Andrew Goodwin Dancing in the Distraction Factory What things do we see in a music video? (i.e. dance routine, etc.) List as many as you can.

Dancing in the Distraction Factory Andrew Goodwin wrote Dancing in the Distraction Factory in 1992 He identified features that are used in music video and highlighted the conventions of the music promo

1. Genre Characteristics Andrew Goodwin states that different genres of music use different key conventions in their videos What would you expect to see in the following genres? Genre Conventions Rock Pop Hip Hop

2. Relationship of Lyrics to the Visuals Goodwin states there is always a relationship between the lyrics of the song and the visual images in the music video It can happen in 3 different ways: ILLUSTRATE AMPLIFY CONTRADICT

Illustrate Music videos can use a set of images to illustrate the meaning of lyrics – this is the most common used in promos Vance Joy – ‘Riptide’

The Script – ‘Hall of Fame’ Amplify The images in a music video can add additional meanings that aren’t at first always obvious in the lyrics. This is known as amplifying The Script – ‘Hall of Fame’

The Strokes – ‘You Only Live Once’ Contradict This is where the music video completely ignores the meaning of the song or contradicts the lyrics The Strokes – ‘You Only Live Once’

Relation of Music to the Visuals The visuals in a music video will almost always have a connection to the pace of the music and song The video can be edited so that the visuals again Illustrate, Amplify or Contradict the beat of the song Gorrilaz – ‘Feel Good Inc’ Nirvana – ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ Skrillex – ‘Bangarang’

3. Develop a Style / Genre related Motifs Most artists have a trend of repeating certain actions in their music videos – establishing a Motif (or trademark) - making the video recognisable – This is demanded by the record label

Motifs can also be used for different aspects of the mise en scene (i Motifs can also be used for different aspects of the mise en scene (i.e. location, costumes, colour) and are genre specific

Britney Spears – ‘My Prerogative’ 3. Close Ups – Star Image A common feature in music videos is the use of close ups. They are used to show the artist throughout the video to make them more recognisable and create an image (Star Image) They are often used in female artists videos to sexualise the artist Britney Spears – ‘My Prerogative’

Beyonce– ‘Video Phone’ 4. Notion of looking In videos there are frequent references to the notion of looking and in particular a voyeuristic treatment of the female body Beyonce– ‘Video Phone’

5. Intertextual References Goodwin finally states that music videos are often filled with intertextual references. Audiences will recognise the visuals or lyrics to reference another media text. They will engage with video and feel gratified if they recognise the reference Weezer– ‘Pork and Beans’

Homework Research and apply music videos to Goodwin’s 5 conventions of music promos: Genre Characteristics Relationship between visuals and lyrics, and visuals and music Demands of the Record Label – Motifs and Close Ups Notion of looking – objectification of women Intertextual references (i.e. films, TV programmes, other music videos, etc.) Find examples of music videos to demonstrate each music promo convention. Include the music video and screen grabs from the video to illustrate your point