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U2 3D

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U2 3D
Directed byCatherine Owens
Mark Pellington
Produced byJon Shapiro
Peter Shapiro
John Modell
Catherine Owens
StarringBono
Adam Clayton
The Edge
Larry Mullen, Jr.
CinematographyPeter Anderson (3-D)
Tom Krueger
Edited byOlivier Wicki
Music byU2
Distributed byNational Geographic Entertainment
Release dates
January 23, 2008 (limited)
February 22, 2008 (wide)
Running time
85 min.
Country United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$15 million[1]

U2 3D is a 2008 concert film by Irish rock band U2, featuring footage from the band's 2006 Vertigo Tour. U2 art director Catherine Owens made her film directorial debut, with the help of co-director Mark Pellington, to create the first live-action film shot, produced, and screened exclusively with both 3-D and digital cinema technology.[2] Following 1988's Rattle and Hum, it became U2's second theatrically released film. Footage from nine concerts were shot, using as many as 18 cameras at a time, and were edited together to create an 85 minute film featuring a 14-song performance.

The project was created to experiment with a new type of 3-D film technology, created by 3ality Digital in 2005. The film was praised for its 3-D technology and innovation. It peaked at number 19 and brought in US$15 million after the first four months, matching the film's budget. The band stated that the film was not created to make a profit, but rather to share the new 3-D technology with a mainstream audience.

Setlist

  1. "Vertigo"
  2. "Beautiful Day"
  3. "New Year's Day"
  4. "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own"
  5. "Love and Peace or Else"
  6. "Sunday Bloody Sunday"
  7. "Bullet the Blue Sky"
  8. "Miss Sarajevo" / Reading of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
  9. "Pride (In the Name of Love)"
  10. "Where the Streets Have No Name"
  11. "One"
Encore
  1. "The Fly"
  2. "With or Without You"
End credits
  1. "Yahweh"[3]

Production

Background

Template:Infobox movie certificates

In early 2005, film producer Steve Schklair created a new 3-D filming technology, which used motion control photography and real-time image processing to create a realistic 3-D experience without subjecting the viewer to motion sickness. The technology was intended to be used as an inexpensive and effective way to film live events in 3-D, such as concerts and sporting events. To help further develop the technology, Schklair contacted various media pioneers interested in working with 3-D technology including Jon and Peter Shapiro, film producers of the IMAX concert film All Access, and David and John Modell, former owners of the Baltimore Ravens National Football League (NFL) team. Schklair, along with the Shapiros and the Modells, created 3ality Digital, a live-action 3-D film production company. The 3ality team tested their technology by shooting several NFL games, including Super Bowl XXXVIII. After viewing the footage from the NFL games, 3ality decided to create the first-ever 3-D concert film, featuring their favorite band, U2.[3]

David Modell previously worked briefly with U2 in 1997, after he was interested in featuring LED video technology at Ravens Stadium at Camden Yards. At the time, the first and only LED video screen in existence was being used by U2 on their PopMart Tour, so Modell toured with the band on and off for a period of six months to learn about the technology. During that time, he became friendly with the band's art director, Catherine Owens, who had worked with the band since their Zoo TV Tour in 1992.[4]

To propose the project to U2, Peter Shapiro contacted Owens, who became interested in the project after viewing test footage of the 3-D technology. Contingent upon the band's approval, Owens decided to direct the project, despite not having any previous filming experience.[5] Before the band agreed, test footage was filmed with a single 3-D camera at one of U2's Vertigo Tour concerts in Anaheim, California.[6] As U2 had previously experimented with video technology in the past, including during both the Zoo TV and PopMart Tours, the band was interested in the 3-D film project as a technological experiment, rather than to make a profit.[5] Once the footage from Anaheim was released, the band agreed to participate in the project, and officially signed on in mid-2005.[7]

Filming

File:U2 3D Sao Paulo.jpg
U2 perform "Pride (In the Name of Love)" in São Paulo, while being filmed for U2 3D

