OAP: "U2 3D Premieres in Manila"

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Wednesday, April 02, 2008

U2 3D Premieres in Manila

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Official U2 3D Website: U2 3D Movie

I watched the premier press preview of U2 3D movie last night. I was not ready to witness a historic technological advancement in concert films history. I would agree that this is even better than watching the U2 concert live. At one point in the movie, I felt I was in the front row crowd singing "Sunday Bloody Sunday" with U2. The imagery created by the concert performance and video screens are something to see. You can be intimate with Bono who sings directly in front of you in virtual reality -- a defining moment in 3d movie history. The combination of 3d images and text, 5.1 surround sound quality and actual participation of the IMAX crowd, makes the experience surreal.

It would have been great if the entire crowd in IMAX was standing up with the crowd and singing. But again it was press night and most of the oldies just decided to sit back and watch. I know that you will be watching this specially the U2 fans out there. Please come with a mindset that you are attending a concert and having the best virtual reality interaction with U2 and the stadium crowd. Sing, wave your hands, clap, bring out your cellphones and forget for a moment that you are in a 3d IMAX theater.

U2 3D was shot during the last leg of the "Vertigo" tour in South America. U2 is not only recognized for their musical invention but also for reaching out to millions of fans through new technologies. This technologies include the use of video screens during the 1992-93 "ZooTv" tour, LED displays on their 1997-98 "PopMart" tour, and recently, the use of dimensional, light beaded video curtains above the stage at their 2005-06 "Vertigo" tour. They were also the first bands to embrace the Apple iPod device coming out with a U2 branded iPod. Bono wanted to go somewhere magical with the creation of U2 3D. He decided to shoot the South America Vertigo tour to capture the enthusiasm of the crowd who are excited to watch U2 after an eight-year hiatus from the continent.

Here is a 30 second clip on the U2 3D movie:

The images were so sharp that you notice the wedding ring worn by Edge or the half empty mineral water located beside the Larry Mullen Jr, the drummer.

They sang all our favorite U2 songs of our generation. U2 3D Song Lists:

VERTIGO
BEAUTIFUL DAY
NEW YEAR'S DAY
SOMETIMES YOU CAN"T MAKE IT ON YOUR OWN
LOVE AND PEACE
SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY -- I love this segment!
BULLET THE BLUE SKY
MISS SARAJEVO
U.N. DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
PRIDE (IN THE NAME OF LOVE) -- memorable...
WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME
ONE -- The best!
Encore Songs
THE FLYWITH OR WITHOUT YOUYAHWEH

Bono singing "WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME" with the flags of the countries in the video screen.

There was a crowd scene where everybody were bouncing up and down in unison. Awesome crowd and I'm lucky to get a bird's eye view of the concert.

A bulk of the concert was shot in Buenos, Aires, Argentina (River Plate Stadium) to capture mid to long distance shots, capturing performances on stage and the passionate reactions of 80,000 fans from nine digital 3-D camera systems. They also shoot intimate close-ups of the U2 performance during a cameras-only show the night before two public concerts in Buenos Aires. The show is a love letter to U2's fans all over the world. Rache and I wanted to touch Bono's 3d face and regretted not doing it for fear of looking silly.

We love U2's last encore song, "With or Without You". Rache and I felt that we were in college again...

In the 3d version, you will see all the letters floating in 3d and you are immerse in a 3d showdown that you have never seen before.

Most of the shots are framed with a small crowd in the foreground. This creates a virtual effect where the people in front of you is a continuation of the crowd in the movie. You will feel that you are in the middle of the crowd.