1. ALBUM COVER ANALYSIS CHART
Codes and conventions, Observations: did you follow, Illustrative examples from Choose a ‘real’
key features of ALBUM develop or challenge? Identify your album cover example to
COVERS your answer and how and why? compare/contrast
Layout, form
Style – photography,
art, animation, retro,
monochrome etc
Use of genre signifiers
Visual representation of
the music and concept
or theme
Branding of the artist
Institutional identity,
indie or mainstream,
British etc
The functions served by
the album cover

2. GOODWIN ANALYSIS CHART
Codes and conventions, key Observations: did you Illustrative examples Choose some ‘real’
features of music video follow, develop or from your video with time examples to compare/
challenge? If so, how? codes contrast
Genre characteristics
Relationship between lyrics
and visuals
Relationship between music
and visuals
Are there close-ups of the
artists and star image
motifs?
Is there reference to the
notion of looking?
Are there intertextual
references?
Is the video performance,
narrative or concept based
How much of each is there?

3. VERNALLIS ANALYSIS CHART
Codes and conventions, key Observations: did you Illustrative examples Choose some ‘real’
features of music video follow, develop or from your video with examples to
challenge? If so, how? time codes compare/ contrast
Narrative
Visual response
Lack of balance
Partial or fragmented narrative
Disjointed structure
What drives the video forward
Resolution? Poses questions, not answers
Theme? Montage?
Editing
Editing may match the musical phrases or the
beat
Video may break or disrupt many of the ‘rules’
of continuity editing
Editing may become ‘foregrounded
Camera movement + framing
Extremes are very common
The style of framing and movement may run
through the video and is distinctive to that
video
The camera may move in time with the music
The camera may move on the lyrics
The master shot is used frequently as are
close-ups
Diegesis
May be revealed quite slowly
Actions are not necessarily completed
Characters may move to the music
There may be gaps in the audience’s
understanding of the diegesis
Some frames may be more important than
others
There may be many repetitions

4. Website homepages: ANALYSIS CHART
Codes and conventions, key Observations: did you Illustrative examples Choose some ‘real’
features of websites follow, develop or from your website examples to
challenge? If so, how? compare/ contrast
Media Language
What is the relationship between image
and text?
How does the text support the visuals?
Is there a consistency in styling?
Representation
How does the key iconography represent
the band and the specific music genre?
Audience
Is it clear how the target audience is being
satisfied? What aspects of consumption/
fandom do your examples illustrate?
How care the audience being invited to
interact with the band/artist via the
website?
Institution
What information is there about the record
label?
What kind of marketing activity is on show?
Can you categorise this activity?
Does it match the kind of record company
(ie niche/mainstream)?
What is being sold via the website?