If you missed U2 live at the Las Vegas Sphere earlier this year, you’re in luck because “V-U2: An Immersive Concert Film” is as close to experiencing the real thing as you’re going to get.
Directed by the Edge and Morgleigh Steinberg, V-U2 was the first concert film shot entirely with the high-resolution camera system “Big Sky”, developed by Sphere Entertainment with the goal of capturing the experience of attending a live U2 show using the Sphere’s immersive technology.
“The goal was to give the immersive movie goers as close to the live U2:UV concert experience as possible — and then some,” says the Edge, who directed and produced the film.
“V-U2 is a first-of-its-kind immersive film that will transport audiences back to U2’s groundbreaking live Sphere shows and make them feel like they are there,” says Josephine Vaccarello, EVP of Live at MSG Entertainment. “This concert film was created specifically for Sphere, and will utilize the venue’s technologies to create an experience that is only possible at this next-generation entertainment medium.”
We were able to catch a screening of V-U2 last week ahead of Noche UFC and they nailed the execution because I couldn’t tell that U-2 wasn’t actually performing in front of me.
Having attended several shows at The Sphere, including Noche UFC, V-U2 An Immersive Concert Film still delivers jaw-dropping visuals despite being the first concert film to be screened at The Sphere.
While the application for concert films is obvious, UFC CEO Dana White believes The Sphere’s immersive technologies could help enhance the sports viewing experience for fans who want a premium experience but can’t attend the actual event in person.
“That’s the future already…said White during a Noche UFC media scrum. “As technology starts to get better I think you’re going to deliver a much better experience for people that couldn’t go to the event, it doesn’t matter how dialed in your home system is, or if you go to bars, sportsbooks or whatever it is, there’s venues you can go and experience the fight, you can sit down and have dinner, they serve you drinks…that’s where this whole thing is headed.”
It’ll be interesting to see which next interactive concert film or event will be be filmed next, but it’s clear that we’re barely scratching the surface on what Sphere can do, and V-U2 An Immersive Concert Film is an impressive display of what the future holds.
If you love U2 or want to experience the Sphere, V-U2 is definitely worth checking out if you’re in Vegas while it’s playing through October.