Goodwin's Music Video Analysis

Andrew Goodwin described how music video's will follow certain conventions to create their intended impact; these music videos have to fall into atleast 1 of the categories:

1. A music video will demonstrate genre characteristics, such as a pop song having a dance sequence
2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals
3. There is a relationship between music and visuals: this relationship either amplifies, illustrates or contradicts each other
4. The record label demands that the music video includes a lot of close up shots of the artist and this artist creates a visual style, (niche) that runs through other pieces of work
5. There is a constant feature of the notion of looking.
6. There is usually intertextuality used from films, tv, fashion or other music videos.

Notion of Looking

Goodwins suggested that in every music video there is some reference to looking, this technique includes;

• screens within screens
• Telescopes
• Eyes
• Mirrors
• Looking glass
• Voyeurism

The notion of looking can help differentiate different characters in a music video and help the audience connect with what's being presented:

• If an artist or character was to not look directly in the the camera throughout the video it would give the effect of the audience being passive to the action as they are not being addressed directly
• If an artist or character was to look directly into the camera it would act as a way of bringing the audience into the video as it seems that the viewer is being recognised directly
• Through an eye-line match the notion of looking is also created as the audience is yet again brought into the video via seeing exactly what the artist/character can see.

Intertextuality 

Intertextuality in music videos describes the visual features presented that have been taken from different sources such as fashion, cinema, other music videos and technology. The use of this technique may increase interest and sustain an understanding of what is trying to be delivered as the audience already recognise what they see. However the use of intertextuality may create a new buzz of younger audience interest as the references deliver an appeal that reflects that of the original souses. 

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes movie and 
Madonna's Material girl music video 

• Intertextuality and cinema is often used primarily due to the amount of directors who will use music video's as a starting point towards directing movies. David Fincher who directed thriller film 'Seven' directed the music video 'Vogue' for Madonna in his earlier career. Another Madonna music video 'Material Girl' (1985) featured images that reflected the film, 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' (1953). By using visual elements from 32 years in the past, the video may have appealed to a more mature historically away audience.

Robbie Williams 'Let Love be your Energy'

• Intertextuality and technology is a newer feature that may appeal more to the younger audiences due to the lack of historical references. technology would also appeal to the younger audience because of the ability to create more cartoon and video-game like characters that can be matches with console games and TV animation shows. Both Robbie Williams and Red Hot Chilli Peppers have featured technology with intertextuality in their videos.

Red Hot Chilli Peppers 'Calcification'

 Niki Minaj - Your love  

This recently released video features intertextuality with fashion. It incorporates an oriental theme of clothing and setting. It could be possible that the effect of a different culture presented creates more of an impact in delivering the intended message because of the huge differences it has with the UK; although the audience can still identify the references.



Bang Bang Bang - Mark Ronson & The Buisness Intl

Another video released in 2010 uses intertextuality with technology and TV that set the scene of a 70's-style  Japanese chat show. The video captures the characters transform and materialize in a style used in Japanese 'animé' shows such as gundam wing (1995.)