Analysis using Andrew Goodwin's music video theory

'Dancing in the Distraction Factory' by Andrew Goodwin says that the following are key features of music videos:

1. They demonstrate genre characteristics
2. There's a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals
3. There's also a relationship between the music and the visuals
4. Demands of the record label: Lots of close-ups of artist, motifs, iconography, visual trademarks
5. Frequent references to the notion of looking and voyeuristic treatment of the female body
6. Intertextual references

Analysis of Bruno Mars 'Lazy Song':

Genre: Pop, reggae
Conforming to Genre characteristics:

• Appeals to wide audience
• Emphasis on performance
• Dance and backing dancers

Relationship between lyrics and visuals:

• Some of the actions match with actions eg 'put my hand in my pants
• 'I'm not doing anything' but is dancing/being in a music video
• 'Lazy' in home with friends
• Flatmate acts as girlfriend

Relationship between music and visuals:

• Move to music eg bobbing head to beat
• At every chorus they come forward into the same position
• Lipsynchs most of the way through
• Highlights in dance match highlights in song

Demands of record label:

• Wears sunglasses but not fedora
• Constantly going into CUs and MCUs
• Wears his trademark laidback style
• Joke of roommate lipsynching to ladies' part makes him seem funny and likeable

References to looking/voyeurism:

• There don't seem to be references to looking
• Starts with hands over camera
• The video is not sexualised, selling his personality rather than his physicality

Intertextual references:

• Monkeys in Peter Fox' video 'Alles Neu'
• Ray bans from Risky Business
• Y movement from YMCA
• Flexing muscles like bodybuilders, Arnold Schwarzenneger

How we will use the theory in our video:

Conforming to Genre characteristics:

• Bright colours
• Unique costumes
• Lots of quirky props
• Tells a romance narrative
• Uses romantic settings

Relationship between lyrics and visuals:

• Most of the lyrics in the song will have a corresponding action eg I wouldn't change you for the world' will correspond to a globe being thrown in
• 'He Wasn't There' boyfriend starts off not in shot and leaves every chorus when she sings that he wasn't there

Relationship between music and visuals:

• Dance along to music in choruses
• Retro sound match retro feel
• Lipsynch

Demands of record label:

• CUs especially in chorus
• Will have quickchanges and look fashionable

 References to looking/voyeurism:

• Boyfriend looks the 'wrong' way
• Frame at beginning and end

Intertextual references:

• Jaws
• Romantic Films and cliches