Metallica Through the Never (2013)
A hybrid concert film and narrative thriller, shot natively in 3D to capture Metallica's elaborate arena stage show.
Overview
The film intercuts a full Metallica concert, staged with an enormous pyrotechnic and set production, with a fictional narrative following a young roadie sent on a surreal errand during the show.
Native Stereoscopic Technique
Shot with RED Epic stereo rigs positioned throughout the custom-built arena set, the production captured pyrotechnics, moving stage elements and crowd energy in genuine depth, giving the concert footage a scale distinct from converted concert films of the same period.
Because Metallica Through the Never was captured with a genuine dual-camera or beam-splitter rig rather than converted from 2D footage after the fact, its sense of depth is derived from real parallax recorded on set — the same principle behind human binocular vision, where two slightly offset viewpoints are reconciled by the brain into a single three-dimensional image. The RED Epic Stereo setup used here reflects the state of stereoscopic camera engineering available at the time of production, a factor that shaped everything from shot length to how close the camera could get to the action.
Legacy & Reception
It's regarded as one of the more technically accomplished native 3D concert films, using the format to sell the sheer physical scale of a modern stadium metal show.
Quick Facts
- Year: 2013
- Type: Feature (Concert)
- Stereoscopic system: RED Epic Stereo
- Director: Nimród Antal
- Studio: Picturehouse
- Conversion: None — native stereo capture