Research: Analysing A Music Video Using Andrew Goodwin's 6 Features Of Music Videos

Best pop video – Budget

Director: Eoin Glaister

In his book Dancing in the Distraction Factory (1992) Andrew Goodwin points out 6 characteristics and features that can be found in music videos. 

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).

(From Andrew Goodwin, DANCING IN THE DISTRACTION FACTORY, 1992.)

1.   Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics. (e.g. stage performance in metal videos, dance routine for boy/girl band, aspiration in Hip Hop). 

The genre of the music video which I chose is a pop music video. 
Pop songs are usually quite upbeat which is reflected in the editing of the music videos, which is usually fast paced with quick cuts to different shots of the band/artist (mostly of the singer) and/or the actors. In terms of Mise-en-Scene, the music videos will often have bright lighting and props - creating a happy tone - which appeal to a younger audience, in addition to having the artists and actors in either bright colourful clothing or the latest trends which their target audience find fashionable. Much like the target audience of the genre Pop, artists and the actors in their videos are usually quite young so they are relatable to the audience. Pop music videos often contain lots of movement and close-ups - so the audience can recognize them - of the artists lip syncing (like most music videos of any genre) especially of them performing or dancing to their songs. If a pop video has a narrative it usually centers around young people in love or a narrative with a positive message behind it. these types of videos attract the younger audiences because the situations shown are similar to their own experiences so it makes the video relevant to them. Additionally pop music videos sometimes reference other artists and pop culture and sometimes products (if they are being sponsored) because these things are either current in the media or seen as cool. 


This music video does reinforce the expectations of this genre, to a certain extent.  
The tone of the music video is not stereo typically happy like most music videos of this genre, which is shown through the Mise-en-Scene. Natural lighting has been used as the video has been shot in the early evening which reinforces the main characters feeling of sadness due to a broken heart. Similarly to the majority of pop music videos, the narrative is centered around love, the main character likes a girl to then see her kissing his friend. However, the video is non-linear and the audience is shown flash backs (before he is heartbroken where he and the girl were close), all of these scenes were filmed when it was still relatively light creating a happier tone, which is a juxtaposition of the characters feelings in present time. The actors shown in the video are of the same age of the target audience and appear to be in secondary school judging by the school uniforms they are wearing in some of the scenes and also by the different coats/jackets they wear, which is similar to what you would expect teenagers to be wearing (hoodies, leggings/jeans). 
The artist, Aquilo, does not appear at all in the video which is quite uncommon for this genre as the artists often have the most screen time instead of the entire music video consisting of just narrative. The Editing used in this video is not as fast paced as you would normally expect a pop music video to be, however, this is not so surprising as the tempo of the song is rather slow. 

2.    There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images. (either illustration, amplification or contradiction). 

At the start of the video, the first thing the audience sees is  a handheld long shot of the main character getting out of a car - which we can assume is his friend's as he is the only one seen driving in the video - that seems like has been crashed into a gate by him, and walk off with the camera panning across him. The next shot is of a large concrete structure on a grassy cliff top which he approaches in the next shot. There is an extreme long/point of view shot framing a small part of land next to the sea, then a mid-shot of him looking out  at it. From then on in the video it switches from present time to flashbacks showing the gradual change of his relationships with the girl he likes and his friend, leading up to where he sees her kiss his friend. The music video ends on similar to the start with the main character still staring out to sea on the cliff in a mid shot then a point of view in an extreme long shot of the sea. 

The narrative of the video definitely illustrates the what is being described in the lyrics of the song quite closely. For example, the main line of the chorus is "I'm losing you" which is the main message the video tries to convey, which is shown throughout as the main character realises he has lost the girl he likes to his friend. 


3.    There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music. (either illustration, amplification or contradiction). 

I think the music video for this song reflects the tone and atmosphere of the song very well. The music video has a very calm atmosphere which goes well with the songs sad tone in combination with the slow-paced editing with fairly long shots between cuts which really reflects the pace and the tempo of the music. The mise-en-scene also helps to emphasise the tone of the song due to the casts' acting, there we are shown lots of sad/upset and angry facial expressions and much happier ones during the flashbacks. 
Unlike most music videos of the pop genre the artist doesn't have any screen time and there is no lip syncing from the actors either. 

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). 

