1. This is the opening shot for the music video ‘Love Story’ which
sets the scene using a wide establishing shot of an American
high school where the music video will be set. This type of
setting already tells us as an audience what to expect in terms
of the characters that are indicated from this location such as
young teenagers in high school. This could then be a implied as
to what tone/genre the song is going to be and judging by the
natural bright lighting, it is going to be an up beat song, rather
than a rock/death metal song which wouldn’t be suitable for
this setting? and fit with stereotypical locations for that genre.
The video tells the story of Taylor’s character imagining a series of
fantasies with the boy she has seen at high school. We know she is at a
high school from the opening establishing shot, ? And the way he is
presented to us the viewer is done in such a way as to suggest the
importance of him in the storyline and video narrative, playing a important
role in the music video itself. This particular scene is a medium shot of a
relatively attractive young man. He is the only one in the frame, wearing a
simple black t-shirt to draw the audience’s attention to only him and not
something else going on around him. This particular shot demonstrates
the Mulvey male gaze theory which in this case is flipped, typically when
men are shot, they look directly at the camera and at the
audience, showing dominance and power whilst presumably looking at the
female character in the music video which is Taylor herself why because it
is a point of view shot and as we see a shot of her stood looking at him
after, it is clear that this point of view shot looking at him is from Taylor.
Even though he is not speaking, him looking directly at the camera is a
form of non verbal communication (Mulvey) particularly this shot targets
the female audience, using a handsome man to attract a feminine
audience.

2. This is a second establishing shot, but is varies from the first establishing shot as it
in a different setting/location also the time of day is different from the first, it looks
like early morning time. This shot is used to move the narrative along, informing the
audience that this is a different world/maybe a flashback to show progression in
time and alternating setting in the music video. It appears to be a tall structured
castle, which could be a signifier for the narrative the audience should expect from
the music video what which would be typically a fairytale love romance, and already
from the name itself it indicates a ‘love story’. The dim lighting, and low angle could
suggest that the castle has significant power over whoever is in the tower and that
the time of day/lighting also signifies the negative mood that someone (a princess)
may need rescuing judging by the high windowed towers and the typical fairytale
narrative which fits with this pop song. This narrative appears to be
disjointed/fragmented as it appears to be almost a dream, this is a feature of Carol
Vernaillis’ theory of features of a music video, also having the diegesis slowly being
revealed to the audience as the narrative progresses so do the characters
relationship as we learn more about the pair. This shot along with the first shot of
the high school building, establishes the possible plot/theme for the audience to
expect which is part of Tim’O’Sullivans theory.

3. The story/narrative then moves on to show short flashbacks of shots of the
young man we see at the beginning in the high school location and the young
girl (Taylor) who was gazing upon him, now they are together at a Victorian
style ball then back to the boy squinting as the camera focuses on him
(POV, perspective), suggesting he is aware he knows this girl (narrative) but is
unsure where he has seen her before, then the audience are shown how he
knows her with the camera cutting to clips of them both, which fits into the lyrics
of ‘and the flashbacks start’ as she is stood looking over a balcony ‘I’m standing
there, on a balcony in summer air’. Taylor has a low cut dress on with her
naked shoulders on show, enticing a male audience from her choice of
revealing costume, but also a young female audience from her elegant dress
and pretty angelic appearance as they idolize her and aspire to be were she is.
whilst looking almost over her shoulders she faces the camera side-on
why, emphasizing her inviting body language and possibly vulnerability as she
is the only one in the frame. looking at the viewer from behind her as she gazes
out of the balcony window.

4. As the video progresses, we are now inside a hall filled with lots of people in ball gowns and
suits to reinforce what?, ‘See the party, the ball gowns
I see you make your way through the crowd’
See the party, the ball gowns’ this has direct link to the narrative of the music video and the
lyrics this is an example of thought tracking. This media technique is part of having a clear
and obvious relationship between the lyrics and visuals which is a key element of Andrew
Goodwin's theory of music videos. This shot is when the audience can make the link
between the boy at the beginning and the relationship they have. The shot is a pull
focus, further drawing the attention to this boy, having the rest of the surroundings/setting
blurred out, focusing all the audiences attention on this boy and as he is looking directly
towards the camera it further enforces the power and authority he has as well as non verbal
communication, which also may be accurate for the time period it is set and how women
were relegated and seen as in that era, getting a response from the viewing audience . The
significance he is towards Taylor is shown in this pull focus shot of him, despite the amount
of people in the hall, they are not relevant or in her eyes they are not because we assume
this is the view from Taylor because she says ‘I see you’, in first person, speaking from her
own account of what she is seeing at that time. She gazes upon him in a almost voyeuristic
manor, spying on him instead of the typical male gazing staring upon the female.

5. The video then begins to show their relationship progress, the begin dancing and more intimate, ‘That
you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles’ the audience are now aware of the character and love
story between Romeo and Juliet before it even begins as it is predetermined what Is going to happen
if it fits with the story people know from William Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ . This intersexual
reference to another piece of textual media is part of Andrew Goodwin’s music video theory, also the
audience are aware of the tragedy which may occur if followed exact. This close up shot allows the
audience to connect with Taylor and as she is looking directly at the camera, it challenges Laura
Mulveys theory of the male gaze, and abolishing the idea of voyeurism of spying on Taylor (Goodwin)
as she is looking at them rather than the audience/men looking at her as a object when she is
unaware. Her toned down, natural make-up and elegantly toned loving eyes, almost invites the
audience into the ‘diegesis’ of the video and be part of their unfolding love story.
The lyrics next at this point are ‘And my daddy said stay away from Juliet’ which counters what is
going on in the clip, they’re getting closer as we are being told Romeo is supposed to stay
away, which shows to the audience he cares a lot for Juliet, who we are now fully aware is ‘Taylor’ as
when she says ‘from Juliet’ we are shown a close up of Taylor singing. During these clips, it cuts from
high angles looking down on the group of people dancing, to close ups and medium shots of Taylor
singing, back to long/medium shots of the dance and the two together.

6. Later on in the music video, she says ‘Romeo, take me
somewhere we can be alone’ whilst in the video they
are passing through a dark looking environment, as she
is holding up a lantern to light up the way and they
appear to be alone like the lyrics suggest. This medium
close up shot of their upper body shows they are
dressed like a fairytale ‘princess and prince’ with the
long elegant dress and the smart suit which she refers
to a number of times in her chorus ‘you’ll be the prince
and il be the princess’ which therefore does link into the
story in the music video visuals itself.
‘Marry me, Juliet, you’ll never have to be alone’ they are
reunited at the end when Juliet thinks that he is not
going to return to her, which is a contrast and
alternative different ending a more ‘happily ever after’
than the story most are familiar with, also contradicts
the original ‘Romeo and Juliet’ ending into a positive
outcome, which follows Tim’O’Sullivans ‘All media texts
tell a kind of story’ with this story having a development
of a problem, which in this case is that her father does
not want them to be together, increasing the tension of
what is going to happen, resulting in a resolution of the
plot of them going against her fathers wishes and
ending up happily together. The bright setting sets the
happy tone and mood for this particular moment, the
sun shining behind them as they are close to one
another having a intimate romantic moment in this
medium shot.