Taylor Swift Comparison
29th September 2015
Taylor Swift uses a narrative style video, to amplify the theme of her song. By using amplification, Taylor Swift manages to reflect conventions of a 'love story' that you would watch in films or read in a book, in order to appeal to the 'hopeless romantics', and her younger fans. By doing this, Swift makes herself seem similar to her audience, as she too has similar dreams like her fans - the perfect love story to happen to them. This allows her audience to create a personal identity (Uses and Gratifications Theory), and find her relatable. This also creates a personal relationship (Uses and Gratifications Theory) as Swift's fans will create an emotional and social interaction with her and her music/videos.
Love Story
Wildest Dreams
Released: September 12th 2008
Genre: Country/Pop
Written by: Taylor Swift
Album: Fearless
Released: August 31st 2015
Genre: Pop
Written by: Taylor Swift, Max Martin, Shellback
Album: 1989
In Wildest Dreams, Taylor Swift again uses a narrative style music video, to amplify her lyrics and the meaning behind them. By continuing with the same style as some of her previous videos (Love Story etc.), Swift allows viewers to recognise her style of music and videos, which creates a "family resemblance" - Swales 1990. She has kept a similar approach in both videos, which shows she is keeping to the conventions of her genre, but also her style. This also highlights Steve Neale's theory that 'genres are instances of reptition and difference.'
High key lighting is used to present the innocence of Taylor Swift's character, and the happy theme of the song. The lighting reflects the love in the song lyrics and video, as love is generally a happy, exciting thing. This is presented with the brightness of the high key lighting. This is futher emphasised by her character's costume, as she's dressed in a white ball gown. This presents her innocence and purity to the audience. By wearing a ball gown, it makes her seem more princess-like. This amplifies the lyrics, by having a love story presented in a castle and ball room, making it seem like a fairy tale.
At 0:31, we see Swift's character dressed in a gold ball gown, which presents the image of richness and royalty, implying her character is well off. The theme of the song also takes elements from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, which gives connotations of restricted and dangerous love. Clearly Swift and the male character are not allowed to be together, but love wins in the end.
At 1:29, we see Taylor Swift and the male character "sneak out to the garden", which shows the viewers how desperate they are to be together, but also the forbidden love they are experiencing - they can't be seen in public.
Often through the video, we are shown Taylor Swift standing at a window in the castle (as like the picture above), which emphasises the fairytale image of the song and video. This also reflects the Romeo and Juliet feel, where Juliet is desperately waiting for Romeo to show up and take her away - like a classic love story.
The blocking used throughout the video focuses the audience's gaze onto Taylor Swift, as she is always presented in the centre of the shot or in front of the others in the shot. This makes her seem like the most important person in the room - emphasising the love story feel, as it suggests that she is the only person the male character sees in a crowded room. This is highlighted by the NVC in the video - they can't help but look at each other and dance and be with each other. This shows how in love they are, as no one else matters to them.
At 3:15, we see the characters running through an open field, showing when they are together and away from judgement they can show how they really feel and free to be in love with each other. This futhers how no one else matters because they want to be alone with each other.
Todorov would say that a narrative goes from equilibrium, to disequilibrium to an altered equilibrium. This is reflected in Taylor Swifts song and music video, because everything is normal until they see each other and fall in love. They then have to over come the struggle of not being allowed to be together, and finally it ends with happily ever after - a new version of normal.
The mise en scene in Taylor Swift's video for Love Story sticks to genre conventions for pop, as it's all very bright and happy, and ends in happily ever after. The lyrics in the song at some points stray from the norm of pop music, as usually pop music is happy and upbeat, whereas this song is slower, and has an element of uncertainty - will they or won't they be together in the end?
The video for Wildest Dreams, also uses high key lighting, like in Love Story, to present the video as upbeat and to make it stand out. High key lighting makes the videos of the wild animals look more realistic, as the video is shot in 'real-time' looking lighting - therefore getting darker and lighter at different times of the day, showing the progression of the film that's being made in the video.
To fit with the title of "Wildest Dreams", the costume in the video is very Westernised, and the use of wild animals further presents the wild feeling of the song. This amplifies the lyrics and title, by turning Wildest Dreams into a play on words - wild dreams that they will be together, but also the fact they are in the wild, surrounded by wild animals.
By having both characters wearing similar costume, makes it appear that they are meant to be together.
Both Wildest Dreams and Love Story use the method of amplification to keep the viewer interested as everyone wishes they could experience what happens in one of Swift's videos. This method of diversion (Uses and Gratifications Theory) for the audience keeps Taylor Swift popular, as people want to follow what she does in her videos, and wish they were doing the same.
At 1:12, Swift uses sexual magnetism (Richard Dyer), to show she is appealing not just to her usual fans of young girls and teenagers, but also to a wider audience of men. This also makes it seem like she's trying to win the male character over as much as possible. This differs from the Love Story video, perhaps showing how her image has changed over time, and she has grown up with her music.
Unlike in Love Story, Taylor Swift uses ac variety of locations, to show how the love in this song is a struggle. Sometimes they get on well but other times they're arguing and having to work at the relationship. This also shows the progression of their relationship over time, as they aren't always in one place or one shot.
At 0:01 an establishing shot is used to set the scene for Taylor Swift's 'reality' - at school. At 0:15, another establishing shot is used, to present the location of Taylor Swift's fantasy - a castle, where she is the princess.