The producers originally wanted to shoot the film in and around Los Angeles, California, where 3ality Digital's headquarters were located.[6] However, Bono insisted on shooting the film at the concerts in Latin America because he felt that the passion of the audiences in those countries best resembled the passion of the audiences in the band's home of Ireland.[5] U2 toured Latin America on the fourth leg of the Vertigo Tour in February and March 2006, with eight shows in five cities.[8] All eight shows were filmed for the movie, minus the first show in Monterrey, Mexico. The film's production featured the first ever 3-D multicamera live shoot, and was shot using every digital 3-D camera and recording deck in existence at the time.[6][9] The digital 3-D equipment included a total of 18 Sony CineAlta F950 cameras, which captured video onto HDCAM SR recording decks.[10] Nine camera setups were built, with each setup holding two cameras, acting as a pair of eyes to help create a 3-D effect during post-production. Five operators were required to work on each camera a time to ensure that the focus on both cameras on each setup were synchronized at all times.[5] Since Owens had no previous filming experience, she was involved with every aspect of the film except for the live shoots, which were directed by Mark Pellington, who had previously directed a video for U2's song "One."[11]

Audio recording involved capturing the sound of both the band members and the various audiences. The band members were recorded using various microphones placed on the main stage, as well throughout the two B-stages, where the band would perform during several songs. Additional microphones were used to record the audience, and placed in various locations depending on the type of venue in which the band was performing. Originally, 96 different audio channels were used for recording. Audience microphones were subsequently added, extending the total to 110 channels.[12]

Each show was filmed without storyboards or shooting scripts to capture realistic, unstaged footage of the band's performances. The shoots were clearly planned so that the filming would not interfere with the band's performance or the audience's view. Since several different shows would be edited together to create one performance, the band was required to wear the same clothes each night to eliminate continuity errors in the final cut of the film.[13] Shooting began in February 2006 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, where two shows were filmed exclusively to capture medium shots. At the following two shows, at Estádio do Morumbi in São Paulo, Brazil, two cameras setups were used to capture long shots. The band's next concert, which was held at Estadio Nacional de Chile in Santiago, Chile, featured only a single overhead camera setup, used to capture footage of drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. After filming five shows, the crew needed to capture close-up shots, so a "phantom shoot" took place,[14] where U2 played a 10-song set at River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires, which was filmed without an audience.[15] During the following two nights in Buenos Aires, the concerts were filmed with all nine pairs of cameras, capturing shots of the band from the B-stages.[13] Filming in Buenos Aires was the largest shoot of the entire project, and required a crew of 140 people.[3] The final shoot of the project took place in November 2006, where two shows were filmed at the Telstra Dome in Melbourne, Australia on the fifth leg of the tour, mostly to capture extra footage of the audience.[7]

Editing

Editor Olivier Wicki was chosen to work on the post-production of the film, after previously working on U2's "Original of the Species" music video. Wicki worked closely with director Catherine Owens during the post-production process, developing ideas for each track before editing the footage.[7] Over 100 hours of footage was filmed featuring performances of 26 different songs.[16] To make the film appealing to a mainstream audience, Owens decided that only 14–15 songs out of 26 would appear in the final cut, most of which would be U2's most popular songs.[2] When selecting songs for the film, the crew had to ensure that the performances of each track fit in with one another. For example, the band wanted their performances of "Mysterious Ways" and "Until the End of the World" to be included, however they were left out since they felt that those songs were out of place with the rest of the film.[16]

"Sunday Bloody Sunday" filmed in Mexico City

Eventually, 14 of the 26 songs were chosen to be in the final cut, and the footage was edited in 2-D using Avid editing systems, in New York City over a period of eight months.[17][18] The video footage was compiled into QuickTime and Open Media Framework files, which was then given to audio editor Carl Glanville to compile the soundtrack for the film.[7] Glanville edited the soundtrack with recordist Robbie Adams at Effanel Music in New York City. While editors typically select the best performance of each song when editing live concert footage, this was not possible since footage from only one to two cameras angles were captured at most of the shows.[12] Aside from the "phantom shoot" filmed on stage in Buenos Aires, all audio and video footage used in the film was recorded live by the band in concert, with no overdubbing used in post-production.[1]

After editing the selected footage, post-production continued in Los Angeles, California where Wicki worked with 3ality Digital to create the film's 3-D and CGI effects.[18] Footage was edited into 3-D using software that was created by developers at the same time the film was being shot.[11] Many of the scenes featuring several band members were created by layering several frames of footage on top of one another, with as many as five frames layered together at a time. Because the film was shot in a super image resolution of high-definition video, each frame of the film used nearly 20 megabytes of data, and the entire film used almost a petabyte (1015 bytes) of data on the 3ality's servers.[1] The 3-D editing process ended up taking much longer than Owens had expected, and caused the film to go over budget.[11] The entire video editing process took 17 months, and the final film was cut to a length of 85 minutes—seven minutes short of its originally announced run time of 92 minutes.[5]

