Andrew Goodwin - Music Video Theory

Andrew Goodwin discusses six different conventions or music videos.

1. Goodwin states that there is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals - that the visuals illustrate, amplify or contradict the lyrics. For example, "Season 2 Episode 3" by Glass Animals illustrates the lyric - on the line "My girl eats mayonnaise/from a jar when she's getting blazed", the girl in the video is shown eating from a jar of mayonnaise.
2. Thought Beats - Essentially seeing the sounds - the visuals illustrate, amplify or contradict the lyrics. Thought beats can also refer to when a video is edited in time to the music/pace of the song. For example, the music video for "Isombard" by Declan McKenna showcases this with shots that switch between each other on the beat of the song.

3. Genre-related style and iconography present - this is when an artist/genre has a particular motif that appears in all/most of their music videos and is recognisable as iconic. For example, Hayley Williams of Paramore is notable for her brightly coloured hair and makeup.

4. Multiple close-ups of the main artist or vocalist - this refers to the creation of a star image in order to promote a recognisable brand image. The video for "Love" by Lana Del Rey shows many cloe-up shots of Lana herself, showing her style and branding.