In His Book Dancing in the Distraction Factory Andrew Goodwin points out characteristics and features that can be found in music videos

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics. (e.g. stage performance in metal videos, dance routine for boy/girl band, aspiration in Hip Hop). 

1. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images. (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting). 

1. There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music. (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting). 

1. 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). 

1. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, mirrors, stages, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

1. There are often intertextual reference (to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc).

Illustration, amplification & disjuncture:

1. The artist may develop motifs or iconography that recur across their work (a visual style)

The first video I analysed is a dance video.. Calvin Harris& Disciples- How deep is your love.
This video is set in the expected setting which suits the conventions of a dance music video. The mise en scene consists of several different settings giving variety within the video. One of these is in a backstreet building, which merges into the scene of a disco like setting with flashing lights and various bright colours. The main focal point of the video is the young woman who plays the main role in the video. This emphasises the idea of the male gaze within the media as the video is very sexualised. The woman is young, and physically attractive. The clothing she wears is quite provocative and her movements and the movements of the camera shooting the actress are made to be seductive. Furthermore, there is a reference to drugs/party drugs throughout, something popular within dance culture. This is emphasised by the staggered movements of the woman, the flashing lights and a feeling of a seclusion, as if she is in a trance like state. The music video also introduces a feeling of danger, from when the woman is on the boat, with the jet skis circling, and getting closer and closer as the video progresses, to the motorbikes at the end, which circle the woman and appear to get closer and closer. This creates a common motif which is repeated throughout the music video. The theme of water is also recurring throughout. From the sea, to the swimming pool, the visuals match with the lyrics 'is it like the ocean', 'how deep is your love'. The camera shots consist of plenty of close ups of the actress in the music video, which create an intimate feel and which build to the sex appeal of the video. Moreover, the mise en scene creates a criminal feel, of young and wealthy people, possibly earning their money from criminal activities such as the drugs trade.

The second video I chose to analyse is a pop music video, by boyband one direction.
This music video incorporates all members of the boyband, by transforming them into a group of astronauts. The visuals and the themes match several of the lyrics and themes within the lyrics. For example, the title of the song is 'drag me down' and the repeated lyrics 'nobody can drag me down' match the theme of the astronauts, who are often seen to be invincible, brave beings who battle against the odds and do for many the unimaginable. Furthermore, the lyrics 'if I didn't have you i'd never see the sun' refer to space as well as 'i'm not scared of the dark' and 'I've got a fire for a heart' which could be paired with the actions of the space shuttle. The editing, such as cuts between shots are quicker when the music intensifies and builds from the bridge to the chorus. Similarly, the editing and pace of the shots slows down, such as in the middle eight, where the boys are seen slowly moving upwards in the lift. This music video contains more of a chronological story than in the dance video I analysed, for example at the start the boys are followed through the procedures of their training and towards the end they head off on their mission. There is a mixture of both serious and humourous scenes throughout this music video. The theme of space and gravity and the connotations that these create also link to the theme of space, and can be related to the lyrics 'drag me down' from their scientific meanings. 

These are all theories posed by Andrew Goodwin 
Illustration is where the images reflect the lyrics. An example of this is in the song fireflies by owl city. When the chorus is sung and the word 'fireflies' are sang, small gadgets which look like fireflies flood the room, surrounding the man. 
Amplification allows the director to create an artistic piece of work. The visuals still represent some of the meanings of the words, but often layers of meaning build a general idea and connotations of what is happening in the video. An example of this is in the music video above, how deep is your love. I talked before about the jet ski's and motorbikes which circle the boat and the woman, creating an enclosed and claustrophobic feel. This is not literal but a connotation. 
Disjuncture is when a music video purposely ignores the meaning and content of the lyrics and genre of the music. It has no relation to the lyrics and genre, and creates a whole new meaning in itself. 




This song is my the magician (DJ) and is under the genre of house. This video has several features of amplification, such as the beach. It appears to be in a warm, tropical setting. The title of the song is sunlight, and lyrics such as 'shine' and 'sunshine' are used throughout. Therefore the lyrics complement the visuals within the song. The video incorporates humor throughout, which is often seen in house and dance music videos such as in Waze & Odyssey vs. R.Kelly-Bump &Grind 2014. The video also contains elements of the male gaze. The women in the video are dressed provocatively in beach ware, and the camera shots used such as several point of view shots and eyeline matches show the male who plays the main role within the video, looking at the woman. However, the video also looks at the men in a similar way, who are also in beachwear, all of which are toned, and physically attracted. The semantics of the lyrics in conjunction with the the pitch and rhythm of the music creates and up beat feel, which the visuals compliment with their humorous narrative storyline and the lighting and scenery used in the video.