GCSE MEDIA STUDIES

1. MUSIC VIDEO
ANALYSIS

2. A N D R E W G O O D W I N ’ S T H E O R Y
• In his book ‘Dancing in the Distraction Factory’ Andrew
Goodwin points out characteristics and features that
can be found in music videos.

3. 1 . MUSIC VIDEOS MORE OF TEN THAN NOT TEND TO
INCLUDE A DEMONSTRAT ION OF A TYPICAL GENRE
CHARACTERIST ICS
• For example a video of a stage performance is typical
for a metal video, a dance routing typical for a boy/girl
band and bikini clad women by a pool and flashy sports
cars in a rap video.
• Music videos can also link to film genres, this is known
as intertextuality e.g. Many heavy rock songs are
influenced by horror films.

4. 2 . THERE ARE FREQUENT
REFERENCES TO THE NOT ION
OF LOOKING AND THE
VOYEURIST IC TREATMENT OF
THE FEMALE BODY
• The notion of looking includes men or
women being portrayed, seductively or if
there is eye contact with the camera. The
notion of looking can also be referenced
by the use of props.
• e.g. Mirrors, television, screens, cameras,
telescopes, binoculars and magnifying
glasses are all references to, these are
commonly used.
• Voyeurism is widely used to sell the
artist’s music through sex appeal, a
recent example being Miley Cyrus.
Voyeurism today is only shown at one
angle. You do not see a male doing that,
only women.

5. 3 . THERE IS A RELAT IONSHIP BETWEEN LYRICS AND
VISUALS. THE LYRICS ARE REPRESENTED WI TH IMAGES
(EI THER I L LUSTRAT IVE, AMPL I FYING, CONTRADICT ING)
“The sun goes down” “I’m glad you came”
“And I decided you look well on me, well on me” “Now I’ll take you by the hand”

6. 4 . THERE IS A
SUCCINCT
RELAT IONSHIP
BETWEEN MUSIC AND
VISUALS
• e.g. either illustrative,
amplifying, contradicting.
• e.g. this can be seen in
killer/papa was a rolling
stone by George Michael

7. 5 . THE RECORD LABEL WHICH THE ART IST
IS ASSIGNED TO TENDS TO HAVE CERTAIN
DEMANDS. THEY OF TEN INCLUDE THE
NEEDS FOR LOTS OF CLOSE UPS OF THE
ART IST AND THE ART IST WI L L HAVE A
VISUAL STYLE WHICH RECURS ACROSS THE
WORK
• e.g. An example of visual
style could be Bjork as she
is always wearing quirky
clothes
• The 4th wall is broken
near always when the
video is a performance.
This is direct address and
seem like they are singing
to us.

8. 6 . THERE IS OF TEN
INTERTEXTUAL REFERENCES
( TO F I LMS, TV PROGRAMMES,
OTHER MUSIC VIDEOS ETC. )
AUDIENCES ENJOY KNOWING
T H E ‘ I N J O K E ’ .
• e.g. Destiny’s Child doing
Independent Women
referencing Charlie’s
Angels
• Katy Perry - Roar
• Survivor - Eye of the Tiger

9. 6 . THERE IS OF TEN
INTERTEXTUAL REFERENCES
( TO F I LMS, TV PROGRAMMES,
OTHER MUSIC VIDEOS ETC. )
AUDIENCES ENJOY KNOWING
T H E ‘ I N J O K E ’ .
• Survivor - Eye of the Tiger
• How does the video inform
your understanding of Katy
Perry song Roar?
• In what ways does this song
change your understanding
of Katy Perry song?
• Queen - We are the
Champions

10. 6 . THERE IS OF TEN
INTERTEXTUAL REFERENCES
( TO F I LMS, TV PROGRAMMES,
OTHER MUSIC VIDEOS ETC. )
AUDIENCES ENJOY KNOWING
T H E ‘ I N J O K E ’ .
• Queen - We are the
Champions
• What connections might
there be with this song?
• What are the message all
three artists are trying to
communicate?

11. Intertexual thinking can also be looking at patterns
of events across stories, or looking at how authors
have chosen to convey ideas about the same topic
in different ways

12. NARRAT IVE
• Narrative videos consist of a story playing out within
the music video. The audience is usually drawn into a
narrative within the video and it has some sort of
resolution to the story by the end of the video.
• This style of music video is common within the Pop
genre and is generally combined with performance
components in a part style of a video.
• Bruno Mars - Grenade

13. CONCEPT
• Conceptual music videos consist of an idea (or
concept) that may be abstract and does not necessarily
adhere to a narrative.
• This style has been used in most genres and is often
combined with performance in order to create a full
video.
• Kanye West - Runaway (Full Length)

14. PERFORMANCE
• This consists of the band or artist performing the lyrics
to the camera in with a staged, or live setting.
• A music video that is purely performance based is
commonly found within the ‘harder rock’ genres,
however this style is usually combined with a narrative
or concept in any kind of genre.
• 30 Second to Mars - Closer to the Edge

15. BEYONCE
• Writes ‘sexy songs’ that are aspirational to a female
demographic but also with a secondary male audience
in mind – emotional but also with an upbeat mode of
address that has a feel good factor. She arguably,
along with artists like Lady Gaga with whom she
collaborated with on the song and music video
“Telephone” can be categorised as a post feminist
icon mapping Angela McRobbie’s theory.

