The document provides an in-depth analysis of the music video for "You Belong With Me" by Taylor Swift. It discusses how the video uses mise-en-scene, costumes, camera shots, editing, and synchronization with the song lyrics to tell a story of a teenage romance. Specifically, it examines how these elements are used to characterize Taylor Swift's protagonist and establish an antagonist, build empathy for the protagonist, and ultimately have the audience root for the protagonist to find love. The document analyzes numerous individual scenes in detail to demonstrate how the various film techniques serve the video's narrative and romantic theme.

2.  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.

3.  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.

4.  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.

5.  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.

6.  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.

7.  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.

8.  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.

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

10.  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.

11.  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.

12.  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.

13.  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.

14.  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.

15.  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.

16.  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.

17.  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.

18.  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.

19.  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.

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

21.  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.

22.  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.

23.  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.

24.  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.

25.  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.

26.  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.