# Taylor Swift Productions

Taylor Swift Productions, Inc. is the in-house visual media production company of the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was founded in 2008, being first credited in the concert film Speak Now World Tour – Live (2011). Taylor Swift Productions has produced all of Swift's visual media works since 2018, including her films and music videos. The company has been praised by management consultants for its innovative business and marketing strategies.
The studio's outputs have received various awards, including a Grammy Award, four MTV Video Music Awards for Video of the Year, an Art Directors Guild Award, a Gracie Award, an Eddie Award, and a Hollywood Critics Association Film Award. Its films Taylor Swift: Reputation Stadium Tour (2018), Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions (2020), All Too Well: The Short Film (2021), and Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (2023) were met with acclaim from critics. The lattermost became the highest-grossing concert film of all-time and was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement.

## Background

The American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift has stated on several occasions that she views visual media as an important element in her songwriting process. As her career progressed, she delved into film treatment, filmmaking, screenwriting, directing, and producing. Several directors that Swift has collaborated with, including Roman White and Joseph Kahn, praised her involvement in creating her music videos. In 2015, She won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Emerging Media Program in the category "Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media — Original Interactive Program" as the executive producer for the interactive app AMEX Unstaged: Taylor Swift Experience, which gave viewers access to a customizable 360° view of the music video for "Blank Space" (2014). Swift produced the music video for "Bad Blood" (2015), which won the Grammy Award for Best Music Video in 2016.

## History

In February 2008, Swift launched her in-house production company, Taylor Swift Productions, Inc., which was first credited in the concert film Speak Now World Tour – Live (2011). The studio's next release was the television special Taylor Swift: The Road to Reputation, documenting her career and the Reputation Stadium Tour shows in the United States. It aired on the Australian TV channels Eleven and Network Ten in September 2018. Taylor Swift Productions produced the concert film Taylor Swift: Reputation Stadium Tour, released on Netflix on the New Year's Eve of 2018. Directed by Paul Dugdale, Reputation Stadium Tour received acclaim from critics, who particularly praised its direction, production, camerawork, and Swift's stage presence. Billboard's Denis Warner stated that the film "illuminates the singer's power, dedication, and strength as an artist" and it "allows you to get more of a feel of the singer as a performer – and experience just how delicately everything is staged". Reputation Stadium Tour's production designers, Tamlyn Wright and Baz Halpin, were nominated at the 24th Art Directors Guild Annual Awards for Excellence in Production Design in the category "Variety, Reality or Event Special". The film's producer, Simon Fisher, and Dugdale both were nominated for Best Multicamera Work at the 2019 Royal Television Society Craft & Design Awards.
Throughout 2019 and 2020, Taylor Swift Productions produced the music videos for Swift's songs "Me!", "You Need to Calm Down", "Lover", "Christmas Tree Farm", "The Man", "Cardigan", and "Willow". The music video for "You Need to Calm Down" received the MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year in 2019, while the production designer of the music video for "Lover", Kurt Gefke, was nominated at the 24th Art Directors Guild Awards in the "Short Format: Web Series, Music Video or Commercial" category. Taylor Swift Productions' next feature release, the television special Taylor Swift: City of Lover, was directed by Dan Massie. It aired on ABC on May 17, 2020, and was made available for on-demand streaming on Hulu and Disney+ the following day. City of Lover received positive reviews from critics, who complimented its intimate setting and Swift's storytelling abilities, but felt that its 42-minute runtime was too short. Chris Willman of Variety praised Swift's simplistic appearance, the minimal lighting, and the monochrome design. The ABC premiere of City of Lover attracted 3.63 million viewers.
Swift made her debut as a film director with the documentary feature Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions, released on November 25, 2020. The documentary features Swift performing all of the 17 tracks of her eighth studio album, Folklore (2020), and discussing the creative process, stories, and inspirations behind the songs with her collaborators Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff. Produced by Taylor Swift Productions and distributed by Disney+, Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions received universal acclaim from critics for its performances, intimacy, and conversations regarding Folklore's creative process. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 100% based on 13 critics' reviews. Little White Lies' Sydney Urbanek lauded Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions as a "triumphant debut" for Swift as a film director, and the i's Sarah Carson defined it as "artfully crafted, aesthetically gorgeous, cosy cottagecore escapism" with diverse conversations. The film received the Grand Award for Special or Variety at the 46th Gracie Awards.
In 2021, Taylor Swift Productions produced the music videos for Swift's songs "The Best Day (Taylor's Version)" and "I Bet You Think About Me". The music video for the latter marked the directional debut of the American actress Blake Lively and stars the American actor Miles Teller. Swift made her filmmaking debut with the romantic drama All Too Well: The Short Film (2021), an adaptation of her critically-acclaimed song "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)" (2021). Produced by Taylor Swift Productions and starring the American actors Sadie Sink and Dylan O'Brien, the film received a limited theatrical release through Universal Pictures and special screenings at the 2022 Tribeca and Toronto film festivals. All Too Well: The Short Film was met with widespread acclaim from film critics, with particular praise for Swift's vision as a filmmaker. Laura Coates, publishing on RogerEbert.com, commended Swift's direction and her "meticulous lighting and eye for production design". The Sydney Morning Herald's Karl Quinn simirlarly lauded Swift's direction, the screenplay, and the performances of Sink and O'Brien.
All Too Well: The Short Film made Swift the first artist to win the MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year three times and the first artist to win for a self-directed project, winning the category in 2022. In 2023, she became the first artist to win the Grammy Award for Best Music Video with a sole directing credit. All Too Well: The Short Film won Best Music Video at the 26th Art Directors Guild Annual Awards for Excellence in Production Design and Best Short Film at the 6th Hollywood Critics Association Film Awards. Throughout 2022 and 2023, Taylor Swift Productions produced the music videos for Swift's songs "Anti-Hero", "Bejeweled", "Lavender Haze", "Karma", and "I Can See You". For the music video for the lattermost, she stated that she wanted to create a visual story that depicted how her fans helped her reclaim her music following her masters dispute. It stars the American actors Joey King, Taylor Lautner, and Presley Cash. The music video for "Anti-Hero" won the MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year in 2023, making Swift the first artist in history to win the award two years in a row.
Taylor Swift Productions independently produced the concert film Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, directed by Sam Wrench and distributed globally in cinemas by AMC and Cinemark Theatres. Released on October 13, 2023, the film received universal acclaim from critics, who praised for its cinematography, spectacle, and energy. Melissa Ruggieri, in a review for USA Today, wrote that The Eras Tour "offers a front-row seat to the grandeur", complimenting the cinematography for showcasing the detailed production of the show. It became the highest-grossing concert film of all-time, earning over $267 million in worldwide revenue against a production budget of $15 million. On December 13, The Eras Tour was made available to rent for on-demand streaming in select territories for a limited period, in collaboration with Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. An extended cut of the film, subtitled (Taylor's Version), was released on Disney+ in March 2024.
The Eras Tour was nominated for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement at the 81st Golden Globe Awards and Best Music Documentary at the 8th Critics' Choice Documentary Awards. It won Best Edited Variety Talk/Sketch Show or Special at the 74th American Cinema Editors Eddie Awards. In 2024, Taylor Swift Productions produced the music videos for Swift's songs "Fortnight" and "I Can Do It with a Broken Heart". The former stars the American actors Ethan Hawke and Josh Charles, with cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto. At the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, the music video for "Fortnight" made Swift the first artist in history to win Video of the Year three years in a row.

