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For my last analysis, I’ve decided to look at a pop music video to understand how these projects are designed to appeal to mass mainstream audiences. The music video for Blank Space by Taylor Swift currently has 2.5 billion views on YouTube so it’s a brilliant example of big production filmmaking in this forum. Directed by Joseph Kahn, the Blank Space music video was released on the 10th of November 2014. This makes it the most recent video I have analyzed in this task. As a result, the audience for Taylor Swift has different expectations than the target audience of Aphex Twin.
Blank Space is a narrative and performance music video told in a linear structure. One can only assume this is to encompass a larger demographic as possible. By not isolating anyone who may find following a complex narrative difficult or just can’t be bothered to put the work in, which is completely understandable as mainstream media acts as a form of escapism. The video follows the arc of two socially deemed attractive people’s relationships. This, again, relates to the escapism aspect. Some viewers may watch wanting to be as attractive as the people in the video or be involved romantically with someone as attractive as the people seen in the video. Furthermore, this relates to Laura Mulvey’s male gaze theory. Taylor Swift is seen wearing very little clothing in several shots. As a result, older men could be a secondary audience who enjoy looking at sexualized women.
The video is shot in high-key lighting. This allows younger audiences to see everything that is happening. This may seem like a small request, but it massively influences the commitment of young children to have invested in visual media. There is a massive tonal shift during the video where Swift’s character becomes jealous. Even during the transition in tone, the high-key lighting stays set and it’s Swift’s crazy attics that establish the shift. The frequent use of the color green could foreshadow Swift’s psychotic outburst as green represents envy and jealousy. Intertextuality is present in this video. A ‘potentially poisonous’ red apple referencing Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The iconography could be seen as irony as Swift is poisoning her ‘Prince.’ It can be implied the apple in this video is poisonous as the shot of the man spiting out the apple is shown.
The reference isn’t to gain a younger demographic but a metaphor for how evil Swift’s character has become.
The video ends the way it begins. Not only do the events repeat, but Kahn is meticulous in his framing and camera angles. It’s not just close, it’s exactly the same pan, close-up, composition as the beginning just now with a different man. This is brilliant storytelling, as it shows the audience the loop instead of telling them. Any lesser director, would either end the video without the loop or use a title card to explicitly tell the audience of the loop. Even lazy audiences don’t want to be treated like fools. Kahn allows the viewer to work out the ending for themselves and as a result, the payoff feels more satisfying.
Blank space uses a range of camera angles. Long shots are used in the video to show off the location, setting, and mise en scene. Close-ups are used to show Swift’s emotions and small details. This frequent change in camera angles is a technique used to keep the visuals fresh and the video interesting.
In addition to this, the fast-paced editing gives the video energy and adds to the stakes. Modern audiences expect these choices from producers, or they won’t engage further. Context influences expectation and should be heavily considered when analyzing any form of media. As a result, music videos must adapt to stay relevant and profitable medium.
“The world has always been two types of videos: the big entertainment-style videos that, quite frankly, a lot of directors may not really respect, and the artsy videos that only other art students like.” – Joseph Kahn. Mainstream music videos go under the radar of many people who see pop as watered-down art designed to engage the most amount of people. Through my music video is less conventional than Taylor Swift’s Blank Space, I’m looking for a way to make the video more accessible to mass viewership. To achieve this, I may have to make the narrative linear. Give the video a brighter color palette. Etc. Analysing Blank Space has made me understand the filmmaking techniques necessary for mass appeal. I have found all three of these analyses helpful in planning, structuring, and filming my own music video.
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