Distribution

Screenings and releases

U2 perform at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, prior to the film's initial screening

Before the film's release, director Catherine Owens decided to release this film only in a 3-D format where viewers are required to wear polarized 3D glasses.[19] Only theatrical rights to the film were released, and 3ality Digital CEO Sandy Climan stated that additional rights for the the film will be released once the technology used to screen the film in theaters becomes available to home video.[20]

The first screening of the film took place at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2007.[21] Prior to the film's screening, U2 performed "Vertigo" and "Where the Streets Have No Name" in a brief, two-song set on the steps of the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès.[22] After the band's performance, the film was shown inside the Palais des Festivals at the festival's midnight screening. At the time, the 3-D post-production process was not fully completed, therefore a shortened version of the film was screened, simply to promote the 3-D medium at the festival.[20] The screened version of the film ran at a length of 56 minutes, and featured nine of the final film's 14 songs: "Vertigo," "Beautiful Day," "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own," "Love and Peace or Else," "Sunday Bloody Sunday," "Bullet the Blue Sky," "Miss Sarajevo," "The Fly," and "With or Without You."[23]

The complete film premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2008.[24] Approximately 1,200 people attended the premiere, which ended with a standing ovation from the entire audience.[25] After the world premiere, the film's initial limited release was on January 23, 2008, where it was screened in 61 IMAX theaters in the United States and Canada.[26] The wide release was originally scheduled for February 15, 2008, but it was later pushed back one week after Walt Disney Pictures decided to extend its release of Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert, another 3-D concert film.[27] About one month later, the film got its wide release on February 22, 2008, and was distributed internationally to over 600 theaters, all of which featured IMAX 3D or Real D Cinema technology.[12][26] Both the IMAX 3D and Real D Cinema versions of the film are identical, however each require different types of 3-D glasses. The IMAX 3D version of the film requires glasses with one lens polarized horizontally and one polarized vertically, while the Real D Cinema version requires glasses with two circularly polarized lenses.[7]

Marketing

In March 2007, the film's first trailer was released and screened in 3-D theaters before showings of Meet the Robinsons, the only other 3-D film released in theaters in early 2007.[28] The trailer featured clips from "Vertigo" and "The Fly," and was edited by creative director John Leamy, who also served as creative director for U2's "Original of the Species" music video, and created the poster, logo, and opening sequence for U2 3D.[9]

U2 3D logo, created by John Leamy

The film was originally scheduled to be released in the third quarter of 2007,[9] but its release was pushed back after failing to find a distributor. In October 2007, the National Geographic Society announced the creation of National Geographic Entertainment, a new unit within the society featuring various entertainment divisions.[29] Following the announcement of the new unit, National Geographic announced that U2 3D would be the first film released through the new division, National Geographic Cinema Ventures, and will be released in January 2008.[30] John Fahey, CEO of National Geographic, stated that U2 3D was chosen as the division's first release because they felt that U2 is "a band of the world" and "world music is something the Geographic as an institution is really interested in."[31] In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the film was released through Revolver Entertainment in addition to National Geographic Entertainment.[32]

National Geographic chose electronics retailer Best Buy as the film's sponsor, and select members of Best Buy's Reward Zone loyalty program were offered free passes to screenings of the film before its wide release.[33]

To advertise the film, National Geographic created two official websites: one for the film's release in the United States and one for the film's release in the United Kingdom and Ireland.[34] Both sites featured the film's trailer, information about the film, movie showtimes, and a web widget for users to post on social networking websites. In January 2008, an official blog for the film was created, called U2 3D Live, featuring news and other updates about the film.[35] Aside from the internet, the film was also promoted through television advertisements,[36] including one on a JumboTron in Times Square,[37] and as a sponsor on NASCAR's #19 Best Buy Dodge stock car, driven by Elliott Sadler.[38]

