurants where music videos play or over someone's shoulder. The video should intrigue that member of the public and make them want to watch the video themselves and, consequently, buy the song, generating an even larger profit for the record label.

An example of this is in Tom Odell's music video for 'Another Love' in which he makes direct eye contact with the camera for the entirety of the music video which looks like one shot. This draws the audience in and make us feel like we're living the story with him, therefore bringing us into the song on a more personal level and consequently promoting the artist.

 

-Intertextuality is when other forms of media (such as films, TV shows, animation and other music) are referenced within an artist's music video. This keeps videos relevant and helps it appeal to the target audience. It is also used in humorous music videos possibly to mock elements of society and it's references are often used to communicate ideas about a particular subject to the audience.

This is displayed in the 'You Know Me' video by Robbie Williams in which he dresses up like the white rabbit and adventures around Wonderland, taken from Lewis Carroll's famous children's story 'Alice in Wonderland' which was made into a live action film by Tim Burton in 2010.