Goodwin’s conventions of a music video.

For each of Goodwin’s conventions, you could have a separate post that briefly outlines what the convention and relates this to actual examples from real videos or you could include it all in one single post. 1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics. (e.g. stage performance in metal videos, dance routine for boy/girl band, aspiration in Hip Hop). 2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images. (Either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting). 3. There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music. (Either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting). This is linked to the concept of Synaesthesia - Seeing the sound, the visual, including the editing make the sound visual. There is a physical representation of verse/chorus structure. “This idea is absolutely central to understand music videos as they build on the soundtrack’s visual associations in order to connect with the audience and provide additional pleasure.” Pete Fraser 4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style that reflects their star image/persona). 5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, mirrors, stages, etc.) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body. (Mulvey) 6. There are often intertextual references (to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc.). (Barthes, Allen, Stewart)

What is a music video?

The video lasts at least as long as the track (can be longer if you have an intro or outro or both.) The video features the artist/band quite prominently. The video features some element of performance- singing and playing instruments (usually miming) and often dancing or acting too . The video has some kind of concept along with the track. The video does not feature a complete narrative but the concept may involve fragments of narrative. Different genres of music produce slightly different visual conventions in music videos. Pete Fraser http://petesmediablog.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/music-video-for-level.html

Task.

A promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video, together with: A digipak for the album's release. A magazine advertisement for the digipak.