Reception

Box office performance

U2 3D began its limited release in January 2008 in 61 theaters in the United States. The film took in just under US$1 million during its opening weekend where it came in at number 20 in the box office, grossing over $15,000 at each theater. Once the film got its wide release on February 22, 2008, it was shown in 686 theaters, and was ranked number 19 in the U.S. box office. The first week of the film's wide release was the both highest grossing week of its theatrical run, taking in just over $1 million, grossing approximately $1,500 per theater.[26] While the film's overall box office figures were low, U2 3D set a box office record in Ireland after having the highest screen average of any film playing during its opening weekend, and took in almost IR£90,000 after playing in eight theaters during its first three days.[39]

By three weeks later, U2 3D had been pulled from most theaters, playing in less than 100 theaters internationally. The film had only grossed $6.6 million, while Disney's Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus 3-D concert film, still playing in many theaters since its February 1 release, had brought in over $60 million.[27] The film's distributors have stated that there is no limit to the length of the film's run, and it expects to return to theaters at which it was previously shown, and is expected to be shown in theaters for several years.[7][40]

Critical response

The film received mostly positive feedback from critics, and currently holds 92% "fresh" rating at Rotten Tomatoes, with 76 positive reviews out of a total 83.[41] It received an average critic score of 83% from review aggregator Metacritic out of 19 total reviews, six of which gave the film a perfect score of 100.[42] Critics began giving the film positive reviews following the film's 56-minute premier at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, while the final 85-minute cut of the film was still months away from completion.[21][43] Several critics felt that the film's 3-D experience created an environment that felt more real than being at an actual U2 concert, claiming that it was "even better than the real thing," a reference to U2's song of the same name.[43][44][45][46][47]

