Behind the Song

The reason behind the song, which is well known (especially for fans of Lea Michele) is due to the death of her fiancé who she had been with for a couple of years as well as working with for over four years on Glee. Cory Monteith  (Lea's fiancé) died on July 13th 2013 in  Vancouver. The coroners report stated that Cory had "died from "a mixed drug toxicity" consisting of heroin and alcohol, and that his death appeared to have been accidental".


Michele had already completed her first solo album at the time which she has said that Monteith had often made notes on to help Michele. She then decided to postpone the album's release date, which was supposed to be very shortly after Monteith's death, and instead included songs that were tribute to Monteith's death - 'Cannonball' and 'If You Say So'.


Michele has spoke about the songs few times but in one of her videos for her YouTube channel where she described each track on the album, she said this about 'If You Say So':


"What it's about is sort of personal to me. I think that there will be a time where I'm happy to be talking in detail about it but for now I think, why I wrote it with her (Sia) was because when you lose someone, you know, one of the scariest parts of the process is being so afraid that you're going to forget. I'm 27 and I hopefully have many years ahead of me in my life and to think that I would have had a time in my life with someone and what if over time I forget things? So, I sat down with her to write this song about my relationship and we ended up writing about the last conversation I had with my boyfriend and how thankful I am to have had our last words be 'I love you'. So, it really is sort of self-explanatory when you listen to it, it's very personal to me, but this album is personal and it wouldn't be 'me' if I didn't let people in like that."

Permission

In order to use the audio of Lea Michele's If You Say So, I first had to obtain the copyright for the song from the record label she works for. In this case that is Sony Music within Columbia Records, of whom also has artists signed, specifically in the Americas, such as Adele, Beyoncé and the late David Bowie.

I used their website to find a email address in which to contact someone from Columbia Records to say how and why I would like to use 'If You Say So'. Here is a copy of the email that I sent to them to try and obtain their permission:

To whom it may concern, 
I am currently studying Media Studies at Landau Forte Academy Tamworth Sixth Form and am required to film and edit a music video for my A Level coursework. For this, I have chosen Lea Michele's 'If You Say So' and would like to produce a music video based on the song's narration. The use of this audio would be for educational purposes only and credit will be given to Lea Michele and her team.
Many regards, Victoria Oakes

'If You Say So' - Lyric Annotations

It's been seven whole days, seven whole days     
Since you paralyzed me.
Seven whole days, seven whole days
Since you lost your fight*                                              
And I can't get the last words that you said,                      
Can't get those *words out of my head.                            
Seven whole days, seven whole days                              
And *four words.

And I can't get away from the burning pain,                 
I lie awake.                                                                      
And the fallen hero**haunts my thoughts,                       
How could you leave me this way?***

[Chorus]                                                                        
It's been seven whole days                                                
Without your embrace.                                                     
I want to see your face,                                                     
I got some things to say.
Was just a week ago,                                                    
You said, "I love you girl." *                                            
I said, "I love you more."                                                
Then a breath, a pause, you said,                                     
If you say so.                                                                    
If you say so.
If you say so.
If you say so.    

It's been seven whole days, seven whole days
Since I heard the phone ring.
Seven whole days, seven whole days
Since I heard your voice.
And I can't get the last words that you said,
Can't get those words out of my head.
It's been seven whole days, seven whole days
Of pure hurt.

And I can't get away from the burning pain,
I lie awake.
And the fallen hero haunts my thoughts,
How could you leave me this way?

[Chorus]
It's been seven whole days
Without your embrace.
I want to see your face,
I got some things to say.
Was just a week ago,
You said, "I love you girl."
I said, "I love you more."
Then a breath, a pause, you said,
If you say so.
If you say so.
If you say so.
If you say so.

I can't believe it's true,
I keep looking for you,
I check my phone and wait
To hear from you.
In the crowded room
The joker is so cruel.

