1.
Name
the song and musical artist.
The song is called You Belong With Me sung by
Taylor Swift.
2.
Who directed this music video?
The director was Roman White.
3. Provide a brief biography of the director.
Roman
White was born in Nashville, Tennessee where he enjoyed a happy childhood. His
first video was with Rodney Atkins where he directed “Honesty” from there he
began to make a name for himself. Since then he has directed many videos with
artists like Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Reba McEntire and Justin Bieber.
He has been nominated for eleven Emmy Awards and won three. He also won CMT’s
Director of the Year for 2007. White currently lives with his cat and is
writing his third novel whilst also directing a variety of videos.
4. Name and
briefly describe 3 of the director’s works. (3 marks)
1. Just a Dream by Carrie Underwood features a young woman who has
recently turned 18 and is engaged to a young soldier. The video shows her in a
white wedding dress going to church however as it progresses her dress turns
into a black mourning gown and it is realised her fiancée has been killed. During
the funeral she repeatedly sings ‘just a dream’ as she wishes everything that
is happening was not real. It ends with her receiving the flag as is the right
of a spouse.
1.
2. Best Days of Your Life by Kellie Pickler tells the story of a former
boyfriend who cheated on her and is now married to the girl he cheated with.
She feels sorry for the current wife as she will always be stuck with a cheater
whilst she can move on and have a better future. In the end he is hit by a bus and is seen to be looking very miserable in hospitial.Also not sure if this will undermine my mark but I didn't really like this particular music video.
3. Fifteen by Taylor Swift begins with Swift walking through a tall
doorway where the scenes for the rest of the video take place. It features
Swift remembering high school with her best friends and the trials,
tribulations and happiness they faced.
- Choose
one work and write a letter/tell to an older generation relative
explaining why this video is good. Use at least 3 visual or conceptual
examples from the video in your response
Dear
June,
As
your granddaughter I feel obliged to send your way some interesting music
videos that I think you would appreciate. There is one in particular I feel you
would like as it would appeal to your romantic side. This particular music
video is Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me” which is a good song and an even
better music video. What makes it so good? Well, the video uses visual
interpretation to make the words into a story which makes it easier to relate
with the lyrics of the song as one can see what Swift is trying to convey.
Although
it may not seem like it at first glance, “You Belong With Me” is a deeply
layered video and upon closer inspection once can see the video has a certain amount
of depth. This is displayed both visually and contextually through the
protagonist and the antagonist of the video. Swift chooses to portray both these
main characters and in doing so she is shows different sides of her
personality, the bitchy popular side and the nice geeky side. However it is
shown she would prefer to be nice and kind as she believes those are the more
important values but that you can be happy upholding these values.
It is also
quite romantic and has some very unique scenes that draws one in. If you watch
it you will notice the scene in which Swift is sitting on a bus seat and her
crush comes and sits next to her. Here they interact and look very cute
together, the viewer hopes something good will come from this scene but it is
not so. I used this scene to demonstrate how the video draws you in and leaves
you wanting more.
I
hope you decide to take the time to watch this video, as it is truly
entertaining and interesting to watch. It captures your attention through its
attention to detail and is a fun video to watch as it reminds you that love can
prevail against unlikely odds. I think, June, you will enjoy it should you
decide to watch it.
Sincerely
Eliza.
6.
Describe the action of the video? What is the audience
being asked to follow or be interested in? (3 marks)
This
particular music video is exploring the unfurling love that is being
experienced by an apparent nerd and a stereotypical jock. The audience is being
asked to follow the couple as they begin to explore their relationship and
realise that they belong together. The audience becomes intrigued as they watch
the breaking down of the relationship between the jock and his popular
cheerleader girlfriend and the beginnings of the boy exploring and finally
admitting his attraction to the girl next door who he has always secretly loved
without realising.
7.
Describe the incident
that forms the basis of the video's climax? (3 marks)
The
incident that forms the climax and the ending to the video takes place at a
football game, the jock comes off the field to find his girlfriend flirting
with another player. For him this is the final straw as throughout the video
the audience sees him arguing with her and know that he is unhappy with the
relationship. This forms the climax as the jock is now free to pursue other
girls and realise that love is staring him in the face.
8. Outline the theme's that have been
addressed in the video? (4 marks)
There
are a number of themes explored within this video but one of the major ones is
love. The story is based around a love triangle and the resulting conflicts and
situations that evolve from the triangle. The video also conveys the issue of
identity, it explores the the surface identity but as the video evolves the
viewer begins to see the identities that have been hidden by the characters so
they are able to adapt with their social situations. Another theme that is
explored within the storyline is acceptance the cheerleader is unable to
understand or accept how her boyfriend can stand to talk to the high school
‘nerd’ and yet acceptance is shown by the football jock who can understand her
as he himself is like that at heart despite his popularity status. These themes
along with others help to give this video its identity and interesting
storyline.
9. Study aspects of the mise-en-scene in a video and explain how they symbolise some of the
themes within the video. (3
marks each)
Within
the video clothing is used to highlight the difference between the protagonist
and the antagonist and to show the different social statuses that are assigned
to the three main characters. The theme of acceptance is present within this
video and is demonstrated through clothing. In the end scene when Swift arrives
at Prom the audience can see that she has gotten rid of her geeky clothes and
transformed herself into a beautiful young girl. When her peers see her in this
outfit instead of rebuffing her as the ‘geek’ they accept her as one of them.
Acceptance is also shown at the beginning of the video when her love interest
sees her putting on different ‘geeky’ clothes and dancing around the room with
her different outfits on. If others saw this especially his girlfriend they
would judge but he is simply amused and accepts this as if it happens every
day.
Another
major theme is love which is explored though many different types of
mise-en-scenes in particular the notepaper that Swift uses to communicate with
her crush. The audience is given a view of their relationship as they hold up
simple messages written on paper that can be seen by the other. It shows
understanding and concern but also that they have quite a romantic
relationship. In the final scene of the video where the two begin to approach
each other the paper comes into play again. They both hold up their own individual
pieces of note paper saying ‘I love you’ in block letters. This sets the ending
of the video as the audience can see that both parties have accepted that they
love each other and that they will end up together.