"Even Better Than The Real Thing"

You're cueing up online to the entrance and already you're hearing guitars, drums, bass, and that voice so familiar wailing in-stadium reverb. Everyone's on waiting time listening to a piped-in hit of this phenomenal band, you're out so eager yet relaxed.

By John Leamy - Own work, Public Domain, Link

I was able to strategically seat ourselves dead center in the row, lucky to have bought the first ticket to today's great rock show.

Donning with funky shades, I sat and wait. And finally, one of the greatest bands to walk the earth in our generation, right before your eyes, next to you, behind you, playing to you... U............2....... 3D... in IMAX. I've had only a handful of experience in IMAX, well it hasn't really been that long for it to be around, but this IMAX presentation of U2 is probably the best yet. 

I can only be biased though since U2 has been a very influential part of my musical journey, so forgive my indulgence... hehe. This production really sparked my curiosity for a number of reasons, one is that a live concert, as it is, always poses a multitude of hurdles. I've worked with a number of productions in the past and it seems that you can never cover all your bases. It's about sorting things in real-time without compromising the show, its calculus without the numbers. Imagine this, it would take at least 36 hours to set-up all those equipment, 4 hours to pack it up... and the show runs 1.5 hours. Now couple this with IMAX's logistical challenge, factor in your window of opportunity to shoot it... ok ok... I might have gone over the top a bit on that, it's not like I've produced an IMAX film. hahaha... (But don't just take my word for it, check Wikipedia on how they went about with production and you'll get the idea of what I'm talking about, ) But here's the real score of the picture, its the first rock band to have been made into 3D film in IMAX, with the band itself being great... the film just comes to be a great leap in popular entertainment. 

The whole film was actually shot from the "Vertigo Tour", hence the seamless production. The film opens with a "Beautiful Day", the band set up just at a close distance from you as though you were sitting 20 feet from the stage. From that stance, you're in a concert, it feels real enough that you can almost literally rub elbows with the rest of the audience. Then you're thrown to a cinematographical ride that is like no other. You dolly-in and around the stage and tilt down at Larry Mullen as the camera crane dangles you over his drum kit, so close you can almost grab his tambourines. Then Adam Clayton embraces you with his bass staccatos, you don't hear it... you feel it. Then you plunge into The Edge's warmth it's impossible not to rock along with it, I see everyone just knocking their heads, now this is a concert. Then it gets better as Bono serenades you with his engaging voice, he's "so close" yet "far away". 

To top it all, I guess one of the things that made it more alive is the sound, (aside from my bias in this area, being that I do digital sound engineering and design as a hobby). after all, without the auditory senses, everything is just a gallery of pictures. IMAX production is sooo much unique to a traditional film that the experience itself is unimaginable. I was particularly enamored with the "emphasis" shots, where the camera dollies to as they play it down then you move close to The Edge as he knocks on his guitar, and you could hear it. With U2's strong message, you get enveloped with an aural encounter that is nonpareil it makes you feel "One" with the band. It might just be "Even Better Than The Real Thing!" - Allen a.