I Love The Smiths AI Trend: What It Is and How to Make the Elevator Video
The I Love The Smiths AI trend remakes the (500) Days of Summer elevator scene from two photos. What it is, how to make it and what it costs (checked Nov 10, 2026).
Short answer. The I Love The Smiths AI trend is a TikTok and Instagram Reels video format that recreates the elevator scene from the 2009 film (500) Days of Summer — one person riding with headphones on, the other saying "I love The Smiths" — with two new faces from photos. Popliqo has an I Love The Smiths template that builds the scene from two photos, one per person. The result is a 24-second, 16:9 video at 720p.
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Make your "I Love The Smiths" videoWhat is the I Love The Smiths AI trend?
The trend restages a short scene from (500) Days of Summer, the 2009 romantic comedy directed by Marc Webb and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Tom and Zooey Deschanel as Summer (Wikipedia). In the scene, Summer notices that Tom is listening to The Smiths and tells him she loves the band too; Popliqo's template page describes the exchange as "a recognizable movie moment" that people have recreated and remixed with different pairs of characters.
The scene's song is "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" by The Smiths (RouteNote) — a real 1980s track, not an AI-generated one.
Since early November 2026, the scene has become an AI recasting format: two photos in, and the elevator opens with you and a friend, a partner or a sibling in the two roles. The format is also searched as "I said I love the Smiths" and the "500 Days of Summer elevator scene". It is a fan-made format: Popliqo's template page states it is "a fan-inspired recreation and is not affiliated with the film, its creators, or The Smiths."
What the video looks like
One continuous elevator scene in a wood-panelled lift with warm vertical light strips:
| Beat | What happens |
|---|---|
| Opening two-shot | A waist-up two-shot: the person on the left wears black over-ear headphones and looks ahead; the person on the right turns and starts to speak. |
| Headphones come down | The headphones come to rest around the left person's neck; the two turn toward each other and exchange a few lines. |
| Middle of the scene | The person on the right glances more toward the camera while the other watches, headphones still around the neck. |
| Around 20 seconds | The frame goes dark for a beat — a cut, or the doors. |
| Final shot | A wider shot: one person is left alone in the elevator, headphones around their neck, looking stunned, as the other has stepped out. |
Here is an example made with the Popliqo template:
| Spec | Value (checked Nov 10, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Photos required | 2, one person per photo |
| Duration | 24 seconds (official sample: 24.06 s) |
| Frame | 16:9 landscape, 720p default |
| Audio | The template FAQ says the audio setup "has not been finalized"; the official sample file carries a stereo track |
| Estimated time | About 5 minutes |
Because the output is widescreen, expect black bars above and below on TikTok, Reels and Shorts unless you crop it. Keep faces near the center of the frame when composing.
How to make it
How we tested: On Nov 10, 2026, we read the template's public fields (451 credits, 24 seconds, 16:9, about 5 minutes), probed the official sample file (854×480, 24.06 s, with an audio track) and stepped through frames of the sample to confirm the beat order above. A fresh paid generation was not part of this test.
- Open the I Love The Smiths template and watch the reference so you know the two roles and the shot order.
- Upload one clear photo per person — two photos, one subject in each.
- Select the "I Love The Smiths" scene reference, review the credit cost shown on the page, then generate.
- Review the result all the way through — both faces in the two-shot, the exchange, the final alone shot — then download.
Photo tips
| Works well | Causes problems |
|---|---|
| One person per photo, face clearly visible | Two faces in one frame, or a couple selfie as a single file |
| Waist-up or more, in even light | Tight crops that hide the torso, or a face lost in shadow |
| The clothes you want to appear in the elevator | Sunglasses, hats that hide the face, heavy filters |
The scene lives on faces and small turns of the head; a sharp, front-facing still gives the cleanest result when a character looks sideways.
Common problems and fixes
- Which photo becomes which role: the template's FAQ says role assignment "will be shown in the upload instructions once the generation setup is finalized". Follow the role labels shown on the live upload page, and re-check them if the page copy changes.
- A face drifts in the later shots: use a sharper photo where the face fills more of the frame, one subject only, and generate again. Failed runs are refunded; a completed-but-off clip is a new paid run.
- The 16:9 frame looks small on a phone: that is the shape of the film scene, not a render fault. Letterboxing on vertical feeds is expected unless you crop.
- Sound: the audio setup is not finalized on the template's FAQ. Check the actual file before you post, and treat the film's dialogue and the song as a rights question, not something the template settles.
- Fixed scene: the elevator, the shot order and the beats come from the reference and cannot be changed.
- When posting, keep the platform's AI-generated label on and use only photos of adults who agreed to appear. A realistic elevator conversation between two people is easy to mistake for a genuine recording.
FAQ
What is the I Love The Smiths trend?
A fan format that recreates the elevator scene from (500) Days of Summer (2009): two people discover they both love The Smiths. The 2026 AI versions cast the two roles from photos. It is not an official release from the film, its studio or the band.
What song is in the I Love The Smiths scene?
"There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" by The Smiths, as confirmed by RouteNote's breakdown of the scene. The song is a real 1980s recording, not an AI-generated track.
Is the "500 Days of Summer elevator scene" the same trend?
Yes. "500 Days of Summer elevator scene" and "I said I love the Smiths" are two of the names people use for the same scene and the same AI remake format.
Will the video include the original movie audio?
Not as a settled fact. The template's FAQ says: "The audio setup has not been finalized. The available sound and dialogue will depend on the final template configuration." The published sample file does carry an audio track, but check your own file before posting.
How much does it cost?
Popliqo is a subscription: plans start at $12/month (Creator), with a 7-day trial for $4.99; every template shows its credit cost before you generate, and failed generations are refunded automatically. This template costs 451 credits per video (shown on the template page, checked Nov 10, 2026).
Sources
- (500) Days of Summer, Wikipedia, read Nov 10, 2026: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/(500)_Days_of_Summer
- "What Song Plays in the (500) Days of Summer Elevator Scene", RouteNote, read Nov 10, 2026: https://routenote.com/radar/what-song-plays-in-the-500-days-of-summer-elevator-scene/
- Popliqo I Love The Smiths template page and public templates API (451 credits; created Nov 9, 2026; FAQ and About-the-trend text quoted from the template page), read Nov 10, 2026: https://popliqo.com/template/i-love-the-smiths
- Popliqo pricing page (subscription tiers), read Nov 10, 2026: https://popliqo.com/pricing
Template: I Love The Smiths template