ABOUT THE WRITER: Belle L. Fojas is a movie, TV and music enthusiast who enjoys the small sweet things in life. She is in awe of the city but is totally in love with the sea.
Filmed in Toronto, on the last leg of their latest concert tour, Imagine Dragons share their music with the world with a live performance of their Smoke & Mirrors show. Formed in 2009, the band has a history of touring and independently releasing a series of EPs, this resulted in a massive following and led to the band reaching No.1 on the world charts in 2015. With this live concert film, they aim to share the music experience some more.
Filmed by Director, Dick Carruthers (who has worked with Led Zeppelin, The Killers, Oasis, and Beyoncé to name a few), Imagine Dragons delighted their concert audience with the songs from the latest album and hits such as Demons, I Bet My Life and the Grammy Award-winning Radioactive from their platinum-selling debut album Night Visions. The concert includes performances of Shots, Gold and the never before played live, Thief is also included along with their rendition of Forever Young.
The concert translated into a film is a visual delight for Imagine Dragons fans and also an experience worthy those not familiar with the band to watch. This film will be equally thrilling for both fans who were lucky enough to go to the concert, and for those who did not but wished they are part of the audience. For those who watched the concert live, this film is a reminder of how the band, manage to reach out and get into the very souls of their audience and is a nostalgic experience too hard to pass up.
The cinematographer has made it very clear that the focal point of the film is the band, and manages to convey a feeling of watching the show live. Shots of the silhouette of the audiences’ hands raised and heads looking towards the band as the foreground. The combination of shots from the point of view of the audience, close-ups of Dan Reynolds, as he sings lyrics from the heart, shots of Daniel Platzman as he hits the drums, and the detailed framing of Ben McKee and Daniel Wayne Sermon’s strumming guitars are details that make this film great.
There are moments that the frame goes into slow motion as a song ends, which of course is a post-production magic, but anyone who was there or has been to concert or two is well aware of the same feeling of time stopping when listening to your favourite band play. The film is not just a recording of the concert, it’s about the band and how they relate to the audience, not just those present in the audience but to all their fans all over the world.
For Australian fans, a chance to experience this powerfully immersive and moving audio experience has been made possible by CinemaLive and Eagle Vision. A special one night only event on Wednesday 2nd March will be presented for this concert film – Imagine Dragons, Smoke + Mirrors Live.
Photography: Patricia Seaton Photography
