Research: Analysis of Music Video: 3 - Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift - Mine

This music video uses lots of matched cuts, for example the 2 shot between a couple in a cafe then cuts to the couple arguing in a home situation, then a reaction shot of a young girl, which then gets a matched cut to the current star image of Taylor Swift. This sets the scene very well and implies that the star image has grown up watching her parents argue and love not work. These simple four shots work very effectively one another and creates a strong character and brand for the actor in the music video.

Taylor Swifts music video cuts to different scenes before the lyrics have even begun, setting up the different story lines, one being in this cafe shop which has visual imagery to the lyrics as it is "working part time waiting tables" then cuts to this shock and has a very clear link. This is satisfying Goodwins music video analysis of the relationship between the lyrics and visuals. The mise en scene in this shot is strong as they are scene as old friends from a small town.

The other scene she sets up is the star image in the forest with photos of memories hanging around. The star image is wearing a white dress and appears very innocent.

Janice Winships theory is presented here, as we dont know if this actor normally dresses like that or if he has been presented and had his hair styled with his outfit chosen for him in order to suit society and appear attractive to woman and to teenage girls, who are the majority of Taylor Swifts target audience.

Similarly this shot of Taylor swift may support Laura Mulveys theory of the male gaze as Taylor may be appearing herself in this way to appear attractive to males.


This scene that the music video frequently cuts to is unusual in my opinion and un logical, as it is the star image surrounded by pictures hung on string in the trees, and I'm confused on where that links into the music lyrics and the visuals, and it also isn't clear how the photos got there and how they are swinging. This has informed me to make sure everything in my music video has a logical meaning and will not confuse the viewer.

The music video then tracks backwards and creates a dark shadow around the edges in order to illustrate how they are now fast forwarding into the future of the relationship to link to the lyrics.

The next three screen shots show their relationship progressing matching the lyrics "we got nothing figured out" illustrating that they are young and in love.

There is also another strong link from visual to lyrics as the lyrics state "make our parents mistakes" and shows a clever shot of a picture of the family with the reflection of the star image looking into it, this emphasises the story created earlier in the song.



The two shots on the left show long and medium shots of the two being romantic and proposing with bright lighting, and then it cuts to match the audio music beat and the two arguing in kitchen, so is therefore is a jump cut. The scene is now lit much darker and there is more close ups and the actors represent the situation very well and appear very believable.

There is then another matched cut of the star image in her current situation running away from the relationship and the love, and it cuts to the younger version of the star image doing the same thing implying this is how the star image, Taylor Swift, handles these situation and knows no different.

In this scene, the lyrics state what the male character has said, such as "he said ill never leave you alone" however he is not mouthing those words, which i think is silly not too as it would have seen very effective and is what the viewer is expecting to see when reading his lips however his lips are unreadable.

The next four shots are jump cuts and are showing the future and showing the future for the two star images and shows their happy ending, which is typical for the pop genre to do.

The music video also shows the family at the same scene by the water that the two had been in their earlier relationship, therefore is foreshadowing the future.

                                

This research has influenced my planning, as when planning my narrative music video, I will have the traditional start, middle and end to the music video, but I will also incorporate reflection shots as Taylor Swift did to show the past in the narrative story.