Comparable media‘you belong with me’

-Taylor Swift

The video clip that I have chosen to analyse is ‘You belong with me’ by Taylor Swift. I have chosen to use this as I want my video to be similar following a story of a teenage romance. It fits with a softer genre of music which is the style I have chosen. The storyline is quirky and follows two teenagers falling in love, it also doesn’t fit with the usual representations of a high school romance combining the ‘school geek’ with the ‘football jock’, this puts a twist on the conventional story but also make the audience support the protagonist, the protagonist is played by the artist.

Mise-en scene

Mise en scene is used to set the scene with use of props and lighting to give an impression. The first scene is between the two protagonists in their bedrooms talking to each other via note paper through the windows. The colours which are used in her room are bright and contrasting; this gives us an impression that she has a bright personality and immediately makes her the likeable character so the audience will be supporting this character for the happy ending throughout. It is therefore important to set this impression at the start of the video in order to get the right audience perception.

Mise-en scene

By using note paper to show the pair of teenagers communicating in the scene, it gives the audience a view of their relationship. It shows understanding between the pair and also concern, it is also quite romantic, it also gives us an immediate view that the male in the scene is the female’s love interest.

Mise-en scene

There is a range of outfits throughout the video, this relates to the lyrics, the social hierarchy of high school, and the individual scenes. The outfits also relate to the different characters in the video and again make the difference between the likeable protagonist, and the mean antagonist, who in this video is the boys girlfriend.

Mise-en scene In this video, Taylor Swift, the protagonist, wears outfits such as baggy t-shirts, and

‘geeky glasses’. This relates to the type of character that she is, how she is not the typically, ‘popular cheerleader’ you would expect the jock to have a relationship with. This is in direct contrast to her opposing love interest who wears much tighter skimpier clothing, this relates to her promiscuous nature which is later displayed in the video when she is flirting with another jock. She also performs several actions that also relates to her popularity and status, the removing of her sunglasses shows her popularity, but also when she drives the car and picks her boyfriend up suggests that she is more in control as it is usually the other way around, suggesting she is in control of the relationship. In the final scene at the school party, she is wearing a much more revealing outfit, and a bold colour suggests what her personality is like. All of this therefore relates to her popularity and how she seems to be the type that a school geek cannot compare or compete with. There is also a scene showing Taylor Swift as the protagonist is wearing a series of different outfits, all of which would be considered to be misfits in modern day high school. In the last scene at the party, she is wearing a much fuller white dress that highly contrasts the antagonists outfit; the white has connotations of a much more pure character. The male interest is wearing casual clothes, this makes a more direct contrast by the two opposing females, and he is more of a neutral stimulus. There is one scene that emphasises the contrast between the two females which is at a football match where all the characters are in their role. The male, is playing American football, showing his role and his character within high school, it then cuts between the two females, his girlfriend, who is the cheerleader and supporter, she is wearing more skimpy clothing in this scene and it emphasises her popularity, it then cuts to Taylor Swift in the role of the geek, she is in the band supporting the football team, wearing clothes that cover her up much more, it also shows her being pushed and shoved in the scene, and there is little space for her, this emphasises her role as the unpopular ‘geek’, compared to the cheerleader who has plenty of space to perform her cheer.

Mise-en scene

There is another scene in the video which gives a direct impression of romance when the male comes and sits beside Taylor Swift as the ‘geek’, where she is sat alone reading a book, and he moves the hair from her face, therefore giving direct contact to her and showing the connection between the two.

Mise-en scene

In the video, Taylor Swift plays both the protagonist and antagonist, this is an idea that I might put forwards myself in my own video, it shows a much higher contrast, but it also gives an impression of the two opposite ends of her personality.

Camera

Camera is used to emphasise the use of mise-en scene in order to create more of an atmosphere.

Camera

The video begins with an establishing shot, showing both houses facing each other, and there is light at both windows, this is so that the audience is aware of what is going on when the scene cuts to the pair who are communicating through the windows. Without this camera shot, the audience would be much more confused at what is going on.

