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This is an interview done with Keira Moran & Madeline Rahter who created The Love Triangle Film read her story below! If you, or anyone you know, would like to be highlighted in The Zillennial Zine, shoot us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com or DM us on Instagram!
Q: Tell us your story! How did you meet and how did this project come about?
Keira: Maddie and I met in our high school news and television program a few years ago, and we immediately clicked through bonding over our shared love for storytelling through film and our music appreciation. The idea for “The Love Triangle” emerged spontaneously, as we had always wanted to collaborate with one another because of our complementary skill sets and mutual passion for creativity.
Madeline: Keira and I met at our high school film program in 2021. I was a Supervising Producer and she was in my crew, but we quickly became friends due to our shared love of storytelling. Keira and I have been talking about spearheading a film project for years now, likely a music video, and this past summer we finally had the time and resources to sit down and plan this all out. Folklore was my favorite album and we both love the overlapping stories that it tells, so it was a natural choice to tell the love triangle from our perspective.
Q: What was it like filming this short film? Would you call it your passion?
Keira: Filming “The Love Triangle” was probably one of the most incredible experiences ever. As a devoted fan of Taylor Swift’s music and storytelling, directing a visual adaptation of three of my favorite songs from the “folklore” album alongside close friends was a surreal fusion of two of my biggest passions.
Madeline: I’m a film major, so I definitely have a passion for telling stories through these types of projects. One of my favorite parts of filming this one in particular was the amount of detail work that it involved. Keira and I knew Swifties would pick up on everything, so we had to make it count. The set environment was also awesome because it was a sort of reunion with our friends from our high school film program – everyone came back for another hurrah with all the knowledge and experience we’d gained since graduation. We also made so many community friends – people who let us film in schools or set fires in their backyards, and it just made me so grateful to be able to share this project with the help of so many great people.
Q: Tell us about “The Love Triangle” short film!!
Keira: Planning for “The Love Triangle” began last June, after a semi-joking conversation between Maddie and me quickly snowballed into saying, “Wait- what if we actually made a short film for the folklore love triangle?” Although filming was initially scheduled for the summer, we had to reschedule to shoot over winter break, which fortunately allowed for more extensive story revisions and pre-production. Once December came around, our production spanned five intense 12-hour days, working with significantly fewer crew members and resources than you may find on a typical college-level film set. Despite spontaneous challenges during pre-production and our days on set, we successfully wrapped up the production before the new year. The journey was intense but incredibly rewarding as it brought together some of the most talented and dedicated young artists I’ve had the pleasure of working with.
Madeline: “The Love Triangle” short film is a love triangle told from three different perspectives – Betty, the girl who gets cheated on (“cardigan”); Augustine, the other woman who really loved him (“august”); and James, the guy who messed things up with Betty by cheating on her with Augustine (“betty”).
Q: Are you guys major Swifties or were you just inspired by her music?
Keira: Since elementary school, I’ve been known as “the Taylor Swift girl.” One particular song, “The Lucky One,” turned me into the superfan I am today. Taylor’s ability to weave vivid stories in just four minutes astonished me, especially considering “The Lucky One” never received its own music video. Inspired by its absence, I began editing existing clips to match the song, enjoying it so much. Reflecting on this journey, it’s fascinating to see how my twin passions for Taylor’s music and storytelling through film have evolved in tandem, culminating years later in creating “The Love Triangle.”
Madeline: As a storyteller in a different medium, I have always had an appreciation for music that tells a story, and obviously Taylor Swift is a master of that craft. I think the most fun projects are ones that delve into the emotion and “why?” of a situation, and with these three songs, there are so many layers that could be peeled back to visualize into something new but still true to Taylor’s form: refined but cutting deep.
Q: What do you want our readers to know about you and your short film?
Keira: Despite our limited resources, we’re immensely proud of the final product and grateful for its positive reception. Created from a small team of teenage hometown friends, I am so proud of everyone who was a part of this project, as this task was very complex.
Madeline: “The Love Triangle” short film has been Keira’s and my baby for several months now and I’m so happy to be able to share it now. Murphy’s Law is pretty big in the film world, and this project has definitely been no exception, but I am so proud of how we were able to combat so many challenges to make a film that has gotten such great reception. I’m just so grateful.
Q: Do you have any other projects on the horizon?
Keira: While we have not made concrete plans for future projects, ideas are constantly flowing. Although it may take some time following the completion of “The Love Triangle,” viewers can expect more creative ventures from our team.
Madeline: Yes! We have a few ideas for our next steps, but for now we’ll keep to ourselves as we revel in our completed project. One thing is for sure: this will not be the end. Stay tuned…
Q: Anything else you would like to add?
Keira: We’re incredibly overjoyed for the support we’ve received for “The Love Triangle” and would love to see it reach a wider audience, including Taylor Swift and her collaborators. Your support in sharing our project online and tagging relevant individuals would mean the world to us. Thank you for being a part of our journey!
Madeline: Keira and I are so grateful for the mass of support we’ve received from both our local and online communities that have made this film possible and worth it. I’ve worked on a lot of films and the reception of this one has been nothing short of life changing. Thank you to everyone who helped on this project or just watched the film! It’s been a truly awesome experience. Obviously, if Taylor, her team, or Rina Yang saw this it would be surreal.
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