Media Theorist - Andrew Goodwin {Particular Codes and Conventions of Music Video}

Andrew Goodwin - 'Dancing in the Distraction Factory'

Originally Published: 1992
Author: Andrew Goodwin
Genre: Television Criticism

Andrew Goodwin wrote a book called 'Dancing in the Distraction Factory'; this book is based around his interests in visual language and imagery that was implicit and explicit with music videos. Goodwin always wondered whether music videos reflected the society in which we lived in and whether there were gender inequality and gender power relations portrayed within music videos.

He studied hundreds of music videos during the production and research of his book, he came up with various key codes and conventions that are shared by many music videos.

The typical codes and conventions highlighted by Andrew Goodwin are:

• There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals.
• Particular music genre's have their own music video style and iconography - {Visual Style}
• There is a demand from record companies to feature loads of Close-Ups of the main artist.
• The artist may develop their own Star Iconography, in and out of their music videos, which over time becomes part of their Star Image.
• There is likely a reference to voyeurism, particularly in the treatment of woman. {Screens within screens, Binoculars, Film and Movie Cameras etc} 
• There is likely intertextual reference either to other Music Videos, Film or TV texts.

Iconography: The visual images and symbols used in a work of art or the study or interpretation of these.

Voyeurism: The practice of gaining sexual pleasure from watching others when they are naked or engaged in sexual activity.