And now I'll never know,
If all I've been told
Is just a lie so bold,
I thought we would grow old.*
Mirrors in the smoke
Left me here to choke.*

[Chorus]
It's been seven whole days
Without your embrace.
I want to see your face,
I got some things to say.
Was just a week ago,
You said, "I love you girl."
I said, "I love you more."
Then a breath, a pause, you said,
If you say so.
If you say so.
If you say so.
If you say so.



*"fight" indicates that the cause of death was something to do with an illness, suggests a battle of some sort, something you have to overcome.

**"hero" suggests that the person meant a lot to her and that perhaps she looked up to them.

***This line is where the idea that the person  has died is properly introduced as by stating that they have 'left' her as well as saying they 'lost their fight' suggests death.

*The repetition of 'words' suggests that she was told something by that person that made an impact on her and that they were the last words that were said to her by that person and that means a lot to her.

*By stating that the person who has left her said "I love you girl" we can assume that she is talking to a partner and that this moment is very precious to her, especially now that they have passed.

*'thought' suggests that the person was quite young when they died and she is stating that she thought they would grow old, indicating that that is not what happened.

*'choke' suggests that she feels unable to cope at this point in time and that she can't function properly without him-that she is suffocating or indeed 'choking' without him there.


Overall, the song immensely suggests the feeling of loss and the immediate reaction of having someone taken away from you.

Task 10: Filming

Production Schedule

• Filming will take place on the 9th, 16th and 21st of December, as well as the 7th of January
• For both the 16th and 21st of December, I will need both Becky and Alex, however on the 9th of December I will only need Alex to shoot scenes in which I can pretend to be Becky and on the 7th of January I will only need Becky for performance shots.
• 16th + 21st of December - filming performance aspects of video as well as narrative sections including scenes where both actors need to be in the same shot together.
• Technical Equipment I will need: the HD Camera I will be using to film with, a tripod, Alex's computer and my phone to play the song with (in order for Becky to perform to it)
• Props I will need: a cushion, a games console controller, Alex's snake
• Shots I will be filming mostly with Alex will be medium shots however I will need more close up shots of Becky as well as pan shots of her walking.

Editing

• I will start editing towards the end of December and continue it through January and into the beginning of February.

Permission for Filming

Copy of email sent to Tamworth Borough Council

'To whom it may concern, 

I am a Year 13 Sixth Form student at Lnadau Forte Academy Tamworth Sixth Form. I am writing to ask permission to film some of my Year 13 Media Studies coursework (music video) at the town's church graveyard as it shows relevance to the narrative and therefore would be shot quietly and respectfully. I have a small crew of three and so would not cause any disturbance to the area.

Kind regards, 
Victoria Oakes'

Risk Assessment

Risks that have been identified:

• Wet ground (outside-due to rain)
• Stairs/steps (outside)
• Camera equipment: either tripping over it, running into it or breaking it
• Sharp objects on set, for example: equipment

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
These risks are hazardous to all members of the cast and crew and so the methods below to control these risks apply to everyone.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ways to control these risks:

• Walk around sensibly and ensure that all cast are wearing suitable shoes for the weather in which we are filming in. If possible, film on a day when it will not be raining.
• Take care when using steps around the town centre as again it may be slippery due to rain, making sure to wear sensible footwear for the wet steps as it may cause a trip
• Make sure that all camera equipment is only placed in areas where only the person filming will be and keep it away from cast and members of the public. Make sure all wires are tapped down as to avoid tripping
• Check all equipment for sharp edges or fragility, also be prepared by having a first aid on set

People involved: Victoria Oakes, Alex Dean and Becky Utting

Task 9: Casting

For my music videos I will need two actors; one female and one male. I decided to ask some friends, one who is also creating a music video and one that has prior experience in acting. They are both currently doing their A Levels, as well as I, and so fitting filming into all of our timetables may be difficult but if needed we can film in stages.