## Reception

Several management consultants have praised and discussed Taylor Swift Productions' outputs and marketing strategies. Julia Dhar of Forbes said Swift and the company are "no slouches" in marketing and revenue management, dubbing them "masterminds", comparing their work to alchemy, and stating that others can learn from their manuscript. Alice Fulwood of The Economist praised Swift's and the company's ability to "pursue sharp business tactics, while at the same time being careful not to undermine Swift's wholesome image". Screen Daily's Jeremy Kay stated that Taylor Swift Productions "most likely has not needed to spend much if anything on marketing" to promote The Eras Tour, as a few posts from Swift was enough "to call her loyal fans to action". He also praised the "timely marketing strategy" of the film. In 2024, the business magazine Fast Company ranked Taylor Swift Productions at number 15 on their list of "The World's Most Innovative Companies", for "reimagining the business of concerts, music, and movies". The magazine cited the commercial success and innovative distribution agreement of The Eras Tour film as the chief reason.

## Credits
### Films

| Year | Title(s) | Director(s) | Distributor(s) | Budget | Worldwide gross |
| 2011 | Speak Now World Tour – Live | Ryan Polito | Big Machine Records | — | — |
| 2018 | Taylor Swift: The Road to Reputation | — | ElevenNetwork Ten | — | — |
| 2018 | Taylor Swift: Reputation Stadium Tour | Paul Dugdale | Netflix | — | — |
| 2020 | Taylor Swift: City of Lover | Dan Massie | ABCDisney+Hulu | — | — |
| 2020 | Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions | Taylor Swift | Disney+ | — | — |
| 2021 | All Too Well: The Short Film | Taylor Swift | PolyGramRepublic (YouTube) | — | — |
| 2021 | All Too Well: The Short Film | Taylor Swift | Universal Pictures (theatrical) | — | — |
| 2023 | Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour | Sam Wrench | AMC Theatres (United States) | $15 million | $267.1 million |
| 2023 | Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour | Sam Wrench | Cinemark Theatres (worldwide) | $15 million | $267.1 million |

### Music videos

| Year | Title | Artist(s) | Director(s) | Album |
| 2019 | "Me!" | Taylor SwiftBrendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco | Taylor SwiftDave Meyers | Lover |
| 2019 | "You Need to Calm Down" | Swift | SwiftDrew Kirsch | Lover |
| 2019 | "Lover" | Swift | SwiftDrew Kirsch | Lover |
| 2019 | "Christmas Tree Farm" | Swift | Swift | Non-album single |
| 2020 | "The Man" | Swift | Swift | Lover |
| 2020 | "Cardigan" | Swift | Swift | Folklore |
| 2020 | "Willow" | Swift | Swift | Evermore |
| 2021 | "The Best Day (Taylor's Version)" | Swift | Swift | Fearless (Taylor's Version) |
| 2021 | "I Bet You Think About Me" | SwiftChris Stapleton | Blake Lively | Red (Taylor's Version) |
| 2022 | "Anti-Hero" | Swift | Swift | Midnights |
| 2022 | "Bejeweled" | Swift | Swift | Midnights |
| 2023 | "Lavender Haze" | Swift | Swift | Midnights |
| 2023 | "Karma" | SwiftIce Spice | Swift | Midnights |
| 2023 | "I Can See You" | Swift | Swift | Speak Now (Taylor's Version) |
| 2024 | "Fortnight" | SwiftPost Malone | Swift | The Tortured Poets Department |
| 2024 | "I Can Do It with a Broken Heart" | Swift | Swift | The Tortured Poets Department |