Camera

A two shot is then used to switch between the two protagonists in their bedrooms to show their facial expressions at everything that happens from the notes. However in the same scene, there are some over the shoulder shots [over the shoulder of Taylor Swift], this is only used over the shoulder of Taylor Swift so we are aware of who’s point of view we are following, and we can see what she is seeing.

Camera

A wide angle is used when Taylor Swift is dancing around the bedroom, this is so we can see her jumping around and see the energy that she has. This suggests that the energy that she does have relates to how strongly she feels about the situation. By using a wide angle we can see all of what is happening and understand the situation more. Another wide angle is used, in the scene with the bench, Taylor Swift is sitting in the right of the camera, and due to the type of shot, the audience is aware that someone is about to sit next to her.

Camera

A close up is then used in the same scene to show him moving her hair from her face. This is to direct the audience’s attention to the action, and it emphasises the connotations of romance that the action has. Also by using a close up, we see Taylor Swift’s face at the action, which is filled with delight. Another close up is then used, when his girlfriend arrives in the car, and he is hugging/kissing her, the close up shows the expression on the girlfriend’s face which is malice, this therefore creates an immediate dislike to this character and makes the audience route for the protagonist.

Camera

A ped left is used, to in the scene of the football game, to show where the protagonist is standing, in the scrabble of people, and also gives a quick overview of the scene as no establishing shot is used in this scene.

Camera

A high angle is then used to show the problem in the scene, with the male and his girlfriend, from Taylor Swift’s point of view higher in the stands. By showing this, the audience relates to what the protagonist is feeling, and it creates empathy both for the protagonist and the male.

Editing

Editing is used to cut between the camera shots; this creates a mood towards the camera, as the camera would towards the mise en scene.

Editing

A blur in is used from the establishing shot at the very start of the video, to the second shot in the bedrooms, this is to make the video seem much softer rather than harsh, as the music is much more romantic and it also relates to the ‘pop’ style.

Editing

Slow motion editing is used when the male is moving hair from the protagonists face, as well as the camera shot, this shows that this part of the scene is significant and again draws attention to the love between the two characters.

Editing

A motivational cut is used towards the end of the video when the protagonist looks at the paper on what she wrote ‘I love you.’, this is because this part is highly significant and it is seeing that piece of paper that urges the protagonist to change her mind and go to confess her feelings, by using a motivational cut, we see what she is seeing, but we also feel what she is feeling and it makes the audience want the right outcome.

Editing

Continuity editing is often used in areas where we are not to notice a seam in the video.

Editing

A jump cut is used in the scene when the male gets into the car with the antagonist, the scene shows them together, but then cuts to the football match showing the antagonist in the cheerleading squad and the protagonist in the band, the scene then cuts back to the car scene, and continues as if there hadn’t been a cut at all. This draws our attention to that scene and makes us acknowledge that something significant is happening when it does eventually go to that scene it was cut to.

Sound

The sound is used to often match the scenes and emphasise what is going on, however obviously this is a music video, and in this case the scenes are used to match the music and to emphasise the lyrics and music.

Sound

Many times in the video, the scenes match the lyrics, and it can often make the video seem spontaneous and quite quirky. In part of the song, the lyrics say “your on the phone to your girlfriend, she’s upset”, in this scene it shows Taylor Swift , the protagonist, watching the male through her window on the phone and seeming quite angry on the phone, this relates more to the lyrics but also makes the audience aware that the person he is on the phone to, is his girlfriend.

Sound

Another scene it Taylor sings “laughing on a park bench thinking isn’t this easy”, this is displayed when Taylor Swift and her male, are both sat on the bench, laughing, a close up is then used to suggest she is thinking, again relating to the lyrics.

Sound

Finally, the scenes also relate to the beat in the music, for example, when the music kicks in and there is a strong beat, there is a strong atmosphere in the scene, in this video, the scene is at a football match and when the music really kicks in, it shows cheerleaders/bands/spectators jumping up and down.

special effects

No special effects are used in this video, therefore it is a good video to analyse as in my music video I will be using little to no special effects.