LAS VEGAS – Only at the Sphere can you feel as though U2 is performing live, even when they’re not present.

The band inaugurated this innovative venue in September 2023, delivering 40 fully booked performances until March, establishing the enormous sphere as a landmark for live entertainment.

Recently, the breathtaking U2:UV live experience was transformed into a cinematic format, titled “V-U2,” an immersive concert film that screens multiple times weekly, alongside Darren Aronofsky’s “Postcard from Earth” and the current resident band, the Eagles.

As the footage flows within the Sphere, the lifelike feel is astonishing. Bono’s engaging commentary, the audience’s enthusiastic cheers (captured visually on the venue’s “floor”), and the electrifying renditions of “Zoo Station” and “Even Better Than the Real Thing” featuring The Edge’s sharp guitar work all combine to create such a tangible atmosphere that you find yourself clapping as if you were at a live concert.

This 82-minute film is the first ever produced entirely using the ultra-high-resolution Big Sky camera system, which is showcased on the world’s finest LED screen – 16k x 16k. The experience is enhanced with tactile feedback, as seats vibrate during the booming introduction to “Until the End of the World” and lights flicker around the audience synced with “Vertigo.”

Ticket prices range from $99 to over $200, but Sphere officials believe the unique experience justifies the cost.

Given the film’s innovative approach, we spoke with film co-directors – The Edge and his wife, Morleigh Steinberg – along with Andrew Shulkind, director of photography for “V-U2” and Sphere’s head of capture who played a key role in developing Big Sky, about the film’s production.

How did U2 select which songs to include in the film?

While the live U2 performance spanned approximately two hours and featured all tracks from their 1991 album “Achtung Baby,” the film has been condensed. Songs like “So Cruel,” “Wild Horses,” and “Ultra Violet” were omitted, but iconic hits such as “Where the Streets Have No Name” and “Mysterious Ways” were preserved.

The Edge mentioned in an email interview with YSL News that “Bono stressed the need to harmonize spectacle and digital artistry with the fundamental connection between the band and the audience. At its core, it’s still four guys at the heart of this grand spectacle, and that delicate balance was crucial against the backdrop of the striking visuals.”

Edge and Steinberg focused on creating a cohesive “flow and rhythm” for the film, with Steinberg emphasizing the venue’s equal importance to the experience.

“I aimed for viewers, whether familiar with U2 or not, to enjoy both the Sphere and U2 in a well-rounded manner, and I believe we achieved that,” she expressed. “The first four tracks are incredibly stunning, and then we transition to a more personal experience, allowing them to appreciate the Sphere from an audio perspective.”

Which U2 concerts were recorded for the concert movie?

Three shows – on Feb. 23-24 and March 1 – were fully filmed, and the band insisted the recordings remain unedited, capturing all the small mistakes and personal moments exchanged among members on stage.

Shulkind confirmed that the audience sounds heard are “exactly what you would have experienced on those performance days. The band wanted the interaction moments, their shared glances, all those intimate details included.”

The breathtaking visuals that U2 crafted for the show, including the Elvis tribute that gives the impression of motion during “Even Better Than the Real Thing” and the striking imagery of the Las Vegas Strip turned to dust in “Atomic City,” are preserved in the film.

How does the U2 film differ from the live performance?

The rendition of “One” in “V-U2” starts with a behind-the-scenes perspective, which The Edge explained was to enhance Bono’s storytelling on stage, especially when he engages the audience to “show us your light” with their phones.

However, the camera quickly zooms in for an exceptionally clear close-up of Bono, capturing his expressions in great detail.

Shulkind explains that the video was taken during a rehearsal, where Bono suggested a close-up shot that gradually transitions to a wider view. According to Shulkind, this moment represents “the biggest close-up in history,” and it’s especially significant for Steinberg.

“As the camera pulls back and reveals the band, it brings you back to the moment of realizing you’re in your seat again,” she noted.

Is U2 considering another Sphere residency?

With the remarkable success of U2:UV, which set a standard for other bands like Phish, Dead & Co., and the Eagles, fans would surely welcome a return.

The Edge mentioned he’s “intrigued” by the prospect of a new Sphere show but recognizes it would be a “daunting task.”

“If we decide to do something else at the Sphere, it will need to push the boundaries of this technology even further,” he stated. “Thanks to AI, digital rendering is about to see a major transformation. If creating images for the Sphere screen can become cheaper and quicker, it would open the door for a variety of innovative creative uses. And that’s an exciting possibility.”

While The Edge admits he and the band wouldn’t change their approach in hindsight, he acknowledges there’s room for increased “efficiency” going forward.

“We have learned what works and what doesn’t.”