Female Actor - Becky Utting
Male Actor - Alex Dean

Task 8: Final Proposal

Working Title 

My music video is going to be the subject of Lea Michele's 'If You Say So' and so the title of the production (as shown on YouTube) would be: Becky Utting - If You Say So (Official Music Video).

Channel for Broadcast 

I think my music video would be best suited to the channel MTV which shows music videos, TV shows and documentaries. The demographic for this channel is often young people and teenagers and so I think having my music video on that channel would benefit immensely.

Genre

For my music video, as it is classed within the pop genre the most stereotypical viewer is female and most likely a teenager. This stereotype however is applied largely to fans of pop groups of female or male members like One Direction, Little Mix etc; although it can also be applied to some single performers eg. Justin Bieber and Katy Perry.

Target Audience (as stated in my 'Audience Research' post)

My target audience according to Young and Rubicam, I think, would be Mainstreamers as fans of this type of music (genre) fit into this category. These individuals seek security and acceptance. Likewise, my target audience could fit into the 'Aspirers' category, as they too seek status.They can sometimes be materialistic and would definitely purchase a lot of merchandise from their favourite artists and their CDs also. They are conformist and so would fit into this category perfectly as popular 'pop'  artists often fill spaces in the Top 20 and by liking these artists they are conforming to liking the most popular thing. They are also sentimental and so would also opt for buying the physical CDs and official merchandise of the artist as they would like to remain loyal to the artist. A lot of their money would go to big saving brands such as 2for1deals on washing powder and shops such as Aldi, Asda and Sainsbury's. Although trying to save money they would splash out on big fashion brands. They would wear clothing brands such as Converse and Adidas as it is very mainstream and popular. They would probably be more left-wing and vote stay in the EU Referendum and most likely also vote for Hilary Clinton in the 2016 US Election.

Mosaic would possibly define this type of person as fitting in their 062 category: Central Pulse. "Entertainment-seeking youngsters renting city centre flats in vibrant locations close to jobs and night life" is the description Mosaic gives people in this category and I think this would fit well with the target audience of my music video as these people would try and live closer to work opportunities as well as wanting to be close to the night life. They will often be young students or recent students that are trying to save money but at the same time spend an extraordinary amount on alcohol on nights out.

Style

This music video will fall into the 'pop' category as it will play alongside a 'pop' song and it will contain both performance and narrative content. It will not really have abstract elements as it will follow a narrative story line of an intimate relationship followed by the death of someone in that relationship. The music video will be filmed entirely in colour and I think will contain a lot of dissolve editing so it will not appear that shots are sharp and placed one after another as it is a sensitive topic for a music video.

Task 7: Role Allocation

As I am working as an individual, I will be taking on the role of the director, the writer, the cameraperson and the editor. As well as this, I'll be the one to decide on costumes, lighting and location. Working on my own and taking on all these roles will position me in the role of the Auteur.


The Auteur Theory of filmmaking, shows a theory in which the director is viewed as the biggest and most crucial creative force. The theory was first invented in France in the 1940s and was given it's unofficial name by American film critic Andrew Sarris. The theory was first created from the combination of the cinematic theories of both Andre Bazin and Alexandre Astruc. The theory was created largely from Astruc's clarification of the concept of caméra-stylo (camera-pen). The theory states that the director who is responsible for all audio and visual decisions that go towards the final product is considered to be the "author".


The only role I will not be participating in is that of the actors, I have asked two young adults to play the role of the couple in my film and so the acting will be down to them although obviously I will be stating what they are doing.

Task 6: Storyboard

from left to right

1. The music video starts with a young girl on a bench sitting in a graveyard (medium shot), although it may not be obvious it is a graveyard at this point, lip syncing to the music, she looks around her, feeling lost and sad as she has lot her boyfriend - although this has not been shown yet

2. Cut to a flashback (medium shot) of her boyfriend. This will be a point of view shot where the camera will be the girlfriend.