The artist Aquilo, is not actually promoted in the video as he does not have any screen time, instead, just the actors are shown however there are lots of close-up of them to show the characters emotions. This is quite uncommon for this genre as promoting the artists image is one of the most important things in a pop video as it is what shows what the artist represents and the genre of music they make. An artist's image is usually established in music videos through lots of close-ups of their face, allowing them to have a lot of screen time - usually, it is the singers out of a band that get the most as they are the frontmen of the band - so people will recognise them and long shots which show their style through their clothing which might make them more popular to their audience depending on what genre they fit into. 

5.    There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, mirrors, stages, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body. 

No, there isn't any evidence of this in this music video, mainly because I think this song and music video is aimed at a younger audience especially judging by how old the actors in the music video are as it is shown through the mise-en-scene  that they are still in school as they are seen wearing school uniforms. 

6.    There are often intertextual reference (to films, tv programmes, other music videos etc).

There doesn't appear to be any references to any other media in the music video, possibly because it wouldn't fit with the concept of the video, which is to illustrate the lyrics through the visuals and so referencing other music videos or films/tv might seem random. However, a lot of pop music videos do reference other artists, for example, 'Moves Like Jagger' by Maroon Five, both the song and music video reference Mick Jagger, the singer of the Rolling Stones, with videos of him and other people auditioning as Mick Jagger Impersonators, imitating him dancing. Some artists also reference films as a way of promoting both the film and their music which would then be included in the films soundtrack or on the end credits. One example of this is 21 Pilots' music video for 'Heathens' which is set in a prison that resembles the one in the film 'Suicide Squad' (2016)  which includes snippets of the characters in scenes from the film. 
Although this music video doesn't directly reference any other music videos it does remind me of a lot of other pop music videos as they all mostly have the same narrative of love which is a recurring theme of this genre. 

Independent Research: Importance Of Image

This is an article I found while researching how artists are promoted through music videos, written by someone who has been involved in the music industry, as I will have to create an image for my chosen artist (which will be an Indie artist). I feel that this is something that will be useful to gain a better understanding on for when I create a music video, magazine advertisement, and CD Digipack.
This article was posted on DIY Musician, a website aimed at Independent artists, which offers advice and information on promotion and how to have a successful career in the music industry.

Click Here to visit the website.

[This article was written by guest contributor Brandon Seymour.]

I’ve played in bands on and off for nearly 15 years. In addition to being a musician, I’m also passionate about marketing. Over the past couple of years, I’ve written several articles aimed at helping local, independent musicians improve their online marketing strategy by boosting brand awareness, leveraging social media and building a strong online presence. It just sort of made sense. I enjoy marketing and I enjoy music, so why not integrate the two in some way?

I learned a lot from working with different clients over the years, and I’ve been able to take some of the things I learned at my day job and apply them to my musical projects. What I didn’t realize at the time though, was that the most valuable insight I gained wasn’t from marketing. Instead, it was something I learned from playing in bands that would end up changing my outlook as a marketing professional. I learned that image is, and quite possibly always will be, more important than music. And the same holds true for just about anything else. Image is everything.

They call it “show business” for a reason. The music industry (and I use that term very loosely) isn’t concerned with art or expression. It’s not about identity or originality. And it’s definitely not about talent. It’s about money. I’m not saying that you won’t ever be appreciated as an artist. I’m also not saying that being an artistic genius precludes you from mainstream success. I’m saying that the music industry as a whole doesn’t care who you are unless they can profit from what you have to offer – regardless of how amazing or awful you actually are. It’s not evil, it’s just business. As with any other business, even the greatest products can’t sell themselves; the image or brand perception is what makes people want to buy.

Interestingly enough, in most cases when people argue that image is more important than the music itself, they’re usually referring to the “mainstream” industry. But how is the “indie” or “underground” industry any different? Sure, Bleached may not make nearly as much money as Mumford and Sons, but that doesn’t make image any less relevant. Remember, the goal of the “industry” itself, big or small, is to sell. Be it selling CD’s and t-shirts or selling out stadiums. The scale may vary, but it’s essentially the same concept. The indie scene cunningly masquerades as a collective movement that caters to artistic integrity over image, when in reality, image is essentially the lifeblood of the underground music industry.

A couple years ago, I was sitting at a bar with a friend who also happened to be a fellow musician. We met after our bands played a short string of shows together a year or two prior. Since both of us were looking for new projects at the time, we thought why not start a band together? In terms of musical taste, we were never really on the same page. It wasn’t like we played together and shouted “this is it!” or anything. But that didn’t matter. The only thing we had in common was that we both liked our music loud and fast. Like the sound a spoon makes when it’s stuck in a garbage disposal, only with more reverb and feedback. But we also had something else in common that felt a lot more promising than liking the same band or sub-genre. We both knew what we wanted to achieve and had a pretty good idea of how we could make it happen. All we had to do was focus on the overall image, and the rest would come. In a lot of ways, the music is the easy part. The trick is laying a solid foundation.

