Unlocking the Enigmatic Genius: Taylor Swift's Instinctual Creativity Compared to Spielberg
Filmmaker Shawn Levy compares Taylor Swift's directorial potential to that of Steven Spielberg, drawing parallels between their creative visions
Shawn Levy, Taylor Swift, Stephen Spielberg. Getty Images (3)
Shawn Levy sees a similarity between Taylor Swift's creative vision and that of a highly esteemed director.
During an interview with Entertainment Weekly on October 12, Levy shared an anecdote about speaking with Steven Spielberg on the set of their collaborated movie, Real Steel. Levy asked Spielberg how he knew when a shot was right, to which Spielberg replied, "The way you see it, that makes it right." Levy believes that Swift has mastered this same principle of trusting her instincts when it comes to her creative process.
Levy, who starred in Swift's directorial debut, All Too Well: The Short Film, alongside Sadie Sink and Dylan O'Brien, praised the pop star as a "generational voice and creative force," placing her impact on par with Beyoncé. He emphasized that it is the depth of Taylor Swift's vision that sets her apart, whether it be in her lyrics, melodies, bridges, concert tours, or music videos. Levy further commended her unwavering determination and compared her artistry to a principle espoused by Steven Spielberg.
Levy, an executive producer and director for Stranger Things and the upcoming Deadpool 3, stated that Swift has not sought his consultation on her upcoming directing projects. However, he believes that she has the potential to be an exceptional director if she decides to pursue it further.
In December 2022, Searchlight Pictures announced that Swift will make her directorial debut with a feature-length film that she personally wrote. This opportunity arose after she received two MTV VMAs Best Director awards for her music videos "All Too Well" and "The Man," making her the first artist to achieve this historic feat.
Swift's "All Too Well: Short Film" was released in November 2021. The nearly 15-minute video was written and directed by the Grammy winner to coincide with the release of Red (Taylor's Version). This re-recording project came about after Swift's masters were acquired and sold by Scooter Braun in June 2019. The film starred Sink, 20, and O'Brien, 32, as "Her" and "Him," respectively, while Levy portrayed Sink's father. Notably, the short showcased the 10-minute version of Swift's popular song "All Too Well," which has long been speculated to be about her relationship with ex-boyfriend Jake Gyllenhaal. Despite not being released as a single back in 2012, the track has gained a strong following and Swift felt it deserved recognition.
"This song has been transformed by the fans," she explained to the Associated Press in November 2022. "Although it was never released as a single or had a music video or visuals, the fans have created an imaginative cinematic world around it. I'm simply following their lead and giving them what they want."
She also praised Sink and O'Brien, the stars of the film, for their contributions to the story. "They were incredibly prepared and dedicated," she shared with Extra. "You couldn't take your eyes off them when watching the monitors. While you can try to prepare as much as possible beforehand, the chemistry onscreen between the two of them is either there or it's not, and they are undeniably talented."
Swift hinted at her grand intentions for the track when she revealed the arrival of Red (Taylor's Version) in June 2021.
"In terms of both musicality and lyrics, Red portrayed the emotions of a shattered individual. It encompassed a chaotic array of sentiments that miraculously found harmony in the end," the artist conveyed on Instagram. "Filled with happiness, freedom, confusion, loneliness, devastation, euphoria, wildness, and haunted by memories long gone. Like trying on fragments of a fresh existence, I ventured into the studio and delved into various sounds and collaborators."
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Levy, on the other hand, appeared briefly in the All Too Well: The Short Film. However, it appears that he has grown closer to Swift due to their shared friends Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively. The four of them recently attended the Kansas City Chiefs vs. New York Jets game in New Jersey earlier this month. Their presence at the game was to show support for Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who Swift has been romantically linked to since September.