3. The two are on the bed talking as this will show the intimate side of the relationship - this shot may be a long shot or a close up.

from left to right

4. The couple will be holding hands, to show the intimacy again which symbolises that they are a couple (close up)

5. The couple are on the phone telling each other they love each other. This will show relevance to the part of the song where these clips are being shown as in the song the couple are talking to each other (close up). This will also be edited to show a split screen where the female will be lip syncing to the words and the boy is speaking them.

6. In order to show that this is a real relationship I didn't want to just include the good parts but also the arguments and disagreements that couples have (close up).

from left to right

7. The other side of the argument (again close up). I will also show the male walking out of the room with a match on action shot.

8. For another narrative shot I will show both characters playing a game together and then dissolve to another shot so only the female is in the room to symbolise the absence of the male.

9. To fully show that the male has died I will show my female character in a graveyard walking up to a grave (medium shot).

from left to right

10. Female character walking aimlessly around the graveyard, lost (long shot)

11. Female character singing emotionally. Thinks about their relationship, cuts to a few flashbacks to show that she misses him and their relationship (medium shot)

12. One of the flashbacks, the two of them sitting on a bench talking about things, a simple thing that everyone does and now she cherishes more after losing him (medium shot). Cuts to the female character sitting by the grave.

Task 5: Script

Instead of writing a script for the entirety of my music video, I will just be filming over the top of regular conversation and just act my actors to act intimate and talk closely to one another using facial expressions to connote love.

As my actors have known each other for quite a while and were very close at one point, I believe that chemistry on screen will just come naturally but if they need help creating conversation and making it look authentic then I shall talk to them behind the camera and give them conversation starters. For example: "Do you have any plans for the weekend?" , "Do you sing in the shower, if yes what song the most?" and "If you only had 24 hours left to live, how would you spend them?".

As there will only be inaudible dialogue on screen for about one third of my music video I didn't think a complete script was necessary. The other two thirds will consist of a performance and a section where only one character is on screen as the other one has passed away.

However for one section, I plan to show another side to relationships to make sure that this relationship looks authentic and real, showing just the good sides to a relationship and not the bad, in my opinion, makes the relationship appear fake.

Task 4: Audience Research

I handed out this questionnaire to people who were also producing music videos to complete to produce some audience research on what people like about music videos. I also handed some copies out to people who were not making videos in case there was bias in the class as people may just vote for what is most similar to their video.

Audience Questionnaire

(Circle where appropriate)

1.How often do you watch music videos?

• Whenever I go on the internet
• Only when I’m interested in the artist
• Whenever everyone is talking about a specific music video/artist
• Only listen to the music, don't watch the videos that much
• Never
• Other

If other, please specify__________________________________________________

2. Do you like music videos that are long and have a story to them?

• No, I think they're annoying and a waste of time
• Yes, I like music videos that also show a story and are entertaining
  

3. Do you like it when music videos have a direct reference to the meaning of the song or when they are totally abstract and different?

• When they have a direct reference
• Abstract and different
  

4. Do you think music videos are becoming more relevant or more irrelevant?

• Relevant
• Irrelevant

5. Where do you mostly view music videos?

• Youtube/other video platforms
• Facebook, Twitter/other social media platforms
• TV (music channels)
• Other

If other, please specify____________________________________________________

6. What are your favourite types of music videos?

• Pop
• Rock
• R’n’B
• Rap
• Comical
• Metal
• Other

If other, please specify________________________________________________________

7. Do you like it when music videos contain product placement?

• Yes
• No
• Don't care
• Don't know what product placement is

I also researched a target audience through existing categories made by both Young & Rubicam and Mosaic.