The majority of camera angles used in the video are eye-line shots. This presents the realism of her fantasy, as we are looking from the camera as though we are a character in the video. Whilst Taylor Swift is in the castle, the shots used vary from eye-line, to low-angle shots. The use of low-angle shots presents her as powerful, or so a modern audience would think, as she is a princess. By varying to eye-line shots, we realise she doesn't have the power over her own life, as she isn't allowed to love Romeo. The happy ending however, reiterates the original theory of power, and shows she was the most important person in the end. The use of eye-line shots is conventional for pop music, as they are often used to present realism of the video and therefore the song lyrics. The use of low-angle shots are conventional for amplified music videos, as they help to portray powerful and important characters.
At 0:57, a high angle shot is used to show the two main characters dancing together. This allows the audience to see and feel the connection between the pair. This also blocks out the other characters in the room, making the two of them seem the only important people there.
From 0:57 to 1:00, the camera pans around Taylor Swift whilst she's stood in the castle. This emphasises her loneliness, which reflects the lyrics, as she's "begging him 'please don't go'". This helps to create a sad feeling that the viewer might sympathise with, if they've been in a situation similar (Personal Identity - Uses and Gratifications Theory).
From 3:05 to 3:15, a series of shot reverse shot scenes are used, to show them gradually running towards each other. This allows us to see the expressions on their faces as they get closer and closer to being together. The happy, excited looks they both give makes the viewer feel the same, as the couple finally get to be together. This creates a personal relationship (Uses and Gratifications Theory), as the viewer has been following the couple throughout the video, and want to know what is going to happen between them.
From 0:00 to 0:13, a series of different shots are used, to set the scene for the video. We see animals, landscapes, cameramen and finally Taylor Swift. These shots help to set the scene - reflecting the title "Wildest Dreams", as the audience immediately realises it's set in the wild. Throughout the video, we are shown the confliction between the real life feelings of Taylor Swift's character and also the feelings of the character that her character is playing. This is similar to the Love Story video, as that shows Taylor Swift's 'real life' versus her 'fantasy life'.
From 0:17-0:20, the camera pans down to show the set of the movie being shot. By panning down, it feels like it's a camera being used to film the set, like the one shown on the right of the scene. This creates realism for the viewer as they feel like they're part of the crew filming.
From 0:23-0:30 a series of shot reverse shot cuts are used, to show Taylor's desire for her 'co-star', as we see her look across to him, until he finally looks over, at which she looks away. This suggests to the viewer that she wants what she can't have. From this the viewer may create a Personal Identity (Uses and Gratifications) as they will sympathise with her over the situation.
At 0:55, when the lyrics say "wildest dreams", we are shown different shots of the wild - like at the start, we see her stood with a giraffe, and a large waterfall, as well as the backdrop of the skyline.
From 2:07-2:37, scenes quickly cut between the two characters, and other parts of the wild (such as animals and in particular the lightning at 2:28, 2:31, 2:32) show the connection being made between their wild love affair and the metaphor of the wilderness. This presents a rocky relationship to the viewer which some may again create a personal identity to.
The camera often zooms in and out, to show the expression on each character's face, and also then the background of the setting. At times the background shows them alone, thinking about the relationship, and other times other people from the set of the movie are there. This shows how they are constantly thinking about each other.
At 2:58, a close up is used to show Taylor's reaction when she sees the man she loves with another woman. Her reaction turns from happy to sad, making the audience feel sympathy towards her.
At 3:28, a close up is used to show Taylor leaving the event. By looking out of the window, we see her emotions reflected in the rain dropping down the window - pathetic fallacy. This is followed by 3:31, when we see the male character reflected in the left side mirror. This shows her leaving him in the past, as she isn't looking back.
The images above show the different locations used within the video, to show the passing of time in the relationship.
From 0:07-0:10, the editing is much faster paced than the song. This shows the moment Taylor begins to imagine the fantasy, and how she cuts in her mind from scene to scene. The faster editing makes her seem irratic in her thinking, which reflects the song, as Romeo and Juliet (the song's inspiration) fell in love at first glance, even though they can't be together.
Throughout the video, straight cuts are used to cut from each scene to the next. This helps to add to the irrational feeling of the song, as it shows each scene separately, instead of fading them into each other. This shows how quickly the events are happening, as a fade might suggest some time has passed.
The movements of the characters in almost every scene have been slowed down, to make everything seem more romantic and classy. This reflects their costume of big ball gowns and fancy suits. By doing this, the video ties in with the song, as Romeo and Juliet was set in a time of which this would be normal atire. Furthermore, the video is based almost fully of the film of Romeo and Juliet - reenacting the ball for example.
From 0:00-0:12, fast paced editing is used to show off the setting of the song. The title and lyrics of the song are emphasised and presented further to the viewer through fast paced editing, as this makes the scenes less calm and more 'wild'. Each individual cut fades into the next, creating an almost 'dream'-like feeling, as it isn't realistic to fade from place to place. This furthers the reflection of the title.
Wild animals are editing into the background of some parts of the video to even further emphasise the song. This can be seen at 0:58, 1:09, 1:10, 2:07, 2:12, 2:19.
This is conventional for pop music, as the videos often use amplification to present the lyrics. Therefore the videos often contain things mentioned in the song - in this case, "wildest" is emphasised by the wild animals in the background.
The inclusion of special effects, such as rain and lightning at 2:20, 2:25, 2:27, 2:29, 2:30 and 2:32 help to present the wild, rocky relationship, as rain and lightning often show terror and sadness. This could perhaps represent their relationship, as they often feel sad and hurt by one another. Viewers may create a personal identity (Uses and Gratifications Theory) to this, as they may have been in a similar position in their own lives.