Research: Similar product research 3. Taylor Swift's 'Bad Blood'

The establishing shot features a night time extreme long shot of a city landscape. The bright lights connote an exciting and adventure filled lifestyle. At this point in the video I would conclude that the target audience would be teenagers from the age of around 14-19.

The establishing shot then fades into a long shot of an office. The lights on the buildings begin to blur and therefore a smooth transition between both shots is created. The juxtaposition between the the impressive landscape and the office creates verisimilitude as the audience believes that because of the setting (an office) they are about to witness a music video which is relatable; and portrays real life situations.

However this tranquil atmosphere may seem too eerie for some viewers as the ambient sound of busy traffic creates uncertainty concerning what will happen next  as the uneasy and tense atmosphere becomes increasingly more obvious. The lack of sound is then diminished with a sudden sting of diegetic crashing sound which is parallel to a man being thrown onto a desk. This is not a stereotypical representation of a man as he shown to be very weak and in danger of immediate harm or death at the hands of another much stronger individual. 

A whip pan is used to connote the extreme violence, danger and excitement which is about to ensue. The long shot captured to the left illustrates through the proxemics of the characters that the woman is dominant over the man as she is filmed going above the mans head to take him down towards the ground which symbolises her power over him within combat. This is a none stereotypical representation of a woman as they are usually represented as 'damsels in distress' type characters, however is it extremely refreshing to see a woman represented in way were she appears capable of matching and even exceeding a mans abilities. I may include a modern representation of a woman in my music video as I believe it is appropriate to represent men and women as equals within a modern society. This representation of Taylor Swift as a woman trained in acrobatics and combat supports Dyers theory that 'a star is an image not a real person'. The music video representation is a contrast with Taylor Swifts usual 'normalised' media presence whereas here it is clear she is a type of secret agent. Dyer also suggests that 'how we are seen determines how we are treated'. Taylor Swift is seen as a powerful and dangerous woman and therefore the male character runs at her with the intention of using his strength to the best of his ability in order to defeat her. However 'stereotypes are not simple' because although previously, a woman would have been represented as being inferior to a man, Taylor Swift has developed enough skill and strength to overpower the man. 

This matched cut of the singers face shows that although she is represented as being extremely violent and aggressive, her make up and the lipstick props work together as indexical signs to create a highly feminine representation. The shot is ironic and humorous as it suggests that even though she has just been involved in a dangerous fight she still feels it necessary to apply her make up. This is an example of a stereotypical female representation as they are frequently portrayed as being image and appearance conscious. 

"Arsyn" is a secondary female character who is  also represented in a none stereotypical way. Her costume is all black which connotes danger, power, evil, mystery and death. This character is represented as being one who is highly capable of inflicting pain on others without remorse. This is not a stereotypical representation of a women in music videos are often represented as being kind hearted and sympathetic characters. The name of this character also denotes poison, Williams would suggest that this symbolises the woman's harshness and brutality. A poison would infect the entirety of a persons body and leave them defenceless.  

The image to the left shows a point of view shot which portrays the singer being reflected in the pocket mirror of another female character, this could possibly connote that the female holding the pocket mirror is very sneaky and suspicious as she is not directly looking at 'catastrophe' which suggests she is an untrustworthy character. This is a possible stereotypical representation as woman are frequently represented as being disloyal and secretly unkind to other female co-workers with in the work place. 

This point of view shot is extremely effective. I love how the viewer can see who is the most powerful within the narrative as a high angle shot depicts the female in black looking down emotionless with no remorse while the weaker of the two opponents is seen reaching out in desperation. I also like how great attention to detail has been achieved as a reflection of Taylor Swift can be seen in one of the shards of glass representing what appears to be a shattered relationship with her once trusted comrade. In terms of Propps character roles Arsyn is now the villain and Catastrophe is the hero that the audiences wills to succeed. 



I also like the use of split screen to integrate two faces which creates quite a robotic and futuristic effect to the video. There is also a clear contrast between light and dark between the two separate background, this could possibly symbolize the contrast between innocence and rich knowledge which would suggest why Taylor Swift aka 'Catastrophe' was betrayed (because of naivety).


The direct eye contact with the camera is very powerful here and represents 'Catastrophe' as being a very harsh and powerful character. The movement of her hair using the wind machine also connotes her new found perfection. Taylor Swift's has been re created as a a more indestructible individual after her defeat against her new nemesis. Therefore the narrative demonstrates many of Propps 'character types' including 'the donor' who give Taylor Swift's character this power and ability. 

This medium long shot shows Catastrophe bursting through a wall, this shows that she is and extremely dangerous and powerful force. The audience can see her development into a stronger character who now appears indestructible. This is another example of Perkin's theory that 'Stereotypes are not simple'  because women are able to detach themselves from the representation that they are weaker as previously a woman would not be seen in the role of a leader. It is refreshing to see this alternative representation. 




In this medium long shot female gender expectations are completely destroyed. The continuous shot begins with the character on the left holding a hand-bag which is a stereotypical representation of many woman. However heavy irony is created when the handle is pulled and the handbag becomes a weapon. This implies that women should not be seen as the weaker sex as they are commonly shown to be. Both women are wearing provocative clothing which may be to attract a 'male gaze' however this is contrasted with the sharp looking spikes on Catastrophe's bra top which would suggest that she does not want to be seen as a sexual object but a danger.



This shot also shows Catastrophes power and determinism which is implied by the holding of eye contact. I also like that she is shown to be boxing which is a sport that women are not often associated with. Once again this video breaks the roles in which women are often confined to.





This is 'The headmistress' who is just one character from the female dominated ensemble. She is represented as the over all leader. It not stereotypical to find a female portrayed in a leading role and therefore this video continues to promote 'girl power'.









The special effects used here create a very large spectacle which is unfortunately probably not achievable in college. However it is very impressive and makes the women appear even more powerful as they walk away unscathed from an explosion. All of the women are dressed in black which represents death, danger and the fear which they may inflict on others. Most of the ensemble are also wielding guns which implies their ruthlessness as characters.





The matched cuts always focus on the main character Catastrophe aka Taylor Swift...













Once more the matched cut still focuses on Taylor Swift. This is a technique I will use in my music video. The main characters red hair connotes danger and symbolizes her progression from the start (as a gentle blonde) to now where she appears much more aggressive.

This low angle shot heavily symbolizes the ensembles undeniable power. They also tightly framed which is symbolic of the steadfastness and strength as a fighting unit.

How this post has influenced my planning and creativity: Helped me understand how to break stereotypical gender roles to bring a music video into the 21st Century.