My target audience according to Young and Rubicam, I think, would be Mainstreamers as fans of this type of music (genre) fit into this category. These individuals seek security and acceptance. Likewise my target audience could fit into the 'Aspirers' category, as they too seek status.They can sometimes be materialistic and would definitely purchase a lot of merchandise from their favourite artists and their CDs also. They are conformist and so would fit into this category perfectly as popular 'pop'  artists often fill spaces in the Top 20 and by liking these artists they are conforming to liking the most popular thing. They are also sentimental and so would also opt for buying the physical CDs and official merchandise of the artist as they would like to remain loyal to the artist. A lot of their money would go to big saving brands such as 2for1deals on washing powder and shops such as Aldi, Asda and Sainsbury's. Although trying to save money they would splash out on big fashion brands. They would wear clothing brands such as Converse and Adidas as it is very mainstream and popular. They would probably be more left-wing and vote 'stay' in the EU Referendum and most likely also vote for Hilary Clinton in the 2016 US Election.

Mosaic would possibly define this type of person as fitting in their 062 category: Central Pulse. "Entertainment-seeking youngsters renting city centre flats in vibrant locations close to jobs and night life" is the description Mosaic gives people in this category and I think this would fit well with the target audience of my music video as these people would try and live closer to work opportunities as well as wanting to be close to the night life. They will often be young students or recent students that are trying to save money but at the same time spend an extraordinary amount on alcohol on nights out.

Task 3: Mind Mapping of Initial Ideas

1. The first mind map was my original one that I made when I was deciding on the genre I wanted the music in my music video to be. I noted some things that I could include in each of the genres. I wanted to make sure that whatever genre song I chose, I had video ideas for each one.

2.After I decided that I wanted to make a 'pop' music video, I mind mapped what I thought best fit into a music video of that genre. Pop music videos are often one of the most popular and so include lots of different elements.

3.When I chose 'If You Say So' I knew I wanted to film a music video that was close t the song's narrative and so I didn't want the music video to be abstract. As the song is about losing someone, I wanted the music video to have someone losing a loved one too and so I explored all combinations of that.

4. This is my final mind map of the song I have chosen to do my music video on. I listed some things that I thought could be included in the video that either linked to the lyrics or the style of the song. I drew inspiration from other music videos that included the same kind of story line.

Task 2.2: Research Into Existing Products - Abbey Road Album Cover

One of the most iconic album covers in history was taken by Iain Macmillan for The Beatles' album Abbey Road.  The album cover was originally supposed to be shot near Mount Everest but as the band eagerly wanted to finish the album, McCartney suggested they just go outside and take it. The collection of photographs by Macmillan were taken in August 1969 outside EMI Studios on Abbey Road. The photos had to be taken in only ten minutes as a policeman was holding up traffic behind the camera, six photos were taken that morning which McCartney examined before deciding on the famous cover. Their label was first against the idea of not including neither the name of the album or the band on the album cover. One member of the creative team behind designing the album cover, Kosh,  said that they should just have the picture on the cover with no artist or album name. Many others said that the record would not sell well without this information; Kosh later said "they didn't need the band's name on there...they were the biggest band in the world". On the original cover McCartney is carrying a cigarette, however many US companies photo-shopped the cigarette out without McCartney's or Apple's permission.

The band does not have their band's name on the front cover, they do also not have the album's name either. This does not follow regular codes and conventions of other media texts but due to the enormity and success of the band, they were able to do this effectively and not suffer from loss of sales.

Task 2.2: Research Into Existing Products - + Album Cover

This advert for Ed Sheeran's first album '+' follows codes and conventions of real media products well. The magazine advert that promotes Sheeran's album shows his name and his image (face), this is popular for adverts as it presents to the audience who the artist is and so they can therefore automatically choose to be interested or to not pay attention to the advert. The advert also features the album's name, with the font being a different colour to that of the rest of the text on the advert. The album's name and 'The No.1 album' is in orange as this is the prominent colour of Sheeran's album and branding at the time.