References

  1. ^ a b c Van Buskirk, Eliot (2008-01-21). "U2 3D Brings Hyperreal Arena Rock to the Multiplex". Wired. Condé Nast Publications. Retrieved 2008-04-20.
  2. ^ a b Cohen, David S (2007-03-15). "ShoWest gets peek at 'U2'". Variety. Reed Business Information. Retrieved 2004-04-07.
  3. ^ a b c "U2 3D Production notes" (DOC) (Press release). National Geographic Society. 2008-01-16. Retrieved 2008-02-08. {{cite press release}}: Check |url= value (help)
  4. ^ Cohen, David S (2007-05-18). "Dawn of a beautiful day for 3D?". Variety. Reed Business Information. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
  5. ^ a b c d e Karakaya, Jenny (2007-05-30). "INT: U2 3D director". JoBlo.com. Retrieved 2007-10-15.
  6. ^ a b c Waful, Jefferson (2008-01-23). "U2 3D: The Next Dimension, An Interview with Producer Pete Shapiro". Jambands.com. Relix. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
  7. ^ a b c d e f "Olivier Wicki: Interview". U2 Swiss Home. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
  8. ^ Mühlbradt, Matthias. "U2 Vertigo Tour 4th leg: Latin America". U2gigs.com. Retrieved 2008-02-10. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ a b c "Bluerock announces U2 3D Preview Screening at Cannes". DMN Newswire. 2007-05-14. Retrieved 2007-05-15. Cite error: The named reference "bluerock" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  10. ^ "U2 concerts captured in 3D with CineAlta" (Press release). Sony. 2007-06-11. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
  11. ^ a b c Block, Alex Ben (2008-01-25). "U2 Breaks the Rules In 3-D, New Software for Hard Rock". Hollywood Today. Retrieved 2008-05-05.
  12. ^ a b c Hurwitz, Matt (2008-03-01). "U2 3D: Reality Rock 'n' Roll". Mix. Penton Media. p. 1. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
  13. ^ a b "Interview with 'U2 3D' director Catherine Owens". Movies.ie. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
  14. ^ "Catherine Owens (U23D director) interview". RTÉ.ie Entertainment. Radio Telefís Éireann. 2008-02-22. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
  15. ^ Takiff, Jonathan (2008-01-23). "'U2 3D' may send TV viewers to new sets". Philadelphia Daily News. Philadelphia Media Holdings. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
  16. ^ a b Sperounes, Sandra (2008-04-23). "U2 film two years in making". Edmonton Journal. Canwest. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
  17. ^ "2008 Sundance Film Festival to Feature Works of Several Avid Customers" (Press release). Business Wire. 2008-01-17. Retrieved 2008-04-18.
  18. ^ a b "Bluerock Editor Cuts U2 3D" (Press release). Dexinger. 2008-01-22. Retrieved 2008-04-18.
  19. ^ "U2 in first ever 3D concert beamed live to a cinema near you". Gizmag. 2007-12-27. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
  20. ^ a b Thompson, Anne (2007-05-20). "U2 keeps sales in perspective". Variety. Reed Business Information. Retrieved 2008-05-28.
  21. ^ a b Chang, Justin (2007-05-19). "U2 3D - Cannes Film Festival Review". Variety. Reed Business Information. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
  22. ^ Mühlbradt, Matthias; Stieglmayer, Martin. "2007-05-20: Palais des Festival - Cannes, France". U2gigs.com. Retrieved 2008-05-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  23. ^ "Beautiful Night in 3D". U2.com. 2007-05-20. Archived from the original on 2007-05-21. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
  24. ^ "2008 Sundance Film Festival Announces Films in the Premieres, Spectrum, New Frontier and Park City at Midnight Sections" (Press release). Sundance Institute. 2007-11-29. Retrieved 2007-11-30.
  25. ^ Souris (2008-01-20). "U2 3D Premieres at Sundance". U2 3D Live: The Official Blog for U2 3D, The Movie. National Geographic Society. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
  26. ^ a b c "U2 3D". The Numbers. Nash Information Services. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
  27. ^ a b Jordan, Isamu (2008-02-29). "'U2 3D' great while it lasted". 7. The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
  28. ^ "Sneak Preview - U23D" (Press release). U2.com. Retrieved 2004-04-07.
  29. ^ "National Geographic Creates Entertainment Unit" (Press release). National Geographic Society. 2007-10-31. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
  30. ^ "National Geographic Cinema Ventures to Release 3ality Digital's 'U2 3D'" (Press release). National Geographic Society. 2007-10-29. Retrieved 2007-10-30.
  31. ^ Souris (2008-02-01). "Interview: John Fahey, CEO of National Geographic". U2 3D Live: The Official Blog for U2 3D, The Movie. National Geographic Society. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
  32. ^ "U2 3D" (PDF) (Press release). Revolver Entertainment and National Geographic Entertainment. Retrieved 2008-02-12.
  33. ^ "National Geographic Entertainment Names Best Buy as Exclusive Consumer Electronics Presenting Sponsor for U2 3D Theatrical Release in U.S." (Press release). National Geographic Society. 2008-01-08. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
  34. ^ "'U23D' in 2008" (Press release). U2.com. Retrieved 2008-05-18.
  35. ^ Souris (2008-01-08). "Hello, hello!". U2 3D Live: The Official Blog for U2 3D, The Movie. National Geographic Society. Retrieved 2008-02-18.
  36. ^ Souris (2008-02-15). "U2 3D: 30-Second Spot". U2 3D Live: The Official Blog for U2 3D, The Movie. National Geographic Society. Retrieved 2008-02-19.
  37. ^ Souris (2008-02-07). "U2 3D in Times Square Now!". U2 3D Live: The Official Blog for U2 3D, The Movie. National Geographic Society. Retrieved 2008-02-10. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  38. ^ "Team 19 Best Buy Dodge California Speedway Preview - Sadler Returns To Place of Last Victory". News Center (Press release). Gillett Evernham Motorsports. 2008-02-19. Retrieved 2008-05-01.
  39. ^ "U23D breaks box office records". RTÉ.ie Entertainment. Radio Telefís Éireann. 2008-02-26. Retrieved 2008-05-20.
  40. ^ Giardina, Carolyn (2008-01-24). "'U2 3D' hopes to ride wave". The Hollywood Reporter. Nielsen Company. Archived from the original on 2008-03-20. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
  41. ^ "U2 3D (2008)". Rotten Tomatoes. IGN. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
  42. ^ "U2 3D". Metacritic. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
  43. ^ a b Howell, Peter (2007-05-19). "Even better than the real thing". The Toronto Star. Torstar. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
  44. ^ Black, Fergus (2008-01-04). "U2 go 3D and it's even better than the real thing". The Independent. Independent News & Media. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
  45. ^ Griffin, Peter (2008-04-18). "U2 3D even better than the real thing...almost". The New Zealand Herald. APN News & Media. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
  46. ^ Grimm, Bob (2008-02-28). "Even better than the real thing". News & Review. Chico Community Publishing. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
  47. ^ Gundersen, Edna. "'U2 3D': Lifelike rattle and hum". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
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