media language

Question 1

industry context:
why is taylor swift a pop phenomenon?

Answer 1

worth upwards of $250 million.

Question 2

industry context:
what did Forbes included Swift in the list of?

Answer 2

of the 100 Most Influential Women

Question 3

industry context:
what is Swift a recipient of?

Answer 3

10 Grammys and an Emmy

Question 4

industry context:
how many copies has Swift sold over?

Answer 4

40 million albums

Question 5

industry context:
what is Swift considered on social media?

Answer 5

the most followed celebrities

Question 6

industry context:
what has Swift made a huge impact on?

Answer 6

the music industry

Question 7

industry context:
why did Apple changed their music policy in 2015?

Answer 7

after she refused to allow them to stream her album without payment.

Question 8

industry context:
why did she withdrew her album from the streaming site Spotify, despite being one of their most popular artists?

Answer 8

a protest against payment practices

Question 9

what are the settings for the video? (2)

Answer 9

modern-day London
Swift’s secret training facility beneath the streets

Question 10

what is mostly the colour palette for the video?

Answer 10

shiny and reflective black and white

Question 11

what colour begin to appear as the narrative builds?
what does this perhaps foreshadow?

Answer 11

as the narrative builds, more reds begin to appear, perhaps foreshadowing the change in Swift’s hair colour.

Question 12

what is the final confrontation lit by?

Answer 12

massive explosions and fire

Question 13

what is the final confrontation being lit in contrast to?

Answer 13

the cold, metallic monochrome of the earlier shots

Question 14

what would the video be a good example of?

Answer 14

a music video that blends the conventions of performance

Question 15

what are there no conventional of?

Answer 15

dance routines

Question 16

how are we as if we are the person with who she has ‘bad blood’?

Answer 16

Swift does sing the song and addresses us directly

Question 17

what does not video not strictly have?

Answer 17

dance performances

Question 18

what does the video feature that have the rhythm and grace of a dance routine?

Answer 18

lots of acrobatic fight sequences

Question 19

what does it imply as each high scene is a reference to a different movie?

Answer 19

builds a relationship with a wide audience who would recognise these intertextual elements

Question 20

what does the direct address build?

Answer 20

intimacy

Question 21

what contrasts with Swift’s ‘sweet girl’ image?

Answer 21

her tone and facial expressions are angry and threatening

Question 22

who are the 3 female pop stars that change their images from video to video?

Answer 22

Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Rihanna

Question 23

what do female pop stars change their images from video to video?

Answer 23

like playing a range of ‘characters’ from vampire queens to aliens

Question 24

what had Swift previously maintained through her videos?

Answer 24

a consistent visual image

Question 25

how is ‘bad blood’ the opposite from her previous image?

Answer 25

changing costume and hair colour in every shot and creating a sexy ‘kick ass’ action hero character at odds with ‘sweet’, girl-next-door image.

Question 26

what is the video a good example of?

Answer 26

intertextuality

Question 27

intertextuality

Answer 27

when an artist ‘samples’ and makes reference to other media products

Question 28

what is the title font similar to? (2)

Answer 28

Sin City (2005)

Question 29

what is the robot lab similar to?

Answer 29

Robocop (both 80s and more recent remake)

Question 30

wha are the fight scenes at the start and in the snow reference to?

Answer 30

Kill Bill (2003)

Question 31

what are the female agents training and preparing for battle look like similar scenes/ locations/ characters from?

Answer 31

Hunger Games (2012) and Divergent (2014) films

Question 32

what refers to Tron (1982)?

Answer 32

the motorbike chase

Question 33

what does the video target by referring to such a wide range of films?

Answer 33

a wider audience than might usually listen to Swift, building a relationship with them.

Question 34

why are action movie editing techniques used throughout?

Answer 34

emphasise the fluid skill of the fighters; and cross-cutting between the two sides as they approach for the final confrontation

Question 35

what are the 4 action movie editing techniques used in the video?

Answer 35

balletic fights scene
moving from normal speed to slow motion within one shot
the combination of long shots and close-ups
match-on-action

Question 36

why are long shots used?

Answer 36

to see strength and skill

Question 37

why are close-ups used?

Answer 37

to show emotion

Question 38

what are the unconventional elements of a pop video? (3)

Answer 38

the dark low key lighting
the scenes of fighting
themes of conflict

Question 39

although having many other celebrities involved in a music video is unconventional, why is it good?

Answer 39

its a good way of appealing to a wider audience and giving the impression of being popular

Question 40

what is becoming more conventional for artists to make their videos more ‘film’ like?

Answer 40

to have director and producer names appear on screen in music videos

Question 41

how does the video show how broad her audiences is in terms of age?

Answer 41

the mire contemporary references would appeal to a mainstream younger audience whereas the older films would appeal to a more adult audience

Question 42

what does all of the intertextual references to films/products featuring string female characters helps to represent?

Answer 42

that women as being powerful and important