An image of the album itself is in the bottom left corner of the advert, this also is a very common feature of magazine adverts for artists as it directly shows audiences what they are looking for in the shop. The advert also features a quote stating how great Sheeran and the album is, this is shown as it is used for persuasion to audiences to but it. Lastly, the advert shows what can be found on the album by stating what singles are on there, as singles are released before albums, audiences know what these singles sound like and can decide if they would like the album based on if they like the singles. Sheeran's magazine advert follows codes and conventions of real media products well and promotes both him and his music well.

Task 2.1: Research Into Existing Products - Bad Romance

Lady Gaga – ‘Bad Romance’

As the music begins to play over the video we are shown an establishing shot where which we can see a dark room with light shining through a small slit in the window and large white pods occupying its space. The light shines through onto each pod and then onto the next one and finally onto the wall and the room lights the pods up and they awake. The pods then open to reveal women dressed in tight white latex with their eyes and ears covered. This could connote that young girls, especially girls in the music industry, are at first blank slates who are then moulded into what the industry and buyers want them to be. The covering of their ears could connote that the industry doesn’t want any outsiders to inform the ‘blank slates’ how manipulated they are being when they are joining the industry. Their covered eyes could also show that the industry doesn’t let them see certain things and they are not allowed to view products to take inspiration from, they are only to do as they are told. However, their mouth is uncovered which suggests that the only thing that anyone wants is their voice, their talent and they want to use that innocent voice to communicate to fans and sell them the product.

Gaga also appears in a bathtub, connoting that she is clean, pure and innocent, before the music industry has corrupted her and her image. She is dressed in total white and has most of her body covered which again implies that she is innocent. Medium shots of Gaga shows her wide-eyed which again is a physical metaphor for how innocent people are when they first go into the industry. Gaga is also wearing earphones which could suggest that she is being constantly told what to do or how to do things in the industry.

This close up of Gaga shows her being forced to swallow some kind of liquid, presumably an elixir or poison. This connotes that people perhaps are forced into being something that they are not when in the music industry.  A long shot shows that it is also women who are forcing her to drink the elixir suggests that the music industry brainwashes women into tearing each other down, slut shaming one another etc. Gaga could be trying to show that women are pitted against one another into who can be the biggest, hottest, craziest thing at the time. When standing in front of the men to be 'auctioned' and 'judged', it is again the women who are essentially forcing her to do something. In this case they are removing her clothing, this could suggest that in the music industry it is the women who are telling other women to dress more provocatively in order to succeed.

Throughout the video the women mostly wear white and the men wear black. The use of binary oppositions presents women as innocent and submissive, whereas the dominant use of black in the men's clothing shows how patriarchal the music industry is. This low angle shot shows the image of Gaga crawling on the floor is shown in-between a male's legs which connotes that he is standing up, therefore taller than her. The use of proxemics here is intentional to show how men tower over and control women in the industry and women have to start from the very bottom, taking orders in order to achieve. The image of her crawling also connotes that she is begging to get to the top and so again shows a degrading view of women.

Gaga changes to a black, more revealing outfit when being 'auctioned'. It first shows Gaga through a long shot and then switches to close ups of her in her new state. This connotes that the industry and it's figures have corrupted her and shaped her to be exactly what they want her to be, which isn't necessarily what she wanted to be. It could also connote that now that she has been moulded into what they wanted her to be she is now on the same level as men (wearing black) and successful. At the end of the music video Gaga is wearing red, this could suggest that she has and others have to find a balance of what the industry is forcing them to be and who they are and so they are now stronger and less innocent than they were before but are not totally corrupted and brainwashed as the industry would prefer. 

Task 2.1: Research Into Existing Products - Formation

The image of Beyonce standing on top of a police vehicle is a direct reference to the aid given, or lack thereof, to Hurricane Katrina victims. Beyonce here raises the topic of discussion which was very popular at the time and still today: What was the police (and government) doing when the public was in the most need? We can make this link between the video and the natural disaster as later on in the video images of sinking houses are shown: something which happened due to the events. It also refers to the nationwide movement, Black Lives Matter, as seeing an idolized independent black woman on top of a police officer’s car representing the idea of standing up against police brutality, specifically against black people, would be very influential to some people.

