Diegetic and non-diegetic sound in music videos

Diegetic sound is just another tool to help tell a story, although how it is used can vary. Shifting from diegetic to non-diegetic or vice versa is a method that helps draw the audience in. You engage the audience and subtly involve them in the narrative by changing the role of music in the video. For example, Florence and the Machine's song, "What kind of man" starts with multiple scenes of a man and woman. In these scenes there is general conversation and laughing to be heard between the two characters. This helps to set a scene for the music video, showing a romance between the two characters all the while setting a relaxed and happy atmosphere for the video. 


After these scenes, however, there is a scene featured in which the two characters are involved in a car crash. This scene manages to diminish the enjoyable atmosphere that was previously set in the video, creating a narrative of sadness and despair alongside the happy and jovial atmosphere.

Once these scenes have finished, the music video fades out and the dance routine based part of the video begins, along with the non-diegetic sound of the musical piece. The diegetic sounds at the beginning of the video were used to help establish a narrative to follow and raise some questions that are then going to be answered through the non-diegetic sound of the music.

Goodwin's Theory

Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (For example stage performance in rock video, dance routine).
There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals.
There is a relationship between music and visuals.
The elements 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.
Frequent reference to notion of looking (Screens within screens, telescopes etc) particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
Often intertextual reference (for example to films, TV shows, other music videos etc).


An example of a music video that backs up Goodwin's theory is GANG by Max P. The video doesn't follow a narrative however this can be seen in a few modern rap videos. The video features very simple editing with  limited screen effects. The video features many genre characteristics from the genre of hip hop. For example, the video shows multiple people bunched together holding guns whilst dancing in the video. This is a way of promoting the "thug culture" that exists in the wold of hip hop, promoting the gangster image.





The video continues to back up Goodwin's theory as their is an obvious relationship between the lyrics and visuals. In the video, MAX P claims that there are "diamonds on my neck, my chain swinging". This is a reference to a diamond chain that he wears, a symbol of his wealth and materialistic values, another key feature of hip-hop music videos. These lyrics are also accompanied in the video with footage of a man wearing a thick, shiny chain as he dances, proving a relationship between the lyrics and visuals.