Yesterday was election day here in Maryland, so schools were closed, and I took my son Scott to the Maryland Science Center for the day. We had a great time, but the highlight of the day for me (and, I must admit, one of the main reasons I chose the science center) was seeing the IMAX 3D presentation of the concert film U2 3D.
I'm what you classify as a casual fan of U2, having come up through high school in the 80s when they were making their splash on the music scene. I've got a few U2 albums in my old vinyl collection (Under a Blood Red Sky got a lot of turntable time in my bedroom, as I recall...) and their greatest hits on my iPod, but I've never been to a U2 concert. I know Bono and The Edge, but couldn't name the other two gents in the band.
My son Scott, who's eight, was less forgiving when I told him U2 was a band that was popular when I was in high school.
"So we're going to be seeing a bunch of old guys..." he snarked.
"Yes." I replied. "Hopefully they won't trip over their walkers and canes."
Cutting to the chase, I was blown away by this film. It is an amazingly immersive experience, being in 3D, with the huge IMAX screen filling most of your field of view. The 3D is done tastefully, with very few "Hey look! It's threeeee deeeeeeeee!!!!!" moments. This is a high quality production.
From a technical point of view, I found myself looking all around the band a lot, trying to see what camera gear I could spot, trying to pick out obvious edits or overdubs. The film was shot in HD, primarily using Sony Cine Alta cameras. There's a great story in Film & Video magazine about the production.
If you have the opportunity, do check out this film. Not only is it a compelling, powerful concert piece, but it's an impressive technical achievement, with much to be learned from trying reverse engineer how they shot.
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