After a series of awards in the music industry, perhaps it’s time for Taylor Swift to try to “reap” for herself more awards in the film industry.
When playwright Martin McDonagh wanted to bring his work from the stage to the big screen, he tried his hand at a short film. That effort with “Six Shooter” brought him his first Oscar award. This is also the beginning of his new journey in the film industry, proof of how a career can blossom with just the right short film. And that is the ideal model that Taylor Swift is aiming for with her directorial work.
Taylor Swift posed for a photo with writer/director Martin McDonagh. (Photo: Variety)
Taylor Swift announced last week that she has directed her first feature film in collaboration with Searchlight Pictures, hoping to “bloom” as screenwriter Martin McDonagh did. okay with only 2 of his movies.
The name Taylor Swift is no longer unfamiliar to audiences around the world as the female singer has achieved so many important milestones in her music career. And having reached the pinnacle of the field, it seems Taylor is still ambitious for more. This time, she wishes to conquer the mountain of cinema.
Having directed a short film longer than 13 minutes All Too Well: The Short Film inspired by his old love story, the singer born in 1989 also achieved certain milestones, a milestone that must be a new step forward. for her next journey. Fans who loved the previous song All Too Well can now immerse themselves in the story of a 21-year-old girl and her pain when facing a relationship with an older man. All Too Well: The Short Film is also the beginning of the film director path that Taylor Swift is aiming for.
Images from Taylor Swift’s debut short film “All Too Well: The Short Film”. (Photo: Republic)
Becoming a director was not a spontaneous decision for the female singer. “It’s a process with small steps. It’s not like I woke up one day and decided to be a director. I’ve participated in more than 60 music video projects and I’ve learned from there,” ” Taylor shared.
“I love storytelling. I’ve always loved writing stories, writing poems, writing songs. Becoming a director probably also stems from my love of storytelling,” Taylor continued. , “The more I work, the more I love this job.”
When embarking on her first short film, Taylor Swift completely devoted all her attention to it, separating it from the usual music video genre she used to make. The first film, as Taylor describes it, “showed audiences every feeling of pain and despair she had ever experienced”.
With All Too Well, the singer had the opportunity to experience being behind the camera and directing actors: Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien. “Most of the time I sat behind the scenes and watched Sadie transform into a character. I clenched my chest as I watched her,” Taylor Swift shared, “Every time I watch, I feel really heartbreaking, especially the parts where she cries. It makes me terribly worried and uncomfortable, but in the best way.”
“Becoming a director probably also stems from my love of telling stories. The more I do it, the more I love this job.”
Taylor Swift
And the fact is that even though the film focuses on portraying the female protagonist’s emotions the most, the short film still has a full plot. The chapters in the short film end up becoming chapters in a book that the film’s main character will one day write. “The film is narratively structured in a way that I found completely different from any music video I’ve done. I wanted the audience to live in that world with the two main characters,” Taylor said of the film. My first short film.
(Photo: Republic)
But separating the short film from the music video genre does not mean that the singer born in 1989 completely separates his work as a director from his work as a singer. Every aspect of the music industry has some influence on how Taylor Swift becomes a director. For example, Taylor participated in the musical film Cats and gradually learned from it. Even though it was only for a short time, the female singer realized that she wanted to become a director who “always makes people feel comfortable”.
“I’ve been involved in projects where I didn’t even know the script, and no one knew what story needed to be told. I think it would be good if everyone could know this in advance,” Taylor shared about about my experiences as a singer, “And even though I want to keep the projects I’m working on a secret, I need to trust the people working on this project with me. I need to let They understand the importance of the project.”
(Photo: Republic)
That’s also the reason why Taylor Swift is completely tight-lipped about her upcoming debut movie. Details as well as the content and cast of the film have not yet been announced. However, with Searchlight studio playing a production role, many audiences also expressed expectations as this studio has produced many Oscar-winning films such as The Shape of Water (2017) and Nomadland (2020).
Just like how Taylor Swift once conquered music, the female singer is starting a new path as a director. After a series of prestigious Grammy awards, perhaps Taylor Swift is ready to conquer two other prestigious awards of the arts: Golden Globe and Oscar.
