Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1512899
www.postmagazine.com 4 POST NOV/DEC 2023 BITS & PIECES BITS & PIECES BILLY IDOL CONCERT FILM RAISES AWARENESS BY MARC LOFTUS BOULDER CITY, NV — Billy‹Idol: State Line is a concert film that documents the rock legend's April performance at the Hoover Dam — the famed structure in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River. The feature made its theatrical debut on November 15th, with additional screenings planned in the weeks to come (billyidolstateline.com). Idol chose the location in an eˆort to raise aware- ness for a cause he strongly supports: the need for water conservation. He's lived in California for three decades and sees how it aˆects the landscape and its population. He's also enjoyed the Southwest's National Parks, which he visits on his motorcycle rides. As such, he's been working closely with the US Department of the Interior, and has appeared in a PSA campaign on behalf of the cause. The new concert film was directed by George Scott, who has a history of working on music proj- ects, including recent collaborations with Duran Duran and Experience Hendrix. It was Scott's frequent collaborations with Ian Brenchley, the founder and CEO of Lastman in the UK, that got him involved on this project. "It was all because of past relationships," says Scott, who specializes in music documentaries and large concerts shows. "I'd never been to the Hoover Dam," he adds. "Trying to think of when and where (to do) a concert? There [were] various options. Where we chose wasn't the easiest, by far, but it did give you that spectacular backdrop. I think if you're going to do anything with the Hoover Dam, and with that subliminal message, then you have to see the dam." The band and a crowd of 250 took over a he- li-pad on the edge of the canyon, which made for a dramatic background that changed from day to night as over the course of the show. The April shoot made use of 14 cameras, including three jibs, numerous fixed cameras, a drone and a Steadicam. Documentary footage was captured during the shoot, along with an acoustic performance of Billy Idol and guitarist Steve Stevens the day before the featured show. The concert was shot continuously, though Scott says they were prepared to stop and reset, if need- ed. A live switch of the show was captured, though it ended up not being used. Instead, editor Phil McDonald, who is based in Glasgow, spent several weeks cutting the multi-camera edit. "We worked very quickly," says Scott of the edit. "I mean, essentially the concert was cut in three weeks. And it was another week or so for the documen- tary part, and then pulling everything together. We did the acoustic set, which was separate, and it was kind of incorpo- rated into the docu- mentary, so it wasn't a long edit, but [it] went through various stag- es of approvals, trying things and changing things. Essentially, the concert was finished at the beginning of July." The sound mix also went through several stages. "The concert was mixed by Billy's guy, who's in Northern California," Scott recalls. "Then, that was passed on to someone else, who did the 5.1 mix, (and) then someone else who mastered it. And then that went to someone else, who did the (Dolby) Atmos mix. The documentary was mixed by someone else, who is a documentary mixer." Scott is now on to his next project, a series about a luxury train that he's been filming in Scotland with British actor Alan Cumming. "I've just finished, (and I'm) in the final edit of that right now." It's not a music project, which Scott notes is "actually quite odd for me." ASSEMBLY LAUNCHES NEW BOSTON STUDIO BOSTON — Assembly (assembly.tv) has opened a new studio in Boston's North End. Located on Union Street, Assembly is housed in the same space as Editbar and Sweet Rickey, creating a complimentary working relationship. Assembly was founded in 2021 by Art Williams, Oliver Hicks and Colin Moneymaker. The new Boston studio oˆers a wide range of services, including color grading, VFX and finishing for com- mercial, film and episodic projects. The expansion follows Assembly's recent signing of senior colorist Phil Choe to its roster of artists. Choe will work out of a newly-updated suite that's equipped for supervised sessions, as well as re- mote sessions well beyond Boston.