Taylor Swift new Song Love Story Music video

Swift and Justin Gaston in a ballroom scene. She envisioned "Love Story" as a period piece-styled video drawing influences on different historical eras.

Trey Fanjoy, who had worked with Swift on previous music videos, directed "Love Story".[90] Swift was inspired by historical eras such as the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Regency to make a period-piece-styled video with a timeless narrative that "could happen in the 1700s, 1800s, or 2008".[90] She spent six months searching for the male lead and upon recommendation from an acquaintance chose Justin Gaston, a fashion model who was competing in the television series Nashville Star.[91][92] After Gaston was eliminated from the show, Swift contacted him to appear in the video.[90] She believed Gaston was a perfect choice for the male lead: "I was so impressed by the way his [expressions] were in the video. Without even saying anything, he would just do a certain glance and it really came across well."[91]

The music video was filmed within two days in August 2008 in Tennessee. The crew considered traveling to Europe to find a castle for the video's setting but settled on Castle Gwynn in Arlington; the castle was built in 1973 and is part of the annual Tennessee Renaissance Festival.[90] Wardrobe for the video—except Swift's dress for the balcony scene, which was designed by Sandi Spika with inspiration and suggestions from Swift—was supplied by Jacquard Fabrics.[90] On the first day, the balcony and field scenes were filmed. The second day's filming included the ballroom scene was filmed with 20 dancers from Cumberland University in Lebanon; Swift learned the choreography 15 minutes prior to filming.[90] She invited some fans who were university students from other states to fly to Nashville and film the video with her.[93] "Love Story" premiered on September 12, 2008, on CMT.[94] Behind-the-scenes footage of the music video's production was aired on Great American Country on November 12, 2008.[95]

Synopsis and commentary

The video starts with Swift wearing a black sweater and jeans; she walks through a college campus and sees Gaston reading under a tree. As they make eye contact, the video transitions to a balcony, on which Swift is wearing a corset and gown. The video switches to a ballroom where Gaston and Swift dance together, after which Gaston whispers into Swift's ear. Swift is next shown walking into a garden with a lantern at night. She meets with Gaston and they have a date before parting ways. Later, Swift again stands on the balcony looking out from the window. She sees Gaston running across a field towards her and she immediately runs down the staircase to meet him. The video then switches back to the modern-day college campus, where Gaston walks toward Swift and they gaze into each other's eyes, and the video ends.[90]

Spin noted the video appears to have been filmed on an "HBO-looking budget" with "elaborate, pseudo-medieval set pieces"; according to the magazine, rather than alluding to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the narrative resembles "Rapunzel", especially the part in which Swift's character waits for her lover atop a castle.[96] According to Glamour, Swift's fashion in the video reinforces the lyrical theme, "[She] literally wore a medieval ball gown while playing the Juliet to an actor's Romeo."[97] In a 2010 Billboard interview, Swift reflected on the video's fairy-tale-inspired wedding setting: "I'm not really that girl who dreams about her wedding day. It just seems like the idealistic, happy-ever-after [moment]."[98]