Music Video Techniques

Lyrics let the audience know the general mood of the video, then the camera shots will add to this and either relate to the music or contradict it. Either way, it will get peoples attention. Then the tempo will decide the pace of the editing, obviously if you have a fast song you're not very likely to do really slow and long shots, the cuts will be quite fast and smooth, sometimes abrupt.

Genre is mainly reflected in the way mise-en-scene's used. The surroundings in the video can sometimes be a big clue as to what the videos about.

Intertextual reference can be anything from a parody of another music video/a film or just referencing something that's been done before and playing on that. Personally I think this is a good thing for a music video to have as it will bring in a bigger audience as if they're fans of what the music video is referencing then their curiosity will make them have a look.


There are many theories about what a music video should include. The theory I looked at is Andrew Goodwin's. Below is what Goodwin thinks is necessary for a good music video. Close ups are often used in videos, whether it's emphasising the instruments that are being used throughout the video or a close up of somebody's face. 

• Links between lyrics and visuals
• Links between music and visuals
• Genre characteristics.
• Intertextual reference
• Notions of looking
• Voyeurism
• Demands of the record label
• Performance based, concept based and narrative based.

Goodwin states these above points and says they are completely necessary.  However from many music videos  I've viewed, links between lyrics and visuals can sometimes be extremely evident and other times they're present but only very slightly and there may only be small indications to the lyrics. I think his theory is completely right and is what a good music video should take into consideration.

In my opinion if the music doesn't really relate I don't actually mind as long as the video is one that will keep my attention. Many videos do this. Their song is about one thing and then their video is like the complete opposite.