Music Video and Band Research Techniques {Lesson Notes}

Lyrics & Visuals:

Lyrics and Visuals were the first feature of a music video, Goodwin claimed that there was a relationship between the lyrics wrote by the artist and the visuals on the screen.

This can either be:

• Illustrating: A picture being created / illustrated.
• Amplifying: Enlarging upon or adding detail to a story or statement.
• Contradicting: Asserting the opposite of a statement made. 

Music & Visuals:

Music and Visuals are a main feature within a music video, having the music match the visuals creates a smooth transition, by complimenting the genre of music. This is often cutting the visuals in time with the music, cutting to the beat.

Genre:

The next key feature of a music video is what genre in which that music video fits, Goodwin discovered that music videos demonstrate various genre characteristics. Not only the genre of the music but the genre of video itself.

Genres include:

• Stadium Performance
• Studio Performance
• Location
• Narrative
• Conceptual / Experimental

Artist Close Up:

Goodwin expressed that a key feature of music videos is featuring several Close-Ups of the main artist. This was due to record companies demand on the requirement of the main artist being strongly featured within the music video. Some artist may develop motifs that reoccur across multiple videos. 

This includes:

• Artistic Branding: Branding is a process of clarifying who an artist is and what their goals are, a strong brand can capture a potential fan's attention and have them remember them and connect with their work.
• Celebrity Culture: Celebrity Culture is an essentially modern phenomenon that emerged amid such twentieth-century trends as urbanisation and the rapid development of consumer culture.
• Artistic Portrayal
• Implications on Looking Good

Star Iconography:

Following on from Artist Close-Ups, a feature linked to this is Star Iconography which each artist will develop over time within their music videos.

This could be through either of the following:

• Branding
• Style
• Brand Values / Unique Selling Points

Looking & Voyeurism:
Goodwin identified that within music videos that there is the concept of voyeurism. This basically means the audience sees something they would normally see or do not / should not normally see. This can be linked to 'The Male Gaze Theory' which is often used to attract the attention of heterosexual males, this often means that a woman will be objectified through the use of angles within the camera, showing off the curves of a women's body, these curves and angles are often complimented with specific conventions of film such as slow motion, deliberate camera movements and cut aways.

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

This could be in the in the form of:

• Nudity / Near Nudity / Revealing Clothes
• Exhibitionism: Extravagant behaviour that is intended to attract attention to oneself.
• Intimate Location: Bedroom
• Frame within a Frame

Intertextuality:

Lastly Goodwin noticed something particular when studying Music Videos that there are often intertextual references being made towards other Music Videos, Film and TV programs. This can be homage, pastiche or even some kind of brand synergy.

Homage: Homage is a special honour or respect shown publicly.

Pastiche: Pastiche is an artistic work in a style that imitates that of another artist.

Brand Synergy: Branding synergy simply refers to a combination of colours, logos, and text that work together to send a powerful message.