In a new feature at Classic Rock, director Bernard MacMahon and co-writer/ producer Allison McGourty discuss their recently released documentary, Becoming Led Zeppelin. An excerpt follows…
Classic Rock: In the cinema, the music screams out of the screen like a jumbo jet.
Bernard MacMahon: “Thank you for saying that. We have not tampered with the music; we are giving it to you in the purest possible sense. To do that a number of key decisions were made. Firstly, we found the original quarter-inch tapes and the original vinyl lacquer versions of those albums [Led Zeppelin and Led Zeppelin II]. They have a property that’s unique, and that’s what excited them and sent them stratospheric.
“We wanted to give you what the public heard in 1969 but delivered through the best system on planet Earth. You’re hearing those songs sounding the best they can possibly be.”
Classic Rock: The live footage, too, is little short of amazing. At the show from the Royal Albert Hall the viewer almost feels as though they’re onstage with the group.
MacMahon: “You’re getting all of the original elements, but when there were deficiencies in the live recordings we worked with the EQs on those. The audience can relive what it was like being there. Those recordings were masterful and you’re getting it in the purest possible form. We haven’t adjusted it for the taste of modern kids. This is how it’s meant to be heard.”
Classic Rock: How hands-on were the band in everything?
Allison McGourty: “At the very first meeting we insisted it had to be an independent film, and they knew that we would have full editorial control. They didn’t try to exert any influence whatsoever.”
MacMahon: “They didn’t try to change a frame of the film. That’s unusual for a band of their magnitude. As far as I’m aware, any other band as big as Led Zeppelin would insist upon controlling that stuff. They asked: ‘What do you want the movie to be?’ and they replied: ‘Okay, make it’.
“I don’t know whether it was because they liked American Epic so much, but it was incredible to be allowed to step into that special circle that nobody gets into. I think it tells you a lot about Led Zeppelin and why they were so amazing at what they did, because they could always embrace unusual situations.”
Read more at Classic Rock.
Becoming Led Zeppelin explores the origins of this iconic group and their meteoric rise in just one year against all the odds. Powered by awe-inspiring, psychedelic, never-before-seen footage, performances and music, Bernard MacMahon’s experiential cinematic odyssey explores Led Zeppelin’s creative, musical, and personal origin story. The film is told in Led Zeppelin’s own words and is the first officially sanctioned film on the group.
The hybrid docu-concert film also unveils a huge amount of rare and unseen Led Zeppelin performance footage. The result is a visceral musical experience that will transport audiences into the concert halls of Led Zeppelin’s earliest tours, accompanied by intimate, exclusive commentary from the famously private band.
Becoming Led Zeppelin is a movie that almost didn’t come to fruition – the filmmakers were up against epic challenges, including the fact that hardly any footage from the band’s early period existed. MacMahon and McGourty embarked on a global detective search for material to illustrate the band’s story.
“We spent five years flying back and forth across the Atlantic scouring attics and basements in pursuit of rare and unseen film footage, photographs and music recordings,” writer/producer Allison McGourty said. “Then we transferred each piece of media with custom techniques, so that in IMAX, these 55-year-old clips and music would look and sound like they came out of the lab yesterday.”
Becoming Led Zeppelin is directed by the award-winning, Emmy® and BAFTA® nominated Bernard MacMahon (American Epic), and written by MacMahon and BAFTA® nominated producer Allison McGourty. It is produced by McGourty and Paradise Pictures in association with Big Beach, alongside executive producers Michael B Clark, Alex Turtletaub, Cynthia Heusing, David Kistenbroker, Duke Erikson, Simon Moran, and Ged Doherty. Editing is by Dan Gitlin, sound supervision is by Nick Bergh, sound restoration is by Grammy® Award winner Peter Henderson, with archival research from Kate Griffiths and Rich Remsberg.
Becoming Led Zeppelin is in cinemas now, and is available to watch on Apple TV and Amazon Prime.
The post “Becoming Led Zeppelin” Director Says LED ZEPPELIN “Didn’t Try To Change A Frame Of The Film… That’s Unusual For A Band Of Their Magnitude” appeared first on BraveWords - Where Music Lives.