We also see Beyonce wearing a white lace dress in a upper class home in long and close up shots, as well as children of colour also dressed similar. Beyonce here is referring to the slavery that was forced upon people of colour around 150 years ago in which it was white women who wore this fashion then as they were seen as the wealthiest and the most important. By incorporating these shots into her music video she is stating that it is now possible for people of colour, including women of colour, to obtain this kind of status as Beyonce herself is an example of this as she states when singing “I earned all this money”. Beyonce makes several references to her being a woman of colour in the song’s lyrics: “I like my baby hair, with baby hair and afros. I like my negro nose with Jackson 5 nostrils” By doing this she is implying that she and other people of colour should be proud of who they are and where they come from.  By doing this she is making an indirect reference to the racism received daily by black people all over the world but especially in America.

Although not explicitly clear in this image here, Beyonce and the dancers are forming an ‘X’ shape, this is normally filmed using a long shot to show all the women there. Perhaps stating that is affecting many people. She does this in other shots of the video too including shots in which it is presented that they are being filmed on some kind of security cameras. This could be to indicate that they constantly feel watched and locked down upon. The ‘X’ formation is a reference to protesting against police brutality and specifically the movement ‘#blacklivesmatter’. The line “okay ladies, now let’s get in formation” is perhaps making a reference to preparing for battle as police brutality against black citizens in America is a continuous problem. The physical shape of the ‘X’ formation references Malcolm X who campaigned for Civil Rights in the 1960s. Another campaigner for Civil Rights is also referenced in the video as a black man holds up a paper with Martin Luther King Jr. The caption on the paper ‘more than a dreamer’ could be stating that this man is very responsible for the progress that was made for Civil Rights to this very day.

We also see images of a young boy dancing in front of the police, this is one scene that some black people associated with and one that also aggravated the police as it showed them as preying on the weakest, and sometimes youngest, members of society. Another shot that many people of colour thought was very realistic was a message written on the wall in the video stating ‘STOP SHOOTING US’. This makes a very clear reference to actions that have caused the movement : ‘#blacklivesmatter’. By including both this images, Beyonce is making the point that she is standing up to it and this shouldn't be happening anymore in America.

The video 'Formation' by Beyonce is completely targeted towards the actions of the police and the despair Americans are going through everyday because of institutional racism within the police force. Beyonce is using her popularity to raise awareness of these problems.

Task 2.1: Research Into Existing Products - Blank Space

Blank Space – Taylor Swift

The music video starts presenting the record label that Swift belongs too and an organisation she is affiliated with. The sound of birds chirping are played over the screen as the audio. The shot then cuts to an establishing shot of the set that the music video was filmed which shows a beautiful mansion along with an expensive car riding up to which connotes that whoever is approaching the residence has wealth and/or class. We then are shown Swift’s character contributing the performance based aspect of the video where we can see she is singing along to the lyrics. Although performing, here Swift’s character is adding more to the narrative of the video as we see her in a large bedroom surrounded by two white horses and a four-poster bed, again connoting wealth.

Swift then appears in front of a large two-sided staircase to greet the young man as she also holds her hands out to him as if to shake his hand or for him to kiss hers. Again as this is an extreme long shot we are shown even more parts of the house and as more and more is revealed it is further emphasised that Swift, in this video, has wealth. The scene is then changed to a different location, this time being the dining room of the house where a long table is decorated with mouth-watering food, certainly too much to be ate in one sitting and so this connotes that Swift’s character has so much money that she wastes it. We are shown the couple doing other leisurely activities together including dancing in another room of the house dressed in expensive evening wear and riding on bicycles in what appears to a room resembling a library. Swift’s character is also shown painting a portrait of the man which again connotes she is wealthy as portraits of that size are normally the belongings of upper class people. All these activities also hint that the two are a couple as they are spending lots of time together doing fun deeds.

