Taylor Swift: ‘Shake It Off’

213 shots in 3min 53 secs

Setting 1

Ballet barre, shots of dancers warming up in casual legwarmers, etc;

I stay up too lateGot nothing in my brainThat’s what people sayMmm mmmThat’s what people sayMmm mmm

Setting 2

Street Dancers in Studio doing tricks and spinsI go on too many datesBut I can’t make them stayAt least, that’s what people sayMmm mmmThat’s what people say

Setting 3

• Stage with ballerinas in tutus– But I keep cruisin’– Can’t stop, won’t stop

movin’– It’s like I got this music– In my mind sayin’– It’s gonna be all right

Setting 4

Contemporary dancers

'Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, playAnd the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hateBaby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shakeI shake it off, I shake it off

Setting 5• Rhythmic gymnasts, now cut together

with street dancers, contemporary dancers and ballerinas, but each time they do a cool move, Taylor Swift does a terrible imitation, getting tangled up in her chiffon, etc

Heart-breakers gonna break, break, break, break, breakAnd the fakers gonna fake, fake, fake, fake, fakeBaby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shakeI shake it off, I shake it off

Setting 6: 1.05Breakdancers: popping & locking; TF imitates moves with comic incompetence.

I never miss a beatI'm lightning on my feetAnd that's what they don't see, mmm-mmmthat's what they don't see, mmm-mmmI'm dancing on my own (dancing on my own)I make the moves up as I go (moves up as I go)And that's what they don't know, mmm-mmmthat's what they don't know, mmm-mmm

Setting 7: 1.30

Commercial dancers, twerking, then back to the ballerinas.

But I keep cruisingCan't stop, won't stop groovingIt's like I got this musicIn my mindSaying, "It's gonna be alright."

Setting 8: 1.42

Band, a pun on ‘players’, now cross-cutting very quickly between single shots of all the different settings.

'Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, playAnd the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hateBaby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shakeI shake it off, I shake it off

All 8 settings cross-cut with humour, such as lyrics linked to visuals with hands making heart-shape at ‘heart’ and break-dancing at ‘breakers’, shaking the beat-box at ‘shake’

Heart-breakers gonna break, break, break, break, breakAnd the fakers gonna fake, fake, fake, fake, fakeBaby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shakeI shake it off, I shake it off

Chorus

Further comedy with Taylor Swift imitating and messing up the dancers’ moves, linking to the lyrics with shaking bottoms and arm movements.

Shake it off, I shake it off,I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off,I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off,I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off

Setting 9: Spoken word Section, introduces cheerleaders

As throughout the song, all lip-synced, alternate close-ups lip syncing to the camera with various dancers.

Hey, hey, heyJust think while you've been getting down and out about the liars and the dirty, dirty cheats of the world,You could've been getting down to this sick beat.

Rap section 2.30Taylor Swift is head cheerleader brandishing a megaphone, close-up slowly zooming out to show all the cheerleaders in formation. Further linking of lyrics to visuals with looking and pointing off camera to ‘fella over there’, slow-motion throw to ‘yeah ohhh’ – she never comes down again!

My ex-man brought his new girlfriendShe's like "Oh, my god!" but I'm just gonna shake.And to the fella over there with the hella good hairWon't you come on over, baby? We can shake, shake, shake

Yeah ohhh

Third chorus section, lots of close-ups on lip-syncing

'Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, playAnd the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate (haters gonna hate)I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shakeI shake it off, I shake it off

Second half of chorusVery fast shot changes now, with Taylor Swift mixing up the dance genres, doing ballet moves in front of the street dancers and miming trumpet playing with the ballerinas.

Heart-breakers gonna break, break, break, break, break (mmmm)And the fakers gonna fake, fake, fake, fake, fake (and fake, and fake, and fake)Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shakeI shake it off, I shake it off

Final section 3.08

Introduces ordinary people doing their own dance moves, cutting to wider and wider shots, TS for the first time looking at and dancing with the others. This is followed by solo shots of ordinary people and the different professional dancers doing their own ‘shaking’ thing.

Shake it off, I shake it off,I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off,I, I, I shake it off, I shake it offI, I, I shake it off, I shake it off (x3)

Final shots

• A wide shot including many dancers in their ordinary clothes (could be the professionals?)

• A comic sequence of two shots, mid shot and wide, where TS attempts a curtsey, overbalances and slowly falls over, with a defiant nod of the head.