In late August, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift announced on Instagram that her billion-dollar grossing “The Eras Tour” would be coming to theaters.
The movie hit theaters on Oct. 13 and features two and a half hours from Swift’s three-and-a-half-hour concert. Although songs such as “The Archer,” “Long Live,” and “Cardigan” were cut from the movie, other songs were added to the concert’s acoustic set, including “You’re On Your Own, Kid” and “Our Song.”
Swift began selling general admission tickets for $19.89, referencing her most recently released album, “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” as well as children and senior tickets for $13.13, her lucky number. The movie was an instant success, breaking records even before its premiere.
“So far, The Eras Tour film is the highest-grossing domestic and global concert film release of all time but lags just behind the ‘Michael Jackson’s This Is It’ concert documentary’s global haul of $262.5 million,” according to CNBC.
Many avid Swifties were eager to attend the opening night of “The Eras Tour” movie to dress up, trade friendship bracelets and relive their nights spent with Swift in sold-out stadiums. Abbie Walker, early childhood education major at Salt Lake Community College, was one such person.
“Everyone I went with was a different era and I was her debut Era,” Walker said. “I was in a white lace dress with a belt, boots and dangle earrings.”
Film major Tucker Thorn also attended a showing of the film, but the atmosphere was not what he expected.
“[My theater was] not active. I was so sad about it,” Thorn said. “I think it’s fine if people stand up and dance ’cause it is a concert movie. I think the point was to kind of put you in the concert. People online get mad when people go dance at the front but I think it’s funny. I wanted that moment, but I didn’t get it.”
Most people do not realize how much work goes into the production of a concert movie, especially one as detailed and theatrical as “The Eras Tour.” It is not as simple as putting a camera on stage and recording the performance.
“One of the most surprising things about the making of concert films is just how much tends to be emulated, even simulated, rather than merely captured as is,” The New York Times reported. “Dozens of microphones — sometimes more than 100 for larger sites — record the vocals, instruments, and crowd on separate tracks, and a rerecording mixer carefully blends them together, adding reverb and echo to simulate the sound of the space.”
Swifties can have “The Eras Tour” movie experience for a few more weeks, as it is scheduled to leave theaters on Jan. 12, 2024. However, the thrill does not have to stop there. Last week, Swift announced on Instagram that “The Eras Tour (Extended Version),” which includes three of the five cut songs, would be available for on-demand streaming on Dec. 13.
Swifties can find “The Eras Tour” movie tickets at select movie theater websites.