As the chorus is introduced we are shown a close up of the couple with Swift’s character looking intently at the young man. This close up enables us to state the feeling behind the way she is looking at him as adoration but as we learn later on in the video the feeling is beginning to form obsession. Swift’s character here is also supplying the video with the performance side of the video which is a key convention of most music videos and she continues this throughout the video at various parts. A forward tracking shot then shows the couple walking onto the gardens with three matching dogs.

A long shot which also is a backwards tracking shot shows the couple riding the two white horses that were shown earlier on in the video. The background shows twos rows of conifers and an archway in front of a large path which connotes that the character not only has a large mansion but also large gardens belonging to it. Mise-en-scene also plays a big part in emphasising Swift’s character’s class and status as she appears to be wearing riding boots and appropriate wear for riding and often equestrianism is associated with the higher classes.

Editing is used here to show multiple shots of Swift’s character and the man running through the gardens in slow motion. This could symbolise the positive side of their relationship and how time stands still when you’re with the one you love. Costumes also play a part in telling the story of the relationship, as her character has a total of around 20 costumes throughout the music video. This could connote that her character has many different sides to her personality including the bad which we see in the next half of the videos.

In this long shot, we see Swift’s character hanging up a portrait of her new lover next to all her other past partners. This is a direct reference to lyrics within the song: “got a long list of ex-lovers”. This is connoting that she is repetitive with her relationships and that they always end badly and she then she looks for other lovers. We can see some foreshadowing as to what will happen later in the video as they is a sharp weapon that ha punctured another man’s portrait and so we are to assume that she destroys all her relationships.

We are then introduced to the dark side of the relationship with medium shots as Swift teases with lyrics; “wait the worst is yet to come”. Lighting is used here to create a specific atmosphere as throughout the video where the ‘positive side’ of the relationship is shown the lighting is for the most part is very light to symbolise happiness and love but to show how negative relationships can be the lighting is changed to very dark. This pattern of darker lighting to show negative parts of the relationship continues throughout the video, we can see this when the couple are outside and it is starting to get darker and within the house as well. The use of camera also differs when the relationships starts to crumble as it becomes a lot more handheld which could represent the chaos of the relationships as it starts to take a turn for the worse. The use of the handheld camera could also be a link to the line: “I get drunk on jealousy” as when you are drunk your vision becomes distorted which could resemble the camera.

Special effects are also used a little later in the video to show Swift’s character burning her partner’s clothes. Makeup is also used here to convey emotion as Swift’s characters mascara is running and this is shown this way to symbolise her pain, hysteria and insaneness.

Lighting is a key factor in this music video and is used often to represent emotion or feelings. In this scene lighting could represent the good and the bad, in Swift’s characters eyes anyway. Swift here is standing in front of a white background which could symbolise that she is the innocent one in this situation and that she did not do anything wrong. It could suggest that the man, who has a dark background is the villain in this story and he ruined the relationship.  Her character also holds an apple in this scene and moving it in a way that resembles the man’s actions. Due to the constant cuts to each person, we can see that the man is the apple and she is controlling him. For example

when Swift grabs the apple sharply, the man grasps his head as if he is in pain or being controlled.

We see the use of editing again at the end of the video when Swift’s characters insanity drives her to smash the man’s car and ruin it completely. Due to the cost of the car, it would be unwise to actually damage the car for the video and so instead CGI is used to create this effect. Swift’s character is shown to be doing this in slow motion which adds to the intensity and the emotion of the event. The man quickly leaves the estate and another man enters. This is shown with many cuts between different shots and shots being on screen for very little time, this could symbolise how quickly she gets into another relationship after one ends.

This video and song was made as a parody to what the media presents her as to the public: very controlling, unstable and psychotic towards men.