In our first few months starting out, we built a website, established a solid social following, received press mentions from several local newspapers, all while averaging 5 shows a month. Not too shabby for a local band, right out of the gate. A few months later, we were opening for national acts and headlining local festivals. Two separate publications named us “Best Rock Band” in South Florida, and another ranked us #2 on a list of the top local bands in Florida that should already be famous. Soon we were turning down more shows than we were playing. Eventually, were doing what we loved and we were getting paid what we felt we deserved, which felt pretty good.

We’re not exceptionally talented or good looking. We didn’t practice every day or spend countless hours writing songs. We played all covers for the first few shows and no one ever knew the difference. None of us have rich parents and we never asked for a dime in any Kick Starter campaign. We pretty much had no budget whatsoever. We never made t-shirts. We never toured. We never even recorded (until very recently). We’re just normal people with regular jobs that wanted to make something special. The only reason we were able to make it happen was because of the image that we created for ourselves.

I get that it’s not always about fame and fortune, and that plenty of artists simply have zero interest in commercializing their music whatsoever. But I think it’s safe to say that the vast majority of indie artists at least want to gain exposure, even if it’s not for profits. Exposure isn’t free, though. You have to earn it. I’m not saying you can’t earn it with your music alone, but if you have the whole package, your chances improve significantly. Image doesn’t mean changing who you are or what you stand for. You don’t need to make a statement or box yourself into some subculture. Image is about consistency and an unwavering commitment to a specific tone, look and feel. It’s about creating something that people can stand behind because they feel as if it’s more than just a product; it’s a brand they can trust.

Author bio: Brandon Seymour is founder of Beymour Consulting – a Florida-based SEO and content marketing agency. Brandon has a passion for live music and has played in several different bands and hundreds of shows over the past 15 years. You can follow him on Twitter and Google+.

Research: 3 Potential Artists And Albums

For my presentation regarding the three potential artists and albums I will choose from, I chose to use a presentation tool called Visme. Here are screen shots of each of the slides in my presentation. 

Research (Independent Reading) NME: What Makes A Good Music Video

As part of my research into how to make a good music video I read this article by NME in addition to watching the music videos mentioned and also making my own observations on how the camera, editing and Mise-en-Scene was used. I found this quite useful as it has helped me to more easily recognise the different codes and conventions of music videos of a specific genres from artists that I wouldn't usually listen to. 

To celebrate the launch of their new video site (NMEvideo.com) in 2011 the NME (New Musical Express) interviewed Sasha Nixon - head of music videos and executive producer at Partizan. She's overseen award-winning videos for Klaxons, LCD Soundsystem, The Horrors and Bjork. Amongst her roster are directors such as Michel Gondry and Saam Farahmand.





What makes a great music video?
As difficult to answer as 'what makes a great song' - it really depends on several factors. For me, it's often a singular stylistic tone that transcends whatever is fashionable, and suggests a brand new aesthetic. Or it could be as simple as a superbly choreographed and edited performance - if the artist/band is mesmerising enough to hold that without the need for bells and whistle. Or just a brilliant, witty concept. And a good track certainly helps.

Why do so many film directors start in video?

There is the obvious link between young film students being of the age where they are really into bands and music so find inspiration and opportunities there, but also the fact that record companies actively want to hire students, or not-yet-established young directors to make their videos, because it's alot cheaper.

Has the internet changed the way we consume music videos?

Yes definitely. We now have 'on demand' videos thanks to Youtube whereas before we had to wait for MTV to play the video we liked. There is an overwhelming wealth and breadth of videos to consume thanks to the internet, but whether that means we pay as much attention to music videos as we did back in the day, when you knew Madonna's new video would be played at 8pm on Friday and everyone tuned in... I don't know. It's perhaps all more throwaway now, but that applies to alot of things we can consume online these days.



Is the change good or bad?

I suppose a bit of both. I miss the 'event' that a new video could be, but that's also because releasing music has been democratised, so I'm generally overwhelmed by the amount of new artists there are to discover, let alone watching all their videos.

Do you think YouTube has helped or hindered music videos? 

