Vivisecting Media

U2 3D: An immersive experience

Over the last few weeks a lot of hype has been appearing around the release of U2’s IMAX 3D show. Being in SF, Xina and I decided to head over to the Metreon to check out the show. The last IMAX 3D show I had checked out was the “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” where the last 20 minutes or so are shown in 3D. You could tell Harry Potter was not shot in 3D but it was still a kind of fun-in-the-kitschy kind of way.

Unlike HP, U2 was shot and intended for the IMAX experience. I enjoy U2, but I wouldn’t call myself a diehard fan. What I was really looking forward to was the technological aspects of the show. I wanted to see why so many people were claiming it was on of the most immersive experiences they have ever had.

Going to IMAX is always fun: the huge screen, the cheesy intro where they show you the sound system, everyone sitting around with their silly glasses on.  That process kind of adds to the whole “show”. On top of that, the new 3d technique of using polarized light and lens to block each eye’s view is really amazing in its seeming simplicity. Its very much a nerdboy experience for me.

After seeing the show I can simply say that it lived up to the hype. The use of the 3D is done really well to create an extension to your current environment. Too many times I have been in a 3D show where they force items at you to create depth. The U2 show lets you experience the enormity of the stage, the lighting rigs, and the crowd in the stadium.  You are nearly engulfed in the experience. You don’t necessarily feel like you are there at the concert per say, but you get a taste for what it must be like on that stage. That alone is a breathtaking experience.

I enjoyed the concert but also keep geeking out on both the music gear and the lighting gear. I have a background in technical theatre, in fact I was focused on light and set design. I still have a passion for that tech and seeing it put to use with the kind of budget is always inspiring.

Follow that up with years of helping build and then run a music studio and I have became a bit of a gear whore. I kept checking all the mics, the light rigging and such. Its that kind of show though… it impressed me on so many levels. The experience, the music, the gear. The tech even flowed into our conversations later. On the way home Xina and I talked about what the editing process must have been like. How do they edit something like that? Is it always in 3D?

Overall, it is a very impressive and very worthwhile event. If you happen to be in a city with IMAX, try to catch it before it is too late. I fully enjoyed it on many, many different levels.