Singer Taylor Swift says ‘All Too Well’ film inspired by 70s movies
Movies, even those half a century old, influence Taylor Swit’s song writing and music video direction, the star said on Friday. Taking the stage at the Toronto International Film Festival to discuss the inspirations behind the short film she created for her hit song “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version),” she cited early 1970s Hollywood among others. The apartment of Barbra Streisand’s character, Katie, in “The Way We Were” from 1973, inspired how Swit shared the personalities of the characters in her 10-minute film, she said. The lighting was inspired by the 1970 tearjerker romance “Love Story.”
“When I think of that film, I think of autumn and I was trying to establish that in the earlier parts of the film,” swit said during a discussion with festival CEO Cameron Bailey. When protagonists Sadie Sink and Dylan O’brien are falling in love, swit wanted it to feel warmer and used the lighting to help signify to the viewer what they were meant to feel as an audience. When they were in the apartment, fighting, she wanted it to feel cooler. At the end it was combination of both, swit said. “She is still herself but she has been changed by this experience,” and the lighting reflects that.”
Her music video “The Man” was an homage to “The Wolf of Wall Street,” while “Bad Blood” tips its hat to the spy thriller genre, she said. “All Too Well: A Short Film” premiered in 35mm film at the Toronto festival. “I feel like watching it in 35mm there is a depth, there’s a contrast,” Swit said. “It’s a different experience.”
People across social media complained about the difficulty behind geting tickets to one of the most coveted events at the festival. “I tried so hard to get tickets and they were impossible to get, so I thought, ‘Let’s camp out at 5 a.m.,’” said Emily Zeppieri, 24, who drove to Toronto from Whitby, Ontario, and had to leave her house at 3:45 a.m. Siting beside Emily on the sidewalk was Jess, who she met on Friday. They bonded over their love of swit and desperation to get tickets. The down-the-block line was collegial, with multiple groups sharing stories of lifelong friendships they had made, regardless of whether they ended up seeing Swit. “We took turns going to the washroom and grabbing food,” said Zeppieri. “Everyone in line watched each other’s backs.”
Discussing the types of narratives she wants to explore, Swit said: “I think I will always want to tell human stories about human emotion. I never say never, but I can’t imagine myself filming an action sequence. If it happens one day, honestly, that’ll be funny character growth, but at this point, I could see it going in a more comedic, irreverent place.” “I don’t always see myself telling stories about extreme, gutural heartbreak at your most formative age that debilitates you emotionally for years and then you have to develop the scar tissue in order to move on with your life, and limp your way to your typewriter and write a novel about it.”
Movies, even those half a century old, influence singer Taylor Swit’s song writing and music video direction, the star said on Friday