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Classic Rock: In the cinema, the music screams out of the screen like a jumbo jet.
Bernard MacMahon: “Thank you for saying that. We have not tampered with the music; we are giving it to you in the purest possible sense. To do that a number of key decisions were made. Firstly, we found the original quarter-inch tapes and the original vinyl lacquer versions of those albums [Led Zeppelin and Led Zeppelin II]. They have a property that’s unique, and that’s what excited them and sent them stratospheric.
“We wanted to give you what the public heard in 1969 but delivered through the best system on planet Earth. You’re hearing those songs sounding the best they can possibly be.”
Classic Rock: The live footage, too, is little short of amazing. At the show from the Royal Albert Hall the viewer almost feels as though they’re onstage with the group.
MacMahon: “You’re getting all of the original elements, but when there were deficiencies in the live recordings we worked with the EQs on those. The audience can relive what it was like being there. Those recordings were masterful and you’re getting it in the purest possible form. We haven’t adjusted it for the taste of modern kids. This is how it’s meant to be heard.”
Classic Rock: How hands-on were the band in everything?
Allison McGourty: “At the very first meeting we insisted it had to be an independent film, and they knew that we would have full editorial control. They didn’t try to exert any influence whatsoever.”
MacMahon: “They didn’t try to change a frame of the film. That’s unusual for a band of their magnitude. As far as I’m aware, any other band as big as Led Zeppelin would insist upon controlling that stuff. They asked: ‘What do you want the movie to be?’ and they replied: ‘Okay, make it’.
“I don’t know whether it was because they liked American Epic so much, but it was incredible to be allowed to step into that special circle that nobody gets into. I think it tells you a lot about Led Zeppelin and why they were so amazing at what they did, because they could always embrace unusual situations.”
Read more at Classic Rock.
Becoming Led Zeppelin explores the origins of this iconic group and their meteoric rise in just one year against all the odds. Powered by awe-inspiring, psychedelic, never-before-seen footage, performances and music, Bernard MacMahon’s experiential cinematic odyssey explores Led Zeppelin’s creative, musical, and personal origin story. The film is told in Led Zeppelin’s own words and is the first officially sanctioned film on the group.
The hybrid docu-concert film also unveils a huge amount of rare and unseen Led Zeppelin performance footage. The result is a visceral musical experience that will transport audiences into the concert halls of Led Zeppelin’s earliest tours, accompanied by intimate, exclusive commentary from the famously private band.
Becoming Led Zeppelin is a movie that almost didn’t come to fruition – the filmmakers were up against epic challenges, including the fact that hardly any footage from the band’s early period existed. MacMahon and McGourty embarked on a global detective search for material to illustrate the band’s story.
“We spent five years flying back and forth across the Atlantic scouring attics and basements in pursuit of rare and unseen film footage, photographs and music recordings,” writer/producer Allison McGourty said. “Then we transferred each piece of media with custom techniques, so that in IMAX, these 55-year-old clips and music would look and sound like they came out of the lab yesterday.”
Becoming Led Zeppelin is directed by the award-winning, Emmy® and BAFTA® nominated Bernard MacMahon (American Epic), and written by MacMahon and BAFTA® nominated producer Allison McGourty. It is produced by McGourty and Paradise Pictures in association with Big Beach, alongside executive producers Michael B Clark, Alex Turtletaub, Cynthia Heusing, David Kistenbroker, Duke Erikson, Simon Moran, and Ged Doherty. Editing is by Dan Gitlin, sound supervision is by Nick Bergh, sound restoration is by Grammy® Award winner Peter Henderson, with archival research from Kate Griffiths and Rich Remsberg.
Becoming Led Zeppelin is in cinemas now, and is available to watch on Apple TV and Amazon Prime.
The post “Becoming Led Zeppelin” Director Says LED ZEPPELIN “Didn’t Try To Change A Frame Of The Film… That’s Unusual For A Band Of Their Magnitude” appeared first on BraveWords - Where Music Lives.
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