Comparing music videos

Andrew Goodwin is a media theorist who believes there is a clear link between the genre of music and the genre of visuals of music videos, meaning that the visuals of music videos are going to be styled to suit the genre of music.

Key points of Andrew Goodwin's theory

1. All music videos have certain genre characteristics, depending on the genre of music- means that the visuals of the music videos are going to be styled to suit the genre of music
2. There is often a link between visuals and lyrics- lyrics of the song, are represented through images
3. There is a relationship between music and lyrics- The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music
4. The demand of record label will be evident in the music video- The record label have a certain amount of control over the artist they sign
5. Artist iconography- Ensures that artists are dressed in a particular way through the range of there videos
6. The notion of looking- Music videos demand the audience to be voyeuristic. Voyeurism is used to increase the attractiveness of the video (particularly to males) , this is normally done through women being objectified, through camerawork and editing, with fragmented body shots that emphasise sexual treatment of the performers
7. Intertextual- This means it includes other types of media, this can include: films, TV, Programmes and other music.

Narrative music videos- A narrative music video tells a story through a chain of events that are put together to run parallel from each other. Most of the time there is a clear main character who communicates the story to the audience.

An example of a narrative music video is ' Love Me Again' by John Newman

Abstract music videos- Abstract music videos are the opposite of narrative as they have no performance or story within it, however some abstract music videos can include performance or story, although it is more likely that it includes a performance rather then a story. Abstract videos usually require a lot of editing. The main purpose of an abstract music video is to create a mood or feeling in an artistic way.  

Performance music videos- Performance music videos feature a solo artist or a band performing to the camera. This includes the recording of live performances, with the aim of demonstrating an artistic talent that is not captured in the recording, such as capturing the atmosphere of the crowd.

An example of a performance music video is Ed Sheeran ' Afterglow' this is because he is performing directly to the camera

The song ' You & I' by Bru C is a narrative music video as he tells a story to the audience. He is clearly the main character who is communicating to the audience directly. We know this from the camera shots which are mainly mid shots and close ups with him looking into the camera.