Both. It's a pleasure to be able to tune into your favourite video when you want, but I'm worried about the notion that on the internet you can get whatever you want for free whenever you want. As the music industry lose money due to this phenonmenon, they spend less and less on videos which reduces quality and opportunity, and means talent gets quickly frustrated (and broke) in the video arena and moves quickly onto tv drama, commercials, and all those other areas that are a bit less fun and creative. It is slowly but surely creating a talent drain, and videos will be less ambitious, have less scope. I don't see it as remaining a breeding ground for the new Gondrys, Cunninghams, Jonzes, who then go onto make fantastic films on the back of learning their craft in videos.

What do you think of the spate of the longer music videos that sprang up last year ('Telephone', 'Born Free')?

I wish there were more of these but it's a case of there not being enough budgets to do this kind of thing anymore. They are one-off's.

What do you make of Ok Go’s style of music video making? 

They were very clever to find another path to get their music noticed, because their songs aren't memorable or catchy enough. If only more bands were talented visual creatives/directors, things would be a lot more interesting. 

What do you think of stuff like Arcade Fire’s interactive video and Pendulum’s 3D video? 

Interesting and clever for a few minutes but not something that I will personally remember for too long. Technology dates itself so 3D and interactivity will feel basic and anachronistic as time goes by. There's nothing wrong with that, all music videos are a time capsule in their own way, but I just can't get excited about the immersive experience of clicking my mouse all over a browser while watching windows pop open and a track playing in the background. Each to their own, many I'm sure love it.

How has the recession affected music videos? 

In a terrible way, sadly. The epic music video is a thing of the past and it makes me sad. Telephone and Born Free - these music video 'events' are rare exceptions that will only come out from the dwindling number of very rich artists. And labels spending less on videos mean you can only get them made by using alot of favours (aka exploiting people's goodwill) rather than actually paying for them. Why should people work consistently for bands or record companies for free? When labels say to me 'We really want a really glossy pop video but we can only spend £5k', it's like me saying 'I really want a 3 bedroom house in Chelsea but I only have £50k'. That side of it is pretty demoralising.

Have musicians attitudes to music videos changed since you became involved in them?

Not particularly. They seem still to see the importance of the music video in their campaign, in a way it's as important as the song being played on radio. If anything, they seem to want more and more videos, such as we have seen in recent times where some bands make a video for every track on an album.

What do you think of David Cameron’s plans for film certificate-style ratings for music videos? 

I think it's fair enough. Speaking as a female, I feel very demoralised by the sexualisation of women in videos, especially as it's often a bandage placed over blatant lack of talent. Don't get me wrong, I can love a sexy video when done well, eg Ciara's 'Ride', because she's genuinely amazing in it, but alot of the time, the results are simply exploitative. A 17 year old girl band who don't know any better than to basically poledance in their video and send tragic messages to the 10 years old that admire them about what one needs to look like to be attractive or what one needs to do to attract a man - that's what I have a problem with. 
Perhaps it's when a female artist is that bit older and more in control of her sexuality and image, and not trying too hard but just being naturally sexual, and not being svengalied by a sleezy 50 year old manager, then it feels way less tragic to me. Lykke Li is surely way sexier than Nicole Sherzingher.

What are your 5 favourite music videos?

'Let Forever Be' - Chemical Brothers by Michel Gondry. 

What can I say, it's a classic... it's so wonky with its mixed up use of formats and lofi and hi fi techniques. This was the first time I'd seen anything that inventive on so many different levels.

Triumph Of A Heart - Bjork by Spike Jonze.

It's my favourite of all their collaborations maybe because it just feels like that's how Bjork's life genuinely rolls in Iceland.

Forever Dolphin Love - Connan Mockasin by Daniel Brereton.

There is so much heart in this strange video.

Somebody To Love Me - Mark Ronson by Saam Farahmand.

Apart from being a great song, and great video, very few people realise it stars actress Diane Kruger as Boy George - and I love that, so refreshing because it's so anti-hype.

It's Automatic - Zoot Woman - by Mike Mills.

It's no grand concept in this video, but it fills me with both melancholy and joy every time I see it.

What’s the future of music videos?
An increase in hobbying directors springing up, brandishing their Canon 5D's and shooting lo fi but hopefully exciting videos for their mate's band. The end of shooting on film, which is very tragic.More product placement.

Read more at http://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/what-makes-a-great-music-video#KYPAP2uT3OT3cOwv.99