Detailed analysis of music videos

Use the below table to help structure your notes when analysing music video. High grade responses make sustained reference to appropriate theory.

Andrew Goodwin - 7 key ideas to identify

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g. Stage performances in metal videos, dance routines for boy/girl bands)

2. There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals (Either illustrative, amplifying or contradicting)

3. There is a relationship between the music and the visuals (Either illustrative, amplifying or 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 (e.g. A visual style)

5. There are frequent references to the notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic (sexual) treatment of the female body

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

7. Whether the video is primarily performance-based, narrative-based or concept-based and how element of each is used in it

Artist: Song title:

Concept/narrative:

Features Observations Examples

Genre characteristics

Relationship between lyrics and visuals

Relationship between music and visuals

Are there close ups of the artists and star image motifs?Is there reference to the notion of looking?

Are the examples of intertextual references?Is the video category illustration, amplification or contradicting? How much of each?