Music Video Codes & Conventions

Andrew Goodwin's Music Video Theory: 

"Dancing in the Distraction Factory" 

To briefly summarise, Goodwin published a book called "Dancing in the Distraction Factory" in 1992 that explores his theory of music videos. Goodwin's theory is as follows; that music videos are often constructed by the link between the visuals, the song, and the artist.

Just like all media products, music videos follow a set of codes and conventions - Goodwin focuses on 7 key points in his theory:

1. All music videos have certain genre characteristics, depending on the genre of music.
2. More often than not there is a relationship between the visuals and the lyrics.
3. There is a relationship between the music and the lyrics.
4. The demand of the record label will be evident in the video.
5. Artist Iconography
6. The notion of looking
7. Intertextual

1.) The Genre Link

This point argues that the visuals we see within a music video are going to be appropriately chosen to suit the genre of the song itself. For example, if you look at the song "Teenagers" by My Chemical Romance, you'll see the video has a link to the genre of the music which is punk rock and in the video the people are dressed in the grunge fashions associated with this genre.

2.) The link between lyrics and visuals

It's considered the norm for the lyrics of a video to have a direct link to the visuals, meaning that the visuals can either enforce or contradict the point the lyrics are trying to put across (depending on the intended message of the song/video.) 

For example, in "Chasing Pavements" by Adele, we see the subjects of the video shot from above enacting their meeting; they're laid on a pavement (which is an artistic exploration of their memories, while their positioning is due to a car crash) while Adele sings out "should I give up, or should I just keep chasing pavements".

3.) The link between the music and the video

To match the tone and atmosphere of the music with the visuals simply makes sense, because otherwise audiences are likely to fail to see the link and the music video will be pointless. In "TiK ToK" by Ke$ha for example, the dancey pop music is matched appropriately by the visuals showing it as being played in a houseparty/rave at the end of the video, while the coloured club lighting and glitter further anchors the party atmosphere.

4.) Meeting the label's demands

The record label are 99% of the time the source of the video's funding, which means that ultimately they get control of what happens. So it's very common that the label will often make executive decisions about what an artist does/how they appear (they're only the label's product right? They're obviously not actual humans with emotions or anything, oh no, they're just marketable goods.) These decisions aren't always beneficial to the artist as an individual, and occasionally lead to public backlash, but most of the time everything's 'just fine!' 

5.) Iconography

Continuing with the idea of selling the artist as a product brings us to branding! The quickest way to create a memorable brand for an artist is to find their unique selling point, and then find some visual to use in association with them, such as Sia's wig or the unnerving, mickey mouse-esque head that DeadMau5 never takes off. 

DeadMau5

Sia

Daft Punk

6.) Voyeurism 

Screenshot from "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke. An alternate
version of the video was released, featuring the women fully nude.

Voyeurism, to put it simply, is the pleasure people feel when viewing someone sexualised. Basically, this links to the constant sexualization of women and Mulvey's 'Male Gaze' theory; music videos are as equally guilty as film and television for playing on these tactics, as evidenced in videos such as Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" video or Justin Bieber's "Sorry" video.

Screenshot from "Sorry" by Justin Bieber

7.) Intertextuality
Intertextuality is the referencing of other media's or events, and while it can be/is often used for humour it can also facilitate the linking of the video to a certain theme/idea/concept.
For example, intertextuality was used within the music videos of the songs released for the Suicide Squad soundtrack, such as "Heathens" by Twenty One Pilots, and "Purple Lamborghini" by Skrillex and Rick Ross. These videos included intertextuality by recreating the film's atmosphere (e.g. sets), using the actors in character, and including actual clips from the film.

Intertextuality is used here where we see Jared Leto in the music video as the Joker