Typically, when someone thinks of a music artist-oriented movie, they often think of a biographical film. Recent examples include titles like Elvis, Rocketman and Bohemian Rhapsody. These biopics center around the lives and careers of artists and typically dramatize or exploit certain events to cater to a theater audience. However, over the past few years, we’ve seen a more noticeable rise in a different type of music-oriented film: the virtual concert.
Despite what some may assume, this genre didn’t start with current popular artists such as Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift. In fact, the concept of concert films goes as far back as the 1940s with Adventure in Music. While not a new concept, it is indisputable that the past couple of years have seen the genre rise to new levels of success and popularity. Today, concert films attract a global audience and generate a significant amount of box office revenue, cementing them as a lucrative new aspect of the music industry.
For many, the 1984 Talking Heads film Stop Making Sense is praised as one of the better concert movies to date, recently re-released by A24. And until recently, Micheal Jackson’s This Is It was the highest-grossing concert film of all time, raking in a remarkable $261.1 million worldwide. This was, of course, narrowly surpassed by Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, which has now officially become the highest-grossing concert film at $261.6 million. Other notable releases, such as Renaissance: A Film By Beyonce also did extremely well making it into the top ten highest-grossing concert films, cementing the genre’s impact.
There are a few major reasons why this genre has seen a surge in popularity. The main motivation behind creating these films is for fans of artists who cannot afford outrageously expensive tickets to view concerts in person. Therefore the option of viewing the concert at a theater or even in your home becomes the next best thing. Not to mention, revenue is still generated off of the fans who don’t go to the concerts. Outside of the pricing factors these films create opportunities for fans who may not be able-bodied or have caretaking responsibilities for their children and families.
As we see reflected better in Renaissance, these films also create an opportunity for artistic expression. Beyonce, who wrote and directed the film, had full creative control over the project, ensuring that her artistic vision was fully realized. This is a departure from the typical concert footage that simply captures a live performance over a few hours. These films typically include backstage footage, curated visuals, and a perspective unavailable to fans who simply attend the concert.
These films are also extremely lucrative for the artists themselves. Following the success of the Eras Tour movies, Swift is set to gain $100 million. While the films do generate new opportunities for fans, skepticism of whether they exist only to garner profit is present as well. Despite this, for many, a concert film is a welcome replacement for an otherwise inaccessible event.
