I HAVE seen the Jonas Brothers 3-D concert. Yeah, quit rolling your eyes. And I actually enjoyed it. Much more than I expected. (Again, stop with the eye rolls)
But no, I cannot tell you the names of the three brothers, the songs they sing or even explain why they are famous enough to warrant a movie to their name. I do know that Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift show up for a song each.
I only went to see the movie because it was in 3-D.
The Jonas Brothers' 3-D movie experience.
SOURCE: Disney Enterprise Inc.
My first 3-D concert experience was last year's U2 3D, touted as the first 3-D concert featuring the Irish rock band. Being able to watch Bono up close, as if I was really on stage with him, and seeing the Edge let rip into his guitar was a real eye opener.
The reality is, I will never be able to get front seat tickets to a U2 concert and even if I did, the in-your-face experience will be sorely lacking.
But back to the topic of 3-D, the constant nagging feeling was whether I enjoyed the experience because of my love for U2, or did the 3-D aspect have an impact? Now I can safely surmise that it made a whole world of difference.
While concerts have singers perform their music live, one joy is also to see the act on stage, or rather, see that moving figure who sings and acts like your favourite singer, but at this distance from the stage, who can really tell?
And if you cannot see the singer, what's the difference between listening to a live concert and buying a “Live in Concert” CD of that act?
So while I did not recognise any of the songs by the Jonas Brothers, I found myself appreciating the stage set-up, the on-stage actions of the three brothers and wondering how they could fill an entire hall full of screaming young girls, many who were filmed on camera crying, getting into a frenzy and if I can say it, acting like petulant children in many instances.
Of course, the filmmakers behind U2 3D made a greater effort in focusing on the individual performers, giving audiences a taste of Bono's stage flair, whereas for the brothers, it was all about their prancing about on stage.
The bottom line is, the 3-D concert experience adds another dimension to your viewing experience. Whether the camera is panning across the crowd or following behind one of the brothers on stage, there is the greater sense that you, the viewer, are on location with them.
Better yet, all this is taking place in the comfort and security of a cinema hall. I wonder if the distributor is thinking of having a mini concert.
Instead of selling seated tickets, fill the hall with screaming girls holding their placards and swaying their glowing cyalume sticks. With the screams on and off screen, one can hardly tell what's real and what's not.
And just maybe, the parents who are with them can see what their children are seeing.
Then they can roll their eyes if they want to.