16. • She allows herself to be framed for the male gaze but is very much in
control of her representation. Her lyrics make speak of stereotypical
female preoccupations like love and relationships but also female
sexuality and empowerment – as such she is seen as a female role
model. On stage she has an alter ego called Sasha Fierce that is at
odds with her squeaky clean persona.
• Beyonce is associated with high production value entertainment,
particularly through the financial backing of Columbia Records and the
video has elaborate costume design like “Telephone”, use of digital
special effects, multiple camera technology and an extensive cast
• Beyonce - Run The World Girls

17. ONE DIRECT ION
• “Live While We’re Young” young, heterosexual males are represented aged
between 18 and 20. The band themselves are English, Irish and mixed race
but universally represented as carefree and fun, following the stereotype of
young people of that age – the title of the song anchors these connotations as
being free from commitment.
• In terms of mise-en-scene and dress code the band are framed as trendy
and attractive to maintain their fan base appeal whilst at the same time
maintaining their appearance as ‘normal’ teenage boys. There is a distinct
suggestion that they are also framed as role models but certainly fit the
hegemonic cultural stereotype of being young, free and single – this
ensures the myth of personal communication with their audience remains
evident, as is their apparent ‘availability’ to their fans.
• One Direction - Live While We’re Young

18. IMPORTANCE OF
INTERTEXTUAL I TY
• Take a look at this Prezi and look at some of the
intertextual examples that are displayed

19. • Analyse, in reference to the clear categories of:
• Codes and conventions of the Music Video
• Narrative
• Mise-en-Scene
• Representation and gender identity including voyeurism
• Performance – the role of the camera and editing
• Intertextuality including parody and pastiche
• The role of institution and audience
• Applied media theory (Goodwin, Mulvey, Barthes and Richard Dyer in particular).
• Ensure the videos are a mix of contemporary and historical e.g. Happy - Pharrell Williams, Miley Cyrus -
Wrecking Ball, Gaga/Beyonce – Telephone, Taylor Swift - Change but also Peter Gabriel -
Sledgehammer and Talking Heads – Once on a Lifetime for example.

20. MUSIC VIDEO 1
FEATURES CRI T ICAL OBSERVAT ION
GENRE CHARACT ERI ST ICS: CODES AND
CONVENT IONS
MI SE-EN-SCENE
NARRAT I VE - WHAT STORY I S BEING TOLD?
WHAT ISSUES OF REPRESENT AT ION AND
ST EREOT YPING ARE EVIDENT ?
I S THE VIDEO PERFORMANCE, NARRAT I VE
OR CONCEPT BASED? HOW MUCH OF EACH?
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE CAMERA?
ARE THERE ANY INT ERT EXTUAL
REFERENCES
WHAT ARE THE PRODUCTION VALUES, HOW WAS
FUNDING SECURED, WHERE WAS THE VIDEO
DISTRIBUTED, AND WHO IS THE INTENDED TARGET
AUDIENCE?
APPL IED THEORY

21. MUSIC VIDEO 2
FEATURES CRI T ICAL OBSERVAT ION
GENRE CHARACT ERI ST ICS: CODES AND
CONVENT IONS
MI SE-EN-SCENE
NARRAT I VE - WHAT STORY I S BEING TOLD?
WHAT ISSUES OF REPRESENT AT ION AND
ST EREOT YPING ARE EVIDENT ?
I S THE VIDEO PERFORMANCE, NARRAT I VE
OR CONCEPT BASED? HOW MUCH OF EACH?
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE CAMERA?
ARE THERE ANY INT ERT EXTUAL
REFERENCES
WHAT ARE THE PRODUCTION VALUES, HOW WAS
FUNDING SECURED, WHERE WAS THE VIDEO
DISTRIBUTED, AND WHO IS THE INTENDED TARGET
AUDIENCE?
APPL IED THEORY

22. MUSIC VIDEO 3
FEATURES CRI T ICAL OBSERVAT ION
GENRE CHARACT ERI ST ICS: CODES AND
CONVENT IONS
MI SE-EN-SCENE
NARRAT I VE - WHAT STORY I S BEING TOLD?
WHAT ISSUES OF REPRESENT AT ION AND
ST EREOT YPING ARE EVIDENT ?
I S THE VIDEO PERFORMANCE, NARRAT I VE
OR CONCEPT BASED? HOW MUCH OF EACH?
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE CAMERA?
ARE THERE ANY INT ERT EXTUAL
REFERENCES
WHAT ARE THE PRODUCTION VALUES, HOW WAS
FUNDING SECURED, WHERE WAS THE VIDEO
DISTRIBUTED, AND WHO IS THE INTENDED TARGET
AUDIENCE?
APPL IED THEORY