Andrew Goodwin identified 6 conventions commonly found in music videos: 1) A relationship between lyrics and visuals, 2) Thought beats that illustrate the music, 3) Genre-related style and icons, 4) Multiple close-ups of artists, 5) Voyeurism especially of females, and 6) Intertextual references to other media. Examples are given for each convention from various music videos to illustrate how they employ techniques like synchronized lyrics/visuals, fast pacing to match music, recognizable artist imagery, promoting the star, sexualizing women, and referencing other works.

1. Andrew Goodwin's theory
music video

2. Goodwin’s theory explains that there are six different conventions
within a music video. The six conventions are.
 A relationship between the lyrics and the visuals, which
illustrate, amplify or contradict the lyrics.
 Thought beats: seeing the sounds (The relationship between
the music and the visuals, which illustrate, amplify or contradict
the music.)
 Genre-related style and iconography present.
 Multiple close ups and of the main artist or vocalist: the creation
of star image to promote a recognizable brand image.
 Voyeurism often plays a major part, especially in relation to
females.
 Intertexual references to other media texts may be present,
especially in humorous videos.

3. 1st convention
A relationship between the lyrics and the visuals, which illustrate,
amplify or contradict the lyrics.
A music video has either a complete similarity or a direct
contrast between the lyrics and visuals.
For example in tenacious D the whole song uses this to tell the
story that the song is telling.
An example in this video is when
the lyrics say “there shined a
shining demon” a demon pops up
on the screen. The video has a
direct relationship with the lyrics

4. 2nd convention
Thought beats: seeing the sounds (The relationship between
the music and the visuals, which illustrate, amplify or contradict
the music.)
The second convention explains that the song has been edited
to change the pace of the song depending on the lyrics or
music. It could also contradict this.
In this video of slipknot’s before I
forget it demonstrates that the
video has been edited to make it
a past paced. This is done
because it is quite a past paced
song due to its genre (heavy
metal)

5. Convention 3
Genre-related style and iconography present.
Goodwin realized that music videos often repeat things in the
visuals of the video so that people recognize certain trademarks of
the artist.
For example each band member of slipknot use masks to cover
up their faces and they are all the same in all of their videos so
people who see these masks recognize that its slipknot. This is
slipknots trademark.

6. Convention 4
Multiple close ups and of the main artist or vocalist: the creation
of star image to promote a recognizable brand image.
This convention explains that music videos use multiple close
ups of the artists to promote the music that the artist creates.
The use of the star power as a promotion tactic.
For example in the foo fighters
song pretender they use multiple
close up shots of Dave Grohl
which is promoting the music as
it uses star power.

7. Convention 5
Voyeurism often plays a major part, especially in relation to
females.
Goodwin realized that voyeurism is normally used to entice
men into watching a music video by sexualizing women. (the
compulsion to seek sexual gratification by secretively looking
at sexual objects) This often done by using different camera
angle and shot types.
In this music video by the black keys
they have used voyeurism to add a
comical value to the video. The video
has used women who are wearing
underwear to promote the video. They
have done this by using close ups and
various different camera angles of the
women.

8. Convention 6
Intertexual references to other media texts may be present,
especially in humorous videos.
Goodwin found out that music videos often have intet
intertexual references that reference other pieces of media so
that it can be used as a gratification for the audience if they
recognize the link.
In this video by Silverchair the
singer Daniel Johns is wearing
an “the offspring” t-shirt which is
referencing their album smash
which was released a year
before this song by Silverchair.