Andrew Goodwin's Theory

Andrew Goodwin has identified a number of key features which distinguish the music video as a form:

- There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals, with the visuals illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the lyrics.

- There is a relationship between the music and the visuals, with the visuals illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the music.

- Genres are complex and diverse in terms of music video style and iconography

- Record companies will demand a lot of close-ups of the main artist or vocalist

- Voyeurism is present in many music videos, especially in the treatment of females, but also in terms of systems of looking. Some examples are screens within screens, cameras, mirrors, etc.

- There are likely to be intertexual references, either to other music videos or to films and TV texts, these provide further gratification and pleasure for the viewers/fans.

- There are three different aspects of music videos; Illustration, Disjuncture and Amplification.