Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space”
Director: Joseph Kahn
March 26, 2023
I picked for this video review “Blank Space” from Taylor Swift’s 1989 album. I like how the director depicts the change in a person’s character as well as the setting as conflict arises between the characters. The female, Taylor Swift, turns crazy as she suspects her male partner, Sean O’Pry, of being disloyal. In addition, both characters play the different scenes effectively as they integrate the song’s lyrics and rhythm with the scenes’ respective imagery.
In this video, the storytelling is captivating as the perfect looking and dressed Swift is in a picturesque mansion with O’Pry. The characters’ actions present the narrative as per the lyrics. The relationship is first depicted as “out of this world.” They are dancing, eating, riding horses, and biking together. Swift is even painting her partner. But suddenly, half-way through this 4:32 minute video, Swift sees her partner texting on his smartphone as they are picnicking together.
All hell breaks loose. Swift becomes a jilted lover as she catches O’Pry “cheating.” The mansion itself with its beautiful gardens, dining room, hallways, etc. is turned into chaos. Swift stabs the cake, making “red blood” come out of it. This action is a very effective imagery. She also throws a plant at her partner (as the song’s lyrics were “I get drunk on jealousy.”) She slashes the portrait she had painted for him. She sets his clothes on fire and throws them off the balcony (as the song’s lyrics were “…or it’s going to go down in flames”). She then takes a golf club to smash his car. Her crying makes her mascara runs down her face — an intense well shot moment. And yes, she sends her lover’s iPhone into the fountain. Revenge is sweet! As O’Pry is leaving the premises, another male pops into Swift’s life.
The mise en scene begins with a symmetrical framing. O’Pry is driving a Shelby AC Cobra into the mansion’s courtyard as Swift awaits him. The areas used are mostly Winfield Hall’s large dining room, grand master bedroom, study room (where they biked), gardens, stairs, balcony, hallways, etc. The clothing match up with the characters’ wealthy background. The “props” include the expensive horses, the valuable cars, the dining room food and utensils, the paintings on the wall, the gorgeous dresses (whether black or colored), etc. The contrast of black versus pink dresses reveal the female’s mood. Bright colors usually speak happier moments. Both mansions’ respective color scheme is rather neutral, exhibiting a feeling of natural surroundings. In addition, there is a color contrast when Swift is sitting in a black dress on the bed, and she is holding a white cat.
The pacing is good, but sometimes the scene is cut short or flip to move into another one. The scenes do, however, move with the lyrics and beat, and act out the narrative. The cuts’ timing seems to be according to the music and done mostly in a smooth way.
The director uses different types of shots and camera moves. They include the following:
There is a close-up shot of O’Pry as Swift sings, “Oh, my God! Look at that face.” It’s about joy to see such a good-looking male. Other close-up shots include Swift’s face as she sings, “Love is a game I want to play…” There is another close-up as she is painting O’Pry. In both close-up she portrays the emotions of joy or love as the shots are at eye-level.
An additional close up of Swift’s head as she holds an apple. The emotion may be love (or conflict over love).
There is also a medium shot in which Swift is seen from head to waist holding that same red apple. The emotion is one of anger. It is followed up with O’Pry’s medium shot as he is crushing out the apple. And that action exhibits a repulsion. There is also a medium shot of Swift as she’s holding the white cat and is at eye-level. The emotion there is joy.
For the setting, the director also uses extreme wide shots in which the subject –Swift or O’Pry is present. The video’s opening scene as the car rolls in at the beginning of the narrative, and the viewer sees O’Pry as the driver. This creates the emotion of joy or intensity in reaching your loved one.
Another extreme wide shot is when Swift is on the balcony looking out at the gardens.
A medium shot is used to show Swift’s colorful outfit contrasted to O’Pry’s black phone which she is about to drop in the fountain. It shows intensity.
In addition, there is an over the shoulder shot in which O’Pry and Swift are in conflict over the phone’s outcome. Later in the scene, Swift is laughing about what she is about to do; he is not. So, such a scene is about conflict.
A medium shot used with a low angle showing Swift from her head to her waist. The low angle with the camera tilting is making the viewer look up at Swift. It makes the character have a sense of dominance.
Another low angle occurs when Swift is throwing out her partner’s shirt from the balcony. Her emotions are definitely about anger. Her action elicits fright. It is repeated when she is throwing out other clothing that she has set on fire. The view of the fire creates a very intense moment which is further made noticeable with a close-up shot.
A high angle is used when the camera is looking down at O’Pry standing in the garden and looking up at Swift singing “Find out what you want…”. At that point he is in a conflict situation. And he seems inferior.
There is an eye view level as O’Pry looks at/texts with his phone while picnicking with Swift. She is looking at him texting away. A fight ensues. And there is panning right to left and then left to right as Swift says, “Oh, my God.”
While in the living room, the fight continues. There is a 2-shot (eye-level) showcasing tension with the couple. They appear from head to waist as Swift sings, “…I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream.”
There is panning from right to left as O’Pry holds up a champagne glass, and then Swift does the same while singing “No money, suit and tie I can read you like a magazine.” There is a visual theme of order and color contrast. Same for the dancing scene in panning right to left, expressing order/contrast.
There is also panning right as the car rolls in. Panning right as the horse’s head moves from left to right at the beginning of the video.
There is a zoom in with a symmetry theme as Swift is in the center on the mansion’s top stairs and the perceived distance gets closer to her. There is a zoom out of Swift when she is in a scene in a centered bed showing two horses, two dressers, and two lights. The visual theme there is order.
There is zoom in as Swift is in the hallway stabbing O’Pry’s portrait. There is also a tilting from up to down hand movement. It shows chaos.
Another zoom in is the carving of “Sean + Taylor” inside a heart shape made on that garden tree. The visual theme is texture.
There is tilting down as Swift stabs the heart-shaped cake moving her knife-holding hand from up to down position. The visual theme is that of contrast (black dress versus white cake) and texture (steely knife versus softness of the cream).
Additional shots/moves:
There is a tilting down as Swift and O’Pry come out of the mansion with three dogs going down the steps. There is also tilting down in another scene as Swift comes down the stairs. In both, the visual theme would be order.
There is a push-in as Swift and O’Pry are picnicking. The visual theme is texture.
This video was awarded: American Music Award for Song of the Year, and MTV 2015 Video Music Award for Best Pop Video and Best Female Video.
BONUS:
The video “Blank Space” and “Blank Space” app were made in two days. The director Joseph Kahn did them both without editing allowed. https://youtu.be/e-ORhEE9VVg
The video depicts two Long Island, New York mansions — Oheka Castle and Winfield Hall (Glen Cove on Oyster Bay/Nassau County). The latter was sold for $8.25M (although the asking price was $19.95M) [TopTenRealEstate.com]
The director used six cameras capturing Taylor Swift and Sean O’Pry’s moves.
Swift and O’Pry had to act out their roles in one shot; no editing.
For more information, please visit https://www.mtv.com/news/n64sjz/taylor-swift-blank-space-app-creat
Philippe Abizeid's Visual Literacy 